For at least two reasons, the Cosquer Cave near Marseille is amazing – firstly for what’s in it, secondly for the story of its discovery. Penguins, seals, horses, bison and aurochs, all in one space.…
Ramadan ended a few weeks ago. Due to the lockdown it was tougher than usual. Staying at home to fast all day, and the celebratory meal when darkness finally falls had to be eaten without…
Zizou the truffle hunter We don’t have a dog now. Last year, when the world was different, we travelled a lot, and a dog is about as conducive to travel as a broken leg.…
It’s generally admitted that if you live in a glass house, it’s not a great idea to throw stones. By the same token, if you live in a Muslim country, it’s not very wise to…
There’s a scene in the film The Eyes of War where Colin Farrell’s character says something to the effect that anywhere that’s fucked up in the world today, you can bet that either the French…
Release of Perfume Island: 15th November. Now, to those who’ve been following me for a while, that’s not a big announcement, as I’ve set about 8 different release dates over the past 15 months. Like…
15 keys to One Green Bottle. N° 6: The detective plaque. A novel has to be plausible. Not close to the real world, but plausible in the world of the novel. So in Harry Potter’s…
Click on the sandwich board! Eh, Bill, how long have we been standing in that there widget on the side? Dunno, Ben, couple of months maybe? Why? Don’t you reckon it’s enough? What are we…
15 keys to One Green Bottle. N° 5: The killer’s criteria. The only thing the victims appeared to have in common was that they lived in remote areas. She hadn’t visited Wallenheim, where Roncet lived,…
15 keys to One Green Bottle: n° 3 – Charlotte She was polishing the piano a couple of days later when the doorbell rang again and a woman was there on the steps asking to…