241. April Showers in the Basque Country

By Piperade
2nd April. This morning, Madame was planning to make blanquette de veau for Sunday lunch, a dish which is a bit time-consuming to make. I was released to go for a walk along the boardwalk at Anglet, and when I arrived there, it was busy with all manner of joggers, sportifs, waddlers and stumblers (I fit in one of those categories somewhere!).
We'd had a blowy day yesterday and this morning a gusty wind was blowing out of the north west over an agitated sea. The sky looked clear of rain and so I set off southwards on a brisk 30 minute walk to Le Rayon Vert, a beachside café, just to the north of Biarritz. Once there, I didn't hang about as one or two gray clouds had appeared on the western horizon. I turned around and headed back to the car while keeping a watchful eye on the low gray rain clouds that had formed up out over the sea.  It wasn't long - no more than about 10 minutes - before I felt the first drops of rain. Despite thinking "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" - within 5 minutes I was completely wet through - as in drenched. Was I glad to see the car!

Blanquette de veau

Once home, I stood dripping in the hall, my nose twitching with the wine-rich smells drifting out of the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, I had dry clothes on and I was enjoying an eyes-closed moment as I inhaled the steam rising off the blanquette de veau (left) that Madame had set in front of me. I poured two glasses of Haut-Médoc and set to work! I love Sundays!
         We were looking at electric bikes the other day. Madame hasn't been well lately and she wants to get out on her bike again but I think she'll need some assistance - so possibly an electric bike will be the answer. (by the way - that's Bayonne from 0:43 to 1:00)