Flowers in a bucket

No, not a song by the British rock band the Police along the lines of their 1979 hit "Message in a bottle".

Peonies in a bucket

Instead it's where your bouquet could end up when visiting your nearest and dearest, held hostage by medical staff, in a Parisian hospital.

Yes, in their infinite wisdom the Powers that Be at the Clinique de la Montagne (let's name names) in the suburb of Courbevoie don't allow patients even the smallest posy in their rooms.


The reason? Well apparently the risk of infection and germs.

No matter that the windows of the place are flung open to allow the city breeze to waft its traffic-doused scent into the room.

Exhaust fumes seem to be welcome and pollution greeted with indifference.

But ask for a vase for a fragrant bloom and you'll get as a response that classic Gallic shrug.

"It's a shame monsieur, but we 'ave no vases because flowers aren't permitted. on the ward."

The staff might think the reasoning ridiculous - and some will admit as much.

And there's no denying that a sprig or two of something would liven up an otherwise bland decor and inject a little much-needed colour into hospital life.

But rules is rules, and this is France.

So it's home with the flowers and a bouquet in a bucket until the patient is released.

Food - the proof of the pudding really is in the eating

In September 2009, Traction Man, a UK blogger who had spent much of the year in hospital, made the headlines when his "hospital food bingo" game.

It was, as the BBC reported at the time, a challenge he set for his friends to try to identify the meals he had been served up over a period of time, which he described as being invariably "mushy, minced and overcooked".

Not surprisingly perhaps it wasn't always easy for them to guess what was on the "menu" just from the photographs alone.

Commenting at the time on the story, Laurent Ruquier, a well-known radio and television presenter in France, suggested on his daily round-table radio show here that it perhaps went a long way to illustrating the British (and US) obsession for the way in which food is presented and how it looks.

Although The French, he mused (not necessarily seriously) were often equally guilty of paying as much attention to the appearance of what was on their plate, on the whole they were more concerned with taste, edibility and flavours.

Well at a time when many of us are probably recovering from seasonal excesses, two rather different dishes left food for thought (sorry) for one particular gourmet - or should that be gourmand? - on this side of the Channel.

One was sautéed scallops served on a bed of puréed sweet potatoes bought from a local delicatessen and in theory a truly mouth-watering treat for the eyes (if such a thing is possible.



The other was a more homely looking (all right then it resembled something of a dog's dinner when served up) venison in a red wine sauce accompanied by a couple of mashes involving potatoes, celeriac, carrots and various spices.



Certainly from the photos you can see that one definitely looked more tempting, but as if to substantiate that old adage that "the proof of the pudding really is in the eating" it shouldn't be too difficult to guess which one really tickled the taste buds while the other disappointed.

Bon appetit.