Well We Have Arrived!

[Caran]

Made it in good time to Folkestone, got an earlier train than the one we had booked. Got to Calais in one piece. Saw no immigrants at all. Staying in a hotel in Calais.
But first we did a divert to Adinkerke in Belgium so OH could get his baccy. It's less than half price than at home. There is a whole town made up of tobacco shops, nothing else but hundreds of them. All charge the same price but some give better freebies than others. We got a box of assorted chocolate covered nuts and a handful of cigarette lighters.
First clanger, we forgot to bring the adapter plugs. So had to make a quick dash to Auchan (hypermarket) it is bigger than anything we have back home I'm sure.
Going shopping there for food and drink supplies in the morning. Then about a five hour drive to the gite we are renting.

[Buenchico]

Jackdaw33:
You still can't buy tobacco products in French supermarkets. I was in the tourist information office in Calais a couple of years ago, where a group of very disgruntled British day-trippers were protesting very loudly that
(a) "all of the shops are shut" ;
(b) "the supermarket up the road doesn't sell ciggies" ; and
(c) "there's nothing to do here".

The guy behind the desk patiently tried to explain
(a) "it's lunchtime, so all of our shops have closed for lunch". (The Brits clearly didn't understand the idea of shop staff taking a decent break to actually enjoy a meal) ;
(b) "only licensed 'tabacs' are allowed to sell tobacco and big supermarkets aren't allowed licenses. (The Brits again didn't understand and repeatedly demanded directions to a supermarket that would sell them their ciggies) ; and
(c) there were loads of historical sights and similar attractions in the area. (The Brits clearly weren't interested).

I felt ashamed to be British!

[Buenchico]

Goodnight, Caran.

Have a good (disaster free!) journey tomorrow ;-)

[Jackdaw33]

I realise that only licensed tabacs can sell tobacco. What got me was that the Auchan in Cherbourg is/was part of a large shopping mall so I thought that there must be a tabac somewhere. Not finding one I asked one of the security guys where there nearest tabac was. He sniggered and replied 'Angleterre'.
I replied. 'Connard!'

[Buenchico]

. . . and after you'd picked your teeth out of his fist, JD33, . . . ?

[Jackdaw33]

I didn't. I think he was shocked that I knew such a word.

[Buenchico]

Hmmm

Given that my French accent isn't very good, perhaps I should avoid asking for duck in a Parisian restaurant? There's clearly some potential for confusion ;-)

[Jackdaw33]

...and whatever else you do, never use the word baiser. As a noun it is innocuous, meaning a kiss. As a verb it is the f word.

[Buenchico]

At least we're providing Caran with an education here ;-)

[Jackdaw33]

"There is a whole town made up of tobacco shops, nothing else but hundreds of them."

The English term for that is Paradise.