This morning Cath spotted something swimming in the pool. And when I say swimming, I mean drowning really.

We dashed outside to see une musaraigne trying to keep its long nose above water.

I grabbed the net and fished it out and plonked it on the grass. It was pretty sodden – hopefully it will dry out and be all right.

It is the second shrew we have found in the pool. The second one didn’t have a happy ending as I found it in the skimmers, dead.

Picture available on request.

The local paper carries news of France’s exit last night at the hands of Spain.

It also had ex-Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi’s plan to return Olympique Marseille to their rightful place.

If it’s any consolation Les Bleus still adorn the bags for life in our local Intermarché.

When we go to Aix we tend to nip into the Goulard bookshop to have a look around.

The only problem with that is, it is such a lovely bookshop that you end coming home like this:

This Sunday is the second round of voting in France’s general election.

Turnout is reported to be a little bit higher than last week.

Will voters vote with their heads having voted with their hearts last time? – an old saying about the French election system.

This poster is calling for more voting from the heart.

We shall see.

UPDATE Monday 8 July

Well it was a surprise turnaround.

To read more and understand what has happened read this or this – as a nod to my two previous employers.

So the French are through to the semi-finals of the Euros knocking out Portugal on penalties.

I didn’t see a lot of the match but I hear it was a bit of a turgid affair.

So much so that BBC pundit Chris Sutton said:

Si l’équipe Française jouait dans mon jardin je tirerais les rideaux.

The local newspaper had a headline with an expression that I was unfamiliar with.

Down to the wire

We stumbled across a Saturday market in Venelles – so we went for a look.

There were clothes:

Olives:

Peaches:

And cheese:

Today I had a rdv chez Pôle Emploi – recently renamed France Travail – the equivalent of a job centre.

Having been fired by Euronews I am entitled to some unemployment benefits and help in finding a new job.

So this morning at 1020 I went to my first appointment in Aix-en-Provence.

On the way in I was handed a flyer telling me to vote for the Nouveau Front Populaire to keep out the extrême droite in Sunday’s election.

The pamphlets didn’t stop there.

In the waiting room there was plenty of advice on offer re looking for a job.

Unfortunately I was too late to take part in some job speed dating.

And a new job was suggested that I hadn’t considered up to now.

My rdv was fine – but of course there is beaucoup de paparasse.

My biggest problem is that if I want to start a microenterprise in France I need to change my visa – again.

I have written to the prefecture for some help but am yet to hear back.

Je vous tiens au courant.

For the second time since we’ve been in France, the French are going to the polls again.

After a disastrous showing for his party at the European Parliament elections President Macron called a snap election to challenge the far right National Rally party.

I saw two voters coming in and out of this polling station – I don’t know if that counts as brisk or not but it is a lovely sunny day.

Of course there is an election going on in the UK and Cath and I sent off our postal votes last week.

Fingers crossed they get there before Thursday.

Today the tree fellers (there are four of them) were back and the buzz of chainsawing began again.

I was in the office doing some training and then suddenly an enormous tree trunk came crashing through into our garden.

I rushed out to see what had happened. The arborists were very apologetic.

“Ça a glissé, ce n’était pas prévu.”

I hope it wasn’t.

The good news is they are finishing today.

Finalement un ballon d’Angleterre dans le supermarché à Venelles.

Peut être ça va inspirer l’équipe de jouer mieux.

Southgate you’re the one,

You still turn me on,

Football’s coming home again