Euan Semple's Blog, page 2

No upside?

I wanted to stay in the EU. I am currently in France and frustrated that my time on the continent is now limited to 90 days a year.

But…

Not being in the EU doesn’t appear to protect me from their current tinkering in technology matters in ways that directly affect the walled garden I made a very informed choice to be part of!

I’m confused.

You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building.

I still get a rush of excitement just reading that sentence.

Oh, the excitement!

Started off with a couple of men from my current campervan site here in France, gathered round a big wooden post sunk into the ground. And then my neighbour, a little old man, who turns out is 91, joined in.

It ended up there was quite a crowd, using all sorts of hammers and axes and crowbars to remove this wooden block so that a young lad and his girlfriend, who live permanently in a massive great motorhome because he teaches at the local surf school, could park his van there.

Still don’t really understand why. I think the owners know. But my neighbour, the wee old man who lives here permanently, is now sitting looking very pleased with himself, listening to opera in his “garden”.

You couldn’t make this up.

Not a happy bunny

Alby’s not happy that I’m currently in the van in France. Can you tell?

”Jesus tittyfucking Christ on a cracker is that a pagan shrine?”

Nicely written piece on the pleasures of AI relationships.

Too soon?

On my way down through northern France I passed through Brittany and found myself thinking of Band Of Brothers, which I just watched for the third time. I thought of all those young men who had survived the nightmare of the beaches and were now struggling against all the odds through the dense networks of field hedges that characterise the countryside around the area.

And then I saw a sign advertising “D-Day Paintball” and winced.

Birthday card from Hannah

Harsh…

David Sanborn

Very sad to hear of the death of David Sanborn, one of my favourite sax players and a big influence on my own style.

I was lucky enough to hear him, and his band with bass player Marcus Miller, in an open air amphitheatre during the Antibes jazz festival many years ago.

Scary lanes

Thank goodness we didn’t opt for a bigger van.

We are currently on holiday in Devon which, for those of you who don’t know it, has very narrow lanes with very high hedgerows and often steep stone banks to them. The locals always also drive very fast so getting around is calling on all the skills I developed during my days as a lorry driver.

It occurred to me it would be great if either Apple Maps or Google Maps had a setting to avoid “scary narrow lanes” because they very often take you down them as a means of achieving a shortcut. Frankly I’d rather go the long way!

The good old days

For some reason bloody Jetpack isn’t picking up the YouTube embed but those of you with long enough memories will enjoy this great story about Archie.