h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last Sunday my second grandson and his quite delightful Greek girlfriend took me to lunch in France.

it is really very easy to get to France when one lives where I do, and the crossing of "La Manche" is painless through the tunnel. |It takes just thirty minutes, and is speedily and marvellous coordinated.

They drove out from London, and arrived at my flat at about 10.15 BSt. As we were booked on the Train which left at twenty to twelve we lost no time backtracking to the turnoff to book in..

Both of them |I think were a little apprehensive, so I felt very brave, having done the crossing of "La manche" several times severa; times through the "Tunnel de la Manche"

We arrived in Calais at ten past one (France is an hour ahead of us) and as I was in a wheelchair, we had been placed first in the coach. My grandson was thrilled to drive off first, and then we decided to take the auto-route to Wimereux. J. drove off and without any problems drove off on the right side of the road. We travelled at a great pace, and as I knew where the marvellous restaurant at the Atlantique was, were able to easily be seated at the table J. had reserved for the three of us at the restaurant at the Hotel Atlantique on the Esplanade. It was full fit to burst with a great many French families sitting at big huge round tables celebrating either a family occasion or perhaps even just the joy of summer being here at last and of course, the superb food.

The young were very impressed with the napery, cutlery and glass ware at the table. I have decided to give them a guide Michelin for 2010 so that they can go on gastronomic tours of France as they begin to rise in the financial world they are in!.

I am sorry my neck is hurting so I shall finish this later.

Friday 4th June 2010 8.07 BST

I have just realised that today is the 61st anniversary of my first wedding.....oh dear. Anyway, I at least had my first three children with the dear boy - long departed!!

Hello Christiane! Belated Happy 82nd Birthday from me! And happy 61st first wedding anniversary as well. I am very happy to hear that you got to spend some pleasurable time in France. You are fortunate to live so close ... also fortunate to have such a nice grandson!

Christiaan is my mom's only grandson. They're having a nice holiday by the sea right now! They wanted to take my mom and I along, but currently my mom's health is not up to it ...

In elk geval, Beste Wense!

Willem

Many happy returns of the day Christiane


GB

Glad you had such a wonderful time! You are such a sophisticated LADY. Enjoy everything. I am glad you have such a lovely grandson as well.

What a lovely outing for you. Yay! And very happy belated birthday wishes for a coming year free of stress and filled with happiness.

Hyp

Geagte willem,

Thank you so much for your lovely note. I am sorry that your mother did not feel up to having a break by the sea. very often it just makes one feel so well and really revivies one.

I was so happy to read about your visit to the marvellous KNYSNA forest in a very old posting of yours. It is such a beautiful place.

Go well my very dear friend,

cHRISTIANE
AlsoRan80
Friday 4/VI/2010 14.49 BST

Very dear Hyp,

Thank you for your good wishes. I have missed you and your news and wonder what has happened to your plans of going to the Falls?

With much affection

Christiane
AR80
4/VO/2010 BST

My dear GB,
And how art thou doing my dear friend? I hope that life is treating you kindly. Thank you for your good wishes.

With affection

Christiane,
AR80
4/VI/2010

My dear elektra,

how kind of you. I just enjoy nice things, and people, but it was so good to see the young enjoying them as well.

Thye did share a nice half bottle of French wine though. Sadly I simply cannot drink a drop. It is strange, but my heart immediately start giving me warning movements and noises, !!Rather frightening
With affection

Christiane
AR80
I hope that you and Dimitri are both well, !!

Christiane, the trip to the falls is a no go for this summer. I have had a large number of unexpected expenses the past few months and can't afford a vacation this year. I'll have to make do with a couple of trips to St. Louis to watch baseball. I'm hoping to be able to make a trip to the falls next year. It's something I've always wanted to see.

Dear Christiane,

What a wonderful trip! It makes me smile reading your posts, even though I rarely comment. I'm so glad you had a wonderful time.

Maggie

Sounds like a splendid time, Christiane!

What did you eat?

Hi dear Magwitch,

Thank you for your lovely note. I am pleased that I make you smile!. There is so much to be happy about when one reaches the age of 82 and still - thank goodness - has a reasonable amount of my original marbles left. !!



go well,

Christiane
AlsoRan80
Saturday 5th June, 2010 6.35 BST

Hi Paul,

Well thank you for reminding me that I had left out the most important part of our day. !!

We had a wonderful meal. The restaurant was packed full of large tables of FRENCH people all intent on having the finest meal they could. Whne a restaurant in France is packed with French people you can bet your bottom dollar that the food is going to be good, in not sublime. !!

Actually I took the recommendations of the maitre d'hote. and he recommendwed homard a la ???,, as my entree, and then turbot - steamed, with asparagus, as my main course. I also had a sweet, but for the life of me cannot remember what it was for the moment. My grandson had the same as I did, except that he and his girl friend had cheese. she was more adventurous and had her own choice. they also shared a half bottle of wine - sadly I can no longer enjoy wine or any thing with alchohol in it. || Not difficult actually although I used to love

We took three hours over our meal. Utterly delicious. We were the last IN the restaurant, and we were the last OUT And not a soul made us feel guilty or tried to rush us. Blissful.

The young then wheeled my wheelchair to the base of the cliff where on the summit used to be my grandparents house in splendid isolation. Now it is all built up and I do not know which is my grandparents house. !! Then we went around the back streets of Wimereux and finally the main street which fortunately had the florists shop open so I bought the most wonderful double white azalea. it is quite spectacular and most beautifully packed. I hardly wanted to take it out. Also a bunch of marvellously fragrant freesias which are flowers which are indigenous to South Africa. Incidentally my son's girlfriend offered me bothe floral tributes when she came out of the shop, whilst I sat outside as I could not get u0 the steps in my wheelchair.

Incidentally did you know that when South africa was originally "discovered" a botanist came out from Europe and declared that it had the best collection of indigenous flowers in the world. Lots of the originals were taken to Europe and hybridised there. i wish I could remember the names of tsose who were responsible for putting the flowers of South Africa on the map of the floral world.
Chelsea flower show always has a marvellous stand of South african wild flowers. But flowers like gladiolil lobelia, every conceivable form of daisy, were all orignally found in the wild in south africa. In fact it is still a treat to go to Becuanaland on the way to south west Africa, across the Orange river to go in the spring and see the glorious show of wild flowers;

how are the family, and how are you? when are you coming to Europe? How is Pierce? the pirate?

With affection


Christiane.
AlsoRan80

saturday 5th June, 2010 6.55 BST.

I can't speak for Pierce, Christiane. My parents are managing okay from day to day. You mentioned the cheese that your grandson had. You can always count on getting good cheese when you are in France. Their brie is said to be a meal in itself.

I need to look up azaleas and freesias to see if they are anything I should plant in front of my house.

Belated Birthday wishes Christiane and I am glad that your day went so well and that you had a splendid time in France. I have not been through the Channel Tunnel and the last time I went to France was in the late 80's.

Hi my dear friend,

We must not lose touch. !!

How are you.

I went and took the last few precious things out of my son;s flat. it was a sad task. bHe seems very very happy where he is though which is a blessing.

difficult getting older and seeing one;s "normal" world appearing to "fall down around one,.

With much affection and go well,

Christiane
Alsoran80
friday 11th June 2010 1.40 BST middle f the night. !!

Is there a chance you and K could get video phones so you could see each other when you talk on the phone?

Very dear Paul,

What a brilliant idea. Ii shall find out about them. surely they must be worth while.

Thank you so much.

Much affection

Christiane.
Friday 11th June, 2010 7.50 BST

That is a wonderful suggestion, Paul.

Christiane, do you still have a project that you enjoy working on to help distract you from the upsetting chnges to your life? I'd still love to read an autobiography. My life has been downright boring in comparison to yours. When we met -- too long ago, already -- I was fascinated by the stories of your personal experiences with Apartheid and your friendships with so many important figures in that struggle. Great stuff.