Normandy and Chicago

Here we are in Chicago, which I discovered yesterday originally meant “Onion Swamp” – nice.

Our holiday, or is that sabbatical, really started last weekend when we spent the weekend in Normandy with our friends Peter and Mary who have a quarter share of an old, ram shackled house in the pretty small town of Montreuil, about an hours drive from Calais. Pronounced like Montroy but with a dodgy French accent. Well, it is by me anyway.

We traveled with our friends Peter and Kate Chadwick. No relation, or none that we know of anyway. They kindly drove us there via the chunnel. It was our first time in a car through the tunnel – isn’t it strange driving onto a train?

The town is completely walled, sitting perched high on a hillside, originally built in the 9th and 10th centuries to keep the English out. But hah, we’re taking it over now. Shortly after arriving we walked around the walls. There is a good, solid path to navigate, but, as the French don’t really do safety, there are no railings. So if you wander too close to the edge, and fall off, its curtains as there is a 100ft sheer drop to the bottom. This is a little disconcerting as the locals appear to be oblivious to this danger with children running around unchecked. Still, we managed to make it round without losing anyone.

On Saturday evening we went to a beautiful Michelin starred restaurant just outside the town. We had a terrific time being generally loud and English. The food was terrific and the service surly – hard to beat. The sommelier nearly cried when we didn’t go with one of his recommendations and our waiter nearly had a fit when we insisted on having the cheese course after the dessert. I think we must have been getting a tad rowdy as the evening progressed because we were ushered into a private ‘coffee’ room at the earliest opportunity. A few Armagnacs later and we returned to Chateau Kirby to continue our celebrations with a few parlour games around the kitchen table.

The highlight of the weekend came on Sunday which started tentatively, but inevitably early, once Peter and Mary’s two children, Daniel and Ruth had woken up. We were blessed all weekend with beautiful sunny weather and decided to head off to the coast, a short drive away. We had a restorative lunch in a very busy, friendly and informal café right on the beach. The establishment specialised in Moules frites which I think we nearly all went for. I had Moules au curry. Yes, I was that hung over.

A few beers later, and we all felt a bit more lively and decided to have a quick game of beach cricket. It was Chadwicks versus the rest with yours truly nominated captain and proudly leading out the troops onto the ‘sand’ of play. We managed to bowl out the Kirby clan for a paltry 21, and then knocked off the runs in style to emerge victorious. Mags reluctantly went into bat at number 3, and was doing really well with her impression of Inzimam ul haq. (She had decided that she wouldn’t run – something about shoes and sand. That’s girls for you.) Anyway, she probably would have had about 10 runs or so (if she’d been running) when she was gloriously dismissed for nought, hit wicket. Now this wasn’t just stepping slightly too far back in the crease and dislodging the bails, but a full blooded square cut that demolished all three stumps, with one ending up at extra cover. Mags just stared at the ground momentarily and then burst into uncontrollable giggles followed by the rest of us - with the French looking on, bemused.

Anyway, back to Chicago. After the indulgence of France, it feels good to be in a country where the majority of residents make you feel slim. We’re also trying to come to terms with the fast, efficient, and friendly service that we’ve received so far – very suspect.

Like the typical tourists we are, we headed straight for Navy pier on our first day and embarked on the first cruise boat departing for the architecture tour.

This is a very gentle cruise up the Chicago river taking in the numerous skyscrapers accompanied by a very knowledgeable and fast on board commentary. Indeed, our host spoke so quickly that us non locals had a hard job keeping up. The ever present Japanese tourists had no chance but at least they appeared to find it amusing in places.

Anyway, he did a great job informing us of the important architects, their influences, styles and the types of buildings together with the history of how Chicago has developed over the years. Really good stuff and well worth it.

I think today we’re meant to be shopping but Mags is determined to overcome any lingering jet lag and so far is showing no signs of surfacing. (Its 9a.m. local time)

Au revoir.