Gazole Means Diesel

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Hey Everyone!

We finally found some internet access after spending the last five days in the regions of Normandy and Brittany (North Western France). Danielle and I have been staying in Bed and Breakfasts up until this point and it has been a great time. Right now we are sitting at an internet cafe in Paris, around the corner from the Louvre...Ha!

This trip was the first time either of us have stayed in a BandB so we weren,t sure what to expect, but its such a great atmosphere. Especially for couples. But anyways, we have seen a ton of places already and we're trying to do as much as we can together before she leaves to go home on Sunday. A few highlights have been the city of St. Malo and the neighbouring Abbey on a penninsula named Le Mont du Saint-Michel. Its a massive walled in city on a former island and at the top sits a huge Abbey/Church. The Normandy D_Day beaches (where the Allies landed on June 6th 1944, WW2) was another place I won't forget. We visited Omaha beach (one of the sites of American Landing) and Juno (the Canadian landing beach). We also visited the cemetaries of each Country's fallen from June 6th and the closing months of the war. It is nothing like I've seen before and is probably as close as I could bring myself to getting a sense for the weight of that day.

I'm still trying to figure out these keyboards so give me a break with any grammer and spelling slips. Ill leave this post with one quick story but Ill try to get a couple photos up here next time, this was just a short visit to check our emails because we have a bottle of wine waiting for us to open on the bridge Pont Des Arts (it sits over the Seine river) and for some reason, everyone goes there at night to drink wine, chill and soak up the scene, which lives up to the hype.

Right, the short story. So I put gas in a diesel car.....its really not my fault, well not entirely (see post heading). We drove maybe 30 km before we realized and the engine started sounding rough and the engine light came on. We found a sMall gas station in Cancale (a fishermans town) run by a women and her husband. They pumped our tank for 30 € (which isnt bad for an hour and a half labour) and filled us up with gazole (diesel). These were two of the friendliest french people we met and they didnt speak a word of english :S. We learnt something aside from our mix up of gas (essence) and gazole... when we have to, danielle and I can speak enough french to swap the spit with a french mechanic, thank you elementary school and bilingual product labelling, always bring a dictionary (they had one) and never underestimate your drawing skills. I'll post the photos later but all in all it was funny situation. We had a good relationship with the owners by the end of things that they gave us a parting gift (an organizer) and they let us take their picture; The VW Polo ran smoothly for the days to follow and the engine light went off. There were no problems on the car return either. I think we,re good but lesson learned.

One last thing, the best meal so far (because Danielle would kill me if I didn.t mention it) was a bowl of mussles and a bottle of white at a roadside quick stop restaurant on the coast just after our car ordeal. We wouldnt have caught it either, unless I made that small....mistake (I can hear our friends laughing).

Until next time,

DS

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Comments

[D]

Sounds like fun... glad you guys are having a good time... Paolo: Your re-creation is now factually inaccurate. Danielle was supposed to meet you at the end of your trip... the order of your execution is important: 1) Eat 2) Pray 3) Love (it goes lasts) Have fun.. D

[aunt sandie]

Hi guys, Just finished reading your first blog entry........sounds like you're have a great trip. Hilarious episode with the "essence" and can picture the two of you trying to communicate your problem. A bottle of wine on the Seine sounds very romantic.....totally Paris!! Enjoy your time together. xo