Its not that often I get out on the road these days as a taxi driver but when I do I`m always looking for something interesting.
Last night I picked 3 women up that had been to a party. It was a family party, there was mother, daughter and daughters daughter and most people can go out and have a good time and go home happy but its not always the case as there is always one who cannot handle their drink.
The middle aged woman in tha back of the car sandwiched between the other two was extremely abusive verbally to both the other passengers. Now the journey meant 3 different people being dropped off at 3 different addresses and I was just hoping the drunken woman would not be the last in case she couldnt pay the fare.
After having to listen to a torrent of four letter words and abuse from this woman directed at the other two I was glad to get to my first drop off address where one woman got out of the car followed by the abusive woman who then started shouting at the top of her voice in the street waking up residents. She was soon shoved back in the car and I carried on my journey. I had only got about 100 yards up the road when they started fighting in the back of the car.
It was at this point I stopped the car and told them both to get out. The drunken one fell out and was all over the place. the other one was very apologetic and paid the fare and so I went on my way.
What I cant understand is why people have to have stupid arguments, get aggressive and not be in control of themselves and its usually the women.
Alcohol enhances your mood so if you go out in a good mood you should in theory go home in a good mood. Unfortunatly it works the other way as well so if you go out looking for trouble then the chances are that you will find it.
Its all part of the job description these days and my main concern is for the safety of myself and other passengers as well as other road users if the vehicle is moving so by getting them out the car I think I did the right thing.
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Saturday, September 18
Friday, September 17
La journée du patrimoine: You are invited to breakfast on the chateau terrace this morning
It is the weekend of 18-19 September and La journée du patrimoine - Heritage Day in France. Today all museums, cultural venues, old water mills, ancient chateaux, buildings, gardens -- anything that has any cultural or historical significance - will be open to the public to visit, enjoy and appreciate -- free of charge. These open days are a privileged opportunity for the French to visit their national heritage free of charge, not just historic monuments and buildings, churches and châteaux, but also private houses, banks, local courts, préfectures, law courts, town halls, chambers of commerce, etc., all sorts of buildings which are usually closed to the public or little visited by it have enjoyed growing success, reflecting the French people’s infatuation with their national treasures.
La journée du patrimoine was introduced in 1984 by the Minister of Culture of the day, Jack Lang and has enjoyed huge success in France.
Chateau Lalinde will not be open to the public today, but I will, as usual, be visiting a few interesting places and come give a report and share the photographs with my readers later!
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Thursday, September 16
The beautiful water mirror by Corajoud in Bordeaux
- Michel Corajoud
(landscape is the place where the sky and the earth touch)
Apparently it was the Seattle artist, Jim Pridgeon, who had a concept to create a drawing in the sky by unrolling a long reflective mylar sheet in the lowest level of orbiting satellites around the earth. Depending on the time of day, the drawing would be more or less visible and at its most visible at sunset. On a global scale, Pridgeon's sculpture was supposed to capture and reflect the light of the sun to make a cut in the sky. This crisp edge of brighter light was the first aesthetic act of the reflected surface.
Generally people love reflections -- perhaps because it helps them see themselves as they think others see them?
But it seems that nowadays buildings that are completely covered in heavily reflective glass walls are no longer as popular as they used to be. Now the glass or the metal surfaces that cover them are either less reflective and/or covering less of the building surfaces. The 1970's and 80's reflective building that attempted to disappear into the sky has all but disappeared - or the buildings take on a different -- a fun - humorous kind of aspect. (as these scaffolding covers in Paris)
Now we have different forms of reflection -- and the most clever of these has to be the reflecting pools or water mirrors, such as the brilliant water mirror in Bordeaux, designed by the French landscape architects, Claire and Michel Corajoud and opened in October 2006.
Corajoud replaced the unsightly working docks of the Garonne Quais on the Gironde River with a giant rectangle of black granite covered with 5cm of water -- a surface large enough to reflect the entire 18th century (previous)Stock Exchange building. The water is added to by an interesting system of mist sprays and delicate fountains that seem to spurt diamonds into the air. As one observer puts it "The water mirror both forces people to stop and observe their reflection and then to bring them together in the play of splashing water".
Fascinating to watch people interact on the mirror. Young and old take off their shoes and enjoy the experience. People push others in wheelchairs. Children try to chase their reflections, try to catch the water, try to anticipate the mist sprays. Young girls laugh. Old people gaze at their reflected faces between their bare toes. And everyone loves the relief that the coolness of the water brings to their tired and hot feet.
No doubt one of the highlights of a visit to the Beautiful Bordeaux.
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Monday, September 13
Pension age in France raised to 62 in vote today
Following a vote by Members of Parliament today, France's legal retirement age will be raised gradually from 60 to 62, and the legal retirement age will be raised by four months every year until 2018. The vote took place just days after a national strike against changes to the retirement law.
French workers have been able to retire at 60 since 1983, when then president François Mitterrand lowered the age from 65.The age to retire on a full pension, whether a person has made a full contribution to their state pension or not, will also rise from 65-67 between 2016 and 2023.
Two other measures aimed at those in the civil service were also passed during the National Assembly sessions which took place last Friday. Civil servants who can currently retire at 60 will see this raised to 62 and those who are parents of three children or more will lose their privilege to retire after just 15 years of service.
Former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal told France 2 that if the Socialist Party was elected in 2012 it would restore the ages to their current levels. "If the government doesn't step down, in 2012 we will make them step down," she said.Expatica.com reports that the proposals must still be voted through by the Senate before becoming law - therefore union leaders have called for a huge turnout in a strike organised for September 23. CFDT general secretary François Chérèque told Europe 1: "If I thought that all was lost, I would not call on the French to strike again."
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Sunday, September 12
Another magic evening in the Dordogne: Champagne and lemon sorbet for dessert
There is something quite special sitting with good friends in front of a crackling wood fire at the bottom of the garden on a starry late-summer night and have your host whip up a most delicious Scarpino as a dessert after a delicious meal. His recipe remains a well guarded secret, but here is a good substitute for you to try. It is spectacular, theatrical -- and probably the best dessert you will ever have tasted! Try it and let me know what you think!
Serves 6
* 6 large scoops lemon sorbet
* 1/2 cup vodka
* 1 bottle of sparkling wine or Champagne
* small tub of natural yoghurt
Method
Put the lemon sorbet in a large mixing bowl. Pour the vodka over and whisk fast with an egg whisk. Add the sparkling wine or champagne while continuing to whisk. The secret is to do it fast so that the bubble of the champagne reacts with the whisking and the drink becomes very light and foamy. Pour into champagne flutes or martini glasses and serve immediately.(Photo of drink: Champagne, Darling? Freezes)
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