With all the wonderful food and wine available in France you may think it strange that I fancied curry for my birthday meal.

But that was my choice.

Jay and CC stocked up on spices when they went to England briefly in October and we tried a few experiments in the following weeks so that by the end of November the results wouldn't be a total surprise in terms of heat.

Jay made a fairly mild prawn curry and some vegetable dishes and I made a hotter (but not eyewateringly fiery) chicken curry.

So the menu was as follows:

Champagne aperitif  (with presents: two volumes of 'Le Petit Nicholas' and a bottle of bas armagnac from the wine shop called Nicholas.)

Poppadums with raita, lime pickle, mango chutney and chopped raw onion.

The curries (as above) with naan bread and rice.

Chocolate cake.

It was all delicious and enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere with background music from the 60's.

We have decided that this Christmas we are going to have an unconventional menu:  no turkey and  no Christmas pudding, but we haven't any definite idea what we are going to eat yet - maybe fish. . . . .

Bear came home yesterday.  He made me cross by refusing to come home in Jay's car so we had to call a taxi. There is no more sickness and dizziness thank goodness but his shoulder is extremely painful from time to time.

He stayed in bed for breakfast and lunch but wanted to get up to see one of his favourite programmes, 'Swiss Railway Journeys' which has just started.

He couldn't raise his arm to shave and so I had to help him. I've never shaved a beard in my life and we were both a bit nervous about it. What made it worse was that he kept yelping and wincing because of his shoulder and I was afraid I would cut him.

He still has a black - or rather yellow - eye from the fall plus a long graze on his forehead. Any further injuries might make it look as though I'm beating him up. (Not that it isn't tempting sometimes, but I'm not a violent person.)

On a positive note his appetite has returned and he has been eating everything I've provided without complaining. Perhaps a few days of hospital catering has made him appreciate home cooking.

He has appointments to see the doctor again on January 3rd and for an MRI scan on January 18th. They have also promised to send details of further consultations by post.

Seems we'll have a busy start to the new year.