Holiday 2019 D11

Quarter to 9, everyone else is still asleep. I woke an hour ago with work on my mind. Apparently 10 days is my limit, so I was wondering what’s going on with my work wife. Then remembered how pissed off I am with a colleague for withholding information. It’s that bloody work addiction again. Can’t quite turn it off.

I got up to make coffee and in the process managed to wake up both boys. Still it was quiet while they had cereals (don’t get patisserie treats every day on holiday). We were pretty organised this morning because we were going to Sarlat which is 1h45 from the campsite. Why travel so far for a pretty French city when there are others closer? Well, we went there last year and discovered a brilliant motor racing and automotive art shop. Last year we bought a great gulf Ford GT40 drawing and three postcards of other cars flying gulf colours. I got frames for them all and did a cool layout on the playroom wall. This year himself wanted to do something similar a with British racing green.

The drive was mostly fine but with a bit of a traffic jam in the bottom of the Dordogne valley. We got to Sarlat just on lunch time and the clever sat nav found us a free car park 500m from the centre.

Himself is rather picky about lunches out and marched us round til 1pm when he found somewhere satisfactory. All credit though, he stopped at the right moment before the boys got too hungry and the place we ate (Le Plamon) did a good menu for everyone. The boys had chicken breast and chips, then ice cream. Himself and I both had fois gras starters, then I had chicken with mushroom sauce and the most amazing Sarladais potatoes while he had duck (predictable). For pudding I had walnut cake and he got creme brulée. Small boy barely touched his ice cream, preferring two extra slices of the bread.

After lunch we had a potter through the old town to find the art shop was still there. Himself chose a D type Jaguar A3 drawing and cards of an Aston Martin and Austin Healey, haven’t decided where to put them yet though. He also spotted a brilliant piece of three Porsches from Le Mans, but at €250 he’ll need to win the lottery to get that.

Large boy got his wish of a bow and arrow. This might seem rather risky but hear me out. Last year they both begged for swords and shields. After much deliberation we gave in, provided strict instructions on usage of these weapons and we seem to have got away without injuries. They’ve just got one bow and three arrows to share, so it’ll be a lesson in taking turns for them too.

I got myself a tatty woven bracelet for a couple of euros off the street. So we all came away with a little something.

By 4pm we were all a bit warm and tired so we headed back to the car and towards the campsite. We went via St Cyprian, a pretty town we remembered from last year as having beautiful flower displays.

We paused there too for some essentials and on the way out of town I saw a sign I had completely untranslated when we’d gone out in the morning. Coquelicot. I had got it mixed up with a cocotte minute (pressure cooker). It actually means poppy. Having explained to large boy that I was giggling at myself for not knowing the difference between a saucepan and a poppy he said “you’re a disgrace”. A bit of a come down after being asked twice today if I’m French, or “oh you aren’t french” (which is even better). Being mistaken for a native is the biggest compliment someone speaking their second language can receive – even more so when surrounded by a family requiring constant translation.

Back at the campsite we sent the boys straight out on their bikes. They met another 7 year old and the three went about for a while, then ended up back at ours while himself BBQed. Just a light tea of burgers and salad, followed by waffles done in the toaster with chocolate spread.

Then the boys played badminton – large boy seems quite taken with it, must remember to get it back out at home. Once the washing up was done, himself showed them how to use the bow and arrows. This looked like being a long evening, but they caught on pretty quick.

Our routine walk around the lake was followed by me vs himself at badminton. We’re all improving but he’s super competitive to out fox me where I want to get really long ralleys.

Anyway, a bit of screen time and then bed. Night.

To see what else we got up to on our 2019 summer holiday, see Holiday 2019 Round Up.