Yay, it is Friday again, and Fandango has just published his Friday Flashback post. The idea is that he picks a post from this day in a previous year, to give newer readers a better insight into what does and doesn’t make him tick.
I have always liked that idea, so shall also post my own reminiscence. As much as anything, it reminds me of where I was, where I am now, and how far I have come. Hopefully, you will find it entertaining along the way.
A couple of days ago, without knowing what my Flashback would be, I posted a webcam up on the Dutch coast. I also had a notion to post the link to another site I know, of some webcams in France – nice beachy scenes. So, how weird is this?
Also, would you believe that is is a year and two days ago since the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral? On that night, I heard the drama unfolding and went on the internet to find a webcam, so I could see for myself how bad it all was. I actually found a site which pulled together webcams from all over France.
Now, France is a country I know well, so a couple of days later I looked at the site again to see what other webcams they had. In fact, there were quite a few, including from some of my favourite destinations, not least the Vendée region, shown in red on the map.
https://mrbump.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/vendee.jpg?w=600
The Vendée sits on the Atlantic coast, and has its own microclimate. It tends to get disproportionately good weather, and is driveable from the north coast (we’d arrive at a port due north of the region), so we visited several times. There’s also a bit of history in the area, C16th, Henry IV…
In my flashback post, I included a screenshot of a webcam from a town called Les Sables d’Olonne, in this region. I had a flick through some of these cameras again today. Most of the webcams are still active, although it is weird because they show near-deserted cities, because France is currently very locked down. My weather today is not so good, but here is the same webcam in my original post, a year later!
Les Sables d’Olonne, today
One of the things that came out of my last post, the blaze at Notre Dame, was that I wanted to see the cathedral for myself, so went hunting for webcams in France. In my healthy yeays, I used to go over to France a lot, I speak ok french and found a wonderful site with webcams from many places that I’ve known – https://www.viewsurf.com/. One such place was Les Sables d’Olonne, on the Vendée (west) coast of France.
I’m generally quite realistic about my disability these days I but look at those two guys on the bikes and hope they realise just how lucky they are – a few years ago, that would’ve been me (only maybe in July)!


I’m regards to your health, what are your limitations today? Did you not rehabilitate?
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hand and foot, mainly. Balance stops me from riding a bike. Eyes aren’y brilliant.
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Okay. Do you still go to therapy or no?
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There was never any therapy.
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Oh wow! Sorry!
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There was 1h physiotherapy per month for 6 months, to be exact. 1h is nothing. The last 2 visits, she didn’t show. I was in hospital for 1m, and while I was there got 1h/day. But it all dried up when I was discharged. All the improvement has been down to me. I’m under no illusion that it is because of my general attitude. But on the computer, I can be the same old me. The only difference now is that it is one-handed. I have lots of typos that I proof-read out (and lots that I don’t!)
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Blessings to you my brother. 💓💓💓
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I kinda helped myself because I had been a cyclist before the stroke, so I knew how to stretch’n’stuff. It was all pilates in the early days, just as things started to seize through lack of use. Now it is a bit more natural – I’ve got quite a good range of movement about my bad shoulder, even though I have to lift the bad arm with the good one.
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