Merci Kristina et desolé boulangers – vous ne nous verrez pas pour quelques semaines.

We decided to take a trip to the Beaujolais region in a hire car to have lunch and look at some vineyards.

We followed a sign to a vineyard and, very fortunately, found it open. And within minutes we’re enjoying a private tasting.

It was Chateau des Pertonnieres from Dupeuble Pere et Fils. We tried some white Beaujolais, and various reds – all made with the Gamay grape.

They were all very nice – and Has demonstrated his wine-tasting expertise.

We then went for a delicious lunch in Oingt. And headed home looking forward to some more wine tasting in the evening.

Fortunately the domestic sparrow has a pink ring on her leg, making her that much easier to spot.

I like the – ce n’est pas une blague – line at the end.

Please, if you are in La Croix Rousse, keep your eyes open for le petit moineau.

Following the recommendation of none other than Michel Roux Jr as well as a friend of Has and Kristina’s we booked a meal at our first ever bouchon – Chez Paul.

Bouchons serve traditional Lyonnais cooking – which has earned the city the title of the gastronomic capital of France.

Bouchons – rumoured to be named after the straw that was hung outside to advertise their business to travellers – serves, it seems to me, a lot of meat and offal. So we thought we were at least prepared.

But it was still a bit unexpected to be given an enormous bowl of bacon to share and then the calves feet – pieds de veau.

The flavours of most things seemed to me to very vinegary and even the main courses were very basically presented. The desserts were a big bowl of prunes and apple purée and creme caramel which felt a bit school dinner-y.

I did get the chance to taste another local delicacy – cervelles de canut – which is silk workers’ brains. The dish is actually made of fromage blanc and chopped herbs. It wasn’t for me.

Not sure we’ll be back anytime soon but at least it was an experience.

On the first of August when I was cycling home from work I thought I saw a kingfisher fly into the bushes on the banks of the Rhône.

I didn’t get a 100% confirmation but the shape and flight made me sure it was a kingfisher. So I thought I would keep my eyes open over the coming days to try to get some confirmation.

Then today, I left work at lunchtime as we had friends staying and as I cycled past the same bush – not one but two kingfishers flew right past me. Absolutely beautiful.

They were too fast to get a photo of – I will try to stake them out soon.

So in the meantime, here is a picture of my kingfisher in New Malden.

Our very good friends Has and Kristina arrived in Lyon to claim the crown as our first non-family visitors from the UK.

We did some touristy things – up to Fourviere, Parc de la Tête d’Or, Vieux Lyon, some traboules.

It was great to see them and show them around our new home.

Look what arrived today – ma carte vitale!

After eight-and-a-half months I finally have it. Next time I go to the doctors or dentist or pharmacy I won’t need to fill out a feuille de soins. The refunds that I am due will happen automatically.

Amazing! And I had to go for some blood tests this morning and I was emailed the results by early afternoon. The French healthcare system is pretty impressive.

It is interesting when learning a language how one day you have never heard a word and then you suddenly hear it all the time.

That is what happened with the word déclancher. I had never heard it until our landlord used it when explaining how to test the boiler.

Then I went to a union meeting at work and it was déclancher this déclancher that.

It means to start. It was a similar story with the word basculer when I first arrived. Never heard it but very quickly there was basculer and bascule par tout. It means to toggle, topple, tip.

Other words I heard for the first time this week – gaspillage (waste) and pilotage (manage).

And on Saturday it was time to visit the other local event. The squash festival in Parc de la Tete d’Or.

It was a beautiful day – sunny and hot – and the crowds turned out for the squashes. If you are not a fan of the vegetable, look away now.

All in all it was a very fun afternoon out. And some of the squashes found their way back to our flat.

Everyone has told me since the day I arrived of the need to get a médecin traitant – a GP.

Well after a few months of waiting to find a more permanent address and getting a social security number, it was time to find a local doctor who would take me on.

You use an app called DoctoLib and search for a doctor near you who is:

• taking on new patients
• Is Level 1 (so you know how much they are going to charge you)
• Who takes payment by bank card (as not all do)
• Who has an appointment in the near future.

It is quite a fun game.

But I found one and went to see her. We had a chat and then she gave me forms to go and get some tests done – blood, cholesterol, PSA.

And I learnt a new word in French – les selles – stool sample. Oh yes, one of those too.