Coming Home to Story

Captain Midnight here, reporting from Paradise.

No, really!

Himself is sliding gently into the second week of our French idyll, with Rosie parked in the garden of a house called Paradise. The old word-botherer is using it as a writing cabin during the day, otherwise we’re staying in the main house with Herself and an eclectic bunch of friends.

Big news! I’ve learned to play boules! If you are not familiar with the game, it goes something like this. First, take up a position out of sight, behind an apple tree, for example. Then wait until the other players (four ladies in my case) have lobbed their cannonballs at a little ball called a cochonnet or piglet. Before they stroll up to see who is winning, rush on to the court, grab said piglet and run off with it. This avoids unnecessary arguments about whose ball is closer than whose and results in the most delightful final phase of the game – the chase.

I’ve also discovered that French wasps are not nice to eat. A whole bunch of them kept buzzing round the outside table at dinner time so I decided to catch one and eat it pour encourager les autres as they say in these parts. Unfortunately it stung me on the way down which swole my lip and made me bark with a lisp. Himself said he was very concerned but laughed in what I thought was an unseemly and unsympathetic manner. Next time, he can eat his own wasps.

Last but not least, it seems that I can actually walk on water. This will not be a surprise to my die-hard fans, but it came as a bit of a shock to me. I’d been running around the swimming pool as Himself advised, until someone who shall remain nameless (Herself) threw a ball from one side to the other. Well, what’s a dog to do? I ran straight over the pool cover.

Think they’re clever, eh?

I’d like to see them try that!

Captain Midnight here reporting from ‘this best garden of the world.’*

We finally made it across La Manche though it was touch and go. As avid readers of this blog will know, we got bumped from our original crossing because the Brittany Ferries’ computer ‘bots’ decided we couldn’t have a camper van and a pet-friendly cabin. Himself is still scratching his head about that, though it might be fleas.

Then, after 8 weeks of perfect blue skies, the heavens opened the minute we set off from Folly Cottage to drive to Portsmouth. Why a few inches of rain should bring everything to a halt is beyond me – I like a drop of the wet stuff.  Suffice to say that we arrived at the Ferry Terminal after all manner of delays and diversions, with about 5 minutes to spare.

Himself says that the crossing itself was a tad rough and that up on the passenger deck it was a like a Roman vomitorium on a two-for-one feast day, whatever that means. He said there were screaming kids and sick bags everywhere. I could tell there was something going on by the banging and crashing on the car deck as I tried to have a snooze in Rosie, down below.

But here we are, three years since Himself and I were last in France, à deux. Not much seems to have changed: he still cooks himself steak on the BBQ and drinks lots of red stuff. He says it’s wonderful to be in a country where people appreciate food.

I say the dog biscuits still taste the same.

Tomorrow we’re going wine shopping (o joy, o bliss) and then we’ll head off to Limoges to a house called Paradise to meet up with Herself and a bunch of other friends. I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks in Paradise.

There’s bound to be a bit of chicken every now and then in Paradise.

Wouldn’t you think?

*Fellow lovers of the bard will recognise these words from a speech by the Duke of Burgundy in Henry V, Act V, Scene 2

Captain Midnight voyageur du monde ici, avec un scandale maritime.

This fine vessel is M/V Baie de Seine operated by Brittany Ferries. Himself and I had passage booked on it from Portsmouth to Le Havre for Thursday 9 August with a ‘pet friendly’ cabin so Himself did not have to be left on his own for the night crossing.

Because Himself has hurt his hip recently we thought it would be better to travel in Rosie the VW Campervan rather than the sporty little number in which we had originally planned to drive down to Limoges. I sat next to Himself as he called Brittany Ferries to change the vehicle.

“No problem, Sir. What is the registration number of the new vehicle.”

Himself gave the number over the phone.

“Would that be a VW Transporter, Sir?”

“Yes,” he said. “Campervan. Same thing.”

“In that case, Sir,” said the young lady. “I can change the vehicle but you can no longer have the ‘pet friendly’ cabin.

“Why on earth not?” said Himself. “I’ve already booked the cabin.”

“As it’s an oversized vehicle it has to be parked on a different deck.”

“That makes sense, I suppose.” said Himself. “But how does that affect the cabin?”

“You would have to take the dog up some stairs.”

“He’s an intelligent beast. He can manage stairs. What’s the problem?”

“It’s the rules. We’re not insured for that.”

“Excuse me! That’s rubbish. I don’t believe you.”

“The computer won’t let me book an oversized vehicle and a ‘pet friendly’ cabin.”

“That, I believe. Are you suggesting that I leave my dog in the vehicle?”

“I’m afraid not, Sir. The oversize vehicle deck is not temperature-managed.”

“So, I either have the Campervan or my dog? Is that right?

“I’m afraid so.”

“W.T.F. !?”

“There’s no need to swear, Sir.”

“I’m not swearing at you. I’m swearing at the staggering stupidity of a world ruled by computer algorithms that assume a dog can’t walk up stairs. There is every need to swear. You do see how idiotic this is don’t you?”

“I can’t really say, Sir. Those are the rules and the computer won’t let me do anything different.”

“What do you suggest I do?”

“I can book you on an alternative crossing to Le Havre. There’s one on 2 August.”

“Since today is 4 August, that’s not much help, is it?”

“Sorry. Er… there’s one on 2 September.”

“I’m booked to return on 26 August. It would be a bit tricky to come back before I’ve actually gone, wouldn’t it?”

“There’s a different ferry going from Portsmouth to Caen on 9 August. That’s close to Le Havre. I could get you on that.”

“Great. Can I have a ‘pet friendly’ cabin?”

“There aren’t any on that ship. But you could leave your dog in the Campervan as the deck is temperature controlled.”

“Let me just check this. Company policy – or at least the computer – says that it’s alright to leave my dog in a vehicle for 8 hours but not to take him up some stairs to a ‘pet friendly’ cabin?”

“I’m sorry, Sir. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“For the sake of argument, if I book this crossing can I have an ordinary cabin to sleep in?”

“They’re all taken, Sir.”

“Have you ever heard of Franz Kafka?”

“Who?”

Himself rang off at that point to stick his head under the cold tap.

The next day he spoke to someone different and for an extra £65 on top of what he’d already paid, booked us on a fast crossing to Cherbourg instead, so I’ll only have a 3 hour sojourn in the Campervan.

“£571.25″ he said as he put the phone down. “We could fly to San Francisco and back for that. They’ve got us by the short and curlies, old boy!”

I licked his chops to make him feel better.

It took quite a while.

Captain Midnight here with exciting news.

I’ve entered Himself for the obedience class at Kingscote Village Fete. It was that or the agility class and – frankly – that was never going to work. I mean look at him, he’s about as agile as a hippo (and that’s doing a disservice to my river dwelling friends who are quite nippy when needs must).

I had an idea this morning for a new manoeuvre. The idea is to make him open the back door for me to go out. It works like this…

I take one of his socks from the heap of clothes on the bedroom floor, making sure he sees what I’m doing, and head off. Himself can’t resist the lure and follows me downstairs to the kitchen calling out: “Oi you, give me back my sock!” This is good because you score extra points for getting your human to vocalise,

He still has an unfortunate tendency to lunge for the sock (definite loss of points for that behaviour) but I discourage him by picking up speed on the staircase. Then I stand, sock in mouth, and paw at the door. This is what they call a ‘silent command’ and is permitted under Owner Club rules.

With bit of luck, Himself will now turn the key and open the door for me. At which point (once he says “Thank You” of course) I will release said hosiery, now pleasingly moistened by my saliva, into his outstretched hand and exit into the garden.

He’s not very bright but he is learning. I used to have to chew actual holes in his socks to get his attention but after only four and a half years of training, the mere threat of damage is sufficient to propel him into action.

Et voila…

Royaume Unis – Dix Points!

Captain Midnight here, and we are not amused!

Now, I take my duties as custodian of Folly Cottage very seriously and Himself decided it would be a good idea to tell visitors to the house that no-one gets in the gate without my permission. I wasn’t averse to him putting up a sign giving notice of my presence. You know the sort of thing: The Captain is Home – Superdog on Patrol – Be Nice to the Hound.

But not Crazy Dog.

He was laughing as he screwed the sign onto the gate. It was a smug rather superior kind of laugh. Presumably Himself thinks I can’t read French. He’s forgetting that I’m half Poodle. Je parle Français perfectamento.

What I can’t do perfectamento is operate a screwdriver so I’m looking for someone with opposable thumbs willing to remove the offending item for me and replace it with a little something I’ve purchased online from the Canine Defence League.

Himself has not, I fancy, heard the last of this one.

Any volunteers?