I bought my house in Civrac-en-Medoc in 2017 but began to actually live here in 2018. I stayed for 3 months in 2018 and 3 months in 2019. I stayed through the vendange.
When I first came in town I had to establish a routine for my day. I had no scheduler to tell me
where to go or no one to tell me what to wear or whom I would meet.
Coffee is
the great starter for your day, so I began the 2 KM walk north to Begadan where
I discovered Chez Joelle. It is an
episcerie which is like a 7-11 in the USA.
Since I speak limited French, I practiced my request standing outside.
The store is only 3 meters wide and 15 meters long and social distancing and
masking make it necessary to be aware of
other customers.
«Bonjour Madame, Je voudrais un café et une
Choclatine et un Journal”. I must have been close enough to the proper French that they understood
me. Whoever was working at the cash register would get me what I asked for.
When I was especially feeling confident I would ask for a demi-baguette. I was
routine enough that they would start the expresso machine when they saw me at
the door.
The store is
managed by Joelle, a woman who epitomizes what I was told was common among
women in the French working world. She is always perfectly coiffured and
dressed very attractively despite the fact that her job requires hauling
produce around the store. There is a Dior touch to her style. Her scarf is
always attractive.
It should be
no surprise because she also runs a beauty salon called L’Indispensible which is
entered through a door next to the onions and eggplant. At Christmas time this
year I bought five scarfs from her shop to give to other local friends. They were pleased by my selections.
D’Ange’lique
is a quiet reserved attractive woman who deals with me with quiet
efficiency. I always wish when I come to
coffee, I could start a conversation. But my French is very inadequate, so I am
afraid to try. She is the one who introduced to the third female at Chez Joelle’s.
I asked the name of the dog who is often there. She told me LOU LOU ‘s name so
I could address the dog directly. I said, “Bonjour Monsieur, Lou Lou.” She
corrected me and said, “MADAME Lou Lou.”
Lou Lou is
an old basset hound who is always friendly and stands next to my chair as I
drink my café and eat my Choclatine. I have had dogs for much of my life so I
can tell when she wanted me to feed her.
But I learned never to feed from the table, so I began bringing doggie
treats in my pocket. She is not always there when I come but, if she is, she
makes it clear what is expected. Sometimes it is spoken in a deep voice.
The last of
my Begadan quartet is Susan. Neither Joelle nor d’Angelique have ever spoken in
English to me. I am not sure if they
studied English in school but aren’t comfortable in trying their skill on me or
if they never had English in school. But
Susan has had some English and every once in a while, she will throw in the
word I am looking for. When making
change if, I can’t remember quarante, she will say “40”.
Recently I
was interviewed by a reporter from Sud Ouest which is the Bordeaux regional
newspaper of SW France. The interview was published on Christmas day. It is the only day in the nearly 11 months I
have been here that I didn’t buy a paper.
The next morning, I went to Chez Joelle looking for yesterday’ s
newspaper. The remainders of yesterday are returned when the new papers
come.
Using my
Google translator, I explained to Susan what I was looking for. She broke into a smile and told me she had
seen it, since one of the regulars, Jean-Denis had brought it into the store
and she had read the story of my coming to Civrac.
I ask if she
could ask Jean-Denis to sell me his copy. Today as I came in to get my coffee d’Angelique
was reading the story standing at the counter.
When she was finished, she offered it to me. When I asked “Combien?” she indicated that it
was for me to take.
This quartet
of Begadan start my day with beauty and humanity and a warm style that sets the
tone for the day. Although the mask
changes the interaction, the humanity comes through in these short interactions.
Once I asked
Susan what vin blanc I should use in order to cook my mussels. She pointed me to a little green bottle on
the shelf I never would have seen. “La Villageoise Vin Blanc.” I get my refills there every time. I have
never seen it in the huge Carrefour in Lesparre but then, there is no Susan to
ask.
I am
hooked on Chez Joelle. It makes me smile even if it rains. The weather here is
very much like Seattle, so I feel quite at home.
