Page 60 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

away for attention. Ruth and I looked at the list of tariffs posted on the wall and quaked at
the thoughts of hundreds of francs being spent on some dreadful car problem.

It was then we were called into the garage to have a look at our little car suspended high
above. “Just look under there” the mechanic told us. “Your gear lever has just come
unbolted.
I will have it fixed in a jiffy and by the way your pedals are wobbly and could do with
tightening up, I will do it at the same time.”

“Lovely” we thought, “but how much will it all cost”?
The car was back within ten minutes all fixed. In trepidation we asked the receptionist “how
much?”
I think the bill came to 20 francs about £2 at the time, it could have been £2.50!
Once again we had come to appreciate just how kind and generous French people can be.

The rest of the holiday was uneventful by comparison but on returning home, we found
that my mother who had been house and dog and cat sitting, had caused mayhem with the
volunteers we had left working with the horses. It would take ages to sort out, Mother left
in a huff!

Notes on Saumur:
The 1987 visit had not been the first visit to Saumur and we have been back many times
since.
In 2003, quite by accident and most unexpectedly, we managed to buy our little (retirement
home) 12 miles or so out of the town.

At Gennes, that lovely hotel with its elegant sweeping staircase to the lovely bedrooms,
has been closed and shuttered for many years.

It was probably from that first wine buying experience and subsequently meeting our good
friend Thierry Besard who lives close to Langaise that we did return to the Loire region to
buy our annual wine stocks every year from then onwards.
Saumur's ancient town on the banks of the River Loire