Plan A
You may have been holding your breath in anticipation regarding the solution to the eye drop dilemma. Feel free to in and ex hale. It wasn’t easy but thanks to the charming ladies at the pharmacy in Tresques I may not go blind before June.
First, I called Shoppers Drug Mart. They have all of our prescriptions. BUT they won’t email them. OK. Understood. So Catherine walked over to pick up a copy, since she was authorized. Then Karen the Cat Mommy took a picture and emailed it to us. I printed it and took it to the pharmacy. French pharmacies will fill foreign prescriptions if they appear to be legit.
All good, except the particular dose was not available in France. They suggested a substitute. So I called our ophthalmologist in Toronto (and dodged voicemail) and a couple of hours later got the green light. Total cost – $10.
Happy eyes, happy guy.
Lesson learned: Get hard copies of your prescriptions and scan them (if you wish). Have them handy when you travel anywhere, just in case.
Mange mange mange
That’s what Aka says about the cats around here. Eat, eat, eat!
During the last two weeks, we dined at four restaurants. All were distinctly enjoyable, and are mostly patronized by locals rather than tourists. The giveaways re the tourist trap are usually a preprinted bilingual menu featuring burgers and a shill outside inviting you in.
By contrast, there are lots of family gatherings at the good local restos, especially on weekends.
May 12 is not Mother’s Day in France. (Two weeks to go…) It looked more like Father’s Day. We lunched at the Bistro Montcaud, and it was beyond good.
Montcaud has two restaurants; the Bistro with a prix fixe menu for around €50, or about $75 Canadian, and Le Cèdre. Neither is budget friendly, but both offer excellent food.
Their second restaurant, Le Cèdre, has a Michelin star, and the 4 course meal starts at €104 per person…,$160 Cdn. Needless to say…
Normally Judy does not like gin, but they do a wonderful G&T with grapefruit.
Lots of guys with wheelchairs. But everybody had big appetites.
We had wine too. Claire Clavel of Saint Gervais makes delicious reds. A small winery but the vintages show up on many menus.
I could not finish my carrot.
We didn’t get back from lunch until almost 4. Oink.
Poulet a la Clackson
Saturday I had ordered a rotisserie chicken from Vival in Connaux. They have them every weekend but not like our supermarket chicks, and you have to order (and pay) in advance. Keeps one honest.
This is our personalized poulet bag. Nobody in France can spell CLARKSON so we will just have to change it to CLACKSON.
Today (Monday) I roasted garlic in olive oil, and poached some potatoes to go around the reheated poulet. If it’s not good, I am not telling. But it will be good
The weather forecast for this week is rather spotty, with lots of rain. Next week looks much better, and we will be off to Le-Grau-du-Roi at the Mediterranean seaside for three nights. We will be at the Hotel Splendid, where we stayed last October. It’s the place where Judy had free lemonade when she ordered a vodka shot. Plenty of good seafood and refreshing local wines. It is only about 70 km and an easy drive.
Poppies
Not puppies. May into June is poppy season in the south. They are everywhere and are as ubiquitous as dandelions in North America. Arguably prettier, and growing in vast fields. Or you may find just the occasional little lonely flower.
These were by the parking lot at the Gaujac Intermarche. Nobody cultivates them, as far as we can tell. They just POP up!
Groan…
Will report back in a few days. Best wishes to all!
À bientôt from the Clacksons!
Tresquenadiens 
Between pharmacies, poppies and poulet purveyors sounds like the Clackson’s are have a grand ole time.
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Absolument. Jude had a good mobile day today and we are just hanging out in the old Chateau, sans chats…
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