We are two couples on a twenty-one-day trip through France and each day included torrential rain like a biblical deluge. Hal, as a major efficient member was happy to plan the trip with all its scheduled details. He seemed to have interviewed every human being who had ever toured France. He functioned that compulsively on everything he undertook. We knew we were in good hands; he would pick the best hotels for the price, the best restaurants for dining and the best sites to see. He didn’t have the ability to pick the best weather. We can’t blame him for the dark clouds, lightening, thunder and soaking storms.
We rented a Mercedes and Hal and Ben did the driving from Northern France to the South. Hal drove too fast and seemed to be in a hurry to leave the last place on our itinerary and in a hurry to get to the next stop. His driving left me with major anxiety and fear that we would never survive this vacation. At each scheduled destination, we would be planning for the future one; never really relaxing where we were. Where we were should have included walks, parks, hikes, but the weather dampened all our plans and put a wet blanket on any outdoor agenda. Instead, we were forced to visit another cathedral, another chateaux and another museum, all the available indoor possibilities.
Sometimes the torrents of rainfall was relieved by laughter. When a truck drove through a huge puddle, sending a muddy splash of gutter water from our ankles to our heads, the situation called for tears, but instead our amazed reaction evoked laughter. We also could not hold back the laughter when we thought we were following a tourist group of nuns to a historic site only to find we were following them to their parked bus. When we returned to our hotel, we were greeted with a teenager carrying a huge umbrella to escort each of us from the car to the hotel entrance. It was a charming gesture and this courtesy was appreciated by us and a few sous were appreciated by the umbrella carrying youngster.
When rain did finally get us moody and irritable, we decided to drive to any area that offered some sunshine. Our binoculars showed such a possibility in the far distance . We drove and drove with the pellets of rain drumming down on the car roof. The windshield wipers, set on high, swished back and forth, opening a liquid stained window view of the passing stunning scenery. To The left and right there were forests, olive groves, orchards of fruit trees, lavender fields and vineyards, vineyards and more vineyards. We were finally going “off the beaten path” finally undertaking an unplanned, unscheduled adventure, ignoring our itinerary. Looking for the sunshine gave us the opportunity to come upon a quaint village with quaint shops and a charming cafe for lunch. Noticing a table with two couples who seemed to be around our age, I brazenly approached them and realizing they were talking in French, I used my limited memory of College French and humorously wished them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (in August). Laughter followed and we were invited to join their table. This was the beginning of a delicious meal and a delicious friendship. This was the sunshine in our trip to France and it dried up the dampness of our feelings about our twenty one day tour.
Ethyl Haber
August 2022
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