I don't know whether or not I've told you but my dad's a recovering alcoholic - the 80s and early 90s were a bad time, but he's been dry for 11 years and I'm incredibly proud of him for that "feat!" He still goes to AA meetings whenever he can and in fact the reason they chose this part of France to live in is that there's an English language meeting just down the road every Saturday afternoon! Last week, he needed another meeting, so my mum and him went on a jaunt on Thursday afternoon to Vic-Fezensac ..... 190km south of here to another English language meeting.
Simon and I got the house to ourselves ........ and being on our honeymoon (well, technically speaking this is the first holiday since we got married) what did we do for 7 hours? Yes, you guessed it - we went out to eat! We chose a favourite local restaurant - le Petit Relais and arrived @ 7.30 to be shown to a table on the terrace. This is a fantastic restaurant ruled by "Madame" with a fist of iron - you wait, with a drink until she is ready to come and take your order and if you arrive after 8.30pm without a reservation even if there are empty tables on the terrace - forget it!!
Anyway, ensconed with aperitif - kir (me) and a pastis (Simon) we settled down to peruse the menu. Foie gras or melon? Coquille St Jacques or trout with almonds? Duck breast with pepper sauce or fillet of lamb with garlic cream? Decisions, decisions! As you can imagine when we did order the food was fabulous, from "la patience" (little quiche, caramalised walnuts and chunks of melon wrapped in air-cured Bayonne ham) to nibble on with our drinks to Simon's "Tiramisu" ice-cream sundae! Yum! And then the bill arrived and let the games commence!
Someone, usually Simon (because he's got the biggest hands) covers the bill and we both guess how much it's going to be! I don't know why we do this ..... but it's become a tradition! The winner get's to choose ...... umm - never mind (my mother/sister-in-law/mother's friends read this!)
Simon - €76
Me - *counting frantically* Wine, 2 meus, aperitif ..... €101
Simon - well you can give me €30 change then!
Me - what? Let me see! ["Madame" had only undercharged us €33, approx £23 / US$40 / CA$50 / NZ$59!]
Me - Simon, get-up, pay and run!
Simon - what?
Me - don't argue! Stand-up, pay and move now!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Move, now!
Cheap - moi? Mais non!
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8 comments:
Yay! I would have done the same thing! And then not shown my face in there for another 3 or 4 months!
I don't think I'll be going back much before Christmas!!
A gorgeous meal at a bargain price - when this happens, it's making up for all those mediocre meals at full price you've might have had. Sort of a Dining Out Karma!
(PS Loving your tales from France; sounds divine...)
Good for your dad! Having been there - done that, I know it must give him a very secure feeling to have a meeting nearby. Especially an English-speaking meetin! Yay :))
Fi - it was fantastic! Beautiful meal, gorgeous setting!
Deb - it's been a long time, but he still needs the meetings ... "no-one understands a drunks like more drunks" and all that!
my friends went for a meal and they charged his card 60p instead of £60...they never mentioned it, we are going back next week...lol
:0)
lol, you funny lady you. I also love that you put the difference in other currencies. Especially NZ! Ah, ya got my heart with that one Jo *mwah*
Katya - 60p, fanbloodytastic .... I would have been jumping up and down with that one, forget the "run!"
Sara - but of course .... just for you and Fi!
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