The sound of a thrumming, overworked, engine fills the air. A telltale crash of gears. Madame Bay arrives, unannounced. Today she is sporting a tangerine quilted house coat and white broad brimmed hat highlighted by four large red velvet bows. A sort of summer meets winter look. She pecks 'the font' on each cheek before enveloping Angus in a bear hug. '' M'Ongoose. M'Ongoose I'm glad you're well " she says twice through a cloud of Lily of the Valley. Greetings over, she opens all the windows, turns the dial to Radio Nostalgie and then settles down at the end of the kitchen table with a steaming mug of coffee and the morning papers. Clearly not a day for being too active.
'The font' announces that we need to go to Paris. Tomorrow. There is a huge exhibition on and all the hotels are full. Completely full. Angus informs 'the font' that it's impossible. Ten minutes later there's a '' look what I've been able to find ! They had one room left ". The font reads the reviews that say it's a jewel box. Angus reads the ones that says the rooms are so small that guests have to walk sideways round the bed. These are the reviews 'the font' reads.
The last hotel room in Paris. Angus has a feeling that this is going to be an 'adventure'. 'The font' reassures him by asking " how bad can it be ? ".
'How bad can it be'....famous last words.
ReplyDeleteXXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy
It sounds right up my street! But then again I am only 5ft tall..Enjoy!!
ReplyDeletex
Bonne chance
ReplyDeleteOh my ! The Ring box I could take but the rooms where you need to move the tv stand to get into the closet ? Good luck. Please, please keep us informed . What's the betting the staff wear black sily pyjamas ? Cathy and Rover.
ReplyDeleteShopping Mecca - a gay village - cramped, dim, but convenient - you will love it Angus :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right !? Cramped, dim, convenient is a recommendation ?
DeleteI had no idea that the VCCA had an 'artistic retreat' in France; I guess you just find the same kind of 'creativity' here at home! And I also had no idea that lack of space in a hotel room could be so well enjoyed. I'll look forward to YOUR review, Angus!
ReplyDeleteAngus without my crystal ball, I think I can still see that your hotel stay is going to be the kind you will never forget..."the last room in Paris" and all that. It does have mixed reviews so let's keep our fingers crossed that it does not turn out like your last hotel from hell.
ReplyDeleteI love The Font's spontaneity, it makes for an interesting life...you two have fun on your trip.
Finally Madame Bay has resurfaced in her "timeless" fashionable wear to clean once again with blaring music all over the house....who is that woman??
The VCCA has reached your town in deepest France Profonde....what next?
Someone buys a vacation home and leases it part of the year to VCCC? I smell. A tax write off.
ReplyDeleteIf you hotel is quiet enough for you to sleep, you can survive. You'll visit the exhibition, have a lovely dinner, do a bit of shopping then come home.
It can't be that bad........or can it?
Well there are those heavenly cushy Tempur-Pedic mattresses.. enjoy your next adventure!
ReplyDeleteIna - HEAVENLY ! matresses I can cope with. It's the following line that worries me most " Bathrooms are luxe and sexy but that ambiance comes at the cost of proper task lighting ".
DeleteMum always said that if someone says "how bad can it be" that it should signal a red flag, put the car in reverse and backtrack as fast as your wheels will take you. I still have vague memories of those words being spoken when our airplane trip home from the West Indies (1960's) stopped abruptly and we had to take a Greyhound bus from Kentucky to Chicago, IL. My younger brother still brings the episode up and claims our parents owe him years of therapy over the incident (he was 4 and managed to lock himself in the bus' bathroom and could not reach the handle to open it). But I am sure Paris offers much more less frightening experiences for you. (waves red flag over head shouting "Flee I tell you, flee! flee!)
ReplyDeleteI can not wait to hear about this Paris adventure!
ReplyDeleteI am totally with the Font on this one.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of my favourite hotel in London.
Of course, I am wearing Lily of the Valley perfume.
xo,
p
Reminds me of the time we found a "jewel" of a hotel on Cape Cod....oh boy! Fingers crossed yours is much, much better than ours....good thing for TripAdvisor!
ReplyDeletewhat robin larkspur said!
ReplyDeletelove,
tammy j
Well, I like warm, cozy, smaller spaces. Some of these cavernous American houses/rooms (and I think anything 2,500 sq ft or over is massive, and that seems to be considered quite the norm, or even rather modest here) just don't feel homey to me. My American husband on the other hand disagrees. When the children were little we were looking at a large house and I pointed out that no way would I want to live there, that it wasn't a house it was a village and "whatismore" if the children were on one side of the house and we were on the other we would not be able to hear them. His four word reply was that is the point.
ReplyDeleteFor all my love of small and cozy I do think that the term "internal courtyard" seems a tad grandiose for the space I was looking at in the photo . . . but hey, you are within walking distance of the Louvre!
So what's this exhibition that has all the hotel rooms but one booked????
ReplyDeleteJoan
The contemporary arts fair . 170 artists, exhibitions and 500,000 visitors .
DeleteThere is always a reason why something is "last".
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the exhibition.
Your entire life is an adventure as far as I can tell! Madame Bay adds adventure to every single day. I can't wait to hear about the last room in Paris. I read the 1 star reviews... and one is titled "“Dark and claustrophobic - Avoid unless you're a mole”!
ReplyDeleteThat room looks very, very cozy! Paris is supposed to be romantic, right? lol I think there's definitely an adventure in the making!
ReplyDeleteVirginians in your little town - they will love it when I come to visit!!
ReplyDelete