I've always loved Saturdays.
When we moved to France it was a great worry that my Saturday ritual would be gone for ever (wake up, cooked breakfast in the local greasy spoon, Telegraph crossword, "football focus", trip to White Hart Lane, dinner with friends).
The good news is that nothing's changed and it's the one morning each week when you'll catch me singing in the shower and in an assuredly good mood.
Take today.
The senior partner teaches some local children each Saturday morning so it's always down to me to get the two girls off to English school by 10.00am.
No sooner were they dropped off than I'd parked up in Jarnac, bought my copy of L'Equipe from the bar/tabac and was ensconced on my favourite bar stool with a grande creme in front of me.
The proprietor of the café is a friend of mine (I know you won't believe me but his name is M Champagne...how cool is that for a bar owner) and he always lets me sit peaceably for 90 minutes and we chat about all things sport that crop up in the paper.
I always get a little tingle in my tummy when I turn to the TV page in L:'Equipe to see what matches are being shown on Canal+.
Today it's Stoke v Liverpool (1.40pm), Chelsea v Sunderland (3.50pm) and Everton v Man City (6.25pm)....then, of course, they're showing all the French matches, Real Madrid & Barcelona tonight.
Sadly I'm going to have to forfeit the evening matches as we're off to friends for dinner. Christian is the cellar master of this place so we always have the finest wines and cognacs to accompany our meal....they really are sensational hosts.
So there we have it. Life over here is so, so different to how it was in the UK - and yet it's the same.
It may seem mundane but to me it's like having christmas day 52 times a year and I'm seldom happier than when I'm sat on that bar stool, at peace with the world and anticipating the day ahead.
www.cognacproperty.com
No comments:
Post a Comment