Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A few minutes later, thanks to our lifesaver Jamie, I had what I thought was the name - an
'epondre anglais'
. I didn't know exactly what it meant -
pondre
is to lay eggs, I knew that,
which seemed a little strange - but I had the numbers for three places that supplied them. I
called the list ending off with Monsieur Bonny, who was rapidly becoming our local mech-
anical genius.
Monsieur Bonny had one of the happiest, friendliest faces I had ever encountered. He was
a small fellow with boundless energy. In his late fifties, although he didn't look it, he had
been working as a mechanic in his family workshopin Coutures since he was thirteen years
old. He had a wonderful, strong Dordogne accent.
Maintenant
,
justement
and other simil-
ar words ending in 'ent' or 'ant' become 'ain' and take on the most beautiful sing-song ring
when he says them.
Besoin
, the word for need, also ends more softly, sounding more like
'beswain'
. We made his acquaintance soon after moving in and had been regular visitors to
his workshop ever since.
Monsieur Bonny explained that it was an
épandeur d'engrais
, a fertiliser spreader, and
nothing to do with English or laying eggs. Several machinery sales people in the Dordogne
were having a good laugh on me. Monsieur Bonny had a second hand one that would be
perfect for us. A few hours later Sean was spreading chicken manure as fast as he could.
Ellie and I watched from the kitchen window laughing as he and the strange machine with
its awkward wagging tail sped up and down the rows leaving a smelly trail in their wake.
Sean was getting neurotic about machinery. He smashed the back window of the tractor
with the fertiliser spreader. Days later he drove under a tree and dislodged the exhaust. His
number of visits to Monsieur Bonny in Coutures was travelling in the opposite direction to
our bank balance. Soon Sean was back with Monsieur Bonny buying electric secateurs in
preparation for the pruning season. This automatic pruning apparatus could take your fin-
ger off in a second. I eyed them warily, relieved that he would be wielding them and not
me.
Sean had learnt the basics of pruning on the vines in our back garden in Dublin: now he
had to prune 25,000 of them. Pruning is one of the most important jobs in the vineyard and
physically demanding. Jamie spent the afternoon with Sean helping him get familiar with
this new task.
While Sean learnt the practical details of pruning I tried to get the plumber, the tall, dark
and handsome Monsieur Lombere, to commit to a date for fitting the new shower and toilet
into the broken bathroom in our house. I had been waiting for months for him to do the
promisedwork.WehadfamilyarrivingforChristmasandIwasagitated.WhenIsignedhis
