I do love a good guide book. For this holiday I bought one of the Footprint travel guides
for the Dordogne and Lot, written by Michael Pauls and Dana Facaros. Their style of writing really appealed, giving just the right amount of information to help make sightseeing that bit easier. On their recommendation we set off on our second morning to visit La Roque Gageac. They were right, it was a stunning village, with a line of classic Perigourdin buildings squeezed into a single row along the river. The setting was made all the more dreamy with warm sunshine and a slurpy ice-cream which was just the thing before our trip on the traditional gabarre riverboat.
We had paid for our tickets at the booth and they were marked with the word Anglais so the chap on the boat would know to give us some headphones for the English commentary. Now there’s one thing I’m bloody good at and that’s a decent French-sounding Bonjour. I have no idea why it sounds so authentic but it’s definitely not a British “Bon-joo-er”, more a guttural, speedy Gallic “Bon-jur”. It gets me into all kinds of trouble in restaurants and hotels when French people assume I’m “Le Real Thing” and bombard me with a whole load of French I have no hope of understanding. Getting on the boat that morning was no exception. A rather attractive, rugged monsieur helped me embark; as I said Bonjour and handed over our English tickets, he was stopped in his tracks.
“Mais, you are not French?”
“Non”
“But your accent, Madame, eet eez so good”.
“Oh, Monsieur, eet ees nothing. I know a leetle French, un peu…”
At this point, as we were both shrugging and flirting, I felt a definite propulsion from behind as my spoilsport husband felt it was his duty to move the queue along.
“He thought I was French”, I giggled, as I drifted towards our seats.
“You mean you fell for all that flannel?”, countered a smirking husband.
“Was not flannel!”
“Was!”
“Wasn’t!”
Tired but content following our day exploring the Dordogne Valley, we headed home by the scenic route and I spotted an orchard.
“I wonder what they are growing there?” I said as I pointed the trees out to Dougie.
“Oh they’re apples, or maybe pears, or plums…..peaches?”
“You don’t know, do you?
“No”
“Well thank you for that, Mr Del Monte….”
It all looks so breathtaking beautiful… I think me and mine may have to navigate the ol' chunnel one of these days and see it all for ourselves!
Steve – well worth a trip, even if you start just over the channel, there are some beautiful spots.
Don't you love it when the 'mister' gets jealous? So sweet! Looks a fab place to visit Trish, the photos are great.
Lovely post…1st time i've visited your blog…just read your 'teenagers' piece as well. Made me chuckle (-:
Libby – doesn't do any harm to keep him on his toes!
Sugarplum – thank you for reading and commenting: lovely to see you here. You'd think I would have written more than one post about my teenage boy: he survived the skiing trip you'll be pleased to know!
Lovely pics Mrs. Aren't husbands just great around other men?
MSG – Ta, was quite chuffed with my photos this year. Hubby was insistent old Charles Aznavour was just spinning me a line but I knew better!
I've just been to Normandy (and blogged about it) and have now definitely got a taste for french holidays. So thanks for the this informative and interesting blog. It's uncanny how with one word (bonjour) they can tell one is not french.
This certainly made me smile! You can’t have a proper French holiday with a little bit of flannel from a real Frenchman – it’s the law over here! #AllAboutFrance
Ah that’s good to know – at least I was obeying the letter of the law 😉
Such a beautiful part of the world! I think we went to those gardens when we were there last – off to check as it looks really familiar! We canoed down the Dordogne but believe me if I had known there was a boat with a flirty Frenchman running it I wouldn’t have paddled it!!!
Ha! You missed a treat, Tracy! You’ll remember next time 😉
That maze looks incredible (I resisted the terrible pun that I could have used there, which you should be grateful for). #AllAboutFrance
Ha! I’m grateful, though I do love a good pun 🙂
LOL! Love your sense of humor, lots of fun 🙂
Thank you, GGG! I do like to find the funny side and it was great to remind myself of the fun we had on that holiday.
Ha! I’m the exact opposite, there’s something so pitifully English about my “Bonjour” that even after 20 years here I get answered back at in English and yet I can manage the full on assault of French that should follow!!! I am completely fluent but my accent is a giveaway from the 1st syllable. I’m glad you got your one up on your husband and the French satnav lady!! Great story Trish, thanks for linking up to #AllAboutFrance
Isn’t that typical. I would rather be you than me – it must be fab to be fluent!
I enjoyed being involved in #AllAboutFrance as you have some really interesting writers contributing. I wish I had been able to link a more recent post but I suppose experiences like this are timeless.