General Witterings -
Getting our oats on Rosy
Sunday 2nd February 2003
General Witterings -
Sunday 2nd February 2003
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| The subject of porridge raises its head again. Both Fanny and I fancy a bit of porridge now and again, and I often use oatmeal as a thickener in stews. Oatmeal is also an essential ingredient of Staffordshire oatcakes (see elsewhere on this website for a recipe). The Laird of Strathnaver kindly bought me back a pack of pin-meal from his tribal lands, but this is nearly all gone, so it's back to chopping up oat-flakes in a food processor again. Personally, I favour the 'think-ahead' system of porridge making - soaking the meal overnight. My poor old mother recalled the porridge of her childhood on a farm in Carnoustie, where a large pot of porridge was brewed up on a Monday morning. After breakfast, the residue was poured into a tin-lined drawer in the kitchen table, and for the rest of the week one started the day with a slice of cold porridge. And, of course, one must repeat the oft quoted (apocryphal?) tale about porridge gaining first prize from the readers of 'Yachting Monthly' as the breakfast that tastes as good coming up as it did going down. This has been a quiet week on Rosy - some cold days, some rainy days, some snowy days, some cold and rainy, some cold and snowy. The highlight was on Saturday evening when 'les femmes' cooked crêpes, and we all met in the Capitainerie to eat them. Not having 'une femme' of my own, I have to give winning smiles to all the others, and make sure that I take plenty of booze along. Everyone wants to stroke and tickle my Fanny, which is why she LOVES these social occasions. I've had bits of correspondence with various people about buying boats over here in Europe. These tips might help: There are lots of boats for sale here in France, often at very good prices. There are even more boats for sale in Holland. Prices are cheaper in the winter than in summer. Many people have been disappointed when, having bought a boat one summer, and having given a boat-yard a list of work to be done over the winter, they return the following year to find that the list of work has not been properly attended to. The following is a list of web-sites which trusted friends (Stan and Judy Voets) have found useful. However, please note: The list is far from comprehensive As I don't have a www connection on Rosy, I haven't visited these sites Inclusion on the list does not mean that it comes with any special recommendation. The individual sites vary week by week. The list is offered 'as is'. PLEASE DO NOT send me amendments - I'm not at all interested in keeping it up-to-date. With all these caveats in mind, here it is: http://www.unece.org/trans/doc/finaldocs/sc3/TRANS-SC3-115r2e.pdf Toodle pip!! Bill
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