'I wonder if we'll bump into the ladies after we arrive,' he said, somewhat thoughtfully.
'What ladies?' asked Tony, a little too occupied with keeping to the right side of the road, he was concentrating so hard. He felt a huge sense of responsibility driving Harry's car.
'The ones we met at Monet's house, silly. You know, Kathleen and Maudy.'
'Oh...yes, I remember.'
Harry looked across at Tony and frowned, wondering if he'd lost his memory or was suffering from some malady more sinister. 'It wasn't as if it was a month or so ago, Tony, but today!'
'Yes yes! Of course I remember. I was concentrating on my driving and what that chap behind us is doing so close on my tail, that's all.'
Harry glanced into the side mirror. 'Hmm... he is rather close. I wish he'd drop back, or at least pass us. Oh dear! Now he's flashing his lights at us. What on earth for, I wonder? Perhaps you'd better slow down, or pull over.'
Tony eyed the rear vision mirror again. 'I think you're right. I'm going to stop in a moment. He seems rather insistent.'
He slowed the car and pulled the Mercedes into a layby on the side of the road. 'He's pulled in behind me,' Tony added. 'I hope there isn't a problem with our car?'
Harry shrugged briefly. 'We're about to find out I think.'
A large blue French car came to a halt behind them and a young-looking man strided towards them. Harry and Tony opened their doors and went to meet him.
'Is anything wrong?' asked Tony, approaching the man hesitantly, his expression contorted with concern.
'Not wrong exactly,' replied the young man, pleasantly. He appeared to speak good English, but with a heavy French accent. 'I wanted to give you this.' He held out something small and black in one hand as he approached Tony. 'I was standing next to you at Monet's place when you paid for something from your wallet. You left it on the counter and I only realized it was yours as you were leaving. So I had to catch up as quickly as possible in order to return it.'
The young man smiled briefly handing over Tony's wallet, still looking as if it was stuffed with Euros he'd extracted from a cash machine in the last town they'd visited.
'That is really kind of you,' said Tony, his cheeks becoming warm and flushed with the realization of how he would have managed without it. His expression softened. 'Thank you. Much appreciated indeed! But I must reward you for your efforts.' He began delving into his wallet to search for a suitable note or two to offer.
'Oh no, please don't!' the young man urged. 'I'm only too happy to help.' His face clouded over and he grimaced slightly before backing away. Tony could only thank him again and stepped forward to grasp the man's hand to shake.
'It was very good of you to go out of your way to return my wallet.' He smiled with gratitude at the man before he began walking back to his car. He felt he needed to do more - a lot more, being eternally thankful his wallet was now back in his pocket. He kept tapping the area, feeling if it was still there and shook his head slowly, climbing into the driver's seat.
'What a relief! Fancy losing my wallet with all those euros in it and not even realizing where and when I'd left it! Phew! Glad it wasn't when we'd reached the hotel in Rouen,' he said, much relieved. 'That would have been very inconvenient and extremely annoying.'
'Good grief Tony! You'll have to be more careful in the future.' Harry buckled up his seat belt. 'You were very fortunate to have it returned this time and in such a way as we just experienced. That young man certainly went out of his way to return it and I for one, think that's admirable. Not many people, young or old, would do what that chap did today.'
'I absolutely agree, old thing. I'll say it again. What a relief!' He pulled out of the parking place before steering the car carefully through a roundabout, always trying to remember to keep to the right and drive anti-clockwise. There had been a few mishaps he'd almost gone in the wrong direction, remembering in the nick of time. He settled back into the driver's seat, arms outstretched, peering through the front window, as rain began to fall.
'You know, that wallet has been with me for a very long time and made of such a soft leather. It would be difficult to replace, being of sentimental value also. My kids gave it to me for my 60th birthday, needing to dig deep at the time. Both were strapped for cash as I remember.'
Harry reflected on what Tony said and commented. 'You don't talk about them very much. Is everything alright between you all?'
'I guess so,' replied his friend nonchalantly. 'Things can go pear-shaped sometimes though. It's all very well when they need something from me, but at other times, keep their distance.' His face took on a wistfulness Harry didn't see often. 'I wish our relationship was a lot better,' Tony continued, his mood reflecting on the past for several moments. 'But you can't force the issue, just need to be there for them and hope things improve as time goes by. I think as they grow older, they become more and more independent of you...but hopefully more thoughtful too...'
'Think I know what you mean, old friend. but don't despair, I'm always around. At least for the time being anyway,' Harry concluded, with a slight cynical laugh. 'Hey ho, we have to accept things as they stand I suppose - then get on with our own lives.'
Tony kept up to speed on the main road, glancing briefly to look at Harry. 'I do appreciate having you as my best friend Harry - really I do. My life would be rather boring if it wasn't for you. Oh how time is running out fast!'
'That's nice to know,' replied Harry with a smile, before becoming more serious. 'But don't be like that. We have to make the most of the time we have left. Going back to the wallet situation for a moment. You know what we always say before we leave a hotel or other places... "spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch!" 'Now, don't forget, okay? Keep reminding yourself.' Then he frowned deeply. 'Crumbs! I'd hate to leave anything crucial behind, I really would!'
Tony chuckled. 'And those things are crucial. You are quite right!'
His friend sitting opposite, breathed deeply, then squinted through the front windscreen. 'Cobblers! The rain is getting heavier. Hope it eases before we hit Rouen. Don't fancy you negotiating all those narrow medieval streets in this weather!'
Tony agreed with a brief grunt, coming from somewhere deep within his chest. 'Me too. When we checked the street map this morning, I noticed there were many one-way streets.'
'Oh dear, yes, that will make things even more difficult.' Then Harry suddenly changed the subject. 'I wonder if we will meet up with the ladies while there. Kathleen and Maudy, I mean.'
'Well, you wouldn't mean any others, would you?' laughed Tony.
'I suppose not,' suggested Harry, looking slightly mournful at the thought. 'But they were fun don't you think? Added some spice to the evening - and there's nothing like a little female company - err - some of the time. As long as the ladies don't keep chattering like birds. I'd find that very tedious.'
Tony screwed up his face. 'I would too.' Then he suddenly changed his tone, head snapping around quickly. 'Ah! Was that a sign to Rouen I just spotted?'
'It was,' Harry agreed. 'Now, we must concentrate. Perhaps we should ask Miss Madam for some help. What do you think Tony? Should we trust her?'
'Mmm...well alright. Perhaps it might be a good idea. I'll stop soon in order to programme her.
'No need, I can do it while you drive,' replied Harry, beginning to fiddle with the knobs.
He sat forward in his seat muttering aloud to himself. 'Err...what's the address of the hotel? We need to go up there, then down there and around the corner... not far from the cathedral,' he continued, while studying the map. He then looked at all their paperwork in a file for the hotel address, thumbing through it. 'Could be awkward!' he mumbled. He played with the knobs a little longer, then leant back.
'Right then!' he eventually announced. 'That seems to have done it. Let's hope she's got the message.'
'I have!' came the stern voice from the dashboard. 'Calculating...please follow the highlighted route for 3 miles.'
Harry gave Tony a brief flick of his hand on the nearest leg, cocking his head to one side, eyebrows lifting. 'Aye aye! Let's see what happens this time,' he whispered.
Tony rolled his eyes giving a brief chuckle in answer.
Soon, as they approached Rouen, another command was given by Miss Madam. 'Turn right at the next intersection and proceed for 300 yards, then take the second street on the left.
'Crumbs! I hope she knows what she's doing.' Tony squinted, peering through the front windscreen, the rain becoming heavier. 'Just what we didn't need,' he moaned.
Miss Madam soon confirmed the fact. 'I do! and the rain won't help either!'
Tony frowned again. 'Thank you for that. Very helpful I don't think!'
Harry continually glanced at the sat/nav picture, while looking left and right at each intersection for any street signs. The road was narrowing down as Tony slowed in order to turn where instructed to do so. He switched the wipers on faster in order to see through the oncoming squall.
'Take the second street on the left now!'
'Damn and blast!' Tony grumbled. I've missed it!'
'Calculating...take the first street on the left. Proceed for 100 yards, then turn left.'
Harry suddenly realized the problem. 'But that's one-way. Now what? Does she realize that?'
'Calculating...continue for 200 yards, then turn right.'
'What?' Tony was becoming flustered. 'What on earth does she mean?'
'Trust me,' came the dictatorial voice.
'If you say so dear,' retorted Harry, before the next command came from Miss Madam.
'I do! Take the second street on the left and turn immediately right.'
'Oh...' Tony complained. 'It's very narrow here. This can't be right!' He slowed to a crawl, glancing over to the highest part of the cathedral coming into view, much to the annoyance of other drivers behind.
'You have reached your destination!' announced Miss Madam with a condescending tone to her voice.
Harry cheered up and pointed down the narrow road to the end. 'Look! That's the cathedral and there is the hotel entrance. It's very close, so the hotel carpark must be around the corner. Let's hope so.'
Suddenly as they turned, the carpark entrance was facing them. Tony steered towards the barrier. 'Perhaps we need to check in first...' he wondered, hesitantly. Then the barrier suddenly lifted and he eased the Mercedes down into the underground carpark, being careful not to scrape the sides on the walls. He slowed the car, negotiating into the last available park.
'It's very narrow in here,' Harry uttered, before they noticed a sign on the wall for smaller cars to continue to the right - larger cars could park to the left. Both men heaved a sigh of relief as Tony drew the car to a standstill.
'Phew! We're here! Let's go and check in before we unload our bags.' Then I'm ready for a cold beer. Harry agreed without difficulty.
Later that evening after a stroll around the cathedral and main streets to get their bearings, they managed to find a pleasant-looking restaurant specializing in French cuisine.
'This will do nicely, don't you think Harry?'
'Definitely! Don't fancy wandering any further to find another, specially after the driving today. It was a little stressful, particularly entering Rouen. Hope we can find a way out in a couple of days.'
'We will - or I should say, you will - with my map-reading skills!' Harry thought for a moment. 'You did well considering.'
'Considering what?' asked Tony looking puzzled.
'It wasn't exactly easy finding our hotel, was it? Miss Madam sort of helped, but I have my doubts about her, really I do.' Harry shook his head slowly and continued. 'It's all these narrow medieval streets. The horses didn't need as much room in those days to negotiate I guess. But imagine what it will be like here in another 50 or 100 year's time? Or anywhere for that matter. Don't think I want to be around then to find out either. Some cities are already very overcrowded.' Harry headed for a table for two, not waiting to be seated by the restaurant staff.
Tony followed, pulling his chair out to sit opposite his friend. 'We are very close to the cathedral. You could throw a stone from the front of the hotel and it would land in the grounds of the cathedral down the lane,' he chuckled.
'Now don't go doing that, will you old boy?' Harry actually became quite serious.
'Good grief Harry, of course I wouldn't! But it would be fun to try, laughed Tony, picking up the menu while remembering throwing flat stones across a lake when young. His friend frowned into his and muttered something Tony didn't catch.
'I say! How is your book coming along Harry? You haven't mentioned it lately.'
'It isn't!' muttered the voice opposite.
'Oh well, c'est la vie!'
Harry rested his menu on the table for a moment. 'Your French is improving Tony.'
'Is it?' asked Tony, taking the remark on the chin momentarily. 'Oh! You were being a little sarcastic me thinks.'
'Sorry old boy. Not really. I wouldn't want to rub you up the wrong way. Honest.' Harry quickly changed the subject. 'What will you have this evening? The menu looks very tempting I must say. Phew! It's good to be here at last! Not long and we'll be home.'
'Coq au vin for me and the soupe du jour to start with. Yes, and you can drive your own car again. Perhaps you'd prefer to drive once we are back in dear old England again? I'm sure you are free from those silly heart problems for now!'
'That sounds good, but I feel like some beef,' Harry half muttered as he continued peering into the menu. 'Right then! But what about a good wine ?' he asked, thinking Tony may prefer a red with his chicken. He looked around for the waiter before considering what Tony had just suggested. 'Could I? That's very good of you old friend. I'll take you up on that. Indeed I will!' Harry beamed, apparently delighted at the thought.
Within minutes the table next to them became occupied and Tony smiled then flushed as Kathleen and Maudy sat down.
'How nice to see you ladies again! What a small world. Of all the restaurants in all the towns, you have to walk into ours!' he said, borrowing similar words from a Humphrey Bogart movie, before chuckling at his own wit.
'Hello you two,' said Kathleen. 'I hope you don't mind us sitting here. The other tables for four are filling up quickly.'
'Not at all!' grinned Harry, clearly delighted. 'With so many people arriving, perhaps the food is pretty good here. Some of them look to be locals too. You know what they say. "Where the locals eat is probably worth investigating." We found that applied in Paris, didn't we Tony?'
His friend shuffled his chair a little closer to the ladies. 'Absolutely! It works every time. How was your journey today?' he asked the ladies, changing the subject.
'Alright until we hit Rouen,' Maudy replied. 'The medieval streets can be difficult to negotiate, particularly if one way. We managed to park for a while in order to walk to where we thought the hotel might be located.'
Harry nodded in agreement. 'We understand what you mean. Luckily our sat/nav helped, this time. Though not always.'
The ladies ordered their meal and settled back to enjoy a conversation with the two men from time to time. 'Did you enjoy visiting Monet's house and garden?' enquired Kathleen.
Harry spoke first and admitted on behalf of Tony, who wasn't all that interested in Impressionist art at first.
'That's right,' Tony intervened. 'Until I saw a special Impressionism exhibition in Martigny, Switzerland. That changed everything. I quickly became a fan. It was a natural progression to visit Giverny and see Monet's house and garden, which was a great opportunity while we were in the area. Did you notice how cottagey the house was, the walls simply covered in his art? Very enjoyable I must admit.'
'We relished every moment,' said Maudy. 'Thank goodness the weather was decent. It made a great difference walking around the lake in the warm sunshine. We even spotted a few waterlilies!'
Tony, in his usual charming way, ordered a special bottle of wine to share with the ladies. They all lifted their glasses to a "chin chin" and drank heartily, before the conversation became more interesting. He couldn't help noticing the delightful curve of Kathleen's nose and attractive mouth when she talked and laughed. He smoothed his jacket briefly, adjusting the collar of his shirt, feeling the warmth of the restaurant. The meal was as good as they expected and all four were relaxed in each other's company.
Harry and Maudy seemed engrossed in a private conversation for a while and Tony managed to keep Kathleen occupied, filling her wine glass for the third time.
'Will you stay in Rouen for a while?' he enquired, lifting his eyebrows slightly.
Kathleen replaced her glass on the table before answering. 'Yes,' she answered smiling at him. 'We plan to be here for three nights. The history of Rouen is vast and there is much to absorb. We might even be able to gather more information to teach the kids, allowing for the fact that it has to be included in the syllabus.
'Oh, that must be awkward at times,' Tony remarked, noticing even more pleasant features about this lady.
'Not really, as long as we stick to the guidelines. But it's the feeling you take back, the ambience.'
Kathleen explained what she and Maudy had gleaned from their trip, while Tony listened with genuine interest.
'Hmm... I know what you mean. There's plenty of history around here, specially as Rouen is the capital of the French region of Upper Normandy. The Normans have a lot to answer to,' Tony said, taking another long sip of his wine, before pondering on what he had just said. He gazed over at Kathleen, then grinned. 'Harry has been informing me about a lot of things. He has a particular interest in medieval history. I'm afraid a lot of it has rubbed off and I'm looking forward to exploring Rouen tomorrow, particularly the cathedral. Apart from driving, the narrow streets will seem rather appealing.'
He and Kathleen continued with their own conversation for a while, engrossed in each other's company.
The night grew late, the meal at an end and all four finally rose to return to their hotels, both men feeling rather mellow.
'It has been a successful evening,' Tony remarked, as they walked under the 14th century astronomical clock, known as Gros Horloge.
'It has,' agreed Harry, glancing up at the clock. 'Indeed it has,' he smiled to himself.
'You know, that wallet has been with me for a very long time and made of such a soft leather. It would be difficult to replace, being of sentimental value also. My kids gave it to me for my 60th birthday, needing to dig deep at the time. Both were strapped for cash as I remember.'
Harry reflected on what Tony said and commented. 'You don't talk about them very much. Is everything alright between you all?'
'I guess so,' replied his friend nonchalantly. 'Things can go pear-shaped sometimes though. It's all very well when they need something from me, but at other times, keep their distance.' His face took on a wistfulness Harry didn't see often. 'I wish our relationship was a lot better,' Tony continued, his mood reflecting on the past for several moments. 'But you can't force the issue, just need to be there for them and hope things improve as time goes by. I think as they grow older, they become more and more independent of you...but hopefully more thoughtful too...'
'Think I know what you mean, old friend. but don't despair, I'm always around. At least for the time being anyway,' Harry concluded, with a slight cynical laugh. 'Hey ho, we have to accept things as they stand I suppose - then get on with our own lives.'
Tony kept up to speed on the main road, glancing briefly to look at Harry. 'I do appreciate having you as my best friend Harry - really I do. My life would be rather boring if it wasn't for you. Oh how time is running out fast!'
'That's nice to know,' replied Harry with a smile, before becoming more serious. 'But don't be like that. We have to make the most of the time we have left. Going back to the wallet situation for a moment. You know what we always say before we leave a hotel or other places... "spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch!" 'Now, don't forget, okay? Keep reminding yourself.' Then he frowned deeply. 'Crumbs! I'd hate to leave anything crucial behind, I really would!'
Tony chuckled. 'And those things are crucial. You are quite right!'
His friend sitting opposite, breathed deeply, then squinted through the front windscreen. 'Cobblers! The rain is getting heavier. Hope it eases before we hit Rouen. Don't fancy you negotiating all those narrow medieval streets in this weather!'
Tony agreed with a brief grunt, coming from somewhere deep within his chest. 'Me too. When we checked the street map this morning, I noticed there were many one-way streets.'
'Oh dear, yes, that will make things even more difficult.' Then Harry suddenly changed the subject. 'I wonder if we will meet up with the ladies while there. Kathleen and Maudy, I mean.'
'Well, you wouldn't mean any others, would you?' laughed Tony.
'I suppose not,' suggested Harry, looking slightly mournful at the thought. 'But they were fun don't you think? Added some spice to the evening - and there's nothing like a little female company - err - some of the time. As long as the ladies don't keep chattering like birds. I'd find that very tedious.'
Tony screwed up his face. 'I would too.' Then he suddenly changed his tone, head snapping around quickly. 'Ah! Was that a sign to Rouen I just spotted?'
'It was,' Harry agreed. 'Now, we must concentrate. Perhaps we should ask Miss Madam for some help. What do you think Tony? Should we trust her?'
'Mmm...well alright. Perhaps it might be a good idea. I'll stop soon in order to programme her.
'No need, I can do it while you drive,' replied Harry, beginning to fiddle with the knobs.
He sat forward in his seat muttering aloud to himself. 'Err...what's the address of the hotel? We need to go up there, then down there and around the corner... not far from the cathedral,' he continued, while studying the map. He then looked at all their paperwork in a file for the hotel address, thumbing through it. 'Could be awkward!' he mumbled. He played with the knobs a little longer, then leant back.
'Right then!' he eventually announced. 'That seems to have done it. Let's hope she's got the message.'
'I have!' came the stern voice from the dashboard. 'Calculating...please follow the highlighted route for 3 miles.'
Harry gave Tony a brief flick of his hand on the nearest leg, cocking his head to one side, eyebrows lifting. 'Aye aye! Let's see what happens this time,' he whispered.
Tony rolled his eyes giving a brief chuckle in answer.
Soon, as they approached Rouen, another command was given by Miss Madam. 'Turn right at the next intersection and proceed for 300 yards, then take the second street on the left.
'Crumbs! I hope she knows what she's doing.' Tony squinted, peering through the front windscreen, the rain becoming heavier. 'Just what we didn't need,' he moaned.
Miss Madam soon confirmed the fact. 'I do! and the rain won't help either!'
Tony frowned again. 'Thank you for that. Very helpful I don't think!'
Harry continually glanced at the sat/nav picture, while looking left and right at each intersection for any street signs. The road was narrowing down as Tony slowed in order to turn where instructed to do so. He switched the wipers on faster in order to see through the oncoming squall.
'Take the second street on the left now!'
'Damn and blast!' Tony grumbled. I've missed it!'
'Calculating...take the first street on the left. Proceed for 100 yards, then turn left.'
Harry suddenly realized the problem. 'But that's one-way. Now what? Does she realize that?'
'Calculating...continue for 200 yards, then turn right.'
'What?' Tony was becoming flustered. 'What on earth does she mean?'
'Trust me,' came the dictatorial voice.
'If you say so dear,' retorted Harry, before the next command came from Miss Madam.
'I do! Take the second street on the left and turn immediately right.'
'Oh...' Tony complained. 'It's very narrow here. This can't be right!' He slowed to a crawl, glancing over to the highest part of the cathedral coming into view, much to the annoyance of other drivers behind.
'You have reached your destination!' announced Miss Madam with a condescending tone to her voice.
Harry cheered up and pointed down the narrow road to the end. 'Look! That's the cathedral and there is the hotel entrance. It's very close, so the hotel carpark must be around the corner. Let's hope so.'
Suddenly as they turned, the carpark entrance was facing them. Tony steered towards the barrier. 'Perhaps we need to check in first...' he wondered, hesitantly. Then the barrier suddenly lifted and he eased the Mercedes down into the underground carpark, being careful not to scrape the sides on the walls. He slowed the car, negotiating into the last available park.
'It's very narrow in here,' Harry uttered, before they noticed a sign on the wall for smaller cars to continue to the right - larger cars could park to the left. Both men heaved a sigh of relief as Tony drew the car to a standstill.
'Phew! We're here! Let's go and check in before we unload our bags.' Then I'm ready for a cold beer. Harry agreed without difficulty.
Later that evening after a stroll around the cathedral and main streets to get their bearings, they managed to find a pleasant-looking restaurant specializing in French cuisine.
'This will do nicely, don't you think Harry?'
'Definitely! Don't fancy wandering any further to find another, specially after the driving today. It was a little stressful, particularly entering Rouen. Hope we can find a way out in a couple of days.'
'We will - or I should say, you will - with my map-reading skills!' Harry thought for a moment. 'You did well considering.'
'Considering what?' asked Tony looking puzzled.
'It wasn't exactly easy finding our hotel, was it? Miss Madam sort of helped, but I have my doubts about her, really I do.' Harry shook his head slowly and continued. 'It's all these narrow medieval streets. The horses didn't need as much room in those days to negotiate I guess. But imagine what it will be like here in another 50 or 100 year's time? Or anywhere for that matter. Don't think I want to be around then to find out either. Some cities are already very overcrowded.' Harry headed for a table for two, not waiting to be seated by the restaurant staff.
Tony followed, pulling his chair out to sit opposite his friend. 'We are very close to the cathedral. You could throw a stone from the front of the hotel and it would land in the grounds of the cathedral down the lane,' he chuckled.
'Now don't go doing that, will you old boy?' Harry actually became quite serious.
'Good grief Harry, of course I wouldn't! But it would be fun to try, laughed Tony, picking up the menu while remembering throwing flat stones across a lake when young. His friend frowned into his and muttered something Tony didn't catch.
'I say! How is your book coming along Harry? You haven't mentioned it lately.'
'It isn't!' muttered the voice opposite.
'Oh well, c'est la vie!'
Harry rested his menu on the table for a moment. 'Your French is improving Tony.'
'Is it?' asked Tony, taking the remark on the chin momentarily. 'Oh! You were being a little sarcastic me thinks.'
'Sorry old boy. Not really. I wouldn't want to rub you up the wrong way. Honest.' Harry quickly changed the subject. 'What will you have this evening? The menu looks very tempting I must say. Phew! It's good to be here at last! Not long and we'll be home.'
'Coq au vin for me and the soupe du jour to start with. Yes, and you can drive your own car again. Perhaps you'd prefer to drive once we are back in dear old England again? I'm sure you are free from those silly heart problems for now!'
'That sounds good, but I feel like some beef,' Harry half muttered as he continued peering into the menu. 'Right then! But what about a good wine ?' he asked, thinking Tony may prefer a red with his chicken. He looked around for the waiter before considering what Tony had just suggested. 'Could I? That's very good of you old friend. I'll take you up on that. Indeed I will!' Harry beamed, apparently delighted at the thought.
Within minutes the table next to them became occupied and Tony smiled then flushed as Kathleen and Maudy sat down.
'How nice to see you ladies again! What a small world. Of all the restaurants in all the towns, you have to walk into ours!' he said, borrowing similar words from a Humphrey Bogart movie, before chuckling at his own wit.
'Hello you two,' said Kathleen. 'I hope you don't mind us sitting here. The other tables for four are filling up quickly.'
'Not at all!' grinned Harry, clearly delighted. 'With so many people arriving, perhaps the food is pretty good here. Some of them look to be locals too. You know what they say. "Where the locals eat is probably worth investigating." We found that applied in Paris, didn't we Tony?'
His friend shuffled his chair a little closer to the ladies. 'Absolutely! It works every time. How was your journey today?' he asked the ladies, changing the subject.
'Alright until we hit Rouen,' Maudy replied. 'The medieval streets can be difficult to negotiate, particularly if one way. We managed to park for a while in order to walk to where we thought the hotel might be located.'
Harry nodded in agreement. 'We understand what you mean. Luckily our sat/nav helped, this time. Though not always.'
The ladies ordered their meal and settled back to enjoy a conversation with the two men from time to time. 'Did you enjoy visiting Monet's house and garden?' enquired Kathleen.
Harry spoke first and admitted on behalf of Tony, who wasn't all that interested in Impressionist art at first.
'That's right,' Tony intervened. 'Until I saw a special Impressionism exhibition in Martigny, Switzerland. That changed everything. I quickly became a fan. It was a natural progression to visit Giverny and see Monet's house and garden, which was a great opportunity while we were in the area. Did you notice how cottagey the house was, the walls simply covered in his art? Very enjoyable I must admit.'
'We relished every moment,' said Maudy. 'Thank goodness the weather was decent. It made a great difference walking around the lake in the warm sunshine. We even spotted a few waterlilies!'
Tony, in his usual charming way, ordered a special bottle of wine to share with the ladies. They all lifted their glasses to a "chin chin" and drank heartily, before the conversation became more interesting. He couldn't help noticing the delightful curve of Kathleen's nose and attractive mouth when she talked and laughed. He smoothed his jacket briefly, adjusting the collar of his shirt, feeling the warmth of the restaurant. The meal was as good as they expected and all four were relaxed in each other's company.
Harry and Maudy seemed engrossed in a private conversation for a while and Tony managed to keep Kathleen occupied, filling her wine glass for the third time.
'Will you stay in Rouen for a while?' he enquired, lifting his eyebrows slightly.
Kathleen replaced her glass on the table before answering. 'Yes,' she answered smiling at him. 'We plan to be here for three nights. The history of Rouen is vast and there is much to absorb. We might even be able to gather more information to teach the kids, allowing for the fact that it has to be included in the syllabus.
'Oh, that must be awkward at times,' Tony remarked, noticing even more pleasant features about this lady.
'Not really, as long as we stick to the guidelines. But it's the feeling you take back, the ambience.'
Kathleen explained what she and Maudy had gleaned from their trip, while Tony listened with genuine interest.
'Hmm... I know what you mean. There's plenty of history around here, specially as Rouen is the capital of the French region of Upper Normandy. The Normans have a lot to answer to,' Tony said, taking another long sip of his wine, before pondering on what he had just said. He gazed over at Kathleen, then grinned. 'Harry has been informing me about a lot of things. He has a particular interest in medieval history. I'm afraid a lot of it has rubbed off and I'm looking forward to exploring Rouen tomorrow, particularly the cathedral. Apart from driving, the narrow streets will seem rather appealing.'
He and Kathleen continued with their own conversation for a while, engrossed in each other's company.
The night grew late, the meal at an end and all four finally rose to return to their hotels, both men feeling rather mellow.
'It has been a successful evening,' Tony remarked, as they walked under the 14th century astronomical clock, known as Gros Horloge.
'It has,' agreed Harry, glancing up at the clock. 'Indeed it has,' he smiled to himself.
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