Dance, and bike, before the music starts

I often think that my initial spells in Oxford and Paris might have been more enjoyable if I had been readier to embrace the particularities and inherent character of each place. It’s not just a case of not dancing faster than the music it’s also a case of singing in tune with it. That said, every now and again it is beneficial to stand out from the crowd. Although I personally am, France is definitely not a country of early risers. Hence my delight to be able to get up at the crack of dawn and get a not insignificant part of my Christmas shopping done by 10.30AM this morning without having to fight with a flood of furious festive shoppers. Two hours in the mountains on my new bike in the afternoon added a feeling of virtue to the smug spring in my step. The upshot was that I felt at ease easting copious amounts of chocolate cake at Maxime’s second birthday party today in Biarritz. Round that all off with a healthy dose of X-Factor fun and it’s safe to say that it’s been a good day all round.