"Vincent Pallet was the one who had spontaneously responded, when I had sent out my call for help in finding accommodation for the 24th July - in spite of the fact that that evening he and his wife Christine were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.
They live at Caouey on the Bassin d'Arcachon and their house is on the other side of the road from his mother's. His mother has somewhat lost her head and lives in an old peoples' home; but they take her out occasionally and on such occasions she sleeps in her house - this was such an occasion and I was put up there too.
Vincent picked me up on a supermarket parking lot - he was bare chested and bare foot, apparently his normal way of dressing in the summer - whiteness his blackened skin! When the guests were arriving Christine had to remind him that it was time to dress, so he put on a beautiful white linen shirt over what he was wearing and that was that.
A highlight of the evening was the arrival of one couple who brought as a present a donkey, a bale of straw and a sack of carrots. The donkey was the delight of the children and the following morning I heard Vincent's voice talking gently to the donkey as he was taking him - her rather, this is a female - to the field behind the house.
For our meal there was a sheep roasting on the spit Later there was dancing to a lot of very loud musik - as the neighbours were also invited, this did not matter.
At one point Granny too wanted to be on the dance floor - there she was, not really moving, because she cannot, but everybody was jumping about around her and once in a while someone took her by the hands and pretended to be dancing with her and she seemed very happy that way. Finally, after midnight, someone said: Ina, it is time you and Granny went to bed! And we were packed off to the big house on the other side of the street. That suited me nicely, because I am not used to staying up late and I had walked a long way that day.
The following morning I took the photographs which I could not take the evening before and Vincent took me to the Grand Pickey where I was to be picked up by the Arcachon lifeboat. Guess what he was wearing as he was getting into the car? Just Bermuda shorts - and Christine had to remind him that he should wear a shirt.
Christine says he puts her to shame - I like him that way, but then it is none of my business....."
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Vincent Pallet est l’une des personne qui a spontanément répondu quand j’ai adressé mes deamndes d’hébergement pour le 24 juillet et cela en dépit du fait que ce soir là, lui et son épouse Christine, célébraient leur trentième anniversaire de mariage …
Ils vivent à Caouey sur le basin d’Arcachon et leur maison est située de en face de la maison de sa maman qui vit dans un foyer de personnes âgées et elle vient de temps à autres avec eux et dans ce cas elle dort dans SA maison. Ce 24 juillet était l’une de ses occasions.
Vincent m’a récupérée sur le parking d’un super marché, il était torse nu et pieds nus, ce qui est apparemment sa tenue estivale habituelle, j’en veux pour preuve le bronzage de sa peau !
Quand les invités arrivaient, Christine a du lui rappeler qu’il était temps de s’habiller ; il a simplement passé une belle chemise blanche sur ce qu’il portait et voila !
Un des moments forts de la soirée fut l’arrivée d’un couple qui a amené un âne comme cadeau, accompagné d’un ballot de paille et d’un sac de carottes. L’âne a été le plaisir des enfants et le lendemain matin j’ai entendu Vincent expliquer gentiment à l’âne qu’il allait le conduire, ou plus tot la conduire (c’est une femelle) dans le pré derrière la maison.
Pour le repas, il y avait un agneau rôti sur les braises et plus tard tout le monde a dansé sur une musique forte : pas de souci, les voisins étaient invités.
A ce moment, la maie a souhaité aller danser, elle l’a fait, ne bougeant pas beaucoup, car elle ne le peut pas, mais tout le monde a sympathiquement dansé autour d’elle, la prenant par la main si bien qu’elle était ravie.
Finalement, après minuit, quelqu’un a dit : Ina, il est grand temps que toi et la mamie aillent vous coucher ! Et nous voila de l’autre coté de la rue ! Cela me convenait parfaitement car je n’ai pas l’habitue de veiller et que j’avais eu une longue journée de marche.
Le lendemain, j’ai pris les photos que je n’avais pas pu prendre la veille et Vincent ma conduit jusqu’au Grand Pickey où la vedette SNSM devait m’embarquer. Et devinez ce que portait Vincent : jsute un bermuda, Christine avait omis d elui dire de mettre une chemise !!
Il me fait honte dit elle, mais je l’aime comme cela le reste n’a pas d’importance.
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