#WeekendCoffeeShare – A Special Birthday and a Bizarre Vacation Memento

‘Hey, tell me about your week,’ you ask.

‘A week, I’ve had a crazy two weeks since we last met for coffee and a catch-up.’

‘Why crazy?’

I blow a long sigh and take a sip of coffee. I want to order a Pastel da Nata but resist the temptation. ‘We went to France to celebrate our grandson’s 10th Birthday. He had a friend’s party on Saturday and, on Sunday, a big family party for 21 people, which started at 12ish and finished at around 9 p.m. We found it particularly exhausting because of the language barrier. We don’t speak French, so we rely on some of the French relatives who can speak English to translate and include us in the conversation. That or use Google Translate. We manage.

‘Phew!’

‘Yeah, my face ached from trying to smile. Still, there was plenty of champagne, wine and excellent food. We had a good time, and it was great to share his first landmark birthday. Apparently, your 10th Birthday in France is a special birthday. I can’t even remember my 10th birthday. It’s not the same in the UK. I think your 18th is the first landmark Birthday… and then 21st. And we were certainly not lavished with expensive presents. But that was back in the 1960’s. My parents were frugal, and I don’t remember wine. The highlight of our week as kids was what my parents called ‘nosh’ on a Friday night when my father got paid. ‘Nosh’ translated to an extra large bar of Cadbury’s chocolate.

‘Did your parents drink?’

‘Yes, they occasionally went to the local pub, and at Christmas, they got out the bottle of sherry. The same bottle that had been open for years.’ I take another sip of coffee, look out across the village square in Portugal, and wonder what my parents would think if they were alive today.’

‘Yes, I also remember the sherry at Christmas. But as you say, life was very different back then. So what about shopping. Any bargains this time?’

“Oh, yes! I managed to buy a toilet roll holder.’

You laugh … ‘Seriously?’

‘Yeah, it must win the award for the strangest vacation memento! Mr. Piglet said I’d never get it in the suitcase. I should have laid money on it … And you?’

‘No, nothing that bizarre!’ So what else did you get up to in France?’

‘I watched the grandkids bake chocolate chip cookies and cakes and then helped them eat them. DON’T mention the D word. I tried to be good, but you can’t vacation in France and live on a lettuce leaf.

I listened to my grandson play the piano and discussed clothes and makeup with my granddaughter. But I lost a day laid up with muscle cramps in my butt (the piriformis muscle).

And then it was time to return to Portugal just in time to watch the Footie.

We went up to the local bar and watched England beat Holland in the semi-finals of the European Championships. Much to my surprise, they won! Now, we hold our breath for the final on Sunday.’

‘I hate footie,’ you reply vehemently, raising your hand to the waiter to order a large glass of fizzy white wine. (vinho verde).

‘So, enough about me, what have you been up to… anything exciting?’

For more weekend coffee shares, visit Natalie the Explorer’s blog.