In France, letterboxes in doors are very much the exception rather than the rule. Like most people, we have instead a boite postale (postbox). Commonly, these are stuck on top of a pole at the side of the road. However, ours – a metal one, as per the approved design – is actually built in to a stone gate post.

So my question is: given its secure and watertight location, – and the fact that it’s open for an average of no more than five seconds a day, six days a week – how in blue blazes did that snail get inside it? It’s not the first either. Do snails have access to technology that would put Star Trek to shame?

Cellpic Sunday 28 July 2024