Saturday night--Alone

Local time, just after midnight and I've just taken the dog out, for her usual "pee-pee de minuit".

I nearly always treat myself to a bottle of the "GIGO" for saturday dinner, a bottle of Gigondas from the Rhone Valley region. Getting a bit gloomy as I'm on the last glass !!

But last week-end, before the summer visitor panic set in, I went down to the coast, didn't stay long, just TOO many people. I often, out of season, go either to a little place place called Narbonne Plage (plage being beach) or to the northest corner of the cost brava, this being in reach of the Salvador Dali museum (here I get a bit of beach and a bit of loony culture!)

Like anywhere between Tuscany and Gibralta these little places are backed by acres of little villas and flatlets, all rather reminisant of a Butlins holiday camp. Out of season there's the odd little gem that still retains a hint of it's former charm, not when mobbed out though. This silly old fart hadn't realised that the school hols start at the begining of July here.

Driving down on the saturday and pulling into a couple of service areas (these are every 25 K on the motorways ) unsuccessfully looking for coffee and dog pee I was amazed at the places a french familly can leave a car and even more so where they can balance a lunch time pic nic table!!. It seems to be a pre-requisite of a holiday, to picnic en route; I've seen them beside a six lane highway, clinging onto their table-cloth as a juggernaught hurtles by and enjoying every mouthfull!

On the way back a stop for reasons of personal comfort (as we say) and whilst I'm watering the porclain I hear this voice "quel qu'un" (anybody there?) coming from one of the cubicles. Warily, I admitted my presence, to learn that the poor bloke was trapped inside, presumably in the squat position, with NO PAPER ! However he thought help was at hand (do I mean to say it that way?????) because in the red car parked outside were his 3 travelling companions. Could I ask them to assist him. Of course, so on exit I told the 3 young people of their mates predicament and they all fell about laughing. As I drove away they were still propping each other up roaring with laufter.

Presumably the poor sod is still there to this day!