I’m an international jet setter … well, actually, more of a train setter but it doesn’t sound so good. You see, I’ve been back to France again! Let me explain … last Sunday afternoon, just after I had got back from a little stroll around Green Lane and Bay Pond Path where I had produced a very satisfying two bagger – obviously he complained about it just because we had passed our last bin for about half a mile and he would have to carry it … big deal! Anyway, as we arrived home who were also just arriving? Only Nana and Grandad!! I love seeing them – particularly Grandad – so it was a lovely surprise. It turned out that they had bags with them too. Apparently they were staying the night. After a rather satisfying barbecue … satisfying because I got to eat one of the sausages, we all retired to bed to push out a few ????s. Sunday had been so flamin’ hot that everywhere was hot in the house too. I eventually found a spot at the top of the stairs where there was a little draught, so I spent much of the night there. When we got up on Monday morning I knew something was up … there were those bags again and they were being loaded up with stuff. We went out for our usual morning constitutional but I could tell there were plans afoot – and I was pretty sure it was going to involve the car thingy. As usual, I was right!
When we got back from our walk both Dady Richard and him went outside and put roof bars and a roof box on the car. Then all those bags got loaded into the roof box and, before I knew it, I had been ‘loaded’ too. I knew this wasn’t a trip to my personal Doggy Doctor or to my personal therapists at Hydro Hounds because of the amount of stuff that had been loaded so I settled down and decided to push out a few ????s. It wasn’t long before I knew exactly where we were … at the Channel Tunnel. We pulled up in the Flexi area and whilst Daddy Richard, Nana and Grandad went into the terminal building I took him over to my exclusive exercise area where I had a jolly good sniff around. When Daddy Richard, Nana and Grandad eventually returned (I don’t know what they were doing but they can faff for England!) I almost had to drag him back to the car thingy so that I could hop in ready for my train journey. Once in France we drove down to Boulogne so that I could stretch my legs, but I found it preferable to lay down and enjoy the scenery. We didn’t stop long before I hopped back in the car thingy and we made our final journey to a little village called ‘Contes’. It turned out we were staying in a rather lovely house called a ‘Gite’.
It was all very comfortable and the gite had three bedrooms, a kitchen/dining room and a lounge but the best bit was that it had a huge … and I really mean huge … garden. There was an orchard and then another massive lawn area where I could run around and play. There was a fence all the way around so that it was really exclusive and just for me to use. The only downside was that it was a bit chilly. Not that I minded (I have quite a good coat for that sort of weather) but Grandad was cold and so was Daddy Richard and him. In fact, they were cold enough that, whilst I kept Grandad company, they went to a place called Hesdin where he bought himself a jumper. Now, I think I may have mentioned this before, but he isn’t very bright … about as bright as a barbecue when you’ve got no matches, if you get my gist! He had managed to leave home, travel to another country and hadn’t even bothered to pack a jumper or a jacket! (Actually neither had Daddy Richard but he doesn’t feel the cold much!) Anyway, jumper acquired, they returned with some food for them to eat on Monday evening … they were so flippin’ cold that they had decided to eat chilli con carne – I am no expert in human food (neither is he!) but even I know that’s a winter dish!
After a reasonably comfortable night on Monday night (even I found the floor a little chilly but I wasn’t allowed on the bed) we all headed out on Tuesday morning to a market in a place called Berck. Well! Market … I’ve seen more stalls at Café Connect! It was really rather pathetic, so we didn’t even stop there and we went from Berck to Berck sur Mer, which it turns out is the seaside. Once again I wasn’t allowed on the beach … there were signs everywhere … so we went for a stroll around the town. It was quite night, but would you believe it, it was even colder than Monday. One of the shops that they went into (I had to wait outside with Grandad) was called Texti and they went looking for jackets! They didn’t get one, although they did find a really nice one for Daddy Richard but they didn’t have one in his size. After a lovely stroll around Berck sur Mer (most messages were in French, but I did pick up the odd woof and realised that most French people like dogs, which is good) we hopped back in the car thingy and returned to our gite for a relatively quiet afternoon. Relatively quiet because they had brought me a frisby which I mastered the art of running after when they threw it, but I didn’t realise I was supposed to bring it back, so I lay down and chewed it instead!
On Tuesday evening they decided that he would cook chicken in white wine and tarragon sauce. This was all very well but when we got to the supermarket (called Carrefour in Hesdin) they discovered that they didn’t have any tarragon. Even I know that tarragon sauce is going to need tarragon! I was wandering around outside with Daddy Richard whilst he was supposed to be getting the required ingredients when Daddy Richard got a text message saying that there was no tarragon. He asked if Nana and Grandad would like a mushroom sauce instead but Daddy Richard wasn’t sure. Then he suggested maybe a mustard sauce but Daddy Richard wasn’t sure about that either, so he bought all the ingredients to make any sauce of their choosing. When he finally emerged from the supermarket, Daddy Richard suggested that if they popped into the garden centre (Gamme Vert) they might have a tarragon plant. So, he disappeared off into the garden centre and, low and behold, they did. So it was tarragon and white wine sauce after all! What a palaver, I just eat my kibble and a bit of Monty meat and that’s it! Anyway, we know he’s rubbish at this cooking thing … he does all this practice and he still hasn’t got it right! After another relatively cool night Wednesday morning saw us all going off to the market in a place called Beaurainville. Marginally more stalls than in Berck on Tuesday, but it didn’t hold enough to keep my interest so we went off for a walk around the town. Yet more messages, but almost exclusively in French … although I have noticed there are quite a few Brits around too. After our visit to the market (I think Nana bought some trousers but she and Grandad faff so much that I lost interest) we went back to our gite for some lunch. I didn’t actually partake in the lunch but I had a jolly good go at pinching some of the food!
When we finished our lunch at the gite it was back in the car thingy again. I don’t really mind it anymore but I’m never going to let him know that I don’t. The weather had finally improved a bit and it was nice and warm. I wasn’t quite sure where we were off to – sometimes they don’t tell me things and I have to try and work it out. We seemed to be driving in a direction that I felt we had been in before, but I couldn’t quite work out where. Eventually I worked it out – have I ever mentioned that not only am I the handsomest dog in dogdom, but I am also the cleverest? Anyway, I knew I had been in this direction before. Now, you’re not going to believe this … I know, it is completely amazing … you just won’t believe it … we were heading in the direction of Charlie’s house!!! I was sure I was right. I even looked out of the window – which I never do – and I was sure I recognised the route we were on. Well we were! It was true – I was going to get to see Charlie again!!!! I was soooooo excited!!!!!! We pulled up outside Charlie’s house and I couldn’t believe my eyes! There he was, waiting to see me!!! Now, I want to tell you all about my time with Charlie – and I will – but my paws are already aching after all this typing and it has been said that some of my longer adventures become too much for people to read, so at almost 1,700 words, I’m going to paws here. I promise though that tomorrow, you will hear all about my time with Charlie … and probably a little bit more … but for now, must paws … ????
Whilst you are the handsomest dog in dogdom, have to say the your friend Charlie is adorable!