La Fin des Haricots, revisited.

[martyn94]

I was in my local (small, and entirely unblocaded) Intermarché an hour ago. I needed some coffee beans and some dried peas (quite by chance): I got the last of each.

Meanwhile there were still mounds of cheap Xmas chocolates. I have no idea whether this was coincidence, or supply problems, or hoarding. Either way, I’m stuffed if I want to spend Xmas living on Ferrero Rochers. I’m checking my fridge, and going out with a couple of big bags early tomorrow.

Penny has just reminded me that we have foie gras and Xmas pudding if all else fails. The perfect balanced diet.

[martyn94]

And also “La Fin des Grains”. I bought the last bag of whole coffee beans (which were average at the best of times) at Intermarchë the other day. I knew, in a theoretical way, that Amazon sold them, but I don’t know whether or when I’d have ever have looked there apart from the fear of running out over “the holidays”. It turns out that they have a wide choice: some are obviously horrid by inspection (far too much robusta) but there are enough that are prima facie OK, and at keen prices, to give me scope for a few months experimentation.

The one I chose, “en dépannage”, arrived within a couple of days (straight from Italy, which is encouraging). If any of them are any good, I don’t suppose that I’ll ever buy coffee here again. I wonder how many similar stories are playing out as I type, in smaller though mostly larger ways. I’d love to see what Amazon Fr have been saying to their head office over the last few weeks: it must be like shooting fish in a barrel.

I can’t withhold a measure of sympathy with the Gilets Jaunes. But it doesn’t help their cause that they seem to be as thick as mince.