# PiP in France



## PiP (May 6, 2013)

I've spent the last two weeks in France looking after my adorable little granddaughter. We returned home today and I feel tearful. Sadly, I won't see her again for three months and  I’m already counting the days.  _Bwah…_ :-(

 Although I adore her, my stress levels and blood pressure did reach an all-time high as even the simplest task turned in to a raging battle. Every request was met with the word “Non”.  I now understand why parents refer to this testing age as “the terrible twos”.

“Would you like a drink?”
“Non!”
“Shall we play in the garden?”
“Non!”
“Dinner?”
“Non!”
Etc… etc...

Then there was the problem of language. Not only was there the usual challenging toddler mumbo jumbo to contend with, but also a bizarre combination of French and English, or Franglish.

 ‘_Do do_’ is bedtime --which I think an abbreviation from the verb dormir (to sleep)? ‘_Doh doh_’ is the word for all her cuddly toys and ‘_more pah_’ more please. The list goes on…  By the end of the week I was fluent but going ‘Gah Gah’ .

One of the highlights of the week was bonding with my French son-in-law in our joint effort to make a Micky Mouse Birthday cake. I made the cake, and he iced it.  Copious glasses of wine later, this was the result. It 's good, non? 




Okay, we won't quit our day job :0

The funniest moment of the week was our meal at a local restaurant. Son-in-law kindly translated the menu and Mr Piglet chose the veal option. When his meal arrived, it looked the strangest cut of veal I’d ever seen. Served in slices it resembled a patchwork of greasy meat textures surrounded by a layer of fat. Mr P poked and prodded the offering; tasted it, pulled a face then pushed his plate away.

“This is not veal,” he sulked.
“Yes, it’s veal’s head,” announced our son-in-law as he inspected said offering. “Look this part here is the brain...”

He would have continued, but at this point I shook my head in warning as Mr P started to turn various shades of puce green and was about to bolt for the door.

I’m curious, has anyone else eaten veal’s head, brains or any other unmentionables without realizing until after they had eaten it?

PiP


----------



## Kevin (May 6, 2013)

Ha! Tete du calf (veau) - bone out no less. Oh thank  I didn't order that....They offered it to us. They answered my inquirey, 'bone in'. An Aussie happened to be there to translate. We opted for 'coldcuts' of some sort. One of the four was inedible (to our tastes) It smelled as if had already passed through the digestive tract of a small dog. They said it was 'frommage'. From where?


----------



## Lewdog (May 6, 2013)

I would have just ordered french toast or french fries.

The cake looks nice, can I get a Gumby cake?


----------



## Bloggsworth (May 6, 2013)

C'est bon...


----------



## Gumby (May 6, 2013)

Now that's a nice cake, Pip. You two did an awesome job. Grandchildren are so much fun, I miss mine terribly. They are five states away and I won't see them for quite a while. Glad you had a wonderful visit.


----------



## Trilby (May 6, 2013)

Love the cake, Pip! Three months will pass quite quick I'm sure, so let's see that big Pip smile.


----------



## Staff Deployment (May 6, 2013)

That cake is adorable. Whose birthday was it?


----------



## JosephB (May 6, 2013)

The cake looks fantastic, PiP.

Does your daughter speak English  to your granddaughter? Just curious, because my sister lives in Italy  and wanted her daughter to be bilingual. My sister is a language teacher (speaks  fluent Italian among other languages including French) and predicted  her daughter wouldn't have a problem with mixing up Italian and English --  and she didn't. My sister spoke mostly English to her, her father  mostly Italian, and she grew up speaking both. She's 12 now and when she  speaks English, she has a fairly heavy accent, but her English  is excellent.


----------



## Ariel (May 6, 2013)

I had a bite of tongue because someone I work with offered me a bite of something and considering that I'm usually willing to try just about anything.  The bite was tongue.  I couldn't handle the texture so I ended up spitting it out.  Yech.


----------



## Trilby (May 7, 2013)

I can remember my mother cooking sheep's head and making potted meat with it, delicious!. She also cooked ox tongue, once it had been boiled, just like beetroot, the skin was easy to peal away, she potted that too, equally delicious!. She also, plucked and gutted chicken. I've never done either! 
When it comes to food, we lived in a different world then, not a better world, just far different. And I believe the unadulterated food we had then was far better for you than the mucked about with rubbish we have today.

We also had brawn and udder - I didn't like either, but I'm sure it was more the thought of what it was than the actual taste of it, for I wouldn't even try it.


----------



## PiP (May 7, 2013)

Kevin said:


> We opted for 'coldcuts' of some sort. One of the four was inedible (to our tastes) It smelled as if had already passed through the digestive tract of a small dog. They said it was 'frommage'. From where?



LOL  I know exactly what you mean and your comment sums it up perfctly.

Tete du calf (veau)...you certainly had a lucky escape. 

PiP 



Lewdog said:


> I would have just ordered french toast or french fries.
> 
> The cake looks nice, can I get a Gumby cake?



Hi Lew, no.... you can't go to France and order toast or fries. The food is usually amazing  I´m far more adventurous than I used to be, but I def draw the line at unmentionables....



Gumby said:


> Now that's a nice cake, Pip. You two did an awesome  job. Grandchildren are so much fun, I miss mine terribly. They are five  states away and I won't see them for quite a while. Glad you had a  wonderful visit.



Hugs Gumby, it's so sad not to be there watching them grow up. I think five states is probably the same distance as Portugal to France. Thank goodness for Skype.



Trilby said:


> Love the cake, Pip! Three months will pass quite quick I'm sure, so let's see that big Pip smile.



You will then hear a joyous shout..."PiP Pip Hooray!"



Staff Deployment said:


> That cake is adorable. Whose birthday was it?



Our granddaughter, she was two...


----------



## PiP (May 7, 2013)

JosephB said:


> The cake looks fantastic, PiP.
> 
> Does your daughter speak English  to your granddaughter? Just curious, because my sister lives in Italy  and wanted her daughter to be bilingual.



Hi Joseph,

My daughter speaks to her in English and papa in French. Fortunately, she understands everything I say but as for speaking English, I´m not sure as yet. She only says odd words of both and seems to have developed her own vocabulary.
I think she is talking later than her peers because she is processing so much information. Did you sister's daughter expereince the same problem? My daughter was chattering away at 15months.

PiP


----------



## PiP (May 7, 2013)

amsawtell said:


> I had a bite of tongue because someone I work with offered me a bite of something and considering that I'm usually willing to try just about anything.  The bite was tongue.  I couldn't handle the texture so I ended up spitting it out.  Yech.



This made me smile. I used to be the same with prawns and clams could not abide anything that looked up at me from my plate. I eventually overcame this and love both  Texture is another issue. I still can't eat snails down to the rubbery texture... euck


----------



## JosephB (May 7, 2013)

pigletinportugal said:


> Hi Joseph,
> 
> My daughter speaks to her in English and papa in French. Fortunately, she understands everything I say but as for speaking English, I´m not sure as yet. She only says odd words of both and seems to have developed her own vocabulary.
> I think she is talking later than her peers because she is processing so much information. Did you sister's daughter expereince the same problem? My daughter was chattering away at 15months.
> ...



I'm not sure when she started talking, because we only saw her every year or so. I'd have to ask my sister. I know our oldest started around 15 months too -- that's pretty early. My youngest didn't really start til she was two, but when she did, it was in complete sentences, virtually no baby talk. It's probably hard to say how the two languages thing is affecting her, because every child is different. My wife taught preschool and also ran a "mother's morning out" program -- I've heard her say for most kids, unless they are unusually slow, late talking is not something to be concerned about -- they all catch up to one another soon enough. So her bilingual situation will probably turn out to be an advantage in the long run, even if it slows her down some at first.


----------



## Ariel (May 7, 2013)

I have a big problem with texture.  I made myself sick on Jell-o at five and just looking at Jell-o makes my stomach churn.  Anything with a spongey or wriggly texture freaks me out.

It's so cool that you got to see your granddaughter and that you had so many adventures.


----------



## PiP (May 7, 2013)

Trilby said:


> When it comes to food, we lived in a different world then, not a better world, just far different. And I believe the unadulterated food we had then was far better for you than the mucked about with rubbish we have today.



Hi Trilby, I think there was also less waste then as well. I´ve certainly noticed a change in my eating habits since moving here. No ready meals--to expensive and anyway, I can't read the instructions. Everything I cook now is from basic ingredients which are in season.

PiP


----------



## PiP (May 7, 2013)

amsawtell said:


> I have a big problem with texture.  I made myself sick on Jell-o at five and just looking at Jell-o makes my stomach churn.  Anything with a spongey or wriggly texture freaks me out.
> 
> It's so cool that you got to see your granddaughter and that you had so many adventures.



Hi Ams, well there is never a dull moment when we venture to France: food, shopping, toilets, you name it I have a story to tell. Lucky I have a sense of humour to accompany the various dramas.


----------



## bazz cargo (May 8, 2013)

Sounds like a book. Adventures in the Algarve made it all the way to TV.


----------



## PiP (May 8, 2013)

Yep  I need to rewrite my blog posts. Life here is never dull...

Do you remember the film starring Victor Meldrew 'One Foot in the Algarve'?


----------



## Deleted member 49710 (May 9, 2013)

Kevin said:


> Ha! Tete du calf (veau) - bone out no less. Oh thank  I didn't order that....They offered it to us. They answered my inquirey, 'bone in'. An Aussie happened to be there to translate. We opted for 'coldcuts' of some sort. One of the four was inedible (to our tastes) It smelled as if had already passed through the digestive tract of a small dog. They said it was 'frommage'. From where?


Might have been fromage de tête, a.k.a headcheese. Not usually stinky, I don't think, but maybe yours was special.

Weirdest thing I ate in France: I was staying with a host family outside of Dijon and was served a plate of rice with what looked like largish brown beans. I asked what they were and got that they were somethings of rabbit, a word I didn't know. But I tried them and they weren't terrible, just sort of dryish and earthy-tasting. Looked up the word later and they were kidneys. French mom always bought whole rabbits and she'd save the kidneys until she had enough for a meal. 

French food culture is pretty frugal, really, outside of fine dining. People try to use everything. Changing somewhat with the advent of big supermarchés and pre-butchered, pre-packaged meats. I'm a fairly adventurous eater as a result of having spent time there. Still don't like organ meats most of the time, but I'll try most anything.



			
				Piglet said:
			
		

> there is never a dull moment when we venture to France: food, shopping,  toilets, you name it I have a story to tell. Lucky I have a sense of  humour to accompany the various dramas.


I love France stories, you should tell them.


----------



## JosephB (May 9, 2013)

I've had head cheese and it didn't stink. My grandmother was of French Canadian heritage and she made it and my dad made it occasionally when I was a kid. It was like meat held together with some sort of gelatinous substance. I remember it tasting like cloves more than anything. I'm not sure if he actually used anything's head to make it -- I doubt it -- might have just been some cut of pork. It was pretty good -- but I'll eat just about anything. By that I mean, I'll eat strange foods and not get too hung up on what they might be made from etc. But from what I remember, my dad and I were the only ones in our family who would eat it. The combination of the name and texture isn't all the appealing to most folks, I guess.


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

Hi Lasm, not sure about head cheese...it was most definitely meat of some description. Organ meats have me squealing for the hills! Yuck  but then I'm a bit of a food whimp. Regarding France stories I'll have to post a couple to my blog.


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

Hi Joseph, so it wasn't really cheese?


----------



## JosephB (May 11, 2013)

Heh -- nope.


----------



## Deleted member 49710 (May 11, 2013)

Oh, that was to Kevin, who was asking about a meat fromage. Sounds like your husband got the tête de veau. I've never had that.

Headcheese is a kind of terrine, traditionally made by simmering a pig's head until all the meat falls off. This is then cut up and chilled in the stock, which turns gelatinous when it's cold, so it's like a bunch of meat bits in aspic. Served in slices.

The same family in Dijon got me to try it. I did my best but did not like it.


----------



## Lewdog (May 11, 2013)

I want to go to France!


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

JosephB said:


> Heh -- nope.



What chance do I stand in France if I can't even understand English LOL  Hey ho...


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

lasm said:


> Oh, that was to Kevin, who was asking about a meat fromage. Sounds like your husband got the tête de veau. I've never had that.
> 
> Headcheese is a kind of terrine, traditionally made by simmering a pig's head until all the meat falls off. This is then cut up and chilled in the stock, which turns gelatinous when it's cold, so it's like a bunch of meat bits in aspic. Served in slices.
> 
> The same family in Dijon got me to try it. I did my best but did not like it.



Sorry Lasm, I'm easily confused. They have so many different types of cheeses in France, anything is possible.


----------



## Kevin (May 11, 2013)

'Headcheese'- that may have been one of the 'coldcuts' they served us (never saw the 'Tete du...')There were four. Two meats, one was a proscutto, the other, a conglomerate of chunky stuff in gelatine; two cheeses, both a wedge of something like a soft 'brie' with a harder outter layer (crust?). One of the two was mild, the other, what I'd call "le product d'une petit chien.'


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

Lewdog said:


> I want to go to France!



Frenchfries taste better in the US of A


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

Kevin said:


> One of the two was mild, the other, what I'd call "le product d'une petit chien.'



Hmmm sounds appetizing


----------



## Lewdog (May 11, 2013)

Wow no sympathy for poor old me, the only person that's posted and not gone there.  lol  I had a chance in Junior High, but my parents were divorced and my dad didn't have the money. It sucked.


----------



## Ariel (May 11, 2013)

I have never been to France either.  I understand French because I took about four years of French and I work with a lot of Hispanics.  The languages are sister languages so I understand a lot of either.


----------



## Kevin (May 11, 2013)

Well, we'd had some notion that the best food was in France. I suppose if we'd known our way 'round better and opened our pocket books wider, but during the day, the streets of Paris most often offered cheese, ham, or cheese and ham on bread.


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

Poor Lew  It's a great place to visit, but I'm always pleased to return home. The Portuguese are far more forgiving when it comes to mispronouncing words. However, there is more of a mix of nationalities where we live.
Maybe one day you'll visit


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

amsawtell said:


> I have never been to France either.  I understand French because I took about four years of French and I work with a lot of Hispanics.  The languages are sister languages so I understand a lot of either.



I studied French at school...hmmm...many moons. I thought Spanish would be closer to Portuguese then French. I know when we stay in Spain some of the words and pronounciation is very similar, even if the spelling varies. What about France for your honeymoon?


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

Kevin said:


> Well, we'd had some notion that the best food was in France. I suppose if we'd known our way 'round better and opened our pocket books wider, but during the day, the streets of Paris most often offered cheese, ham, or cheese and ham on bread.



That's the problem with France, some of the food is really expensive. I've never been to Paris  Maybe one day 

I've not found food in France any better than the UK, to be honest. The French are just more passionate about food and wine when they talk about it. Cheese and ham was all we tended to eat at lunchtime, but we did find a brilliant Pizza place. Which served fresh pasta and pizzas.


----------



## Lewdog (May 11, 2013)

Ha!  I just found this smilie.


----------



## Deleted member 49710 (May 11, 2013)

There's lots of great food in France and lots of bad food, too (like anywhere, I guess). Particularly in Paris because there are so many tourists--lots of places that set themselves up as traditional brasseries or whatever but cater to tourists who won't be repeat customers anyway, so the restaurant isn't all that concerned about giving them a great experience. Doing some research is the main thing. I got to live in Paris for a year, teaching English, so had time to find some good spots. 

You know what's utterly terrible in France, though? Mexican food. Predictable, I guess, and I wouldn't have even tried but it was a moment of homesickness and a powerful craving, and I'd read about this supposedly decent place on an American's blog (have not trusted David Liebovitz since). Plus I'm a gringa from the north, it's not like I'm super picky about authenticity here. I've never been so saddened by a burrito--mostly dry rice, a few undercooked beans, some sad scraps of pork in a flour tortilla. A teensy little cup of chopped tomato with parsley that was supposed to be salsa. For like ten euros. I hear a Chipotle has opened in Paris since I left, I suspect it was a minor revelation for many.

Edit, further thought: There are just cultural food habits that differ, though. Americans aren't as used to stinky cheese so something that a French person considers wonderful, an American might hate. That thing that smelled like it was excreted by a small dog might actually be very good stuff according to some. On the flip side most French people can't tolerate spicy food and think peanut butter with jelly is a disgusting concept.


----------



## Ariel (May 11, 2013)

We won't be able to afford leaving the country, unfortunately.  I really want to go to the UK sometime.


----------



## Kevin (May 11, 2013)

Mmm...tourists. We went in the off season. It was rainy and cool and (from what I was told) relatively empty. Perfect. None of gardens were in bloom but the architecture was enough. I never got tired of the croissants, or the fresh strawberrys for breakfast. "I want some of those was..." in French about all that I needed. No one speaks a word of Spanish, not in the ten days that I was there, and the two are dissimilar enough to where if you try they have no idea what you're saying anyway.

lasm- that's what I've been told. I can see it. Calamata olives and pickled turnips are horrible. They taste nothing like anything(except something bad), yet now I like them. Tonic water..?


----------



## JosephB (May 11, 2013)

lasm said:


> I got to live in Paris for a year, teaching English, so had time to find some good spots.



My sister taught English at a girls school in France for two years when she got out of college. Can't remember the town -- I think it was about 20 miles from Paris. In Paris, she met an Italian guy who was there on business -- they got married, she moved to Milan. She taught at the University of Milan for several years, but she reluctantly joined a discrimination law suit and although they won, they made life miserable for her, so she quit. Now she's tutoring and translating -- thinking about starting a little school with some of her former colleagues. She comes back to visit pretty often -- but I doubt she'll ever move back to the states. Food-wise, when I've been over there a couple of times, traveling with them, I've avoided the tourist spots -- naturally, they know all the best places.


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

lasm said:


> There's lots of great food in France and lots of bad food, too (like anywhere, I guess). Particularly in Paris because there are so many tourists--lots of places that set themselves up as traditional brasseries or whatever but cater to tourists who won't be repeat customers anyway, so the restaurant isn't all that concerned about giving them a great experience. Doing some research is the main thing. I got to live in Paris for a year, teaching English, so had time to find some good spots.



We have the same problem here in the Algarve with restaurants in tourist areas. In the high season, they just don't seem to give a hoot because they know, as you say, most people are not repeat buisness. One beach restaurant was so awful I wrote a scathing review on Trip Advisor along with photographs to support my review. As they say _a picture saves a thousand words_.



lasm said:


> You know what's utterly terrible in France, though? Mexican food. Predictable, I guess, and I wouldn't have even tried but it was a moment of homesickness and a powerful craving, and I'd read about this supposedly decent place on an American's blog (have not trusted David Liebovitz since). Plus I'm a gringa from the north, it's not like I'm super picky about authenticity here. I've never been so saddened by a burrito--mostly dry rice, a few undercooked beans, some sad scraps of pork in a flour tortilla. A teensy little cup of chopped tomato with parsley that was supposed to be salsa. For like ten euros. I hear a Chipotle has opened in Paris since I left, I suspect it was a minor revelation for many.



I can imagine your disappointment  I used to crave English sausages and roast beef when we first moved to Portugal, they are just not the same here in Portugal. However, my tastes have completely changed and I'm virtually a veggie. Thinking of Mexican, I don't think I've come across any where we live.




lasm said:


> Edit, further thought: There are just cultural food habits that differ, though. Americans aren't as used to stinky cheese so something that a French person considers wonderful, an American might hate. That thing that smelled like it was excreted by a small dog might actually be very good stuff according to some. On the flip side most French people can't tolerate spicy food and think peanut butter with jelly is a disgusting concept.



I know exactly what you mean about stinky French cheese. Every time I open my daughters fridge it smells of stinky feet  I do love the wonderful array of cheese stalls on the French open markets though. As for peanut butter and jelly... I can't even begin to imagine the taste.


----------



## PiP (May 11, 2013)

amsawtell said:


> We won't be able to afford leaving the country, unfortunately.  I really want to go to the UK sometime.



Where abouts would you like to visit? We used to live near the Cotswolds. I loved the rustic cotswold stone houses which are a total contrast to the villas here in Portugal.



Kevin said:


> ... I never  got tired of the croissants, or the fresh strawberrys for breakfast. "I  want some of those was..." in French about all that I needed. No one  speaks a word of Spanish, not in the ten days that I was there, and the  two are dissimilar enough to where if you try they have no idea what  you're saying anyway.



Croissants now you're talking my kind of food. I also love the big strawberry tarts...my, I'm drooling just at the thought!
If you ever come to the Algarve, a lot of Portuguese in the service industry speak good English, Spanish, German and French. The Portuguese are also good at playing chirades  



JosephB said:


> I've avoided the tourist spots



That's what we now do in the summer. It's amazing the little gems you find when you move away from the tourist treadmill.


----------



## JosephB (May 11, 2013)

pigletinportugal said:


> That's what we now do in the summer. It's amazing the little gems you find when you move away from the tourist treadmill.



When we were in Florence, we went to this place that was down a dark side-street -- I don't think there was even a sign on the door. We walked in and it was filled with people, mostly families. It was clear they did not want tourists -- they kind of gave us a funny look -- but relaxed when my sister and brother-in-law started speaking Italian. We had the best meal of the trip there. And it's always a plus too when you have someone to translate the menu and order for you.


----------



## PiP (May 12, 2013)

Hi Joseph, I think when you can blend in with the locals you do get a better feel for the food culture. I can imagine the looks you received when you walked in. People must have groaned inwardly 

We now eat where the tradesmen go at lunchtime; we are not disppointed. Not only is the food good and inexpensive, but they are jovial and laugh at my attempts to speak Portuguese. However, after watching them drink copious amounts of wine with their meal, I've now learned never to book workers for an afternoon appointment 

I'd love to go to Italy. Perhaps when I win the lotto


----------



## Ariel (May 12, 2013)

I'm a bit of an Anglophile.  I want to see London, of course.  Stratford-Upon-Avon (I met a nice British woman here who was from Stratford-Upon-Avon who insists it is quite lovely and she was shocked I knew it was where Shakespeare was born).  I want to see what remains of Hadrian's Wall, The White Cliffs at Dover, and pretty much anything else that catches my eye there.  What I'm really disappointed that I missed out on, (by about 80 years) is the Crystal Palace.  Such a shame that it burned down.


----------



## Lewdog (May 12, 2013)

amsawtell said:


> I'm a bit of an Anglophile.  I want to see London, of course.  Stratford-Upon-Avon (I met a nice British woman here who was from Stratford-Upon-Avon who insists it is quite lovely and she was shocked I knew it was where Shakespeare was born).  I want to see what remains of Hadrian's Wall, The White Cliffs at Dover, and pretty much anything else that catches my eye there.  What I'm really disappointed that I missed out on, (by about 80 years) is the Crystal Palace.  Such a shame that it burned down.



You just want to go there because Avon is supposed to be where King Arthur is buried.     (Edit, never mind he is buried supposedly in Avalon.  I need to wait an hour after I get out of bed to post.  )


----------



## JosephB (May 12, 2013)

pigletinportugal said:


> Hi Joseph, I think when you can blend in with the locals you do get a better feel for the food culture. I can imagine the looks you received when you walked in. People must have groaned inwardly
> 
> We now eat where the tradesmen go at lunchtime; we are not disppointed. Not only is the food good and inexpensive, but they are jovial and laugh at my attempts to speak Portuguese. However, after watching them drink copious amounts of wine with their meal, I've now learned never to book workers for an afternoon appointment
> 
> I'd love to go to Italy. Perhaps when I win the lotto



I went in college and did everything on the cheap when I was on my own  -- hostiles etc. and then mostly took advantage of my sister's  generosity the rest of the time. My dad very uncharacteristically paid  for my plane fair. My wife and I went a couple of years later, my uncle  who was a pilot for Air Canada finagled plane tickets for us for next to  nothing, and even though we really couldn't afford it the rest of it,  we decided to take advantage of that. We also stayed with my sister a  good bit too -- so it wasn't all that expensive.



amsawtell said:


> I'm a bit of an Anglophile.  I want to see  London, of course.  Stratford-Upon-Avon (I met a nice British woman here  who was from Stratford-Upon-Avon who insists it is quite lovely and she  was shocked I knew it was where Shakespeare was born).  I want to see  what remains of Hadrian's Wall, The White Cliffs at Dover, and pretty  much anything else that catches my eye there.  What I'm really  disappointed that I missed out on, (by about 80 years) is the Crystal  Palace.  Such a shame that it burned down.



My wife and I spent almost three weeks in England chaperoning a boys  choir. She got the gig through the school where she taught preschool.  She was paid in addition to getting free transportation and room and  board -- I got a free plane ticket and board. So for me, meals and  spending money were the only things that came out of pocket. The boys  sang at various Cathedrals including Westminster Abbey, but we made lots  of stops -- Stratford-Upon-Avon was one of them. We had quite a bit of  free time too -- some evening parents would fill in for us, and we were free  during rehearsals. 

It was trying at times -- a bunch of boys  approx. 8-12 can be pretty hard to manage. But actually, it was the  parents who came that were the most difficult to deal with -- wanting to  bend the rules and make special exceptions for their kids, complaining  about the accommodations, trying to boss my wife around etc. One lady  actually said she "resented taking orders from a kid" -- my wife was 25  at the time -- and by orders she meant following the agreed upon rules  and itinerary. Finally, the choir master had to deliver a lecture to  them -- that my wife was in charge and anyone who didn't like it could  go home. It was pretty smooth sailing after that. And overall, it was a fantastic experience.


----------



## PiP (May 12, 2013)

amsawtell said:


> I'm a bit of an Anglophile.  I want to see London, of course.  Stratford-Upon-Avon (I met a nice British woman here who was from Stratford-Upon-Avon who insists it is quite lovely and she was shocked I knew it was where Shakespeare was born).  I want to see what remains of Hadrian's Wall, The White Cliffs at Dover, and pretty much anything else that catches my eye there.  What I'm really disappointed that I missed out on, (by about 80 years) is the Crystal Palace.  Such a shame that it burned down.



Hi ams, wow that's quite an itinerary! I've been to Stratford-Upon-Avon and loved it! As I waved goodbye to good old 'Blighty' I did see the white cliffs of Dover from the ferry. Made me feel quite nostalgic and homesick! You can pop over to France for a day trip from there (I think)


----------



## Ariel (May 12, 2013)

And of course, from France, Italy is a day trip if you take the train.


----------



## PiP (May 12, 2013)

amsawtell said:


> And of course, from France, Italy is a day trip if you take the train.



Now there's a thought! 



JosephB said:


> My wife and I spent almost three weeks in England chaperoning a boys   choir. She got the gig through the school where she taught preschool.   She was paid in addition to getting free transportation and room and   board -- I got a free plane ticket and board. So for me, meals and   spending money were the only things that came out of pocket. .



Sounds quite an experience! You had a lucky ride


----------

