9 February 2019

Vendredi

I have just come back inside the house after sitting in the sunshine with my shirt off, finishing "Sons and Lovers". Imagine that if you will - a bare-chested Yorkshire Pudding, soaking up the sunshine on February 9th!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the novel - partly because I have been able to give it my full, uncluttered attention. It speaks of social mores just after the Victorian era, of sexual psychology, of people striving for happiness. Our hero, Paul Morel, remains emotionally crippled and at the end readers are not quite sure what the future might hold for him. Miriam waited for him for years but in spite of himself he spurned her - intellectualising his resistance, unaware that he was thwarted by his mother's controlling influence.

Yesterday, Pierre took me to Mirepoix. It was not a market day so the picturesque little town was sleepy. I didn't care because I had mainly come there to park before undertaking a 10km walk north of the town. It  was explained in French in "L'Ariège à pied" and  I was able to find my way quite happily up into the forest along woodland tracks, passing the "hameau" (hamlet) of Marty and then down to Bourdicou - another remote "hameau" - where I took the photo of the cross at the top of this blogpost.

I sat upon the plinth of that cross for twenty minutes, looking out to the Pyrenees, stripped to the waist munching the apple I had brought with me. A horsey woman walked by, clearly stunned by my masculine physique. "Bon jour!" I said to her in a husky tone and she quickened her pace. She may have thought I was Jesus.

After the walk, I strolled around the centre of Mirepoix. You will be relieved to learn that I was no longer shirtless. Previously, I have visited Mirepoix a few times - but usually on market days when it is thronged with traders and visitors. It was nice to see it in a more quiet, everyday mood. And then I drove back to Floc to light the log fire, make spaghetti sauce and settle down for the night with nine pussies to stroke.

Eight nights gone. Two to go.

27 comments:

  1. I can hardly believe you only have two more nights! We were soaking up sunshine here yesterday, too...it was 85°F. Tonight will be back down to freezing though. Did you get some tan on your masculine physique with your shirt off? Look out Mrs. Pudding!!

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    1. I did indeed and made my torso shiny with sunflower oil.

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  2. No! You've been there more than a week? I can't believe it.

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    1. The job is nearly done Madame La Lune.

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  3. You need to put "Spoiler Alert" under the title! You promised Red not to give anything away! And now I don't need to read the dang novel :)

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    1. I felt that I had not said too much Jenny. I was conscious of Red's request.

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  4. Sounds like you are enjoying your pussy minding break.

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    1. It's very peaceful here and life is pretty simple but it will soon be over. I am hoping to drive into Toulouse tomorrow to watch a football match.

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  5. Is it customary to stroll around the countryside with no shirt? Maybe you shocked the daylights out of that woman! The landscape looks pretty amazing, I must say.

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    1. It was just so warm and with my fleece on I was sweating so it was nice to sit shirtless for a while.

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  6. I love that picture! It appears you enjoyed your walk but you probably scared that woman. I doubt she is accustomed to finding shirtless men on the cross!

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    1. But Jesus didn't wear a shirt Bonnie! I watched her as she went into a long green pasture to check out her horses.

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  7. "I'm not in the slightest bit envious!" said Pinocchio.

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    1. "Excellent!" said Mr Pudding as he glugged a glass of cidre traditionelle.

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  8. You've had a good time looking after cats!

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    1. I am glad that they are cats and not dogs Red.

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  9. Replies
    1. When one is retired, life is a long holiday.

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  10. I did comment earlier on this post...but mysteriously, it has not appeared.

    My comment was something along the lines..."one can become easily lost in the written words of D. H. Lawrence"...I know I have done so many times through the years.

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    1. Perhaps Blogger thinks you are a virus Lee. It's nice to learn that you have also read some D.H.Lawrence.

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    2. I'm a virus....hmmmmmm...insults seem the pattern of late.

      From memory, I've read all of D. H. Lawrence's novels...not just some. Years ago I bought a complete set of hard-cover, gold-embossed books of Lawrence's novels.

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  11. All that shirtlessness and pussy stroking will be making you tired!

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    1. You are right Madame Kylie. At 65 I should be smoking a pipe and playing bowls in my beige cardigan.

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  12. Like some others here have said, I can hardly believe you'll soon be on your way back to Yorkshire. I wish you'd shown us some more pictures of the cats.
    If I were walking on my own and came across a shirtless man sitting in the sun, I would not stop for a chat, either!

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  13. It sounds like a lovely but slightly lonely way to spend ten days.

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    1. You have got it Lily. It has been lonesome. I have hardly spoken to anybody in ten days apart from three or four phone conversations with my wife.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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