Sunshine on a rainy day

New Note 8

had a mental last week at work, so when I had stuff to report it didnt get said. Briefly then, as I am in font, and so more exciting things to follow :

went to the cave on wednesday. good scene. Robbins, Doyle, Dyer, Cattell + two lads from the interweb + me, jim and dylog. Nothing actually went down - except a flash of some 7a thing on the right. Tried to do Trigger cut - fail. Something didnt feel right. Interesting to watch doyle, dyer, robbins and cattell all do it, wildly different methods, one common factor - they try really hard. Its like I expect to be able to mince up it static. Not so. You have to try! Anyway, got on Broken heart and very nearly did it. 4 times all the way to the finishing hold - never to hold it. Good training - as pete says, from Fat to Fit! only this week its back to fat!

two more days at work - mental mental chicken oriental. Well busy. Drove to me mams on friday night (midlands), meal, wine etc, then on to ferry on saturday am. took three hrs to ferry, which was norfolkline to dunkirk. Dylog told us to book vip tickets which we did and they were well worth the money. not only do you get on and off first, but you also get the use of this vip lounge thing with free tea and coffee - and the best thing was that there was noone else in so we had the whole thing to ourselves. Amazing. And brilliant!

The drive down here was loooong, but relatively straightforward. Neil came out to meet us and show us around when we got here. dont know what I was expecting, but its nice. Granted, its not malmaison, but its functional, cheap and clean. So, we get in get established and are desperately hungry and in need of a beer. Despite numerous hints nothing is forthcoming, but this i suppose, is fair enough. If you run accomodation for cheap skate climbers, they take advantage, so I imagine your good nature and such gestures dry up. Still, nothing is open and we go to sleep hungry.

Next morning its leathering it down with rain and all too soon the alarm goes so we dont miss the supermarket. Hungrily we tear into baguettes in the car park and satisfy our tums. Bumble about Milly, then a quick look in Font itself before we head home to cook a chorizo and butterbean stew. Film - road to perdition, then bed. v.tired.

Monday morning its still wet outside. We had said we were going to paris, but i had right of veto if it looked ok. It didnt, so off we went. Just missed the first train and had to sit it out in the station for ages (1hr). Paris was cool. Sun came out which was nice for looking around, and although I wanted to be on the rocks, I recognised that they would take time to dry and that perhaps this was the change in the system.... After getting the metro to the place de concorde, we walked up the champs elysses to the arc de triomphe (will have to excuse the pigeon french spelling), where we had a quick mooch, then a meander down avenue Justin Bieber (not actually called that, but sounded like it) to the bridge that takes you to the eiffel tower. Marvel at the rust, and then walk down to the seine to catch a bateaux bus, only sack that off when it turns out to be €11, and we only want to go down half a mile. Walk in the end, back to place de concorde, then through the musee de orangerie (cool), the gardens de tuilerie (sp?) to the louvre. Had been recommended by rough guide to go in cafe marly - shit, and really expensive. Ah well. Out and up to the moulin rouge (on foot still), then up more to montmartre. Feet anihilated. Sacre Coeur very cool. Montmartre very cool also. Tube back to gare de lyon train home. Tired. Consume more chorizo stew, watch the wire in bed. Sleep.

Bright in the morning, but standing water on the road. Sun comes out, so we head out to l'elephant. Quiet when we arrive, but quickly gets busy. Noone climbing, all sort of milling around waiting for things to dry. Look at Coup de Lune - think it is best problem have ever seen, then quest on finding barre fixe - again, looks good, before finishing up at black 39, which is just above la coeur and egalize something? (7c) do black 39 to get warmed up (think it was 6c - jesus!), then go down to egalasdfasdgasdg - theres euros there, so stalk off to try la coeur. Interesting heart shaped feature. Get to it, get past it, cant do anythingn with the top. The euros leave the 7c thing, so head back there. Its a bit rapey. Theres a hard jump from a bad hold to an ok edge. Only work out the body position as the pain from boning the edge gets too much. sack it offf and start walking back towards barre fixe. THere are a thousand people everywhere, and then it starts raining. We go to the supermarket, then to find cofe's tea recommendation (just to look) and then home. Watch the rain for a bit, surf interweb. Rain stops, decide to get some cash and go for a walk, on getting to malesherbes, the sun comes out and we decide to go to gorges aux chats. Its all soaked. but drying fast. Reason it might be ok at cul de chien and drive there. It is a bit damp, but reasonable. Get on the dogs head, but not up its arse. Very scary. Pizza van home.

Now about to watch The boat that rocked.