Friday, June 1, 2012

A positive outlook.





On our way home we stop off in a little fishing port for two nights . A sweet little place with a castle , a harbour, and a row of restaurants running along the water front . Charming and unspoilt. The weather  warm and bright . Despite it being peak season Angus has managed to  make  a last minute booking at a hotel right on the sea.  '' My, that's good luck '' . 

The  hotel , we soon discover , is run by staff that dislike having guests . The Fawlty Towers of the Cote d'Azur. The bellmen stare, then ignore us. Behind the check-in desk an overly hirsute young man is engaged in a lengthy conversation with his girlfriend . After five minutes Angus interrupts to ask if there is someone else who could help us. The young man slams down the phone . Registration completed in silence.   Service with a scowl . Angus asks if the room has a sea view . '' It's the only room left " comes the somewhat gnomic response. 

' The font ' , ever positive, is delighted with the room . '' Look. There's a view of the sea " .True enough between the air conditioning units and the restaurant next door a sliver of aquamarine glimmers in the sunlight. Angus now understands why this was the only room left .

In the bar several hundred very cheerful Dutch deaf folk on a tour of the French Riviera. Much animated conversation but complete silence . The bar staff non-plussed.  '' Not something you see every day " says ' the font '.

15 comments:

  1. I like how 'the font' always sees the glass half full!

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  2. The staff may have been to out fair shores for training...

    But the fishing port sounds more your style than the blacktie Canne locale.

    Joan

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  3. Gorgeous scenery! Terrible staff !

    Another positive: You may save your tip budget for another use.

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  4. The resort looks beautiful. As for the staff in the Hotel, well Fawlty Towers was a laugh!

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  5. The font is definitely a Pollyanna "look for the good" in it, and "Life is what you make of it" mindset gal, isn't she?? RAH!...
    The scenery IS beautiful. Hope the moments and memories of the surroundings dismissed the negatives of the surly staff...argh! On the other hand, it's of the stuff that makes Good Blog Fodder though...LOL!!

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  6. Perhaps a razor for the front desk staff to help with the hairy surliness? Dislike poor customer service myself! But yay to 'the font' for the optimistic outlook! At least you had some good pictures!

    With love from your Canadian pals,
    Dianna along with Tor, Willow and Tucker

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  7. i want to be more like the font.
    no. wait. i want to be more like wilf. he seldom met
    a surly person he couldn't overcome. he would have
    been offered bits of goodies surely, just by being his
    adorable wee polar bear self.
    and if they still remained so hateful and rude, then....
    well.... i say christen them!!!
    love,
    tammy j

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  8. You waited 5 minutes? You're a better person than I am!

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  9. We think that hotel is a chain....

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  10. Several HUNDRED Dutch deaf folk? HA HA! Sorry, not being mean to deaf people or if I am I am allowed to do so as I have hearing loss myself (and it's getting worse every year or so it seems) but honestly how strange. I don't think Denmark has a huge population does it, wonder if every last deaf person in the country went on the trip.

    Working in a "higher end" resort setting myself and prizing/expecting excellent customer service (I try to deliver it myself, as long as I can hear the guest . . .) I would have been driven crazeeee by that front desk man, but he can't mess up how charming that location appears to be.

    I love the sound of the font.

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  11. Why did we know the moment we heard the word hirsute that a sub optimal experience was to follow?

    The bar scene? Fawlty Towers? They write it, you live it.

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  12. What a shame when you are in such a lovely place. Let's hope he was having an off day. If not, can you imagine how grumpy he will be by the end of the season? All those poor guests. Thank goodness for the lovely Dutch people. Always cheerful! If you haven't been there yet, try and visit Bormes Les Mimosas. Just lovely, but probably mad busy.
    Teena & Merlin
    xxx

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