Leaving Washington, DC for Montpeyroux
|
Our departure from Washington, D.C. was uneventful, and the flight was quite pleasant. The Lufthansa staff went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. We had been told that our baby (25 pounds) was too big for the crib, yet when I tried to make him comfortable on the blanket on the floor, a crib was pulled out and he went right to sleep. What a luxury!
Our car leasing in Paris was also uneventful. We had booked a car through Europe by Car, and had ordered a small Peugeot for an extremely inexpensive price compared to all the other rental and leasing companies. The rental desk was easy to find, and the woman who helped us spoke Spanish and English, so conversation was easy. I still didn't have a chance to practice my French, and I was nervous, never having actually spoken the language after studying it for more than 20 years!
The car was new and comfortable, although small, and our baggage and car seat and stroller all somehow managed to fit. We took a few moments to get adjusted to the car and to study the map. We had arrived at Charles DeGaulle Airport, and previously had made arrangements to spend the night in a bed and breakfast about two hours south of Paris. The World Cup games had all the hotels in Paris booked solidly. We found the route to take and drove out of the airport. Unfortunately, it was already 4:30 P.M., and so what could have been a two-hour trip took almost four, including getting mildly lost somewhere in the south part of Paris.
|
Once we left Paris behind, we began to relax and take in the scenery. We decided that this part of the highway was about as attractive as the New Jersey Turnpike. Of course, at that moment, I'd much rather be on that French highway than the NJT. After we exited Paris, we took the toll road A10 to Orleans, and then followed another toll road toward Blois, exiting just before the city and heading toward Chateauroux. We stayed at what turned out to be a delightful bed and breakfast in Verneuil. It was difficult to find because there were no signs outside the building, but eventually we located the owners and were shown to our rooms in the attic of a wing of the house. The children were immediately enchanted by the large, very friendly dogs. We made a meal of the things we had packed in the diaper bag, which included packets of oatmeal and energy bars, and then tried to put the baby to sleep. What a task! His time was all off, and it was after 1:00 a.m. before he finally fell asleep. Since I hadn't slept in many hours, I slept soundly until eight a.m..
Our breakfast the next morning was simple and tasty, with fresh croissants, good coffee, and orange juice. The baby just wouldn't wake up, so the three of us ate breakfast without him. Renato, being the friendly five-year-old child that he is, tried to wander all over the house, and after us stopping him many times, the owners finally took him into their kitchen where he hung out with another five-year-old girl and the dogs. He didn't want to leave the place to get on with the journey!
By 10:00 a.m. we finally packed everything and headed south. We meandered through smaller roads until we neared Clermont Ferrand, at which point we got on the A75, which is not a toll road in spite of its numbering. It is not quite finished, so I guess they are not charging until the entire road is finished. Thank goodness for that, because the previous tolls had put a serious dent in the 1000F I had changed at the airport. Fortunately we had a diesel car, since the difference in the cost of gas is quite noticeable. We can find diesel fuel for under 4F a liter, while the other gases are over 6F the liter. Visa is accepted for all sorts of things, so cash won't be that much of a problem, it seems. The only problem with Visa is that to use it, one must make a purchase of over 100F.
|
We eventually arrived at Clermont Herrault, and took off onto the side roads toward Gignac and Montpeyroux, our final destination. We arrived in Montpeyroux at 7pm, but found the house locked and no owner at home next door. After a 45 minute wait, we decided to go in search of food and more important things, so we set off for Gignac. After strolling a bit through the centre-ville (downtown) we chose a pizza place that had many other children there. At 9:00 P.M., Guillermo promptly disappeared to watch one of the World Cup games at a local café. Unfortunately, he was unable to be enthusiastic when Brazil would make a goal, since the crowd would cheer wildly when the European team scored, and would make noises of disappointment when Brazil would make a goal. But he enjoyed the experience all the same.
Around 11:00 p.m. we returned to Montpeyroux to find a note on our door requesting that we bang loudly on the house next door. Julie, our landlady, let us in and gave us the tour. The house, as are all the other houses on this particular part of the street, are 300 or more years old. It had been recently renovated, and even had a brand-new bathroom with a wonderfully large tub. The rest of the house had been freshly plastered and painted, and the fixtures cleaned. The house was a strange layout, with a largish kitchen and dining area below, and a long bathroom alongside. At the top of the stairs was one bedroom with a sink, and after passing through the hall that was directly above the bathroom, one went into the back bedroom. This is my favorite room in the house, with an ancient sink built into the wall and a hole in the bottom of the basin to let the water out of the building. The window in this room looks out onto a garden full of tall trees. At night, the breeze here is quite strong and enchanting. Looking out of that window at night to listen to the night sounds and the wind, and look at the stars above, became a favorite pastime of the baby and me during our evening routine.
It feels all so strange, but once I unpack and begin to put our feel on the place, it becomes more comfortable. By 1:00 a.m. I finally go to bed. Guillermo and the boys had gone to sleep right away, exhausted after the long drive, and the night out in Gignac. I stay awake briefly listening to the wind, but I am soon soundly asleep also.
|
The next morning, we began the task of getting the place stocked. We went down to the local grocery store, and I began talking in French at last. I found that I could make myself understood, and that I really understood everything that was said, although sometimes I was making educated guesses. Everyone was quite friendly, especially the older women that hang out in the center of town. I should explain that it would take about 10 minutes to walk from one end of Montpeyroux to the other. The number of inhabitants is listed as one thousand. We are about three minutes from the five stores in the center, which are the butcher, the baker, the tabac, the grocery store, and the winery. I quickly became acquainted with all very quickly.
We had to make a trip into Gignac to go to the Inter Marche (supermarket), since many of the things we needed weren't in the grocery store. It did take us quite awhile to figure out exactly which coin we needed to put into the shopping cart line in order to remove the cart. I'm sure that the management has ways of removing all the wrong sized coins from the carts that we put in during our learning experience! In the end, we discovered that it took a ten-franc coin (about US$1.50), and off we went, only to discover (we thought) that our cart was broken. We took it back to the line and took another one out, and set off again, only to have the same problem. It was then that we discovered that carts here in Gignac can move sideways as well as forwards and backwards. All four wheels move around, which took a couple of visits to feel comfortable with the sensation. I still have problems moving straight ahead when the road is slanted, as it is at the entrance of the supermarket.
The grocery store seemed like many in the states, but with emphasis on different things. For example, the cheese sections (there were two) were so large and overwhelming that I just couldn't decide on a cheese. I just closed my eyes and grabbed two. The cereal section is quite small compared to the US. An oddity we discovered was the milk. There is no milk in plastic bottles as in the US, but rather the long-lived milk that lasts indefinitely on the shelf. The other section that was quite different was the beverage section. There were two full aisles of wines, and almost no sodas.
The village of Montpeyroux has its own winery, which was mentioned in several places on web pages I'd discovered. For more information on the winery, and Montpeyroux, see http://www.epicuria.fr/montpeyroux-village/coteaux-castellas/anglais/body.htm. As soon as we returned to Montpeyroux, we stopped by at the winery, and bought a container to hold the wine (about 1.5 gallons, I think) and then had it filled with the cheapest priced red wine. Two weeks later we are still working on the contents, which are quite pleasant. I think we'll buy bottles from now on, though, since we are not big drinkers. Getting up early in the morning to deal with two happy and energetic boys puts the damper on having anything more than two small glasses of wine a night.
|
Summer camp for Renato and babysitter for Andoni
|
| We soon found a day camp for Renato, which he thoroughly enjoys. That whole situation is just too good to be true. We heard of the camp, visited it, and liked it. We were told to go to the mairie (the mayor's building) to fill out the paperwork, which we promptly did. The cost for one full day of camp plus lunch is $15. We can take Renato any day we want, and only for ˝ day if we wish. They will then send us the bill for dates attended to our Washington, D.C. address. I asked when the bill would arrive, and they thought perhaps October?! They didn't even ask for ID or verification of an address. How could we go wrong? [Note: The bill finally arrived in March for $265 for two months of camp, with lunch] Renato seems unfazed by the fact that he speaks Spanish and English and they speak French. They seem to communicate quite well, which is exactly what we wanted. |
|
