Day 7 - Bergerac to Caen

Day 7 Bergerac to Caen

The barn in which we played.

Today was to be our longest drive on tour so far. With that in mind we were eager to get a move on, we got showered and began our journey North to Caen. Pierre and his girlfriend had prepared some great tasting coffee and soft fresh croissants for breakfast, which went down very smoothly. We said our goodbyes and hit the road on a very gloomy, misty day. We were getting sun kissed only a day ago!

Now broken English. Because we don't speak much French, when we speak in English to a non-English speaking French person, you have to speak in broken English as not to confuse them. What we have found ourselves doing (especially in long car journeys) is speaking to one another in broken English. We don't even realise we're doing it until…. we realise we're doing it I guess. Oh. How. We. Do. Make. Ourselves. Laugh.

There was a lot of traffic on the toll road today and we later found out it was because of a motorbike grand prix taking place in Le Mans. Hundreds of bikes everywhere! They were like dark ninjas on motorised mini machines weaving in and out of lanes everywhere you looked. That on top of the weekend traffic making their way home from the south of France made for a hectic and longer than expected journey to Caen. 8 hours in fact, eating lunch in the car and stopping only to literally run around the car, high five and to swap seats. We find that sitting in the passenger seat is more tiring than driving because you have nothing to do. Nothing to stimulate the mind except to look at the constant fields and trees and cars and deciding on what cd to put on next.

We finally made it Caen later than expected and met up with Pascal, a half French/half English man. He is French but was born in Winchester (UK) and although he doesn't speak much English, he still has a very British accent when he does speak. He is the only man I have ever seen to take filters out of straight cigarettes when he smokes them, he is hardcore. Our organised show was cancelled due to the bad weather. It was supposed to be in a warehouse with an open roof so everyone and our gear would have gotten soaked. But we need not worry as we had been asked to play at a wrap party for a film that was being made near to Caen. It was in a barn that part of an old manor house. As we arrived they were just finishing their last shot of the film so was time for them to celebrate.

When we arrived it was really really cold, we had to wear most of the clothes that we had bought with usDJ Blitz had set up his decks and disco ball to get the party started. We played at just gone midnight after the director had driven half an hour to go get white wine, which is the only thing that had been forgotten and the only booze she drinks. The film crew were lovely lovely people who had been working for 5 long days straight so were very much in the party mood. The French just absolutely love to have fun! It's warming to see. We were unsure if we were going to ruin the party mood. We were wrong and very humbled when they forced us to play an encore.  

The wrap party in all it's glory.

We finally retired to bed after many random conversations with boozy party people who were very eager to speak English to 'proper Englishmen.'  We wish we could have stayed and danced with all the French people, but we had to leave with Pascal, we were offered to stay at the manor house but we were so tired from the long journey that we thought it was a good idea to stay with Pascal, besides it was nearly 3am.