Dogs don't do language between themselves. Whether French, Scottish or English, canine posteriors have a universally accepted language with accompanying circling movement. When it is a big dog and a small dog, this circling round while each tries to sniff out the others posterior is quite amusing and always a conversation starter.
"He killed one, yes one of the chickens. It got too near his bowl and kerrrput it was dead!"
"Did you have roast chicken for tea?" I asked, delighted to be having this conversation with a Frenchman who had a reasonable grasp of the good old mother tongue. The dogs were by now satisfied that both posteriors had indicated no trouble, no sex, just some play which they were happily engaged in.
This all happened at La Haras campsite just before we left. Frenchman, who, by the way was well off as his grasp of English made sure I understood. He had a big house at Angers with a swimming pool and, would you believe it, 6000square metres of patio. Plus they had only just started caravanning as they were a bit older and had decided to sell their 40 foot Benneteau yaght! I graciously put on the poor underling face and showed suitable impressed amazement.
It turned out they did'nt eat the chicken but quietly disposed of it and hoped the campsite owners would not miss one medium sized and really quiet indiscriminate looking chicken. With beaming smile and conspiritory finger to the mouth in a "shhhhhhh" gesture I promised not to to let on either. This seemed to go down well and I returned to Sadie hoping Tanya had, after all, just been trotting around after the chickens and there was not a trail of dead chickens throughout the campsite!
While on the subject of wealth there was one other amusing episode at the same campsite. Just after I arrived.
I watched a huge American RV arrive complete with trailer and Smart car. The couple unhitched said trailer complete with car and then re reversed and hitched it back up again as they realised they could not move said trailer manually with Smart car loaded aboard nor could they unload Smart car unless trailer was hitched on back of huge American R V. Empty trailer was finally manhandled into position on their chosen site and then had to be manhandled into another position as it became apparent that 'hugeness' of RV meant it had to be placed on the chosen slot diagonally. A good job I was inside Sadie and watching all this as my sides, by now, were splitting with laughter.
The last I saw of them that night was as short mid 50's male owner of RV was standing scratching his head at the end of a long length of water hose which was still at least 3metres short of the water supply point. I had chosen one of the smaller plots further away which were each furnished with a water point.
The story was rounded off as Mrs RV owner and I showered together the next morning. Sorry. No sex in this blog. Same shower block, different cubicles.
Turns out they were from Jersey/London and had only recently bought this RV. They had flown to America and had it custom built before shipping it to Southampton where the petrol engine was converted to LPG and various other modifications done.
"Oh no! I could'nt do that, we only do campsites, It just is'nt safe to be parking up without other motorhomes in sight". Says Mrs RV as we chatted before entering separate cubicles and then exclaiming together as a blast of cold water hit us both at the same time followed by a stuttering burst of super heated steam. A pleasant hot shower did ensue after the initial sputterings let me add.
She was a nice lady who left me with a sad feeling. She made it quite clear there was no shortage of money but also, no shortage of fear and anxiety. what I got from her was motorhoming was good as long as it gave her everything she had in her plush Jersey home. The using of the shower block was only tolerated as there was a problem with the type of onboard gas they used for heating and cooking and it was running short. That in turn meant they had to jump in Smart car and go out to eat the previous night. "It was hopeless, we went all over Vannes but there was nowhere suitable for us to dine"
Horses for courses I suppose.
The first conversation with Frenchman of dead chicken fame extolled the beauty of the Loire valley. This got me thinking. The French 'Camping car' magazine bought at Carrfour for locating dealers for water pump spare parts has a lovely route along the Dordogne. Richard still has fond memories of the holidays Doreen and he spent in the Dordogne. More thinking.
Sooooo! A big plan. Sat nav set for a 675kilometre route from here at Arzon right in front of the huge Marina, inland following the Loire and then South to pick up the Dordogne.
At the rate Tanya, Sadie and I travel per day this could take some time!
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