 |
| 樓下大廳 |
 |
| 房間露台外望
The big sitting room viewed
from the my room balcony
|
Very heartwarming B&B -- I have merged into the French community!
At Rouen I bought the GPS system, which was so unfamiliar to me that I applied it with strenuous efforts! Reaching Caen I immediately hired a car online to head for the first family guesthouse.
However, in half an hour I, hungry and tired, searched for it in vain. After making a lot of enquiries along the route I finally arrived at the destination, more than an hour behind the schedule.
At a long distance a French lady was seen standing at the door, waiting in earnest. Once I came she embraced me warmly."Olive, you are a girl! I have reserved the biggest room for you. It's yellow in color. " she greeted me, "Last night I got your email and I thought you must be a very busy gentleman looking for an abode in a short time." I was thinking: Oli....在Rouen買了GPS導航系統，但又未熟習使用，很狼狽！由Rouen坐火車到Caen，到埗後直接取網上預訂的出租車，向第一間民宿進發。
但找了半個鐘，飢寒交迫但仍未找到預定的民宿，沿途問人，終於比預期到目的地時間遲了一個鐘有多，遙遠看到一位法國女士站在門口等待着，一見我便熱情擁抱我，她說：「olive原來你是女仔？我留了最大的房間給妳啊！是黃色的。」繼續說：「我昨晚收到你的電郵，還在想這一定是公事繁忙的男士，要在短短的時間才定下來。」我在想：olive不是女仔名嗎？
 |
| Jean Baptiste喜歡彈的琴 |
At that time I was most grateful. They led me into the house showing me every part of it and their hospitable expressions. The host Jean Baptiste insisted to carry my luggage while the hostess Christine was busy preparing some desserts-- hot coffee and her homemade cake. It was getting dark and freezingly cold but my heart was cozily warmed!
When I was enjoying tea Jean Baptiste took out and showed me a lot of materials about the worth-visiting places around. He eagerly explained one by one. Christine joined in and drew some recommendable itinerary routes. They knew I could spend only three days there and made sure my time could be best spent. "Places you should not miss include Honfleur, Deauville, Cabourg, Caen...."
Everything thus settled; I could enjoy my sweet dreams!我當時的心情只有感激，他們由我入屋直至上房間，每一個表情我都印象深刻。男主人 Jean Baptiste堅持一定要替我拿行李，女主人Christine預備了茶點，熱熱的咖啡和親手做的蛋糕，在入黑前、冰涷的天氣下，帶給我窩心的暖意！
Jean Baptiste在我享用茶點時，拿了很多有關該區旅遊資料，連掛在牆的地圖也取下來，很熱情地一一解釋清楚。Christine也加入介紹行列，拿紙張畫下路線，他們知道我只有3天留在這區，故此要把這裡最值得遊覽的地方盡量推薦給我，這包括Honfleur, Deauville, Cabourg, Caen……安頓後，這晚睡得特別甜！
 |
| 預留給我的房間...黃色 |
In most family guesthouses in France wifi is not available. Even if it is provided guests may not be able to use it in their rooms. The reception is normally poor...
The above I had not been prepared for. Then how could I make my bookings and reservations of lodging and cars? In the coming three days I could do nothing!
The above I had not been prepared for. Then how could I make my bookings and reservations of lodging and cars? In the coming three days I could do nothing!
Christine fell ill. But she allowed me to enter her room to use her computer to search for I wanted online. She told me never before did she permit guests to enter her bed room, not to mention let them stay there for several days that way. I felt honored but also embarrassed and obliged. During the period of Christine's recovery Jean Baptiste was always by her side taking good care of her. Such affection was so moving and rare!
Although to continue my journey I had to leave at last, I still received her emails asking about how I was getting on and reminding me something I might have overlooked....
I miss them very much indeed! During those three days I heard Baptiste's melodious music, Christine's comforting smiles, and enjoyed the cozy warm nest they offered.法國的民宿不一定每一間都有wifi，即使說有，也不一定能在房間內使用，接收也未必良好等等......
我沒有想過這間民宿的wifi是接駁不良的，所以往後的訂房和繼續租車成為我煩惱的事情。這三天沒法預訂怎辦呢？
Christine雖然病了，但她准許我在她房間內用她的電腦上網搜尋。她說從來沒有客人能入他們的寢室，更莫說連續數天還留這麼長時間。我有點不好意思，但也別無他法。Christine在病期間，Jean Baptiste在旁照顧，那種體貼入微，很難得。
雖然我繼續旅程而終於離開了，但不時也收到Christine發給我的電郵，問及是否安全，要注意什麼等等......
很掛念他們，這三天停留期間曾聽過Jean Baptiste的美妙琴聲，Christine親切的笑容，很溫暖的被窩。
Honfleur is a small seventeenth-century port surrounding Calvados, Lower Normandy. She is still an active fishing port and harbour. It preserves a large number of traditional and historical buildings, some interesting musuems, churches and monuments.
Honfleur 翁弗勒尔，是圍繞Calvados, Lower Normandy卡爾瓦多斯省一個美麗的小17世紀的海港，下諾曼底的一個小鎮。它仍然是活躍的漁港和碼頭。這個鎮保存了許多歷史和傳統的建築物和房屋，一些有趣的博物館，教堂和紀念碑。
 |
| Honfleur-Le port de plaisance |
 |
| La Petite Escapade |
Honfleur is a small seventeenth-century port surrounding Calvados, Lower Normandy. She is still an active fishing port and harbour. It preserves a large number of traditional and historical buildings, some interesting musuems, churches and monuments.
Honfleur 翁弗勒尔，是圍繞Calvados, Lower Normandy卡爾瓦多斯省一個美麗的小17世紀的海港，下諾曼底的一個小鎮。它仍然是活躍的漁港和碼頭。這個鎮保存了許多歷史和傳統的建築物和房屋，一些有趣的博物館，教堂和紀念碑。
 |
| 這裡是Rue des Lingots 和 Rue du Puits的藝術店舖，有很多不同派系的畫廊。
Here in Rue des Lingots and Rue du Puits many art shops with a lot of galleries of different schools
|
 |
| Restaurant L'homme de Bois提供新鮮生蠔。Restaurant L 'Holmes de Bois supplies fresh oysters. |
 |
| Restaurant L'homme de Bois，我選了牛扒，但好味的是中間這片薯層，搶主角的風頭了。
At the restaurant I pick a steak but more yummy is the crispy potato in the middle, which steals the limelight.
|
 |
| 新鮮海鮮是這區的賣點
Fresh seafood is the selling point of the district
|
 |
| 甜點我選了咖啡和朱古力雪糕
For dessert I select coffee and chocolate ice-cream
|
小插曲-法國人的早餐，烚蛋5分鐘。
For your information: Breakfast for most French people
To boil eggs for 5 minutes
For your information: Breakfast for most French people
To boil eggs for 5 minutes
At seven every day Jean Baptiste was the first to get up preparing breakfast for me.
Though he employed a traditional clepsydra he could accurately work out the degree of boiling of the egg. They taught me how the French have their breakfast in the proper manner.
First of all put the medium-done egg in the egg receptacle. Then cut open the top. Split the long French bread into strips, which are further shredded into smaller cubes. Spread some salty butter on their tips before dunking them into the opened egg. How delicious it was! Ah, what a clever way to heighten the taste! Today I stick to this way.
This is traditional French way of eating, especially to the children. Chocolate is the favourite drink of children. But I prefer coffee with milk.
The French do not say 'Latte'. They say 'Café au lait'.
The French are fond of gardening. The jam in the breakfast comes from the strawberries, cherries or other fruits they grow, natural and diversified and tasty.
The French are fond of gardening. The jam in the breakfast comes from the strawberries, cherries or other fruits they grow, natural and diversified and tasty.
每天早上7點，Jean Baptiste 是最早起床，弄早餐給我。
他雖用傳統滴漏計時，但又很準確地預計蛋熟程度，他們教我如何食法國早餐。
首先，半生熟的蛋放在盛蛋器上，破開頂部。另外把長法式麵包分段切，然後再垂直破成小麵包條，塗上鹹牛油在麵包頂，再浸在半生熟的雞蛋裡。原來是很好味的！到現在仍很喜歡這食法。
這是法國人傳統食法，特別對小孩而言。朱古力也是小孩喜歡的飲品，不過我喜歡飲有奶的咖啡。
他們說法文並不是Latte, 而是Café au lait.法國人非常喜歡園藝，早餐的果占也是用自己種的士多啤梨、車厘子或其他果實弄出來，多款而非常天然好味。
⋯⋯但亦是令我傷感！But it also makes me sad!
An email from France came on 17 March 2014.
A Christine from Chamber d'hote wrote:
"Je suis tellement triste de vous écrire ce mail..."
Jean Baptiste passed away! The world had lost a kind, optimistic and loving man, so dedicated to his wife. This made me very sad.
"Je suis tellement triste de vous écrire ce mail..."
Jean Baptiste passed away! The world had lost a kind, optimistic and loving man, so dedicated to his wife. This made me very sad.
In June 2014 I went to that place again to pay a visit to Christine and the cemetery of her husband.
2014年3月17日收到來自法國的電郵，第一間Chambre d'hôte的 Christine寫：
Je suis tellement triste de vous écrire ce mail...
這消息使我難過，Jean Baptiste過世了，一個和藹可親，很愛護妻子而凡事樂觀的好人，世上又少了一個！
2014年五六月重遊此地，探望Christine亦看看 Jean Baptiste的新墳。
 |
Jean Baptiste and Christine
|
 |
| Jean Baptiste 鋼琴上放了他的照片以作紀念 |
Do not think to post a letter in France is very expensive
It is not so! The prices in most provinces are nearly the same. The postage costs a matter of a few Euro cents only! The posted letter can reach Hong Kong in four working days or even earlier.
不要以為在法國寄信很貴，非也！差不多每省的郵局都一樣同價，大約幾毫錢歐元。寄到香港時間約4個工作天，或更快到目的地。
 |
| 兩隻鴨仔去寄信，會否有事要同雞講呢。 唉！今天又過了郵寄時間啦！下次要早些！
Two ducklings are on their way to post their mail. Do they have to tell the chickens? Oh! They are too late now. Get it done earlier tomorrow!
|
 |
| 2014年舊地重遊 Revisit the old place in 2014 |
 |
| L'Abbaye aux Hommes |
 |
| Eglise Saint Etienne le Vieux |
 |
| Eglise Saint-Pierre |
 |
| Abbaye aux Dames |
 |
| Musée de Normandie |
 |
| Le Château de Caen |
 |
| Une Capitale |
沒有留言 :
張貼留言