Dinner

Still trying to catch up with blips after our break -- if you want to read about more failed tourist activities, see yesterday's backblip. Today S got up at 6 a.m. to go walking. I had a quiet day, shopping, the annual ceremony of washing the car (due to over-active starlings), reading, blipping, watering the garden. 

When we were in Banyuls yesterday I saw some poires de St Jean at a greengrocers, and they were so pretty that I bought some. Tiny -- about the size of plums -- and hard, they are unusual in that they ripen at the end of June. So today I poached them in a syrup flavoured with star anise and allspice (see extra). The same shop had small sweet peppers in different colours so I bought some of those too, and tonight's slimming-friendly dinner was grilled peppers, salad onions, courgettes (from the garden), and cherry tomatoes with lots of fresh herbs and a dressing of a squirt of spiced vinegar and another squirt of olive oil. Followed by pears with ice cream.

My thoughts today have been with those affected by the terrible attacks in France, Tunisia, and Kuwait. In her blip, Kendall linked to President Obama's very powerful eulogy at the funeral of Reverend Pinckney. You don't need to be religious to find it uplifting; I highly recommend watching it to restore at least a little faith in human nature.