ici, en Arles, le plus grand club de football dans le monde

[26th of foot 5,825]

These last dozen days, I have found myself among the pastis sipping, navette munching, and lavender wearing surrender monkeys du sud de la France. It's a common sight to see the youth sporting the football tops of Barca, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U, and particularly Olympic Marseille. I know Gersnetters, like me you are non-plussed at the absence in that list of the Greatest football club in the world.

 

Peter Lawwell has been telling all and sundry for five years that ra Sellik are a world brand, proud of heritage and origins, and project an instantly recognisable image. The green'n'grey hoops are unique in world football; well, unless your in Yeovil, Dublin, Lisbon, .................. etc . In the rice paddies of Japan/China, the Kim-chi fields of Korea, .................. and in the Fergese Tirane kitchens of Albania; men and women crowded around short wave radio sets, avidly listening to live commentry of ra Sellik. Children in Ulan Bator are soothed to sleep each evening by Glen Daily's, 'it's a grand old team'.

 

It's all true, continually reinforced by both broadcast and print media performing mutual masterbation. How can the EPL resist? I note Lawwell's latest musings on, "the English and Welsh premiership". I have found a place where we can all breath, it's at the mouth of the Rhone, Arles is a tranquil idyll.

 

A Roman town with lots of architecture to prove it, an amphitheatre, an arena, and bath houses too. I spoke with some American archaeologists last evening, on a three month dig in the amphitheatre. They may have found Russell Crow's flip-flop, but have discovered no trace of ra Sellik. It was market day today, Arles temporarily has no Les Halles, they close the main drag for a kilometre and a couple of hundred stalls appear for the morning. It's the usual mix of local and world wide produce. My wife ensured two hours in the locale, no sign of green'n'grey. A stall selling football tops had the usual suspects including a whole host of North African jerseys, but alas no ra Sellik. There's an Irish pub, I ventured in, the usual homage to Plastique Paddery adorned the walls, again no trace of ra Sellik.

 

Fellow Gersnetters, I give you Arles and the Camargue. Even the local cowboys don't wear corduroy.

[Guest Dutchy]

Did you find any Hugenots, or have they truely been wiped out? lol lol lol

[26th of foot 5,825]

Did you find any Hugenots, or have they truely been wiped out? lol lol lol

 

Two years ago, I spent ten days on Isle D'Oleron and took the day boat to La Rochelle. Read the protestant history of that town, then let the Yahoos tell you about 'persecution'.

 

Van Go did all his work in and around Arles. Penniless and starving, he drank a bottle of Absinthe and cut his ear off, became a fcuking genius. Died a pauper though. However, I thought I would mention it since Van Go is an anagram of Govan and thus Vincent was a Bear.

[Zappa 0]

Brilliant 26th! Very funny as ever....

 

"Aucun signe de la vert et le gris et aucune odeur de merde"....

[bluebear54 0]

Amphitheatre, an arena?

It's the presence of bath houses.

They'd have run a thousand miles .............

[Frank Hovis 0]

However, I thought I would mention it since Van Go is an anagram of Govan and thus Vincent was a Bear.

 

:grin: Hahahahaha

[26th of foot 5,825]

Having listened to Frankie constantly exhort the benefits of family holidays in the Lake District, I have moved 500 miles east to the small hamlet of Varenna on the side of Lake Como. It's a fine marriage of hillsides and water, no daffodils though. However, a fair number of Jemima Puddle-Ducks can be heard around the cafes and bars.

 

Talking of quackery, I have continued my quest to be a witness to the world brand that is ra Sellik. I settled at a table on the periphery of Milan's Piazza del Duomo and with the aid of poorly remebered schoolboy Latin and Eyewitness Travel Guide's Italian Phrase Book; I engaged those around me with, "Scusate, avete sentito parlare di Plastica McGeady"? Blank looks all around, I forwarded, "ha brilliantemente svolto contro AC Milano quattro anni fa. Egli a world class". One sophisticated Rossoneri removed his sun glasses and wrinkled his nose. Well, you can imagine how I felt fellow Gersnetters, inconsolable at the growing realisation that we have been actively and deliberately mislead by those slave to ra Sellik propaganda machine.

 

I alternated sips between expresso and vini rosso and decided to adopt the Stanley Baxter approach, "any'a'you parlare di greatest young calcio di football mondial, Neil Lennon"? A snigger and a snort from behind, Paulo introduced himself in perfect English and announced he supported Internazionale. He enquired whether my expresso was a double and offered to retrieve my guide dog.

 

Like Frankie Howerd's character in Up Pompei, Lurcio; I can offer, 'my ghast is flabbered'. Tomorrow is market day in Belano, I will scour the stalls for traces of gree e gregio.

 

Ciao for now.

[Frankie 8,131]

Truly superb stuff!

[pete 2,494]

Agree, I really enjoy 26th's style of writing. Thanks mate.

[Bluedell 5,329]

I alternated sips between expresso and vini rosso

 

Remeber to bring home some vino rosato for the peasants.