The land of the free and the home of the brave šŸ™„

Strange how many northern European countries have very progressive social policies for humans, yet continue to practice large scale factory farming of animals.

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At least they have a few things right and are likely to improve. Most countries have absolutely terrible, appalling conditions for animals as well as not at all progressive social policies for humans.

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It doesnā€™t say that it is free range though?

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True, but maybe they donā€™t feel the need; why would farmers raising slow growing rare breed pigs adopt industrial pork rearing . Thereā€™s several local breeds of black pig in SW France, whose pigmentation makes them better suited to life outdoors than pale coloured pigs.

Iā€™ve a lot of their ā€œfree rangeā€ cousins down the end of my garden.

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They would clearly state that if they were. Iā€™ve been on the committee of our local AMAP for over a decade and know exactly how small scale French producers operate and promote their products / produce.

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We have small beef producers of, mainly Charolais beef, and our soil is very shallow, so only suitable for growing grass.
Grass lands are good carbon sinks, so what is going on is for the best for producers, beef eaters and the environment.

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Go on, John, become a chasseur!
Or rope the local hunt in when the season opens

You supply the AR15 and Iā€™m off with the hounds Karen :slightly_smiling_face: My wife thinks Iā€™m off with fairies any way :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

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It has always baffled me why no one has made a business out of venison and wild boar meat, better for the environment and probably better for you as it will be lean and not stuffed full of antibiotics.

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I think farm animal antibiotics are banned within the EU, unlike post-Brexit UK. However even in the latter, venison is marketed, but most people now longer know how to cook it, or indeed most wild meats.

One of the many gastronomic pleasures of a previous life in S Africaā€™s Eastern Cape was the ready availabiltiy of robust kudu steaks, delicate springbok filet mignon and yummy warthog chops.

Free range presumably?

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Just been rudely awakened by two heavy gunshots from behind the house onthe big estate there. Reckon the boar have got up early or the foxes are raiding chicken coops. Had to laugh last autumn when a troop of wild boars came down from the foothills and had a morning out at the beach near Argeles and then went home again leaving a right wave of destruction and mess. You could just imagine them alike to a family of humans on a day trip to Southend.

Just spent a night at Argeles close to the beach. Went into town to look around, Skegness with sun, perhaps once apon a time it was a quaint fishing village but now!
The boar family are welcome to it.

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Collioure out of season is lovely

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Certainly agree, and particularly love being able to have dinner by the beach, but maybe too many tiny shops filled with overpriced third rate art and tat. Like a third rate St Ives, though similar parking probs.

Port Vendre next door is still a fishing port, itā€™s less crowded and has good inexpensive harbourside restos. When Charles Rennie Mackintoshā€™s career collapsed, he swapped Glasgow architecture for painting the Roussillon coast first at Collioure then settling in Port Vendre. The latterā€™s formerly erratic Mackintosh museum has recently been replaced by a more professional interpretation centre.

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My home town, which is beautiful, was a magnet for painters for a long time, but I no longer go there in the summer, only out of season, because of traffic, tourists etc. I love it but I donā€™t like it in the crush.

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We used to holiday across the bay at Port Grimaud when we were kids

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Very,

Connockā€™s Butchery is a venerable Grahamstown institution, whose walls are lined with classically posed hunting photos of the owner or his wife kneeling besides some animal theyā€™ve just shot. Above the photos are mounted trophy heads, mainly small buck and warthog, and above those huge kudu heads - certainly beats those little china ornaments of pigs in butchersā€™ aprons that one used to see in the UK.

No, I didnā€™t know either that the Easter Bunny is a carnivore!

Paul Signac?

Interesting difference in atmosphere, as well as obviously style between late C19th / early C20th French painting of the formal holidaymakers on the Atlantic coast and the post WWI painting of so much more informal holiday life on the Mediterranean. Canā€™t get so enthusiastic for the formerā€¦

Coincidentally what IMO is the worst Picasso painting of his very long career was done at Biarritz.

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