I had arranged with friends to stay in their holiday home in a village north of Charleville (where they live). Most of her family live around the village square - one sister next to their holiday house, another in the corner and mum next to her.

6th October (cont)

The drive to C starts well apart from slight rain to welcome us to France, but we get lost in Maubeuge through a lack of clear signs and waste about half an hour. Neverheless we arrive at the house before dark only to find that M's door displays the sign 'Ne frappez pas - bébé dort'.

M holds the key but her husband, the said bébé, works nights and doesn't appreciate being woken when he's having a nap.

So, how do we get the key? We go to D's house. Her son answers and looks puzzled at the sight of two foreigners. Perhaps he doesn't recognise us. His dad comes and greets us warmly - four kisses for me and a handshake for Jay and we go back to M's house where he walks in and emerges a couple of minutes later with the keys to the garage. He seems in a hurry to get back home.

We go in and find the electricity is off. An array of buttons and switches on the wall mean nothing. We tentatively try a couple but to no avail. I go to the phonebox and ring J. (the owner). It's difficult to hear what he says as the traffic is noisy but then Jay comes to tell me that G (the bébé) has turned up so I tell J I'll ring him back.

G has disappeared by the time I get back but, at least, he has shown Jay which button to press. Light at last! The house has changed alot since my last visit - much more welcoming and homely. We unpack and then settle down with a bottle of wine - a special one saved from a shopping spree earlier. M comes in with some homemade soup and apologises that she can't stay, she's expecting visitors.

We go for a walk. It's good to stretch our legs.  We come back for a meal of soup and bruschetta - Jay does all the work - and then we have a fairly early night. Amazingly, I sleep like a log!