Week Two

We travelled across Burgundy to start part two of our vacance on the other side of the Morvan, a national park where people go to do outdoor pursuits (not us).  It's a bit like the Peak District without the dry stone walls or Chatsworth; so um er nothing like the Peak District really.  We're near a place called Nevers (pronounced Ne-Vaire).  But let me fill you in what we've been up to for the past few days.

On Friday we went on a long journey to Cluny to see the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries which are actually in the Musee Cluny in Paris; yes, ok, I know now!  The remains of the abbey were pretty spectac and it's always good to know a bit of history and I can now tell you that Cluny was pretty damned mighty in the Middle Ages.

We then went to a chateau where I got lost in the maze - now there's as surprise!  Mr Smith keeps gathering walnuts, opening them and saying "Hello, Mrs Smith's brain." which I don't think is a bit funny.  Anyway, who speaks the lingo round these parts?  Hint: Not Mr Shout It Louder In English.

Saturday 11th September 2011
With a new word every day I am really brushing up my plume de ma tante french.  Today's word is passoir (colander/sieve).

Question: Did Mrs Smith
A) spend all her money on day one of her holiday on absolute rubbish;
B) spend some of her money, carefully saving the rest for later;
C) spend no money, carefully keeping her cash in case of emergency.

Those of you who guessed B or C - Duh, get a life.
Those of you who guessed A go to the top of the class and proceed to the nearest shop with your Barclaycard like Mrs Smith.  I've really got the hang of Euros now, they're just like pounds.  I just get some from Mr Smith then hand them over to the shop assistant and all the jolie things are mine.


Sunday
Yesterday was a scorcher; we sat in our hot car and drove hotly across Burgundy stopping at Autun for lunch where I bought some very expensive chocolates that melted on the journey.  Our new abode is rather splondide.  It's an old converted cow shed or stables next to a manor house dating from 1010.  It's the sort of house that one's grandmother might have moved into when she no longer occupied the family seat.  Monsieur et Madame Terribly Old But Wonderfully Game live in the manor house.  They were having a bit of a contretemps when we arrived with him up a ladder (escabeau - word du jour) having a go at mending a light which he completely bogged up and had to call an electrician.  He talks lots of very fast french at me; I do the best I can and talk to his dog, a Jack Russell called Bob.

We went to Nevers for an evening stroll along the Loire.  Monsieur Long Pantelons Smith warned me not to walk too close to the grass or I would get bitten by midges but I didn't obey him despite vowing to 27 years ago.  I found a blue line on a pavement and followed it through Nevers to the cathedral.  Actually, there were several blue lines and without a map you could easily get lost - well I could.  It was yesterday's maze all over again with midge bites.

We returned to Granny's house for dinner and no electricity.  Do you a fancy a chocolate?  One great big one?

Today il pleut and Granny's house smells.