Habitation Grande Anse Deshaies

... on one side, women and children on the other. The group of women were taken to the church. The Germans then split the men up into 6 groups and sent them off in different directions. His group was taken to one of the barns in town, Laudy’s. A pair of machine guns were set up at the threshold of the barn. Two soldiers were stretched out behind the guns, and two others stood by with belts of ...

... friends whom we visited for coffee or lunch, and also their extremely amiable French neighbours, who make use of the lack of fences to
wander over and say bonjour, bringing a bunch of leeks, or a basket of beans, or whatever else is thriving on their land that day. It's all very sociable and mutually supportive and a far cry from the stereotype of the ...

... with a handbag. Made more sketchy by the same fellow (obviously a scholar) re-entering the building and leaving with another hand bag and a guitar. I wander where he was going with his two handbags and guitar. . .

We cycled on to find a camping spot. After 5 days of intense cycling in heavy heat with no shower we were forced to sleep in amongst a thick cloud of smell which could quite literally "gag a maggot".

... well, I left my rape alarm at home so that was out of the question. Fortunatelly Alex's parents where near by and they offered to take me to the city. We went to the tourist office to get directions for a bike shop. On the way out I saw a car go ploughing into an old lady; after rotating a few times she hit the deck and I was the first to reach her. I started talking to her and she soon ...

... just being here, watching the flowers grow, drinking the wine, getting a feel of la joie de vivre - I'm not complaining.
Sad to leave though, as always.

The good part is seeing the kids again, Rose, Dick and Ezra, and all the others I've missed. And I need to get back, for not much later, the 19th, my plane to Africa will take off.
With or without me? Who knows, still 11 days to go and I am counting on my lucky ...

... privacy and let them get on with this ritual; do the decent thing and leave the table.

Next morning I can't wait to check them out. To my astonishment the cup is clean empty, not a trace of an ant.
They have been resurrected! Woken from their drunken stupor, staggered back home by the light of the moon, probably sleeping it off right now.
I am overjoyed. I rush to Peter to smugly inform him of this miracle. He can hardly hide ...

... was deemed necessary to address an audience of maybe 50 or 60.

The dancing was in full swing and no mistaking, this was France. On the wooden boards, laid out in front of the stage-van, I watched something you might see in a film and think it was overdone. A scene too sentimental, too romantic, a thing of the past. It was mesmerizing; the couples dancing to the music of this one-man-band, now playing the accordion.
Ballroom dancing, young and old, some experienced and ...

... a jumble of houses, cottages, outbuildings - most in some stage of (dis)repair. Big, red blocks of brick built on top of the beautiful, ancient, honey-coloured stone walls, cement spilling out from the joints. Somehow it didn't matter.
The mairie (town hall) was being renovated too. Covered in a veil of white net as if waiting to be led up the aisle. Crooked little streets and allies, leading nowhere or ending abruptly at the last doorstep.
A stark, barren church, something you ...

... cross-bike stunts. The council had clearly made an effort to build a real track, but heaps of soil dumped at regular intervals like giant mole-hills, gave the meadow an extraordinary, somewhat endearing appearance.
Apparently there had been some kind of footrace too. I noticed a group of contestants, all men.
Now they put a smile on my face. Not so young but not so old as to be less than interesting.
I have never paid much attention to athletes, or what they wear, but these ...

Ahh, first full day of driving. Which meant that we were running out of gas! First time driving in France, don't speak the language, don't know what kind of gas this rental car uses, plus it's getting late and we're driving in the countryside (lovely farms I might add). And we have no idea where we're going to sleep! And we're getting hungry ...