Olive Branches and Thyme Travellers

"Mogette au Vin Rouge" by Vincent
Red wine on recycled table-mat Aug 2017
click on pic to visit Vincent's blog

Olive Branches and Thyme Travellers

Last time you'll remember that...

Mogette, La 2CV Coquette

Travelled

With her propriétaire

From Sainte-Cécile, Vendée

For three days…

Via La Vienne

Past Le Chip Shop de Confolens

Oradour sur Glâne

Limoges…

Then Brive, Padirac

Figeac

Le Viaduc de Millau

Le Larzac…

A night in Le Vigan

Silk and souvenirs…

Le Pont du Gard

Then Avignon

Two nights

Au bout du Pont…

She travelled East

Through Luberon

Then Roman Road via Apt

(And if you read the first bad-poetry post HERE)

You’ll know all about that…

Here is what happened on Sunday:

Mogette sets up camp at Les Coccinelles. The river-bed is almost dry, and so is the humour of Fred, who runs a rustic camping familial which would turn out to be a week of heaven for a trusty, only slightly rusty 2CV and Proprio, her owner.

After pitching the tent and spreading minimalist camping gear in the dust beneath an olive tree Mogette bids farewell to the three resident donkeys, and heads along the valley, up the hill to Lurs.

More from Burrito later...around 3 a.m. to be precise...

The climb to the village is quite steep in parts for a car from 1973 with just two cylinders who has travelled a thousand kilometres. Just to be here, now.

A sign informs Mogette and her Proprio that olive oil and garlic may be purchased in the enclos.

“All we need now are some herbes de Provence”

Says Mogette to Proprio, who changes down to second, with an imperceptible crunch, as they pass a sign saying  “Do not pick the thyme”

Only in brownish-red, impersonally, and in just four words of French.

“Ochre warning; take your time,
 And do not pick the thyme”

Says Mogette.

Proprio smiles, winks and says "Ho-Ho, Ma Belle".

Second gear takes the pair past the roadsign exclaiming “Lurs”, en français et en provençal. 

“Just in case there are any Provençal speakers who don’t speak French?

Ponders Mogette, aloud and slightly cynically.

“You never know”

Comes the reply.

 A scallop shell sticker, next to the Provençal and in European blue and yellow recalls St Jacques de Compostelle…

“The coquille points the Way. Campo Stellae. Champ d’Etoiles, Field of Stars. Very appropriate. The theme for the week being CONSTELLATIONS.” Exclaims La Deuche.

They find a parking spot, half bitumen, half doormat-dry grass, next to a sheer drop which points back downhill.

Proprio parks Mogette astride the half-and-half, and drags a branch to act as an emergency handbrake, just in case the real one is not enough.

It is a quarter to six, après-midi blending to début de soirée. Nearly. The Provence sun is still hot against deep azure.

“Dimanche. SUNday. Quips Mogette”.

“Leave the translation stuff to me, chère amie..."

Proprio knows no-one in the village.

This state of affairs does not last for long.

Veteran "Lursiens" Gérard and Vincent are walking out of La Salle Luria.

They smile, shake hands with Proprio, and jointly make a joke about the olive branch  frein à main...

Gérard promises to relate a tale of adventures with a Citroën in 1970's North Africa over dinner. He lights a small cigar, tells Proprio and Vincent he'll join them for Pastis later, and heads off in the direction of La Boulangerie.

Vincent leans on Mogette, with a slightly worried look, testing the hand-brakes.

Proprio has the feeling that he's just made two long-term friends.

A small voice from Proprio's orange bag says:

"Two new pals there, Proprio. And we've only been here five bloody minutes"...

Vincent makes a small jump, causing Mogette to rock like a little boat, and the olive branch to move two centimetres down the hill.

"Ai-je entendu une voix anglaise?"

He asks Proprio.

"Erm, probably...I'll have to tell you about MnM later..."

Comes the answer, with a friendly smile...

Stay tuned, dear reader, for the next episode...Did Vincent really hear une voix anglaise? Who is MnM? What adventures await Vincent, Gérard and Proprio in the coming days?

Coming soon...Episode Two: a Coup of Blue...

Now, where did that voice come from???