Catherine's Americains, Part Duex

Have you ever felt like you were being watched, but couldn't quite put your finger on who or what? Most days during our stay in Tesse Froulay, we would grab the guide books and head out in the little Peugoet (50mpg!). There were only three ways to go when we reached the main road, so we traveled the same routes over and over. After a few weeks, especially when we were headed south into the Loire, we noticed folks looking up as we passed, then reaching in their pockets for a cell phone. Since we're not the paranoid types, we made up a tale for when we got home, or wrote a blog.

"Help us track Catherine's Americains!

Where will they go today?

When you see them, call us with the location, so we can plot their travels on our map!

Those Americains are certainly making the most of their visit and that little Peugeot (50mpg!)."

If you have ever watched French television you could easily imagine this going on.

Catherine's Americains

In November of 2007, we traveled to Normandy, France to house
sit for Catherine while she went to Australia to visit her children and
grandchildren. We shared the house with Pibe, the Chartreus Cat. Catherine also let us drive her little Peugeot. (50 mpg!!)

The house didn't have a street address. It was simply, La Branchoire, in Tesse Froulay. Catherine's section of the building is the area with the darker tile roof. The neighbors next door, while waving to you friendly, spoke no English, and did not respond to our attempts to communicate in French. Across the yard was a large barn with another house attached. The house was owned by an English couple, who came twice during our stay. The barn was owned by Marcel, a tiny, elderly gentleman, who produced apple cider, pommeau, and Calvados, an apple brandy. Marcel did not speak English, but was always willing to "communicate" with us. He lived in a house which was behind the barn on another lane through our little commune.

We enjoyed our stay in Tesse Froulay. It afforded us the opportunity to experience living in another country, not just as a visiting tourist. And with the little Peugeot (50mpg!) we traveled over most of Normandy, eastern Brittany and the northern Loire.