Throwing my arms around Paris

Well Paris isn't the cheapest of places to troll around. With the euro exchange at almost one euro to the pound, bargains are at a premium.

However, we have spent a few days in the French capital and tried to garner a few bargain activities. With exhibition spaces such as the Petit Palais, the Musee Carnavalet and the modern art museum near the Eifel Tower there are some examples of interesting museums that are free. But Paris is of course a perfect city to walk around - the Marais being a perfect example of a place to people watch.

For the first time I discovered the Viaduc des Arts - a former railway viaduct near Bastille where the arches had been converted into artists' spaces. The route of the railway itself is now a walkway with plants and opportunities to sit and contemplate.

We did find one booze deal - Pop In in the 11eme offered three pints of cooking lager for 9 euros.

The crux of the matter

Earlier this year we took a month off and, heading across the globe, spent over three weeks in New Zealand - a beautiful place to visit. The quality of the food and drink was sublime - fresh vegetables with high quality meat and fish. Whilst well known for wine, there was also a wide range of organic and designer beers.

One of the great discoveries in advance was that the Dr could drink wine made with the Pinot Noir grape - other reds having an unfortunate impact on her usual perky chops. So since we have been back we have been keeping an eye out for NZ wines. Usually they are on the treat end of the price scale for our wine buying - but there is a great deal at Morrison's at the moment which is giving us regular access to NZ wine.

For four quid (down from a tenner) - you can get the Crux Sauvignon Blanc which Tim Atkin in the Guardian described as a crunchy, gooseberry-scented wine - a classic sunshine white.

Here's hoping that a few bottles of this will bring us that Indian summer which has been promised.

When the moon hits your eye......

....like a big pizza pie - that's a bargain.

Yes, a late post and no picture this week. Apologies dear reader.

Well just back from the most recent Pizza Express offer. Mmmm - pizza!! Any two pizzas for twelve quid with a voucher off the internet. I had a Padana - nice mix of goat's cheese, red onion and spinach. My chum had one with green chillies which was polished off with aplomb. In fact they both were.

As ever you know the deal is that they want you to buy booze, a dessert etc. Well we fell for the trap and had a dessert - which on reflection was reasonable but not as scrumptious as the pizza.

PS My chum is an English teacher - so apologies for any spelling mistakes or mis-placed apostrophes. Ciao

There's more to life than books you know

I am in a Book Club at work and we try to read a novel every six weeks or so. One of my colleagues is an avid book reader and has regularly suggested that I pop over the road to the Waterstone's when there is a 3 for 2 offer to purchase the novel. My repost is to say that I have a place where you get access to books for free.

I love reading - and in a previous post have mentioned the delights of the three for a pound offer at my local Hearing Dogs for the Deaf charity shop in Musselburgh. However, I also frequent my local library and am also lucky enough to have an Edinburgh library card.

Free public libraries have been in existence in the UK since the mid 17th with Chetham’s Library in Manchester opening in 1653. And in Scotland, the Innerpeffray Library was founded in 1680.

I was disappointed by the news from England that the numbers of adults visiting libraries has reduced every year since 2005. There is a suggestion that library services should move into pubs / supermarkets - I am not against this per se but there would have to be a concern that this is a first step to reducing library services. There are no current figures for Scotland but with councils being under tight financial constraints, they may be in the firing line.

Libraries have moved on from being stuffy repositories of books and the occasional CD – my local library in Musselburgh has computer access and to free wifi - with friendly / informed staff.

So support and use your local library cos if we don’t – they may be gone before you know it.