I woke up to the sound of rain beating against the windows.Id called Marianne the night before,i was catching cold,on the boat it had been 9 degrees & damp.
The bus arrived just as the rain stopped,i walked along the still busy street being carful to avoid large puddles at the side of the road which cars would drive through.Id known Marianne when id spent over a year hear in 1992/3 seven years ago when neither euro nor the EU were part of life,eating out was normal & very good, unlike today.
She had moved aboard my then Hillyard which was moored without charge (today an 10.01m to 12m x 4m costs 21.73€ pd; 307.11€ pm or2584.81€ pa) i was working earning £120 pm which then went a long way (providing you had somwhere to stay)She being a girl worked far longer hours than i did,painting props & sceenary in the theater,salarys were arranged that once the men had been paid what if anything was left was given to the girls.
At that time we ate well drank well,spent weekends at the beach. She was a good friend almost like a sister though as she wasent we did sleep together,but then i had another girlfriend.Marianne also would stay with a girlfriend when the girl friend had somewhere otherwise the Hillyard became their home although a bit far out of the main town.The girls took over the aft cabin.
Marianne is a “Belgium girl” she hadnt enjoyed life there, being part of a Flemish family that had lived in Waloonia then moved back to a Flemish part,she hadnt learnt Flemish and had had a bad time she had studied art in Brussels then when she qualified she spent summer traveling about Europe thats when she found a job in the theater hear.
This has always been a good place to be its quite surprising just how many people that arrived about the same time as i, are still hear.Many never retern to the UK the few that do bring back supplies for the others.It was tea i found ready when i arrived.
Everyone catches cold hear during the winter though this winter is so bad everyone says its the coldest wetest winter in 60 years??
When it comes to treating a cold woman have very different ideas to mine!! I saw at once an open bottle of “château Batailley”(from Pauillac in the Bordeaux)1997 Marianne on the otherhand had made tea for me???She gave me a cup and honey,worse the tea wasent “tea”(although a large box of PG tips was there)It was “womans” tea!
Just as eating mushrooms collected by woman man has to trust woman,i thought back to see if id done or said anything i might regret??Id sent post cards & later email to keep in touch. I took the tea added the honey & drank.
As with the others id met since arriving it was as if id never left,of course there were the “good to see you” the dinners were now are at “home” eating out isnt what it was nor as afordable;(though ive found two very good places where the men serve & the woman cook (as before)there theres still two bottles of good wine on the table one red one white from rodondo and the lunch menue is around 5€ the wine 2.40€ extra depending on how much is drunk,
Another two a bit out of town &the other in algers(the end of the bus line) are run entirly by woman lunch costs 5€ soup/salad 1.20€ extra water is provided without extra charge, the plates served look very good the fish well presented a small glass of white from a “box” 1.50€ (the 5l box can be bought at “pingo”for 3.99€) both are full every lunch time.
It was about 22.00 oclock the rain had started again the wind blowing.The flat was not to warm a small heater doing its best,Marianne said she would leave me she was going to bed her bed room was warm i put the cupdown,she came back with some sheets a pillow and cover?? Your sleeping there,she said pointing to the sofa,she kissed me & when to bed.
Womans flats always seem to be untidy,hers was no exception,i thought of the saloon on the Hillyard with books shoes scattered about,skirts & dresses towles coats on the bearths.Hear was the same,i looked at the kitchen the washing up not done cups perhaps a week old,the fridge had a yougurt with mold cheese well out of date a jar of strawberry jam moldy.She seemed to live on salad & micro wave “quick”meals??
And so i found myself on the sofa my feet out of the cover which was just a bit short to keep both ends warm.I got up looking out at the black sky the rain hammering against the windows,i took a glass and was about to try the pauillac when Marianne came in,she took my glass and put the water on for more tea???I asked her when she had to be at work? Not today she replied!
We spoke about things going on then i remembered my annoyance at not being able to aford to attend the gathereing as it was organised by the town i thought it shouldnt cost so much,the “buffet” was to have dishes from the best cheifs with the best sea food (there are also meat dishes) those attending can try what they want,there will also be the best wines red white still & sparkling produced.
The theater are putting on a performance she said,i had a wonderful idea,i could come with the theater??No she said the security already have the list.Everywhere there seems to be uniformed security people.It lookes as if the weekend will be spent either eating “green” soup aboard or drinking tea,what has happened is this globalisation??I asked
The bell rang caroline & Olivia arrived followed by Tim.tim was always good fun to be with & unfashionaly walked over to the kitchen and poured himself a glass!One for you steve he asked?I avoided looking at Marianne took the glass and stayed in the kitchen with tim,he looked at the dirty dishes & cups filled the sink with hot water and began washing up!!It was exactly what Dave or i do when we visit Stella or Sandrine in France??Have girls trained us without us realising???
Just as in Sandrines kitchen about 4 weeks ago tim,out of sight of the girls opened a bottle of good red & poured another glass.I looked at the French wine??Oh thats just ordinary cooking wine in a fancy bottle!We did the washing up enjoyed some excellent patè Tim looked into the deepfreez “what shall we do for lunch he asked,i could have been in Bandol!
The girls were deciding what they would wear this weekend? I took in some breads some with patè others with dried tomatoes & olives or toffu & mushroom,the girls all took small glasses of white wine,Gosh i said it seems i should have stayed hear,i could never aford 110€ for an evening however gastronomic!There would be the eight girls going thats 880€ i said with that i could buy a Garmin plotter & i cant becouse i cant aford one!How i asked can you justify such expence???
They laughed we cant they said!Girls are invited free!You meen girls get a free ticket? Yes they said,what dose it look like?There pink the mens are white said Olivia,perhaps i could bleach it??No they said,you have to be a girl!!
They explained that in the past woman often wernt paid & today they earn less, even those working for the comune.Could i get a girls ticket??They thought so?I know several girls that cant come? Could you get me a ticket then?Yes but you dont look like a girl youll never get in! I can only try i said; Caroline said you always did get into trouble she then listed things id been up to in the past(most of which i couldent remember)
So hear i am freezing inspite of being about half way down the bit of Europe below France Even the day i spent in Tanger wasent much warmer i wonder where you have to go to find warmth?If anything it is getting colder,the other day it limped up to 14 degrees and the sun came out for the afternoon,today the sun came out between 10.30 & 12.30 when a large black/grey blanket covered the sky again what has happened to the weather
In France i alway felt like alice every day bringing a new adventure,at least untill i went west of the Rhone now i feel like cinderella.My funds have dipped to less than 30€ which east of the Rhone would be fine plenty for lunch out breakfast in a cafè but hear when its gone thats it! theres no “female finance” hear.No varnishing or antifoulings either.
I went to the yards all the works done by “employees” nothing for me i do have a “residencia” and contribution number so im 100% ok hear i can work set up a busness?? Live hear even so im faceing a daunting economic challenge with no solution in sight but to sms Stella for my ticket! I would like to stay another few weeks when it might get a bit warmer??
I tried to explain to the girls that govenments are doing everything they can to get banks to offer credit,what can i do to get get financing from the girls? The answer,when im in Toulon my application for credit can be looked at!Woman
What a day im going along to a cafè to meet Tim & Rudy its stopped raining?? The wines very good (but 50cents EACH glass)perhaps we can all go this weekend??
That was my day in this wonderful town where the sun has all but vanished behind cold black clouds Will post again next week.
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