FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $75! *TERMS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY

LA VIE EN BLEU (RONDO)

In France for a long weekend, an English family on the Vieux Marche think I am French and speak to me in broken English. As usual, the thrill of their mistake sets me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Returning from four days of Normandy food; patisseries, seafood and the nine a.m. smell of fresh-baked bread wafting from the boulangerie’s, we hit a British ferry and instant tat.

December 1, 1981
Penny Valentine

LETTER FROM BRITAIN

LA VIE EN BLEU (RONDO)

by Penny Valentine

In France for a long weekend, an English family on the Vieux Marche think I am French and speak to me in broken English. As usual, the thrill of their mistake sets me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Returning from four days of Normandy food; patisseries, seafood and the nine a.m. smell of fresh-baked bread wafting from the boulangerie’s, we hit a British ferry and instant tat. The duty-free has run out of practically everything, the ship is dirty, the crew have a bloody-minded bonhomie which thinks bingo, raffles and silly onboard games to win a car will compensate for limp fish and chips, cardboard coffee, white bread wet ham sandwiches and Space Invaders machines.

England is more seedy than ever before. A kind of dull lethargy greets the unemployment figures announced each week. The night of the living dead turns into months. No wonder songs of high-rise anguish and impotence have disappeared from the airwaves. We are now sp gripped in its perpetual overdrive nobody has the energy to remark upon it anymore.

Sign In to Your Account

Registered subscribers can access the complete archive.

Login

Don’t have an account?

Subscribe

...or read now for $1 via Supertab

READ NOW