Tag Archives: France

Hotel holds guest’s underwear hostage (Rousse)

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Dreamaticus

AH, CS, NY and SY pulled up outside the house bang on time at 3pm. ‘Look what we’ve brought!’ showed off AH, as he dragged two life-size cardboard cut-outs of me and TPR into the house. Each with a mop … Continue reading →

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A clown, killer whales, and curvy bronzed buttocks (Rousse)

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Dreamaticus

Thirty years on I rediscovered the dark-haired Italian man with whom I had been friendly in France in the 1980s. Now working as a professional clown, he lived on the French riviera in a small apartment that offered wonderful views of … Continue reading →

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A French language refresher course in Paris (Rousse)

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Dreamaticus

I accepted the offer of a place in Paris to undertake a six-month long refresher course in French. Although downhearted at the prospect of a long time apart, TPR kindly accompanied me to France to help me settle in. The … Continue reading →

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The value of writing concisely (Rousse)

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Dreamaticus

‘The greatest skill that we learnt as undergraduates’ announced JS to the audience seated before her on rows of hard wooden chairs ‘Is how to write concisely. I can turn one person’s long-winded paragraph into three neat sentences – as … Continue reading →

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Paris waves freeze on last day of finals (Rousse)

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Dreamaticus

I took my last final exam on the day that the Paris waves froze. My entire cohort was gathered there in summer dresses – even DM, slim and beautiful in red, yellow and blue. I had done no revision at … Continue reading →

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An incontinent labradoodle (Rousse)

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Dreamaticus

My school friend JC invited my fellow undergraduate CP to visit from France to celebrate her 50th birthday. I wondered what CP would make of the two rescue dogs – in particular the incontinent labradoodle.

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The chance of a year in France and Marmite tinfoil in a Little Chef (Rousse)

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Dreamaticus

I sat through the sandy-haired lecturer’s explanation of how to apply for a year abroad in France then took the ‘handout’ at the end. This took the form of three tiny orange cards, rather like rail tickets. There was little … Continue reading →

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A slow ride to France (Rousse)

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I set off on holiday to France with AS in my red Peugeot 205. TPR and AS’s wife would join us later. Over the course of three days we only drove the distance from Edinburgh to Darlington. We suspected that … Continue reading →

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A French affair (Rousse)

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Dreamaticus

The only way to get into the French hall of residence was to balance on wobbly podiums attached to the outside of the building, then leap from there into the dodgy lift. Once inside the lift you had to perform … Continue reading →

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Spaceship flies over Edinburgh and pensioners enjoy the Paris nightwear walk Pierrot-style (Rousse)

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I was running very late when I bumped into MT near the Pleasance. I hadn’t seen him for over thirty years and had no idea that he was now working at the University of Edinburgh. I thought he was still … Continue reading →

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