So those are my stories from my job as a castle tour guide. (If you haven’t read them, they are: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V.) I have many more stories from that summer. But the highlights included:
- I gave a personal tour to the American ambassador, his wife (George Bush’s cousin), and their bodyguards.
Me w/the ambassador + wife. Don't ask me what I'm wearing. It looks like a pink bullet-proof vest.
- I cursed in front of a group of children. Okay it wasn’t like the F-word or anything, but I said “dégueulasse” (gross) instead of “dégoûtant” (disgusting) and got told off by the teachers, and then had to hear the kids repeating the bad word and giggling for the rest of the tour. I guess it would be the equivalent of saying “fart” in front of forty 6-year-olds. I swear: I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS A BAD WORD!!!
Children gathering in the castle courtyard for my tour, as I prepare to corrupt their little minds
- I called the VIP castle director “tu” instead of “vous” in front of the mayor.
- I ran an experiment in the castle staff room where I put a box of high-quality chocolate next to a bag of M&Ms and timed how fast it took for the rest of the staff to eat them. (This was at the request of my blog followers. The M&Ms won.)
The chocolate challenge
- And lots of other mishaps and hi-jinks…
BUT I ALSO
- Translated all of the room cards into English and
- Did the historical research for the objects in the Sacred Arts room, which was translated into four different languages and is still there to THIS VERY DAY.
So in the end, everyone was happy. Especially me when it was FINALLY OVER. Want to see?
Me on my last day as castle tour guide
5 Comments to Stories From France, The Castle Story, Part VI (the end)
by Angela Brown - On September 28, 2011
Sounds like you had a very interesting yet exhilirating time. It’s interesting how things translate into something that, in one language, seems harmless, but in another, well, just better not say that word 🙂
by Michelle Novels On The Run - On September 29, 2011
Hi Amy * waves* from across the world:D
You do such fun things with your time. I did laugh at your faux pas, I was in Germany when I was 18, part of conquering Europe by myself, anyhoo , stayed with some friends in their home in Germany and I got conjuctivitis. I called my eyes my eggs, well the words are similar!! I had them in fits, I was just trying to unglue my eyes..ha! Well apparently my eggs!
Keep on living the dream:D:D:D
I am soooooo hanging for some Jules…where is that boy hiding? I’m not often right, far from it, but, was I right with that boy or what!!!
Michelle
How is that jar of vegemite going? Vegemite and bacon and lettuce on a roll is awesome:D
by Judith C. - On September 30, 2011
Excellent recounting of it all! I want to go to Langeais and see your historic info :))
by amy - On October 1, 2011
Michelle – that sounds like a good one! One of my favorites with my husband was when he called his toes “foot fingers” (“droits de pieds”).
And Jules is doing just fine. Actually, no he’s not. Not at the moment, where we are in Book 3. Ah well, I can’t be nice to everyone all the time.
by amy - On October 1, 2011
Judith – it’s still there!