My original 10.10am flight was changed to 08.55, so I got up at 5am and rushed to the airport in Manchester.  Then the plane took off at 10.10 after all! - We love British Airways!  Oh well, it gave me a chance to have my first ever Starbucks (latte extra shot) and a blueberry muffin for breakfast.

The plane was a tiny Embraer 145.  It was the first time I’ve ever had a window seat and an aisle seat at the same time!  The seats were upholstered in blue leather and the air hostesses were matronly.  Sandwiches were passed out – icy slabs of cardboard-flavoured white-sliced, with cheddar or tired flavourless BLT.  The French opposite me were obviously struggling not to spit it out and chewed poderously without enthusiasm.  Embarrassing!  As was the fact that none of the announcements on the tannoy were translated into French.  Poor old England, we’ll never be proper Europeans will we!

THE HEAT!! We had a “heat wave” in England just before coming – it was nothing like this!  I had 6 cold showers during the first evening in my hotel.  (I really did! I was suffering and couldn’t breathe). Thank heavens for air-conditioned cars – I can see me sitting at the side of the road with the engine running reading a book from time to time.

I went to Péruges straight from the airport, but obvious signs of vandalism in the car park and warnings about leaving valuables in a car made me decide to go on and return when I didn’t have all my worldly goods in the boot.  Advice from the syndicat d’initiative sent me to the Hotel Lutz.

I landed well.  The Hotel Lutz in Meximieux (pronounced Meximieux – whatever happened to French?) is a front so that M. Lutz (apparently trained by Paul Bocuse) can run his restaurant, and diners don’t have to drive home afterwards.   As a result, the meals cost more than the rooms!  (Fair enough, the meals are a lot better than the rooms).

I went down to dinner, and - bliss! - the dining room was air-conditioned.  I took their cheapest meal – a “menu à 23 €” and a half bottle of Beaujolais Villages, (which cost nearly as much as the same bottle in a Keswick Hotel!)

They served up a type of gaspaccio to start, followed by a salad with ham, blue cheese and walnuts; then tournedos (saignant) with pommes de terre dauphinois.  For sweet there was a marinaded pear (looked like beetroot) with sorbet and ice cream and this was followed by petits fours (fresh! hot!) with coffee.  A fitting start to a holiday in this region.

I was struck when a mother said ‘au revoir monsieur’ when her family left the table next to mine in the café. Courtoisie francaise! It just doesn’t happen in England.

I also noticed wryly that all the chemists serve aspirin 9am – 5pm but condoms are available 24/7 from machines outside.  Plus ça change!

Next Day >>

<< Previous Day