Poor liver.
Having woken up with a headache this morning I should have known better than to have two glasses of wine with dinner this evening.
We had our favourite evening meal of cheese and crackers, which tonight was a splendid feast of crusty pine-nut bread, coarse pate and creamy herb cheeses and included a chicken, cooked on the slowest possible heat for six hours in the oven, soaked in spicy sauce and left in its dish to be picked at.
I am quite sure you will agree that such a repast could not possibly be consumed unaccompanied, and indeed we poured two substantial glasses of red wine to help it along. After those we poured two more.
After that I remembered that I had to write to you, and so retreated to my desk whilst Mark got on with his current project, which is something excitingly electrical.
As you know, we have reluctantly conceded defeat with the camper van and next week’s holiday, however, this does not mean that we will be reduced to being entirely dependent on the mercies of French restauranteurs.
In fact since we have visited France before we were entirely reluctant to finish up in this depressing position, and so Mark, who is endlessly creative, has built us a small kitchen in the back of the taxi.
We have already got a small gas stove and a water container, and of course we have got a full array of picnic equipment. I got the picnic bags out today and rediscovered one of Oliver’s emergency dummies, once carried in all bags at all times and now left behind as a treasured relic of his babyhood.
I still didn’t throw it away. I tucked it back carefully inside the little pocket in the picnic bag just in case.
Mark took my taxi up to the farm today and carefully structured our zombie-apocalypse travelling kitchen.
The suitcases will go in one side of the boot, with a pull-out table underneath them. This can be utilised to give me catering space without disturbing our mammoth quantity of luggage.
On the other side of the boot is a drawer to be filled with useful catering equipment, and a box for the same.
At the back is a battery which he is wiring in to the engine with a split charger in order that it charges whilst we are moving. With that is a gadget which changes battery power into properly useful power in order that the children can charge up their electrical equipment whilst we travel.
A journey to France with a teenager with a flat-battery laptop would not be fun. We are experienced in the art of parenting by now. We know the sort of things to be avoided. We will be taking an extension lead with four plug sockets and a home-made charging machine.
We will also be taking our own bread and biscuits and tea. We shall be cooking our own picnics, and since we are in France, consuming them with wine and a clear conscience.
The countdown has started. Just over a week and we will be leaving.
I have attached a picture of the in-car kitchen, although it was dark and hence not terribly clear. I shall take another when it is properly organised.
I think it is absolutely brilliant.
