SUNDAY IN CASSEL

I remember we drove through the rather pretty town of Cassel about a year ago, and I commented that I'd like to visit this quaint little town on the hill again. So this Sunday we loaded our bikes onto the car and headed out.

Unfortunately the weather didn't hold out and the cycle adventure was a little damp (however, that is what warm estaminets and hot waffles are for). Flanders is pretty flat and the hills are few and far between - they call them 'mounts'- it's cute, and optimistic. Cassel is well known for its 17th century windmill perched on the very hilly top of the hill. Mostly though, we just rode around on our bikes getting hopelessly lost, and asking 'where the fuck is zeemersteenvordebrouck?'


ETRETAT

'un hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps'
As the saying goes 'one swallow doesn't make it Spring.'
But I think the one I saw really did
Last minute plans on Thursday culminated in an oft-promised but long overdue visit to Etretat.

FOR WHOM THE BELL DINGS



Not my actual bike, but representative of the coolness of my bike - despite its lack of ding bling
Now that spring is (allegedly) on it's way, I've pulled the bike (and my ever expanding butt) out of winter hibernation and found it's had little banlieu rats nibbling away at it while it was stored in the private communal courtyard of the Paris apartment block. For starters, someone tried to have a little chomp away at the bike lock and being too lame to properly steal a bike I figure they just decided to steal the bell instead. How much street cred does that get you these days?
One thing I have learned about living in Paris is that whatever it is, if it's not nailed down, someone will steal it. The other thing about Paris - is that if it is nailed down, they will steal the nails. And then they will steal it.

NORTHERN LIVING

New life, enjoying;
- I can practically leave the pot on the boil during the time it takes me to pop out and run an errand (I also frequently do this when I go for a run around the block with scissors)
- The car is currently parked about 3m from the front door (vs the standard approximate 4km radius of Paris).
- Residents parking fees are actually very reasonable - for any country where a garden/carpark/garage is not some kind of automatic birthright
- Bike paths, everywhere bike paths
- A very spacious UNESCO classed heritage site just a short stroll away
- The fact that I hear more birds than cars, despite being in the city centre.
- Ground floor versus 5 flights no elevator (my lazy arse is happy)
- Art nouveau architecture
- Private internal courtyard...it's inside, but outside
- People actually doing recently forgotten polite things (holding open doors, stopping at pedestrian crossings, smiling, not scowling at you for daring to read on public transport)