A quiet post-skiing week. Le frère and the DenEboy were duly dropped off at the airport on Monday morning; Tuesday we had the final scheduled monthly checkup at the hospital; result: baby in fine form but mother's blood pressure on the high side, meaning weekly monitoring from now until the end; final prenatal session on Thursday; Saturday, belated attempt to mark the passage of eldest niece into adulthood with flowers, champagne and chocolates seems to have been well received. Phew. Events later in the afternoon were not so gratifying. At least the worst comeback in Premiership history was made more palatable by the end of the devils' unbeaten run.
More marking time this morning. Stroll into town in lovely spring-like sunshine to purchase grilled chicken at the market. Final full meal for 30 hours. On the menu for dinner tonight: boiled eggs, bread, laxatives and plenty of liquid. More laxatives at 7am, even more liquid, then to the hospital to have a camera poked up my rear end. Routine check for nasty things in my innards, more in depth than normal due to family history. Interesting night and morning in prospect…
Away from my not-so-anally-retentive personal sphere, events in North Africa have provided a certain amount of political sport in recent days. Main target: the foreign minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie. First, before the fall of the Tunisian regime, she offers France's help to the hated Tunisian police. A political faux-pas. Then, in the middle of the Jasmine Revolution, she goes to Tunisia on holiday and accepts free flights in the private jet of an alleged friend of Ben Ali clan. Not MAM's finest hour.
Meanwhile her boss has been upsetting the entire magistrature and police service in the wake of the gruesome murder of a young woman in north-west France. The murderer was a convicted rapist out on parole and not under full time watch by the probation service. Due to cuts and lack of personnel say the magistrates; due to incompetence says Sarko and promises punishment for the 'culprits'. His usual knee-jerk pandering to what he perceives as public opinion, which is likely to bring the courts to a halt next week…
