not food, even though it’s France
by Rach
Motorway Aire just shy of Nonancourt,France
We’ve been told every conversation in France turns to food. And early this morning a Bonjour at our campervan door did turn into a request for sugar. But we are not foodies. We will find other things to write about.
How about a dramatic beginning?
Scandalous!
Before we leave the beach a few drops of water fall from the heavens where airforce planes are practising manoeuvres that can be heard before being seen.
The droplets turn into a mist that looks decidedly like rain.
Not rain! Not in France! Denial.
(We must have just spent a few weeks in England – we’re talking about the weather)
And before long we are stuck in a traffic jam. At least there’s a French phrase to describe this series of unfortunate events: deja vu!
But yes, this is France and the rain lasts only slightly longer than the traffic jam and the end of the day will see us sitting in bright sunshine beside fields overflowing with bounty, a good hundred kilometres beyond where our hopes had dared to dream for. We might be travelling SLOW (see yesterday’s post for details), but France is fast. The roads are wide, often dual-carriageway, and the top speed limit, although well out of the reach of our steeds, allows us to make good time, easily.
We have time to ponder some of our different driving experiences. In Germany the autobahn raced across the tops of villages, any dip in the countryside made smooth with magnificent bridges, mountains avoided through long tunnels – we were spectators outside the landscape. England, at the other extreme seemed to be one long narrow winding steep hedgerow-lined road. With eyes so dedicatedly fixed to the leafy walls pressing against our carriages, hoping no stone walls would be hiding right where we were brushing too close, we didn’t get to *see* a lot of England, not whilst driving anyway. But French roads wind their long way up gentle inclines and then swoop down again, connecting with the village in the distance. In England it was like standing too close to a painting in an art gallery – take a few steps back and the picture comes into focus. In France we can see. Our feet feel firmly planted on the ground, but at a great enough distance to be able to enjoy. What’s more, it’s easy driving. You flick the indicator and just like in Germany, the traffic moves to accommodate you. Roundabouts are simple affairs – none of the British splitting into five lanes nonsense. Traffic lights are the only cause for concern here – it is deemed unnecessary to plant them on the far side of an intersection; you’ll only find them at that point just BEFORE where you are required to stop. When you have a canopy overhanging your cab, this means that you cannot see the lights if you stop where the painted white line on the road directs! Thankfully this minor inconvenience can be overcome by travelling in convoy and having the second vehicle inform the first through the walkie-talkie when the light turns green. In case you think we are being too harsh on England, please allow me to advise we did not encounter this trouble there. Just in France and Germany.
We have also driven in Holland and Belgium. Let’s just say all you need to know is the Dutch are always in a hurry and the Belgians don’t spend any money on road maintenance. The latter, do however, have signs contradicting this information and they put on the mother of all traffic jams to prove it. Remember that one? We still talk about it. Just as Grandpa tells us about Uncle Cyril, who was posted to Antwerp during the war, our grandchildren will hear about The Day We Sat Outside Antwerp And Went Nowhere – All Day.
Driving in France, roadworks in France….the first traffic jam today was the result of roadworks in action. All was forgiven, especially as the holdup was over before we had time to start traffic jam games (oh no, I unintentionally lie – Rob instigated a game of Spot The French Chimney – Fast Frogs obviously do not appreciate being slowed down and pop a long slender ciggy between their clenched lips while they wait to apply accelerator once more). The second roadworks we came across did not stop traffic in the slightest. Full marks for easy driving on good roads.
So we wind up at a truck stop with a playground and toilets and fresh water. There’s grass and picnic tables and a view to boot. No driving round looking for somewhere to stop, no asking at Sainsbury’s, no advance bookings, no searching for NO OVERNIGHTING signs. Just pull off the motorway at the well sign-posted Aire, boil the kettle and within quarter of an hour be eating roast chicken on a bed of leafy lettuce and couscous salad bursting with fresh vine-trussed tomatoes and crunchy cucumber, and with celeriac salad on the side, all garnished with fresh avocado. Strawberry flan for dessert, a specimen worthy of comment by nearby onlooking Frenchmen.
We talked about food.
Time on the road: need to check Jboy13’s record!
Distance covered: 222km
Tags: 2008/09, food, postcard: France, weather
rayres
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