A Day to Remember

 My traveling companion celebrated her birthday yesterday. We drove to a charming town called Marcillac-sur- Cele. There is an accent aigu on the last syllable though my accents went on strike this morning. Very French, n'est-ce pas?

We discovered Café-Caravane, a surprising combo of coffee shop and Indian boutique with imported clothes and housewares. In the spirit of India, I ordered chai tea. We sipped our lovely flavorful drinks while enjoying a magnificent view of the Cele River and the surrounding cliffs. Afterwards, we could not resist doing a little shopping. My friend bought an attractive tunic and skirt. I felt so happy for her as the experience fell under the category of what she calls birthday magic.

Lunchtime approached quickly. We popped back in my little car which I named "Le Happy" when I bought it. About thirty minutes later, we were seated at yet another table in a restaurant located in Cardenac. Hard to find a table because yesterday was French Mother's Day. We sipped a cool dry rosé instead of tea and ordered a three course meal. Feeling completely satisfied, we made our way back to our VRBO accommodations. Time to rest and digest until my friend announced she could not find the key to get in. Apparently, it had fallen out of her pocket somewhere. I called our host whose immediate reaction was she did not possess a spare key. How is this possible? She would however look in her house to see if she could find one. Long story short, she could not. She thought it would be impossible to find a locksmith to help us on a Sunday. I began to envision us sleeping by the pool. I started calling around for a locksmith which inspired Madame to do the same. She ultimately found one just ten minutes away. He arrived quickly and saved the day. In the states, the locksmith would open the door immediately upon arrival.  Not in France. First, he and our host needed to establish that their paths had crossed before. He knew her mother, bla bla bla. Finally,  we rushed inside the now opened door to use the facilities. My friend paid for the locksmith's visit which seemed a bargain at 50 euros on a Sunday. The host took away all the keys scattered inside the locked house to make copies. Very interesting to me was her typical French first reaction to problems. Impossible is what you hear so often in France after presenting a dilemma. Luckily, I knew this and together we made the impossible possible and created a birthday memory that will not be soon forgotten. Above is a picture of the pool near which we did not need to spend the night.