It was Burns night last night and this morning is a hard landing.  A lady I know had a damn good party for 21 people. She is fortunate in having a house with rooms big enough for the job but recently widowed she be might be over-housed, when she's not having parties.  I was neep and tattie basher chief and the haggis was the 'business' from Dingwall.  Refreshment supplies were well primed by the hostess and with a byo policy there was more than enough to fortify the company for Scotch dancing.  But before that a handsome 30 year old in sharp Scotch rig did an impressively fluent and animated rendition of "Great Chieftain o' the Puddin' Race and we all followed with the full Caledonian indulgence plus a whole Stilton cheese - a delicious English corrective.

The 'eightsome' I classify as honorary English because I have long been able to do it but all other Scotch dances I consider a spectator sport.  Being once married to a Scot for thirty years I know of what I speak. The women look sexy with their breasts standing out when twirling about while some younger men in full Scotch kit look attractively warlike. Being no longer in my leaping prime (b 1937) I sloped off soon after midnight.

It was my first day home back in Somerset after four days in Paris as the guest of my super generous godson (godsend) and three in London.  In Paris I ate in five restaurants, always with four or five others.  Only in one of these did the meal seem to me to be better than in London.  That was in Bofinger, near the Bastille - I think it is the oldest Brasserie, something that came to Paris after the Franco-Prussian war in 1870-1 when many Alsations who did not want to be Germans fled west, many settling in Paris bringing brewing with them (Brasserie = Brewery). It is large, with delightful 1873 features like a stained glass dome.  The menu is long but the dishes simple.  The first oysters in ages that tasted sweet and delicious rather than like lead and sea-water.  A seafood sauerkraut (choucroute) with a whole lobster & a hollandaise sauce with horseradish - delicious.

You may be tired of this, so I am off to the pub on my way home to dinner.