why Aubry takes the train but Sarkozy does not

A while ago, Martine Aubry was in the same TGV as me and walked out of Montparnasse station in the same direction as me.

While I was unlocking my bike, I saw her walking up the road, accompanied by one other person - from behind you would think she was any old middle aged woman in a frumpy blue coat.

If ever she becomes president of France, her TGV days are over. I heard on the radio this morning, that the SNCF does not encourage the President to take the train because their rules state that every rail bridge on route has to be guarded when the President is on board.

Sounds like a poor excuse to me, the Queen regularly takes the train - as does the British prime minister.

Well, Sarko is missing out - the French train system is remarkable, and there are huge investments underway, including a new TGV link between Paris and Bordeaux, good news for wine lovers on bikes....

recipe for the brownies served last night

To popular demand:

100g nuts (pecans or walnuts)

4 whole eggs

300g brown sugar

200g dark chocolate

300g butter

120g flour

- pre heat oven to 150°

- chop the nuts (I bash them up in a mortar and pestle)

- whip the eggs and sugar together to get a smooth mousse

- melt the chocolate, add the creamed butter and mix thoroughly

- pour on top of the egg & sugar mixture

- mix gently

- sieve the flour into the mixture gradually folding in with a spatula

- add the chopped nuts

- spread the mixture in the pan (lick the bowl)

- bake for 20 to 25 mins

- leave to cool before turning out and cutting into squares

I get the best results with the oven at 180° - the centre needs to be sticky and not quite fully cooked. I once didn't cook them enough, had already cut them into squares but just mixed them all up again and put the mixture back in the oven for a bit - it worked just as well!