Yes, sorry I misunderstood, I thought you meant Prime only got you free delivery on items over €35.
But I resisted Prime for a very long time and calculated, as a massive Amazon customer (I hate moving far from the local village these days) that the postage saving out did the Prime commitment.
But also, I thought I would look at Prime tv to see if it was any better than Netflix which I think, with some exceptions, is pretty awful. But I was wrong on that.
I can be as nostalgic as the next person when it comes to old cars, old motorbikes and even old furniture but the sight of those old razors sends a shiver down my spine. The memory of my late teens and early 20’s and all those little bits of tissue stuck to my lacerated face and the sting of aftershave as I prepared myself for a night out . . . . . . .
I also found that using a shaving brush made my skin incredible dry and painful. Perhaps I have very sensitive skin . . .
I use a Gillette Mach 3 and Gillette Sensitive Shaving Gel (never foam) and am very happy with the results. I use the 4-pass technique (shaving up, down, left-to-right, then right-to-left) which takes at least twice as long as anyone else but produces a very smooth shave. I am not ashamed to admit that I use a moisturiser after shaving to stop my skin drying out and becoming painful…
I like Oud Essentielle by Guerlain for my OH.
Ditto, but I prefer the foam and hate the gel!! 
While I won’t descend to the level of Bic disposables, the prices of upmarket razor blades are daft, as is the marketing that suggest you must buy something called the Turbo Elite Ultra Mark XXIV that has 28 blades, three moisturizing strips, a contra-rotating strimmer attachment and an oscillating head to get “the perfect shave”.
If you treated yourself to a really good German razor, you’d have the pleasure of shaving every morning with a beautiful piece of kit and it would pay for itself by using the best Japanese razor blades - a couple of year’s supply at
https://www.amazon.fr/Feather-100-lames-rasage-double/dp/B0D3B9NNN6/ref=asc_df_B0D3B9NNN6?mcid=b97bc6318e2c3b90a4eb51b92f68da76&tag=googshopfr-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=701648351036&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3973067811396059967&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9111387&hvtargid=pla-2310796518375&psc=1&gad_source=1
They are indeed. As I now (in semi-retirement) shave twice a week rather than twice a day, and I get about 8 shaves out of a Mach 3 blade, a dozen or so blades last me a year.
I must say the gadget-lover in me was almost smitten by the Muhle R89 German razor mentioned by @DrMarkH in post no. 88 and I wondered if I might face (pun intended) my demons regarding these instruments of torture. A quick Googling of Feather blades brought me to my senses when I saw that they were supplied (in this case at least) with ‘crayons hémostatique’ to staunch the flow on blood while one awaits the arrival of an ambulance . . .
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B079Y8KGPT/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk
et voilà… 
I grew facial hair in the early 2000’s, back when I was living in the UK and it was really unpopular. On two separate occasions I had people assume I was French before I even opened my mouth, based on appearances! Thankfully I fit in really easily these past few years!
It’s great not having to shave every day. I tend to just scissor trim, and use a little electric shaver at times for tidy up.
I use neither, but proper old-fashioned soap. I recently went to the savonnerie of Martin de Candre (https://martin-de-candre.com/content/11-boutique-martin-de-candre-de-fontevraud-l-abbaye) which is a couple of km from the Abbaye at Fontevraud (I know several of us are aware of that village) and spent what was for me an eye-watering amount (58 € for 200g) on a new jar of soap. I hope it’ll last several years of shaving ~3x/week. It is very nice indeed. I also invested (not at the savonnerie) in a Mühle brush, which is excellent.
One of the nice things about the savonnerie is their habit of chucking in a few little bars of soap when you spend a bit.
I have noticed Harry’s adverts recently where they’re offering good deals: I wonder if the fightback against proprietary systems has begun?
I had a Chinese DE razor, which is okay, but the handle was quite short. I didn’t go for a Mühle razor in the end, but a Merkur (which allowed a larger gap). Combined with the famous Feathers, I’m quite happy, albeit with occasional cuts.
I bought some honey soap (not for shaving, just general hand-washing) from the Abbey Shop last time I was there. Nice stuff - lasted well, although pricey.
But training bees to make soap must be quite a time-consuming endeavour, so fair enough.
Splendid recumbent Plantagenet effigies and bits of actual Plantagenets.
And a new museum of modern art. And beehives.
Is that a braille book he is reading, he’s got his eyes closed, and what is that rod she is holding, is that to beat him with if he wakes up? 
I bet he never popped down the road for some pansy Vetyver shaving soap …
Other way around - it’s King Henry II of England on the right holding the sceptre, and She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed Eleanor of Aquitaine on the left holding a book to reflect her patronage of the arts.
I imagine they have their eyes closed because they are dead.
No indeed. English Kings all had beards up until Henry V.
When we first went to Fontevraud, said recumbent Plantagenet effigies were lying haphazardly on wooden beams in a side room filled with rubble. At that point, the restoration was only partially done and a lot of it was in a mess. Can’t remember exactly when that was but probably mid 90’s.
I imagine plenty of work was needed to renovate it from being a prison!
Indeed. When we went again years later after restoration was finished, I didn’t recognise the place at all. The abbeye itself wasn’t open the first time, just parts of the monastery buildings and the gardens outside. It was still very impressive though and probably more atmospheric than our second visit.
yes the 1390s were a difficult time.
