Living on a rock in the North Atlantic teaches you it’s own lessons. Just last week my friends in Germany were sending me glorious photos of the cherry blossom and we were experiencing a dump of 20cm of snow. I’d managed to photograph the first emerging snowdrops just a few days previously (Easter Sunday, in… Continue reading Sorry, Professor Hofsteder ..
The Six Lessons
Back in 2018, I wrote a long blog piece about the journey I took with my horse, A’bientot (better known now as The Sheikh) to see him to health and happiness and his final home in Goch, Germany, at ARR. At the time, I wrote that, Gabi and Klaus at ARR having put him back… Continue reading The Six Lessons
Mostly harmless
I think I mentioned earlier that we had acquired another boat? A big old ex-fishing vessel, the erstwhile Fundy Explorer was gifted to us because her owners (the GC’s young cousin and his business partner) were, I’m sure, too embarrassed to actually accept payment for this mouldy old scow. My clear vision of her peeling… Continue reading Mostly harmless
An Island Year
It’s a year today that we sailed in to St Pierre; ushered by dolphins and with the air clear, clean and crisp. Looking back on the year I can now see that winter is in fact the natural state of these islands. Like Oman in reverse, where a few short days of glorious chill… Continue reading An Island Year
A Horse’s Tale …
It really is quite odd, I know, that I keep turning up in Germany. The reason is that my horse is there; and the reason for THAT … well, it’s at least a four year story. Probably the story really started 10 years ago when I bought A’bientot in Jordan – a whim of a… Continue reading A Horse’s Tale …
Rabbit Redux
OK first up; I’m going to warn you that if you are sqeamish about meat, or blood, or are a vegan or anything like that, this is NOT a post you’re going to want to read. So go away now and don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. I have to admit to being a… Continue reading Rabbit Redux
Une femme de St Pierre
Of course as a tiny island the whole story of human occupation of St Pierre is about sailors; fishermen and their families. From the earliest summer visits by the Mic’maq to the cod fishermen of the 16th century it has been the sea and what it can give that created the entire raison d’etre for… Continue reading Une femme de St Pierre
Walking on Sunshine
I have been meaning to post about walking in St Pierre for the longest time and somehow other things get in the way. As the vast majority of the island is both wild and totally accessible by foot, walking is one of the (admittedly very few) of the so called tourist attractions and there are… Continue reading Walking on Sunshine
Totes Jelly
I’m feeling just slightly chuffed because Artemis has called to ask for my apple jelly recipe! Not just because it was good and she wants to make it; but because it’s a very special apple tree that made that jelly. We have a block of land that overlooks Ile aux Marins and the harbour; on… Continue reading Totes Jelly
The Hunting Hairdresser
So; I live in a place where my hairdresser (who has perfectly foiled highlights and beautifully manicured nails, of course) brings me a hostess gift of confit lapin when she comes to dinner. That she hunted herself, on Miquelon. I’ve always known that Artemis was a dedicated huntress. Our first dinner invitation; on our first… Continue reading The Hunting Hairdresser
The Unintentional Mariner 