So they have been and gone, and it all went too quickly. I have not seen my friend for over a year and it shocked me how much we cried when they left, in fact it’s bringing a tear to my eye now.

We have had such fun, from the drinking of much vin rouge (as anyone who lives here will tell you it is obligatory at only 1.99 euro a bottle -that’s our limit and we don’t go above it!) to eating our tea (you can take the girl out of Essex) at anytime from ten thirty pm to past midnight.

The traditional French meals were cooked Croque Madame – gobbled up, Chicken Parmejano (Italian) and Kebab (he he).

 

We tried to squeeze in as much French culture as we could from visiting many French supermarkets (their choice) where Rich tried on hats with the girls in each one (sorry still waiting for the pictures) to patisseries and a coffee in a cafe´ in Mayenne.

Poor Nic, her Slimming World went out of the window, as she stuffed her face with custard filled patisserie, but as I kept reminding her she was on holiday;  I just don’t know what our excuse was! Bless her, here  she is with sugar all down her chin. (I’m getting my own back for the chin photos!)

 

 

We visited St Suzanne, a beautiful French town near to us,  had plat de jour for lunch.

Followed by a walk  around this beautiful medieval town which is absolutely stunning. The girls made daisy chains for them all, and Rich (and this is why I love my husband.) wore his with pride.

 

Wiglet got in on the act as well, my pretty little girl. Harley had one but he was having none of it and quickly lost it along the way.

But most of all we laughed, we took the mickey out of each other from the girls giving names to our many chins, Rich’s chin was call Ricky, Nic’s chin is called Suzie and my chin is called (believe it or not I can’t remember.) We played Boules, with Nic loving being umpire (I lost).

One of Richard’s favourite words is bobinage (don’t ask me why it means winding!) and that was it, everyone kept saying bobinage, in the style of a person from Yorkshire (t’bloody bobinage),  in the style of Kenneth Williams (OOOOOO bobinage), and in the style of Danhy Dyer from Eastenders!(Yeah, bobinage in’it).

For some reason the name Nigel was being bandied about because Nic thought the great Elton John Classic ‘Daniel’ actually went “Nigel is leaving tonight on a plane” …. She can’t help it, it’s one of her endearing qualities! I still keep giggling when I imagine him singing “my God it looks like Nigel, must be the stars in my eyes.”

And this photo sums up the silliness and fun we had.

The dogs were involved with everything and loved having the girls here because they  ran around our nearly one acre plot until it got dark playing with them. The dogs were worn out, but still looked everywhere for the girls  when we got back from dropping them off at the station. They are now really missing them, as are Rich and I now as the house seems really quiet.

 

Empty chairs and empty tables.

 

Moisy