CAR TROUBLES

The Jaguar

Saturday is Nico’s day for his gymnastics class. It is very hard to get him up in the morning but I managed. He likes going to the gymnastics class. The jaguar started up right away and we arrived a little early for the class at 10 o’clock. I left him there in Beaumont-en-Véron and drove back to Avoine for my morning coffee and a read of the Saturday paper. With plenty of time to spare I went to get the car from the parking lot of the Shopi. The car started right up but when I stopped at the intersection the engine stalled and cut out. I was stuck in the intersection with people behind me shouting insults at my poor old car. I asked two men to help me push it out of the intersection. One of them suggested that I try to start it again and miracles of miracles it started as if there was never any problem.

When I finally arrived back in Beaumont Nico was waiting outside with a look of forlorn on his face. I think he thought he had been abandoned.

Christelle and Christophe had invited us to come for lunch in Saumur. Christelle made a pear tart with a blue cheese, Fourme d’Ambert, that is all the rage. Nico tried it but he didn’t like it. He got up to leave the table, saying that he was finished. Christelle looked at him straight in the eye and in her sternest school-teacher voice told him that he was not excused and could not leave the table until everybody was finished lunch. He sat back down for the salad course.