Winter mode: on

Mystère went outside at about 5 pm and came back ten minutes later looking ruffled and annoyed. Too cold and windy! Earlier, the washing had blown off the line, twice.

I have not been idle the last couple of days. I did the twice-yearly wrestling match known as changing the sofa covers (blip) -- Fitbit was most impressed. Did lots of washing and made an enormous pan of ribollita using the leftover cabbage from the pintade aux choux. There's now enough in the freezer for several meals, and I had a large helping for lunch. Revived the sourdough starter, so there is baking in the offing tomorrow.  Made some pastry in preparation for my contribution to the book group Christmas meal.

Less pleasantly, a 2-hour tussle with HMRC's website and app, because for some reason they suddenly decided I was liable for tax in the UK despite having lived in France for 26 years and having no income in the UK. It included the weird experience of having to place my phone on top of my passport so it could scan it. It took a few goes before it worked, and at one point the whole thing crashed and burned and I had to start again from the beginning.

Anyway. The woodburner is humming along and I've got a glass of wine (a peculiar cloudy, unfiltered yellowy white recommended by the wine merchant in Lagrasse. Luckily it tastes better than it looks).

Meanwhile S is in Girona doing what I think is called a media round. A presentation (in Catalan of course) in a bookshop this evening, followed by further interviews in the next couple of days. I think his publishers are making the most of the novelty of a Catalan-speaking foreigner.