Andy Smallman

It’s just about 4:30pm as I write this, 30 minutes before the start of the big 60th anniversary party for Bernard’s parents. Before heading over, Melinda and I are relaxing for a few minutes at the incredible AirBnB home at which we’re staying. It’s on the outskirts of a tiny village called Bonnebosq, one of many such villages scattered throughout Normandy. They are all picturesque and quaint, and every person we encounter is very friendly. The pace of life here is slowed way down. When driving, you pass lovely farmhouses and apple orchards, as well as horses, cows and sheep grazing in the fields. It really does feel as if you’ve gone back in time.

Late this morning we took a short walk into the main part of town. I snapped a picture (above left) of the sign along the road indicating you’ve entered the town proper. We wandered around, me snapping this selfie to give you a further sense of the place. We spent the most time in a simple grocery store, buying some eggs that we hard-boiled back at our place that we had for lunch, along with some fruit. I also bought a tiny bottle of Calvados liqueur for me to have back in Seattle.

Of unique interest, actor Yul Brynner owned property here and made it possible for the town to have a soccer field. Learn more in the photo below (click to enlarge it) that I took outside the field.

So this picture above is Bernard’s cousin’s home, she (and her husband – that’s them in the center) taking over care of it from her parents. It’s beyond spectacular, the kind of place at which Americans fantasize having a wedding but can’t because nothing like it exists in the US. Everything about it is beautiful and picturesque, from the home itself to the grounds that include several outbuildings, pastures, a moat and more. We got a personalized tour of it yesterday, marveling every step of the way. It’s hundreds of years old.

The picture to the left is inside the pigeon house on the property of Bernard’s cousin’s home. We have been learning that the size of one’s pigeon house determines one’s status. This pigeon house is quite large, capable of housing 2000 pigeons (each opening in the wall is a pigeon apartment). That’s quite a bit larger than the one Melinda and I have back in Seattle. Wait a second, that’s right, we don’t have a pigeon house, although I could probably find a used parakeet cage on Craigslist. In this photo, Melinda and I are obviously looking up at the ceiling, Melinda imagining what she could do with all this space and me thinking, “2000 pigeons and no indoor plumbing?”

Okay, the house above is where Bernard’s father grew up, meaning it belonged to Bernard’s paternal grandparents. I was mesmerized three years ago by a story Bernard’s dad told me about being a young teen during the German occupation of WWII and German soldiers being billeted in this house. We got a great tour of it and the grounds by another of Bernard’s cousins who is now living here.

The photo on the right is outbuilding in which Bernard’s father’s family lived during the German occupation. You can kind of see the larger main house in the distance. This building also houses an ancient cider press (photo on the left). We were able to go inside and see it, hearing stories of how the press was turned by horses and that families from the nearby village brought their apples here to be pressed. I asked if they made apple cider, the kind of drink for children we think about mostly in the US. No, I learned that the cider was all fermented and was consumed like water.

No surprise here. The sensation in western France known as Frederique et Les Autres has quickly spread to the Alpes and with it, Frederique has released her first solo album. It was clear from the beginning that the talent possessed by Frederique outstripped that of her bandmates and she would be encouraged to go solo. Without longtime sidemen Laurent, Melinda and Andy to slow her down, she modernizes her sound in a way that is sure to attract her to a younger audience. Aptly, she calls this record “En Vacance.” Standout tracks include “Seul avec mes pensées” and an inspired cover of Badfinger’s “Without You” made famous by Harry Nilsson. If you have the opportunity to spend some time with Frederique, be sure to do so!” 👍👍👍👍👍

“From the shores of Le Croisic in western France comes this sparkling new band that is bound to make a splash. Fronted by singer-songwriter Frederique (she goes solely by Frederique, reminding this reviewer more of a modest Cher than a flashy Madonna), the group’s sound excitedly returns us to the classic French pop of the 1960’s. With songs like “Manon is on the Phone” and “Sunday is Not for Cooking,” the band shares its take on domestic themes that anyone can relate to. But it’s the dance number “The Robot Romp” that really stands out. Featuring drummer Laurent Boudeau and bassist Melinda Shaw, the song hits a groove that dares the listener to not get up and dance.” 👍👍👍👍👍

I love all the wonderful days we have in France. We have great friends who are willing to entertain, feed and house us, as well as take us to places we’d never know to see and do things we’d never know to do. Perhaps it’s because of these things that days like today become all the more special. Christine and Melinda buddied up, leaving me on my own. So I did what I love doing in Nantes. I just starting walking. I walked along my favorite trails, stopping to read on park benches. I spent an hour in our old neighborhood library, recognizing the librarian who was so helpful to me during the sabbatical. I continued on to the shopping center at which Melinda and I would buy our groceries. Then I followed the path back to our old neighborhood, walking the trail to Ella’s school that borders the Hippodrome. For me, it’s both time traveling and being in the present. And because I’m alone, I go at my own pace and in my own way. It’s perfect.

To fully get the significance of this post, you need to understand that back in the dark days of January I imagined having a drink with Laurent. I sent an email to him about this desire, along with a photo I took of me trying to toast him. He responded, echoing the desire, writing, “i am impatient to drink with you.” I loved that expression so much, I wrote a blog post about it. In that post, I said I’d love to have a t-shirt with it written on the shirt.

With that in mind, I present this photo:

Now, wait, there’s more. Where we had this drink is in a bar called Le Bidule in the city of Pornichet. This is a happening place to go. You arrive and find a place to stand and very quickly a server comes to ask which wine you want. Your choices are white or red, and he is carrying them as he moves through the bar. He is also carrying these small glasses which, after you’ve made your choice, he fills to the absolute brim. The wine is sweet and the atmosphere is fun.

Oh, part of the fun is you bring in your own munchies. We had a smorgasbord of snacks leftover after our 12 kilometer walk around the city of Le Croisic earlier in the day. More on that in another post.

One more thing, the sun came out today and we spent several hours by the Boudeau pool. They leave on their summer vacation tomorrow so this may be our last chance to sunbathe.

Mr. Bernard Bertail and Mr. Andrew Smallman are pleased to announce the marriage of their wives, Christine Bertail to Melinda Shaw, on July 30, 2017 at the Château du Coing in Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine, France. A future of celebratory experiences is planned that include glasses of wine, working out, considering home remodeling projects, tolerating their husbands, remembering where they put their sunglasses, and being best friends.