Saturday, June 7, 2008

Je suis arrivé à Cambrai il y a deux heure!





Australian War Memorial and Commonwealth War Cemetary and Villers-Bretonneux


Firstly, apologies for the delay in postings. It has been raining for two full days and I was stuck in Albert. I didn't mind because it was good to take it a bit slowly.

Since the last posting I have visited all the Commonwealth monuments except the Canadian. Sorry Canada, but I have war monument overdose and in any case it isn't quite in the direction I want to go.

I have met some interesting people over the last few days including some Australians at the Villers-Bretonneux as you would expect. But Carol and Max from Queensland didn't know, they satiated my need to communicate en Anglais. I was also nice to share our feelings about the place. I also met a lady from Perth Kath. I resisted the desire to say "do you know my sister?" However she did sound like she might be in your circle!

In Albert, I was sitting in a bar having a "petite cafe" (as you do) on the morning I left and a journalist from the local paper chatted with me and thre may be an article. Get ready to purchase your copy of the Picardy Express. We decided John Howard was terrible and we doubted anyone would vote for Sarkosy. However, our little mutual leftist admiration society was shattered by the bar owner declaring he voted for Sarkosy! All in good fun.

It is inter'esting that my lisyening comprehension is improving but it needed to. Still a bit slow on the spoken side without preparation.

Another word on the food. I have decided to eat simply while traveling. I have tried the region "better" restaurants with the set dinners for 20 to 30 E and have found the food a bit old fashioned and the restaurant decore out of Faulty Towers. In these regional areas there seems to be tendency to boil the vegetables to death a la ma mere. However there was one great exception. It is all probly my ignorance as to where to go. I will probably stick to the brasseries in the town square from now on.

Today, I rode from Albert to Cambrai through light mist with the bike as silent as the wind. I think I am leaving the granary and heading into "pomme terre" country. A source of mirth for my classmates when I confused pomme terre with pomme. In the time I have been here, the barley is starting to turn a shade of brown. I like to end on this qgricultural note.

Tomorrow i hope to get close to the Belgium border. I am a little uneasy to enter these wild northern areas! Sorry only joking! In any case it will be French speaking Belgium.

Sorry for the mistakes - still no qwaty keyboard.

3 comments:

Vin said...

Uh, do you mean brasseries?

Anonymous said...

Hi bernie,
Sounds like the trip is going well. These blogs are good to read when you get up early before the newspaper is delivered.
- Steve

Anonymous said...

Bernie
Your are making great progress and must be eating Belgian chocolate by now.

I have had a strike rate of 1 in 4 with these comments. i.e. you have missed most of my responses, either that or you deemed them unworthy to accept on your blog.

The pies had another win today in their "traditional" queens birthday match against the D's. The D's had something to prove today and put in a spirited performance.

Regards, Bill