Saturday and Sunday, 20-21 July 2024

Final clean and tidy of the ‘estate’ before EL and J return on Tuesday from UK and Lady P heads to Paris to join the heaving crowds for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. I see that the mayor of Paris finally took her swim in the Seine. Rumour has it she is still alive. El Presidente hasn’t ventured in yet. As one Parisian noted, ‘it would just be another turd in the river.’  

Today, Sunday, we solved one of life’s little mysteries. Well, a mystery anyway. Lady P has been doing most of the driving, mainly because she likes driving. Even when navigating she still likes driving and of course, there’s less screaming when she’s at the wheel.

So, it hasn’t been that necessary for Flashy to locate his international driving license. Except, the nine hour drive from Switzerland back to LPR required him to take the wheel occasionally.

So, where would his IDL be? Glove box of course, along with Lady P’s. No. So we took the risk and drove from Switzerland without it. Flashy nearly had conniptions when 15 police cars, blue lights flashing, followed him into the rest stop. Hundreds of cops. Plain clothes mainly, with pistols and handcuffs on hip. Luckily, they were all taking a break and enjoying a fag and a cuppa.

Back home then, we decided that today, Sunday, it had to be located. Flashy might want to drive into the grog shop at St Jean d’Angeley next week when Lady P is in Paris.

A methodical search commenced. Obvious places first, like the car boot; under the seats; in the place where the spare tyre would go if they provided a spare tyre. No. The suitcases. Both of them, in all the little hidey holes. No. Ah, backpacks; inside notebooks and diaries. No. The pill pouches and wet packs; the cupboard; drawers; under the jocks; under the bed; in all the pockets of clothes hanging in the wardrobe; No, no and more no.

The last place to look is the big bag of winter clothes on top of the wardrobe. Maneuvering this to the bed, we carefully remove the winter wollies. No.

Lastly, Flashy’s big wolf fur lined rain parker is pulled out - and asleep in the little inner pocket is the IDL! How did it get there? I blame the Irish Fairies.

This at least gave us the chance to reassess what clothes we will keep and what goes to the Op shop. Happy campers again. And yes, it’s now in the glovebox.

After a long day in the estate, we made duck a la orange, thyme sweated leeks, tiny new potatoes and fresh beans from the market. Enjoyed with a Bordeaux red.