The Creosote Family : The Flemish Files
Another cryptic subject title, and why not, but all will be explained in good time................
We left the Christina Hotel in Bourges this morning after a marginally better night's sleep and a mild interrogation from the day's manager about why I didn't leave our car keys at reception when we parked it in the hotel garage. I tried to explain that Jean Luc didn't ask for them, but he wasn't listening. He was one of life's serious people.You know the type- a grown-up. All close shaves and pointy shoes, fois gras and Pastis, art house film on a Friday and dreams of middle management. Middle class aspirations & midriff bulge. Middle everything really and middle nothing. I couldn't wait to leave. Really, I wanted him to bother to look up from his bloody important desk and accept the smack of my fist between his eyes. Git.
Now to balance things a bit, I can be on the snobby side sometimes. I inherited it from my mother along with a twitch or two that surface during times of stress/hunger/lack of chocolate etc. Occasionally I want to stretch out in a posh hotel, spend a little cash, live like a lord for a while, be pampered if you will. It was during this holiday that I really fancied a night in a quality establishment. The brand "Logis" sprang to mind. "Logis" I mused "I think they're a bit on the posh side. I'd like a slice of that please". And so it was that we did a little internet research and combined with a peruse of the Logis directory booklet thing, we chose the Logis Le Christina hotel. What a disappointment. We already knew that the room would be tiny, but not THAT tiny . For goodness sake. Tiny is ok I suppose as long as it's contemporary and clean tiny, not 1970's and peeling wallpaper tiny. Then there's the breakfast. For 8 Euros I want a feast. I want a little imagination and definitely some variety to the show. The breakfast room was TINY. I'm not a man who enjoys having his elbows bumped as he dispenses his muesli. Give me a wide berth please as I pour the multi fruit beverage. The hotel looked big on the outside, yet strangely TINY on the inside. Like some reverse Tardis. I felt (and feel) sadly let down by the Logis experience. Kay suggests we try a Logis rural next time, perhaps that will make up for it.
Tonight's hotel (more later) has more than made up for Monsieur condescending pointy shoe..............
We are in Lille tonight on the outskirts of the city in Lomme. Another 300 plus kilometres driven along wonderfully congestion-free roads. It's a pleasure to drive in France as always. Just got held up on the outer peripherique of Paris, but we've had much worse back home. We got lost near Lille and asked for directions at a nearby hotel . The friendly guy soon got us here. It's the Kyriad hotel and we're very pleased. No snottiness behind the desk, no TINY room or restaurant. In fact, lots of lovely space, nice helpful staff and not a pointy shoe in sight.
The Creosote bit explained. Have you seen Monty Python's "Meaning of Life"? The overweight Mr. Creosote sketch? Well, we were on our way seriously to the "Waffer thyn meent" stage. Three course meal. Buffet styley entrees including a rather cheeky Flemish leek tartlet, rice, couscous, lentils, eggs, olives, etc. BIG main course Omelettes & a delightfully sickly range of tempting cakes/tarts/mousse. Talk about stuffed! Kyriad 3 Logis 0. Result!!!
Dunkerque tomorrow and Blighty. Feels like we've been away for longer than a month..........
Looking forward to our next adventure!!!!!
We left the Christina Hotel in Bourges this morning after a marginally better night's sleep and a mild interrogation from the day's manager about why I didn't leave our car keys at reception when we parked it in the hotel garage. I tried to explain that Jean Luc didn't ask for them, but he wasn't listening. He was one of life's serious people.You know the type- a grown-up. All close shaves and pointy shoes, fois gras and Pastis, art house film on a Friday and dreams of middle management. Middle class aspirations & midriff bulge. Middle everything really and middle nothing. I couldn't wait to leave. Really, I wanted him to bother to look up from his bloody important desk and accept the smack of my fist between his eyes. Git.
Now to balance things a bit, I can be on the snobby side sometimes. I inherited it from my mother along with a twitch or two that surface during times of stress/hunger/lack of chocolate etc. Occasionally I want to stretch out in a posh hotel, spend a little cash, live like a lord for a while, be pampered if you will. It was during this holiday that I really fancied a night in a quality establishment. The brand "Logis" sprang to mind. "Logis" I mused "I think they're a bit on the posh side. I'd like a slice of that please". And so it was that we did a little internet research and combined with a peruse of the Logis directory booklet thing, we chose the Logis Le Christina hotel. What a disappointment. We already knew that the room would be tiny, but not THAT tiny . For goodness sake. Tiny is ok I suppose as long as it's contemporary and clean tiny, not 1970's and peeling wallpaper tiny. Then there's the breakfast. For 8 Euros I want a feast. I want a little imagination and definitely some variety to the show. The breakfast room was TINY. I'm not a man who enjoys having his elbows bumped as he dispenses his muesli. Give me a wide berth please as I pour the multi fruit beverage. The hotel looked big on the outside, yet strangely TINY on the inside. Like some reverse Tardis. I felt (and feel) sadly let down by the Logis experience. Kay suggests we try a Logis rural next time, perhaps that will make up for it.
Tonight's hotel (more later) has more than made up for Monsieur condescending pointy shoe..............
We are in Lille tonight on the outskirts of the city in Lomme. Another 300 plus kilometres driven along wonderfully congestion-free roads. It's a pleasure to drive in France as always. Just got held up on the outer peripherique of Paris, but we've had much worse back home. We got lost near Lille and asked for directions at a nearby hotel . The friendly guy soon got us here. It's the Kyriad hotel and we're very pleased. No snottiness behind the desk, no TINY room or restaurant. In fact, lots of lovely space, nice helpful staff and not a pointy shoe in sight.
The Creosote bit explained. Have you seen Monty Python's "Meaning of Life"? The overweight Mr. Creosote sketch? Well, we were on our way seriously to the "Waffer thyn meent" stage. Three course meal. Buffet styley entrees including a rather cheeky Flemish leek tartlet, rice, couscous, lentils, eggs, olives, etc. BIG main course Omelettes & a delightfully sickly range of tempting cakes/tarts/mousse. Talk about stuffed! Kyriad 3 Logis 0. Result!!!
Dunkerque tomorrow and Blighty. Feels like we've been away for longer than a month..........
Looking forward to our next adventure!!!!!
Regards from a rather over stuffed Simon
Watch out!! He's gonna blow!!
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