The life of Austen

A terrible photo, I do admit, but if you squint hard enough you can see the most exciting happening in this year's Michelin guide...

No disrespect and all that, but I heard about this fifteen years ago as would any self-respecting technophile.

So here's a sneak preview of the ice bar at the George V three days before it opens to the public....

After a short holiday from my blog(which no-one reads anyway), I have decided to make a new post.

The exciting things that I have been up to recently are:
Spending loads of money in the sales and going very seriously overdrawn(even more than usual).
Finding my old stash of English coins which date back to 1868 and finding out that they are worth a maximum of €1.50 each.
The police reminding me that I had exceeded the speed limit 4 years ago, and wanting to give me a 15-day suspension.
Spending €361 in a 'normal' food shopping session at Auchan(I didn't even buy a DVD).
My tax declaration didn't work on the internet (because they suck big time) so I couldn't get it to them on time.
The weeds in my front garden are almost as tall as me as it has been too hot to go outside and now it will take at least two days to sort out.
The transmission is going in my car, so I can't do flat-out acceleration in first or second anymore(around €1200 to fix plus it needs a service, the ABS, front disks, etc ie €3000).
I have received my webbing, needles, twine etc from the UK, so that I can redo that ten Euro chair that I got in the brocante, even though I have already spent £200 on upholstery stuff.
I bought a professional drill.
I got really drunk at Pilou's a week ago and was sick(the first time for ages).
Have had a couple of hardcore drinking sessions recently and have now not had a drop of alcohol for four days.
I went to a Bar Mitzvah.
Did a satanic party for 6:6:6, got very drunk on Absinthe, did not manage to summon the Devil and ended up watching Miami Vice at 1pm.
I helped Adrian move appartments (to his fifth-floor-no-lift-appartment) which took us twelve and a half hours (thanks Tof).
My venus fly traps look like their going to die because it has been too hot.
I spoke to Don Johnson today and this was our conversation:
DJ: Bonjour
Me: Have an excellent afternoon Mr Johnson
DJ: Thank You.

Really exciting stuff, huh? I'll try and come up with something better for my next post.

Most intriguing... I would imagine that if the striking/demonstrating students' studies lead them to come out with such unintelligible nonsense, they could easily find jobs in factories or stacking boxes or something far more useful than wasting taxpayer's money in university. Hey, maybe they could lay some of the lefty unionist teachers off, too - killing several birds with one stone: saving taxes on privileged civil servants, economising on the cost of having more civil servants to 'police' such 'manifestations' as we have recently witnessed and giving those who WISH to study something useful the opportunity to do so; without having the young and influencable workforce of tomorrow being force-fed Unionism as is terrorism to disciples of the IRA and Al Qaida.
It is not over yet. Let's hope that the current government, in tatters may it be, is strong enough to hold out until Sarkozy comes in next year. He's weakened up in the last day or two it seems. It might just be a popularity stunt, though(hoping that he is the true Thacherite that he came across as being..)

Dear Mr Sarkozy (if, of course you read my blog)

This is what you should do:
Buy a copy of the Thatcher years.(not forgetting to remember and re-use the phrase Norman Tebbit coined 'on yer bike')
My top tip is(and you don't have to be a genius to work it out) GET RID OF THE UNIONS. Change laws. Reduce their powers.Take away their advantages. Make unionism alien to modern society (which it should be, anyway).
Privatise everything which would be more efficient if run by the private sector (ie everything except for forces of order and government). Give these private sector companies full tax relief during the probationary period of reorganisation under close government supervision (WITHOUT intervention - 'The invisible hand').
Make uniforms compulsary for students between eleven and eighteen (or smart businesswear for those between sixteen and eighteen) I cannot believe how many French youngsters do not know how to knot a tie! It is disgraceful.

With the budget surplus created, you will now be able to quadruple the police force and army. You can then have them properly trained to police the Nation and learn 'objectivity'.

I will continue when you have succeded with these first points.

Yours faithfully,

Austen Spooner

I'm not sure how well he speaks English, though.

A truffle, some shopping, a dodgy police car, drinking with Carlos(since we discoverd that the café Marceau has Burn) and what has become of Bath's(the excellent 1 star)?

Mise en bouche


Cold meats


Antipasti


Main courses



Desserts





The pictures speak for themselves, but as you can see, it's a true food marathon! Definitely the best Italian that I've been to in Paris. No doubt about it.