Saturday, June 30, 2018

Holiday thoughts so far

Wednesday
No internet tonight so I'll try creating a document here and copy it later.

Currently it's 9.00 pm and we're sitting outside our caravan in Camp de Gorges, Ardeche. It's finally a bit cooler and a lot quieter: earlier the woods were filled with the noise of crickets. You wouldn't think crickets could be so loud.

The caravan is pretty basic and very spatially challenged but the location, right on the edge of the river. I feared the water would be very cold as it's fresh water coming from the mountains but it is deliciously refreshing. Air temperature today about 32 degrees.

Thoughts on the journey.

After careful consideration Husband decided it was user i.e. me, error to blame for yesterday's detour. I put in the wrong co-ordinates. However Miss Sat Nav was also to blame as she let me use an imaginary number.

Today's journey was only about 4 hours through very beautiful and varied countryside. From rolling farmland to gorges, pine forests to vineyards. We drove through Le Puy lentil country where I realised that I don't know how lentils grow. They're pulses so I suppose they're like beans but most of what we could see from the car looked like wheat and other grains. When I get internet I shall look it up.

We passed one of those signs that proclaims what it is the upcoming town is famous for. This particular sign said something about a patrimoniale site. I know what matrimony is but not patrimony. And if matrimony comes from the root of mater (mother) then why is it another name for marriage? Another thing to check on t’internet.

I can't drive through one of the many small towns that looks as it has done for decades without visualising troops and battles. The pretty young French girl whose family hides and cares for the wounded English captain. They fall in love but he has to return to his unit and they never meet again. I have seen too many films, read too many books, watched too many episodes of 'Allo Allo’.

Thursday
Still no internet.

Tried to go kayaking but fully booked. Lay in the sun instead and bathed in the river.

When I am alone I can compose a perfect - to my mind - sentence in French but when spoken to by a French person the only word I can remember is Merci. I could be spending a lot of this holiday smiling, nodding and thanking people.

While flies eat Husband I seem to be the human of choice of the caterpillars here abouts. While I have nothing against caterpillars I would rather the big hairy ones didn't crawl over me.

Keep thinking the grandchildren would love it here with the abundance of scampering lizards, hopping frogs, swimming fish and chirping crickets.

We are again in France during a major football tournament, this time World Cup 18, in Russia - ah, I cannot do full stops on the keyboard with my tablet - some keys fell off and I thought I could superglue them back on - not one of my better ideas - I have been using the tablet keypad until now - I had better return to it or this could be a very long sentence!

Last time we sat in the campsite bar and watched England lose to Argentina and Daughter received a proposal of marriage from a complete stranger. This time we watched England lose to Belgium in a very boring game. I admit I spent most of the time studying other watchers and the bar’s unusual American-style decorations.

Friday
Skinny-dipping seems to have become something of an anniversary holiday tradition. Last time it was in the sea off west Wales; this time in the Ardeche river in France.

“This looks a bit slipp… ahhhhh … ouch!” I exclaimed as I landed on my bare bum.

It was even slippier trying to get out. I finally succeeded on all fours. Tres elegant.

My brilliant navigation led us, on our walk back to the campsite, past a restaurant where we ate later. Tres delicieux! Very fancy and wonderful flavours, all sorts of combinations - and very happy staff. A small garden next to the terrace where we could watch the chefs wandering out to pick the herbs they needed. Les Chaumes should you wish to visit. Highly recommended.

Also highly recommended, The Scandal by Frederik Backman. ***** The author of A Man called Over and another absolute favorite of mine, My Grandmother sends her regards and apologises. Very different sort of book but marvellous. It’s about ice hockey so I had to bleep over some bits I didn't understand but that doesn't matter to the story.

Have to stop now as we’re going kayaking. And I hope I can work out how to get this from here (docs) to there (blogger).

Later
It took me some time but I did it! Copied this from Google docs.

I will do a separate post about kayaking. Later. When I feel more charitable.

1 comment:

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

I'm sure kayaking's wonderfully envigorating, especially given how chilly the Ardèche is.
But I envy you Les Chaumes!