Sarlat la Caneda

Gaak - Leisure world in France?  What gives?  I curse you, Rick Steves!

Sarlat leads me to the point where I am a little frightened.  Am I jaded after such a short time in Europe?  I like it, but not so much.  It is a cool little place, an old medieval city with narrow alleys and nice plazas, but it is absolutely geared for the high-end consumer who wants gold jewelry and truffles and foie gras.   

I get the idea that it is a huge draw – attracting both French and other European weekenders who want a cute trip to the country.  "Let's do Sarlat, Muffin.  Yes, quite right, George."  There is a huge Saturday market that causes traffic jams (We arrived on a Thursday and left Saturday morning, just as the crowds came pouring in from every direction.) So –it was nice – I liked it - send your parents here – but I don’t think I’d go back for 20 more years when I’m in my 60s.

The view of the market from our balcony

It’s not all old people though.  For example these are everywhere.   

I kept seeing them and didn’t really pay attention.  When I finally looked closely enough to realize they were condom dispensers, I cracked up.  It’s a nice idea, and I kind of like the implication that amorous encounters are just minutes away.  But what about quality control?  (Of the condoms, not the encounters.)  Do people realize that summer temperatures are in the 90s and these things are sitting out in the blazing sun?  They are everywhere in France – Paris too.   I think I solved the question of why there are so many babies everywhere.

We had a killer apartment situated right on a main street, one story up, with a patio – and air conditioning.  And the hotel had a laundry room with a – yes, a real hot-air dryer.  Sweet, sweet, sweet.

As I took care of the laundry duties, I ran across one of the fattest kitties I have ever seen.

I can speak cat, and I knew that I could get him to follow me down from the hotel lobby to our apartment.  I would show him to the kids and let them pet him, since they have been homesick for their cats – Salty and Olive.  This cat was so fat, she sort of moved like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.  She’d sort of roll from side to side, very slowly making her way down the cobbled alley.  She did spend a few hours with us, then lugged her lardy cat carcass back up the hill, a product of fine French mouse foie gras, no doubt. 

The things that make the kids happy

are not always easy to explain.