Where NOTHING gets in
SUE BRATTLE
Birthday Treat That Turned Into a Thriller
Anduze, Cévennes
WE were in France on the third leg of our mature persons’ gap year when Colin’s birthday came around and I booked a table for lunch in the pretty town of Anduze in the Cévennes.
It was a quick drive from the house we were staying in, and it was a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies – which was lucky for the restaurant because the waiter had to ask us to sit al fresco at a pavement table.
It turned out there had been a stabbing, in the restaurant, at an indoor table. By the time we arrived, it was taped off as a crime scene. Other than that, you wouldn’t know anything had happened.
We took our seats and spent the entire lunch mesmerised by the busy but extremely discreet police activity that buzzed around us.
First one then another police vehicle arrived, with officers armed and not armed, male, female, uniformed, plain clothes. They parked outside the tourist information office over the road from the restaurant and we gradually learned that the attacker was first, on the run in the town (during our starters), then caught (between main course and dessert). We were told the victim was not seriously hurt (during coffee), and the police began packing up and leaving just as we were paying our bill.
A lifetime of watching everything from Inspector Morse to Maigret means I know a thing or two about crime scenes, and I was concerned that the constant comings and goings of a busy restaurant would corrupt the evidence-gathering operation. But the officers all seemed cheerful enough as they went about their business, and everything seemed to be wrapped up as we left.
It wasn’t quite the birthday treat I’d planned for Colin, but on the other hand, it proved that in a country where everything stops for lunch, nothing gets in the way of a good meal.
May 2019
MORE INFO
ANDUZE WOULD MAKE a good base for exploring the Cévennes region, and the local tourist board’s site lists the main attractions. READ MORE
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Where NOTHING gets in
the way of lunch
SUE BRATTLE
Birthday Treat That Turned Into a Thriller
Anduze, Cévennes
WE were in France on the third leg of our mature persons’ gap year when Colin’s birthday came around and I booked a table for lunch in the pretty town of Anduze in the Cévennes.
It was a quick drive from the house we were staying in, and it was a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies – which was lucky for the restaurant because the waiter had to ask us to sit al fresco at a pavement table.
It turned out there had been a stabbing, in the restaurant, at an indoor table. By the time we arrived, it was taped off as a crime scene. Other than that, you wouldn’t know anything had happened.
We took our seats and spent the entire lunch mesmerised by the busy but extremely discreet police activity that buzzed around us.
First one then another police vehicle arrived, with officers armed and not armed, male, female, uniformed, plain clothes. They parked outside the tourist information office over the road from the restaurant and we gradually learned that the attacker was first, on the run in the town (during our starters), then caught (between main course and dessert). We were told the victim was not seriously hurt (during coffee), and the police began packing up and leaving just as we were paying our bill.
A lifetime of watching everything from Inspector Morse to Maigret means I know a thing or two about crime scenes, and I was concerned that the constant comings and goings of a busy restaurant would corrupt the evidence-gathering operation. But the officers all seemed cheerful enough as they went about their business, and everything seemed to be wrapped up as we left.
It wasn’t quite the birthday treat I’d planned for Colin, but on the other hand, it proved that in a country where everything stops for lunch, nothing gets in the way of a good meal.
May 2019
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MORE INFO
ANDUZE WOULD MAKE a good base for exploring the Cévennes region, and the local tourist board’s site lists the main attractions. READ MORE
RELATED
HEROINES WHO DEFIED NAZIS: One of the joys of travel is discovering a story you’d never heard of that leaves a lasting impression, such as this tale of two wartime heroines… READ MORE
WHISPERING GRASSES: I’d spent almost five years at home in England nurturing a tiny patch of black bamboo in our back garden, and then I visited this place. Its bamboo grows into forests, a testament to the man who brought them over from China… READ MORE
LET THE GAMES BEGIN! Two thousand years ago, gladiators fought to the death at the Arena of Nîmes in southern France. Now, the Great Roman Games are recreated there each May… READ MORE, WATCH VIDEO
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TOP 10 VIRTUAL ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
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France – Where Nothing Stops Lunch
Birthday Treat That Turned Into a Thriller
SUE BRATTLE
Anduze, Cévennes, France
WE were in France on the third leg of our mature persons’ gap year when Colin’s birthday came around and I booked a table for lunch in the pretty town of Anduze in the Cévennes.
It was a quick drive from the house we were staying in, and it was a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies – which was lucky for the restaurant because the waiter had to ask us to sit al fresco at a pavement table.
It turned out there had been a stabbing, in the restaurant, at an indoor table. By the time we arrived, it was taped off as a crime scene. Other than that, you wouldn’t know anything had happened.
We took our seats and spent the entire lunch mesmerised by the busy but extremely discreet police activity that buzzed around us.
First one then another police vehicle arrived, with officers armed and not armed, male, female, uniformed, plain clothes. They parked outside the tourist information office over the road from the restaurant and we gradually learned that the attacker was first, on the run in the town (during our starters), then caught (between main course and dessert). We were told the victim was not seriously hurt (during coffee), and the police began packing up and leaving just as we were paying our bill.
A lifetime of watching everything from Inspector Morse to Maigret means I know a thing or two about crime scenes, and I was concerned that the constant comings and goings of a busy restaurant would corrupt the evidence-gathering operation. But the officers all seemed cheerful enough as they went about their business, and everything seemed to be wrapped up as we left.
It wasn’t quite the birthday treat I’d planned for Colin, but on the other hand, it proved that in a country where everything stops for lunch, nothing gets in the way of a good meal.
May 2019
MORE INFO
ANDUZE WOULD MAKE a good base for exploring the Cévennes region, and the local tourist board’s site lists the main attractions. READ MORE
RELATED
HEROINES WHO DEFIED NAZIS: One of the joys of travel is discovering a story you’d never heard of that leaves a lasting impression, such as this tale of two wartime heroines… READ MORE
WHISPERING GRASSES: I’d spent almost five years at home in England nurturing a tiny patch of black bamboo in our back garden, and then I visited this place. Its bamboo grows into forests, a testament to the man who brought them over from China… READ MORE
LET THE GAMES BEGIN! Two thousand years ago, gladiators fought to the death at the Arena of Nîmes in southern France. Now, the Great Roman Games are recreated there each May… READ MORE, WATCH VIDEO
RECOMMENDED
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our up-to-the-minute guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE