Pas du Vin?

Every so often I have to go to France; sadly nowadays I go on my own, but it's worth it. I drink three or four glasses of wine a day and at UK prices that would be prohibitive. So I make a trip every three to four months and stock up.

This is very cost-effective. In the UK, 110 bottles of the stuff I buy would cost me £352. I've just spent a total (including all goods, wine, petrol and crossing) of £242.50. Besides that, I also bought enough ground coffee for me to have a pot of coffee filter coffee every day for 4 months, a bottle of old Calvados, and another of old Armagnac, which are not easy to find in this country. Also 3 cans of artichoke hearts, a St Agur (addicted I am), some finely sliced Serrano ham, 2 jars of Amora dijon mustard which is brilliant for cooking, 3 litre bottles of extra virgin olive oil. Oh, and a baguette.

I've therefore saved about £110, ands got 4 months supply of spirits, coffee. Free. Note to self and others though, that olive oil is no longer the massive saving it once was - the saving is only £1 a bottle, whereas you still save pretty much £2 a bottle on wine.

I live in Aylesbury (as does the bear), so having got up at 5.45 am and leaving at 6.30, I got through the tunnel, went twice to Carrefours (that quantity of wine you can't put in a trolley, it's two trips) and drove back and had racked the wine and put everything away by 2.30 pm. Amazing (distance driven 256 miles).

Now I'm going to go and drink some of it!