francofiled

Just subscribed to French Bouquet via the WorldBox app on VirginMedia channel 834.  It provides France 2, 3, 5 and a cartoon channel for £6.99 a month. It also carries BFMTV whose news broadcast is onscreen as I write. Not sure yet how it works for recordings if at all as it is a streaming service but will check that out. You can cancel subscription after 30 days but as the upcoming shows look great I think I'll keep using. Update Feb 2019 VirginMedia recently removed the WorldBox app so French Bouquet is no longer available on its platform. That's a pity because TV5MONDE has also withdrawn its content from both Virgin and Sky. It's still available to stream free of charge and programmes are available through catchup.

Ever had a coffee that was too hot to drink? What about one that was too hot to hold? That latter sometimes proves to be the case when we serve it in some cherished French porcelain Mazagran drinking cups. The ones pictured above are part of a set purchased as a gift way back in 1974. They were bought in Vierzon at a weekly fair at which various artisans plied their wares. I haven't been able to trace where exactly they were produced but each carries the mark "Atelier de Tabalou" and I'm wondering if they come from the Limoges area, home to other fine porcelain products. Mazagran refers to both the drinking cup and a type of coffee popular in Algeria. There's a little more detail over at this wikipedia link . One way of cooling the coffee and the cup is to place a long handled spoon in the hot liquid - it dissipates the heat. I find though that if I hold the cup at its base, holding a finger under the rim for stability it's easy enough to manage.  Ni...