Paula's Place

Paula's Place

Wednesday 5 October 2011

France (Part 2)

AH the joy of waking up in a French Hotel, and realising that I still had yesterday's nail varnish on.   Now when I am away I am afraid I quite often end up drinking a little too much, going to bed too late, and waking up late  feeling pretty poor.   This time I had hit the sack at a sensible time, and felt great, also thanks to the Lancome potions I had taken with me I think I looked pretty decent as well.

So after a shave and shower, I got dressed and put my face on.   After this time I can't remember what I wore that day, but I know it was something a little more fem than the average driver of an old white transit van!   I also knew that I would have to get changed in order to make my delivery, which would be around lunch time.   Breakfast was taken in the lounge with about half a dozen other guests, while I was noticed no one seemed to take any undue notice of me, other than maybe a lone female should expect.   All the other guests and the staff were all very friendly and helpful, I love this place!

This being a Saturday I was not expecting much traffic, but the run down to Dijon was much slower than expected, fortunately after that it cleared and I was able to make reasonable time, arriving at my friend's sister's house around 2:00 they gave me an excellent lunch - real French farm house cooking in a french farmhouse kitchen, then the husband son and a neighbour helped unload the furniture into a barn attached to the house, I felt almost guilty at being welcomed so well, helped so much and then being given a food parcel to take home, when they were paying to make the trip in the first place.   Anyone who thinks the French unfriendly or arrogant, needs to travel more!

After I had left with an empty van I made a quick change back "into something more comfortable" and decided that as I was a little ahead of schedule I would avoid Motorways and take a much more scenic route back north towards the Channel.   It was only when well onto the return leg that I realised I had left my phone charger at the hotel the previous night.   So a quick charge across country passing by Autun, Montbard, and Chatillon-sur-Seine, then across country back to Langres, it was only when I got back to the hotel that I realised I had no idea how to ask for my charger back.   Somehow with a combination of my very limited French their non-existent English sign language and the help of another guest I got my charger back.   This was an interesting, totally non commercial, encounter and I am sure that the way I was dressed was never an issue.   Either I pass better than I think or even the rural French are quite liberal.   It was a little early to stop so I carried on for another hour or so north before stopped for the night.  


Ready for a night on the town

I was a little tired and stopped at the first Hotel I came to, it was fairly modern, clean and inexpensive, but no restaurant. I was assured that there were plenty of places to eat in town and that I would be OK, even on a Saturday night.   Before having a shower and getting changed I decided to have a bit of a walk around town, true there were plenty of restaurants, one was way out of my price bracket another was little more than a bar that did sandwiches another just a Pizza joint.   The outstanding option was the towns casino.   This looked good, not to pricey, and an opportunity to glam up on a Saturday night.

Although I seem to be showing a lot of leg in a rather short skirt, in my defense these are actually culottes, teamed with a black satin blouse and my grey M & S jacket, plus all the bling I had with me!   As I walked down the main street I did indeed begin to feel as if I might be showing a bit too much leg, but I certainly wasn't going to go back and get changed, as I was leaving the Hotel I'm sure one of the staff wished me a pleasant evening ending with "Monsieur"!

Getting to the Casino, I went up to the Restaurant and asked for a table, but found that since I hadn't booked there was nothing for me! on to my second choice, the same again, all booked, I was beginning to feel a little persecuted, but persisted   I didn't want to go to the pizza place, or a bar for a snack, after all I had had a long day and I just wasn;t dressed for it.   Eventually I found an excellent restaurant that was happy to accommodate me next to the bar "if I didn't mind". I had an excellent dinner, a pleasant chat with another tourist, enjoying myself so much I stayed for a Cointreau with my coffee after dinner, before going back to the hotel and bed.

This was another great day, and I planed to make the most of my two remaining uninterrupted fem days in France.   I'm sorry I can't remember the exact place names, but it was about seven months ago, and I am getting old......

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