Saint Valentine's Day

Alanea & Dave took me to lunch on Feb 13 and I was good in the restaurant but not good enough to go to dinner on the 14th.  Dave said that because it was Valentine's Day Alanea deserved to have a nice dinner without my hungry face looking at her.  I am always hungry.  So away they went to their favorite restaurant in St. Aygulf called Pizza Napole.  They were the 1st people there but it filled up very fast.  Dave brought me home a piece of steak in his pocket just like Gramma Silcox used to do for Big Pally.  She always brought a lot of meat home for Pally, Grampa's 105 lb Labrador Retriever.  Dave said if I am not careful I will get big like Pally.

Late winter in The Var, France

The weather has been cold here but today it is warming up, 12 degrees.  Alanea and Dave took me for a walk to Domaine de Plane winery today.  They 1st drive 2km to the Bastide where Alanea buys local produce and then they leave the car while we walk 4km to the Chateau.  Along the way we saw the Mimosas blooming.  After my walk they took me to lunch at a nice place in St Aygulf, Pizza Napole, where I had some steak.  On Monday I went to the lake where I walk around looking at the birds flying on the water.  Alanea says they are making nest to lay eggs.  Tomorrow is Valentines Day so Dave has to be nice.  Long day for Dave, LOL.

End of January

The snow is gone and Jeudi (Thursday) it will be nice and warm maybe 19 degrees.  In January everyone celebrates the Epiphany (don't ask, if it involves food I am there) by eating Galette du Rois.  Last year I posted a picture of the Galette and this year I am doing it again because Nicky and Anne were here.  Alanea and Nicky are holding the little santons that hide in the galette.  Nicky & Anne are from Ireland and live here too.  They were very nice to me and brought their little girl dog to visit.  Now it is spring and I saw some baby sheep and goats at the farm near where I live.

Snow in my new house in France

I could not believe it this morning there was a big snow storm here.  We watched the snow fall on our jardin and there were 2 green parrots flying around in the neighbours yard.  You don't think about snow much in the south of France but Alanea says anything is possible (after living with Dave she knows about strange things).  I did not like it snowing and refused to go outside.  I used to play in the big snow in Toronto but here it just does not seem right so I stayed inside.  Dave carried me outside for a pee but I ran inside very fast.  Dave and Alanea took a few pictures but I stayed in my little couch and looked out of the window.  I sure hope that the Mimosas are OK and do not freeze.  The Olive tree is Beautiful with snow but better with Olives.

If the world gives you lemons

Make lemonade.

Alanea is thrilled with her lemon tree and harvested her 1st crop this week.  I don't like lemons, I prefer cookies but Alanea is happy.  When she is happy I get more cookies.

News Years in Italy

Alanea & Dave took me to Italy for New Years eve, that's me getting cleaned up in the bidet, embarrassing or what.  We left on Dec 26 and returned home on Jan 1.  We stayed in a nice big hotel that Alanea booked on Marriot rewards points and Dave did all the driving (1300 km in total).  The hotel was officially in Ciocco but that is close to Barga where we had NY dinner on Dec 31 at Ricardo's.  The region around Barga is extremely hilly.  We met Don & Sheila staying at the same hotel and we had dinner together.  They live in London, England.  Barga is close to Lucca which is an ancient walled city and the home of Puccini the piano guy.  Alanea went to his house and saw his own piano.  I got my picture taken outside by a statue of Puccini with Dave.  Alanea bought wine at a few places because Italian wine is different than French wine.  We went to see a monastery built into the side of a cliff, where real monks live.  That was cool but we also stumbled upon a restaurant just up the road which was built for randoneurs.  The next time we go to Italy we will go further south I think.  Let me know if you have questions.

My best friends at Christmas 2012

Oscar sent me a Christmas picture and here it is.  We had oysters and Champagne last night.  Dave is an old shucker from away back and Alanea makes very good risotto with (Canadian) scallops.  Alanea spoke to her mother last night on Face Time a really cool computer thing on her iMac.  See the screen.  I am going to Italy tomorrow for a few days in a nice hotel that Alanea booked on Marriott points.  She is very lucky to have those points because the hotel costs almost nothing and they upgrade me to a superior room.  This is our 3d Christmas in France and it is very quiet here.  I am going for a big Christmas day walk in a few minutes.  Enjoy the photos more to come especially after Italy.  If you have questions let me know.  See you soon Oscar.