12) Back to France (and back on the internet)

Leaving the White Cliffs behind once again on 16 January 2011

We have now been back in France for over three weeks, but because of difficulties with internet access, we have also been blogless.  Inevitably lots has happened in the meantime so it is difficult to know where to pick up the trail.  Rather than a blow by blow account, therefore, I will swiftly bring things up to date, and make a few random observations on our life out here.

Driving South to the sun

One thing we decided to do before we left, was to go to the France Show at Earl’s Court.  We had been told about this in France by Charlie, the estate agent who had taken us to a rather liquid lunch, after chickening out on a visit up some rather snowy mountain roads/passes to see a house.  It was supposed to be a show extolling the virtues of all things French – holidays, activities, wine, food and, of course, property.  We thus thought it might be a useful , and a chance to meet yet more of the charming agents.  Actually, it was merde!  If I had been the French ambassador and had happened to go, I would have been desolé.  It was small, badly organised unprofessionally put together and with rubbish food.  We went in for a competition to win a lifetime’s free Channel crossings, but as we’ve heard nothing, I assume we didn’t win that either.  Even when we met Charlie, it was clear he had no idea who we were.

Vines in the Savoy

There was, however, one redeeming feature, the (very nice and very bored) lady on the Sea France stand gave us free tickets to a wine tasting.  This was a hoot.  A very very chaotic hoot.  It was in two parts.  The first had wines from the Savoie, whilst the second half covered wines from Beaujolais. To talk about the Savoie wines they had found a rather serious and slightly gushing female wine writer who vaguely reminded you of a Blue Peter presenter.  First part very professionally done, and the five different wines we tasted were indeed most interesting, and rather unusual.

Georgi's expression reveals a certain anxiety about the lack of wines available for tasting

Next came the Beaujolais wines, presented by a trio of Frenchman, who had obviously been doing some serious tasting before the show started.  The master of ceremonies was a French version of David Niven, but without the moustache.  Next there was one of the vignerons, who was the spitting image of Robin Williams, and the last of them was some sort of aristocrat with a Chateau, who didn't look French at all, but more like one of those spivs from the square mile who have lost all our money.  He clearly thought it highly amusing the way theeese Ingleeshe were taking it all so seriously.

Vines in Beaujolais, chapel of La Madone in the background

Firstly, one or two still sober participants noticed only four out of the five designated Beaujolais glasses had any wine in them.  "Theesse," said David Niven with a wicked smile "ees becawse for zee finale wine we 'ave a speciale zurprize for yu!"  Robin Williams then launched into a set piece about his wines, and the great difference in the colour between the 2008 and the 2009.  It soon became apparent to those sober enough to notice, however, that the wines we were tasting were white, and he was describing with great Gallic aplomb the different hues of red.  Some brave person, who had presumably had to pay for their ticket, asked why he was talking about a wine that was red, when the very clear instructions on the sheet in front of us said we had to work from the the left to right, and the first glass had a white wine in it. 

Our French wine tasting compere

After some translation and a lively exchange between the three increasingly blotto musketeers, it was pointed out that they had thought the white wine would taste better AFTER the red so they had changed the order (though without telling anyone).   The Robin Williams lookalike continued valiantly, but he was now as thoroughly confused, as everyone else was (and probably even less sober).  What he said bore no apparent relation to the wines we had in front of us and the whole thing descended into confusion and farce (thank God His Excellency the Ambassador was not there to witness it).  The Chateau-owning-aristocrat thought this simply added to the fun, as well as his disdain of les Anglais and their pretensions concerning wine.  The situation was quickly rescued, though, by David Niven who revealed the surprise of pink Beaujolais champagne for the fifth and final glass of the Beaujolais section (and the tenth of the session as a whole).  With all the good humour of a fine bon viveur he then assured everyone that the true purpose of wine was simply to enjoy it (and by the colour of his complexion and the gentle swaying motion of his colleagues, this is something they clearly did quite a lot of the time).