France & Guernsey
Baguette time for Heidi and Henry in Plerguer
VIDEOS
By Tim Saunders
When we visit St Malo we speak French. As an A-level French student my wife Caroline lived in Paris for 12 months and our daughter Harriett(15) is taking the language for GCSE. There’s really no better way than to immerse yourself in the culture.
Prior to the trip Henry(10) has researched the local boulangeries and supermarches and is excited about his first foray abroad where he hopes to eat some local foods. Before we travel we have fun and games renewing our passports, which is a painful process in terms of verifying our identities but we get there in the end.
Our French experience starts just after lunch aboard the Condor Ferries Voyager from Poole to St Malo where after driving onboard and parking up we casually climb the steps and settle ourselves in some comfy seats. It’s a joyful relaxed time where we relish and savour the patois of the smart, happy, professional French crew. Much like radio presenters, these people are always cheerful and polite and that’s quite an achievement with life on the ocean waves and all it throws at you. Excellent customer service is their priority and it’s very good to see. There is clearly a rigorous recruitment process. There are some real characters and it’s entertaining watching them at their various tasks during the crossing, which stops at Guernsey on the way. While Caroline and I relax, the children play board games. Heidi(13) reads a book and then we both play chess. Before we know it day has turned to night and it’s time to drive through customs where we meet a pleasant French customs officer who checks our passports. No problems there thankfully and we drive off into the French night, looking for our gite in a little village called Plerguer.
Driving abroad always heightens my senses and even more so this time because I haven’t done it since Harriett and Heidi were tiny. Driving on the other side of the road at night time takes a little getting used to, especially when the roads seem quite narrow on occasions. I’m also driving a vehicle I’m not all that familiar with. Thank goodness for sat nav because it accurately gets us to our destination in about half an hour. The unknown is always a little nerve-wracking – the joy of travelling - and on our arrival we have to input a code to open the electric gate but Henry does this and hey presto it opens.
The gite is one of four old stone cottages, and the owner Madame Gaelle greets us with a roaring fire on this chilly spring evening. Caroline holds the conversation admirably while I take a back seat (as is often the case during this visit). Harriett listens and learns. We settle in and soon fall asleep.
In the morning Henry must go to the boulangerie. Why not? So we all troop down to the well presented village – with the newest looking toilets I have seen in a long time - and it’s not long before we’re standing outside the shop.
“So what are you going to buy then Henry?”
“A pain au chocolat and a croissant,” he beams.
There’s no better way to learn the language than through your stomach. So in we all venture. Caroline advises on the French and after some hesitation and repetition in order to make ourselves understood, Henry hands over the cash. Needless to say we return to this shop on several occasions…
Just opposite is L’ecole des Badious. “Wouldn’t it be a good experience if we could speak French to the pupils?” says Caroline.
Yes, but it’s a bit scary, we all reply. We march up to the office door (it saves walking...) and are greeted by the friendly headmistress Madame Pieplus. She is delighted with this idea and explains that it has not happened before but that she would love for us to return on Thursday at 10am. We sit with our legs crossed on a classroom floor and talk to about 30 primary school children in French and English; Harriett has prepared a little speech that she reads to them and they all listen attentively. Our children are even invited to play with the pupils in the playground during break time. We discover that Madame Pieplus comes from Belgium and lives in the next village and that Marie the class teacher will be going travelling in the summer. Mme Pieplus explains that des Badious refers to the local cherries and these feature in the branding of this 230 pupil school, which only opened in 2024. Few of the pupils have visited England and tend to favour Spain and Switzerland. Of course football is a common language and Henry learns about some French players. This is undoubtedly a good bit of PR for Britain and well received. Although Heidi is learning German for GCSE, the experience has made her want to also learn French - she enjoys the French vocabulary.
Feeling buoyed by our Entente Cordiale we are disappointed by a protester in Rennes when we visit, shouting disparaging comments about us Brits. No doubt something to do with our dear government. Anyway, she goes on her merry way when the gendarmes appear. The city of Rennes – our furthest trek - is a good day out where we walk the streets, find another boulangerie and enjoy the parks.
Closer to home Dol de Bretagne has a cathedral – a well known pizza chain which appeals to Henry – and a pleasing undercover arty area called Halle aux Grains where Heidi finds a piano to play her Grieg waltz. In the tabac in Plerguer, Martine is sat at the table next to us chatting to a neighbour who’s about to go shopping. Anyway, Martine, we discover, used to be an interior designer and her son plays guitar for the Corrs, the Irish pop group. What a small world. On another occasion we meet Martine again as we step outside the boulangerie.
We visit a monastery and it becomes clear that children are not appreciated here, so we leave. At Dinan we enjoy a stroll beside the water and soak up the old architecture. There are some inspiring artist studios, too.
France’s roads are a joy to drive on, few have any pot holes and if they do they get repaired sharpish and properly. There’s no litter and a real pride in the appearance of the towns and cities. Not just that but walk into any Intermarche or Super U and the customer is met with an exemplary experience. The layout is faultless, considered, every item is where it should be on the shelves and the displays are second to none. Yes, footfall is far lower than here in overpopulated Blighty but again there’s a pride in appearance that we lost years ago. There's no apparent shoplifting and the staff are so helpful. A case in point is when Caroline asks one of the cashiers for some advice on places to visit and rather than shrugging the shoulders and being told to clear off as would be the case here, the cashier takes time and even writes down the place names. How refreshing. And we’re so pleased with the recommendations because they are excellent. St Suliac, St Guinoux, Pleudihen sue Rance and Cancale are all wonderful places to visit and at Cancale Henry gets his crepe with chocolate spread.
In the morning and evenings at the gite the children enjoy the trampoline and after a couple of days some German children stay at the gite next door, which gives Heidi the ideal opportunity to sprechen zie Deutsche and the fact that they all love football means that Henry is also happy.
Our time in France draws to a close and we must leave early to board the Condor Ferry Voyager for Guernsey where we stay for the day and night before returning to Poole. But before we leave we must make sure the gite is tidy and say au revoir to Madame Gaelle. After a couple of hours we arrive at St Peter Port and then head for the Peninsula Hotel. We’ve stayed here before and it’s become an old friend.
“Will Apple be there?” the children ask. We doubt it very much because she worked there quite a few years ago but really made a lasting impression on them. Well, to our surprise and delight she is still there, which shows how good this hotel is at staff retention, quite an achievement these days.
“I love this hotel,” says Henry. “The rooms are great, the beds are comfy, the breakfast is lovely and the staff really care about you.”
He’s right. You do feel valued as a customer and we do appreciate the tasteful décor and the luxury feel.
“You’re only here for one night,” says Apple. “You must come back.”
“We will,” we all smile.
The weather is so nice that we spend time on the lovely sandy beach messing about before returning to our well appointed interconnecting rooms where we all enjoy a soak. The children watch some tele and I’m able to read some of my book in between dozing. Bliss.
“For the first time in a long time I actually feel like I have relaxed,” says Caroline, as she slumbers on the bed following a long soak.
Henry rings reception to organise an early morning call. Later in the evening we mooch around Les Dicqs and discover Vale Recreation Ground, not just any rec but the one where Saints legend Matt Le Tissier played youth football. Here Henry is messing about with his Crocs shoes, kicking one off his foot as high as possible, as you do. It lands on the roof of the football stadium. What to do? He now only has one shoe and is upset at the prospect of hopping back to the hotel. We find various poles and an old ladder but I’m unable to reach it. It’s windy and all of a sudden the shoe flips over on the roof and then stays put. Oh it’s frustrating, it’s still just out of reach. Fifteen minutes pass and then another gust of wind, which this time flips the shoes into the gutter that we can reach. We didn’t think that would happen and we’re all relieved.
Great memories.
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