Gilbert was an old friend, a Frenchman who made me welcome when I arrived here donkeys years ago. Charming and thoughtful. Our relationship was very challenged when Lily tried to kill him, about 7 years back - she leapt at him in the course of our morning walk on the mountain and he stepped back to avoid her, falling into a hidden crevase which closed over him. Shocking and terrifying. One minuite he was there, then gone. He was a good 6'4, so disappearing wasn't easy. His 'hareme', the half a dozen or so women he walked with, came into view and I ran to them asking if anyone had a mobile and to call the emergency services. I told them what had happened, they dug around, found him and pulled him out (with me screeching no! Dont touch him! His neck might be broken etc etc ) They clustered round and went off down the road half dragging him, leaving me trembling and in shock.
When I got home I had to know to worst so I looked him up in the phone book. He answered. Very glad I'd rung, he'd been trying to contact me - I'm listed in the phone book under my married name and he didnt know what it was. He'd been trying to call me, worried because I had gone white and was obviouslly worried. There was no damage, he said, just some bruising.
PHEW.
Then the mayor, General Lafite, caused a bridge to be built over the crevase, rendering it safe for future walkers should they be attacked by a manic dog. Gilbert and I would laugh when we bumped into each other there; I called it Pont Gilbert, he called it LilyBridge.
A couple of years back his son died of cancer and that knocked him for six. He stopped walking in the mornings. All the life went out of him. I suppose that 90 is a decent age but at the funeral today everyone, like me, thought that he just gave up after that.
The church was packed, there was a choir -!- and only one taped song, a rather tremulous tenor Panis Angelicus. Abbe Bigot did the eulogy with great affection and fond reminicences... all most touching. Gilbert did a lot of charity work and was known hither and yon for quiet good works. I'm not the only one who'll miss him.
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This lunchtime Ryan and Alecia, Bob and I took Ettienne out for his first resturant lunch. Naturally it was the child-friendly and arty Creperie that had the honour of hosting him.
He seemed very taken with Titas little girl in her new make-up (note Tita's new glasses, aint she glam??)
Personally I was taken up with my roquefort, ham and chip crepe. Below is Kevin in the kitchen...
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