Worshipping at Cafe Latin

With all my recent missionary work with Currencies Direct, I realised that I had been neglecting “church” at Cafe Latin in Valbonne on market day. There was a good turnout for worship, but I was distressed to note that my guess of black and white checked shorts and black shirt for the summer look dictated by Mr Humphries (he was free) was completely wrong as he was in turquoise and white with flip-flops. so I had got it wrong again. Amongst the local luminaries present was renowned local artist Helen Humphrey. She was at her most demanding especially when demanding service from the young attractive male waiter, the least efficient of the staff on call. When I challenged her about this, she said she preferred her coffee to be delivered by someone young and pretty, perhaps the exact opposite of her husband in both respects.

Viv Frost, leading light on the local literary scene and wife of local mortgage expert and Russian speaker Matt Frost agreed with the concept of man flu being much worse than childbirth. However her qualification for this statement has had to be edited for reasons of space.

Paul Thornton Allan from The Big Picture was also worshipping and had brought with him a rather girly satchel, which  Phil Jeremy, long distance runner extraordinary exclaimed! “Its a bit gay”, but then went on to say he had something similar himself. A former male model, perhaps there are hidden secrets in his closet? Anyway he went on to reveal how he had once walked through some of the more unsavoury parts of Liverpool (indeed is there a savoury part?) carrying said satchel/man bag, and when pressed by his associate to hide it told him not to worry, anyone mad enough to walk the district with a bag like that was clearly identified as a loony and given a wide berth.

I sneaked this picture of the gathering, just before prayers

a large gathering at church at Cafe Latin

And so on the train from Mouans Sartoux to Antibes for lunch to celebrate avoiding the Royal Wedding in Monaco. I said to that nice lady decorator that when we were young, we had no money, a black and white TV and lived in squalor but at least I was sleeping with a hot 18 year old. Now we have two houses, smart cars, big screens but I am sleeping with someone a lot older and that she was not keeping her part of the bargain. She pointed out that if I wanted to sleep with a hot 18 year old, I would be very quickly back living in squalor, with a crap car with only a small black and white screen. It was a good point, well made.

And so to lunch in Antibes to meet the lovely Janie and her taciturn Scot sometimes partner Jim. That nice lady decorator declined the offer of a very reasonably priced local rose wine as she has spotted a very expensive Sancerre on the menu and proceeded with the help of Janie to demolish most of the restaurants stock. Serious damage is done to my wallet, so in solace on the way back to the station I felt it was necessary to pop into The Blue Lady in Antibes for a revitalising pint of Guinness, a move rather surprisingly supported by that nice lady decorator. At least they did not have an expensive Sancerre on their menu for her to abuse further my largesse. Finally, after a very thirst inducing train ride back, a short stop for a sundowner in the very quaint and very French village of Mouans Sartoux. And to think now the weekend starts…..

Chris France