Post Brexit Frenchness

This may be a good time to say something about the post-Brexit frostiness we've experienced in France.

Right then.

The hostility towards us has been...

Zero.

Because (so far) it hasn't happened. Nicky has done a brilliant job of trying to converse in French, which I've observed, (and resolved to do better with learning different languages...) and am convinced this has made a huge difference. But even so, the French have been lovely.

We saw an advert on the campsite noticeboard for an evening Market in the village - duck & frites for €8 each and a bottle of red wine & paper cups for €5. So being a numpty with the French language, I dutifully waited with a bottle of vin rouge to share, while Nicky queued for our dinner. All good. I perched at a standing-height table with the wine bottle and waited patiently, enjoying the mellow vibe of families sat at bench tables enjoying the food & wine. I leant on the table resting my elbows, generally happy with my lot in life, a split second later absolutely mortified at the table tipping, spilling the glass wine bottle onto the edge of the paving slab beneath me.

CRASH!!

Sh******t!!

Full on face-flush embarrassment and hurried attempts at collecting the zillions of glass shards from the edge of the grass swiftly followed.

Talk about wanting to sink into the ground!

But the lovely stall owner rushed over and commented on the table pivoting, I think, as I conversed with my charades and 'pardon monsieur, stupid English man!' stuttering.

I cleared up all the glass fragments I could see, helped by a French lady, whilst someone else magically appeared with a cardboard box for the shards, while yet another person pressed serviettes into my hand so I didn't cut myself. And then, to top all that, a lady from the stall presents me with a replacement bottle of red wine. I attempted to pay, literally trying to force €5 into her hand, but she refused.

My embarrassment soon turned to thanks that the vino tumble had happened here, rather than the UK.

France, thank you for your relaxed perspective. We are loving it here more and more every day. Xx