"Poup, poup..."

It's been a lovely week, thinking about The Wind in the Willows with Mags and Co over at Fraise Lachrymose. And it's good to have you here today, on the Big Day!You can find the list of bloggers taking part over at Fraise - each of us is posting something inspired by the Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. My post today is inspired by my sons... I wrote about the French version of the books, in bande dessinée form, over at Fraise on Wednesday. I ended that post by wondering what the boys would say when they came home from school and found the books. And the answer is:

"Oh, poup, poup!"

j

(That's the French version.) I think that both of my boys, aged 12 and 13, love Mr Toad - as far as they are concerned, he is the star of the story, and the other characters are merely there to make the story about Toad and his motorcar play itself out. In fact, Mr Toad is a little boy all grown up - he has the normal enthusiasms and excesses of most small boys, but also the money and independence to actually see them through...So, when Son 1 talked me through the story, he began by reminding me about Mr Toad's gypsy caravan. This lends itself very nicely to French interests:

The French still make superb gypsy caravans (roulottes), and you can stay in them as a luxury B & B experience. Click here to see what I mean!

They are often featured in homes magazines, a bit the way the British feature their summer houses or posh garden sheds. This one was in the Christmas 'Journal de la Maison' for 2008.

But of course the British do make gypsy caravans too!From my point of view, the obsession with caravans was perfectly justified... I have always wanted to travel this way since the Famous Five spent time in one! But for Mr Toad, it was a short-lived fad, quite literally overtaken by the motorcar.

Oh, poup poup!

Although it's of the wrong era, I thought that these fantastic photos of a classic French 2CV, in a suitably picnic-based setting, were worth sharing with you. I've been looking for the excuse for ages!

But I'll end with what might genuniely be one of Toad, Mole and Ratty's picnics, from the same magazine: Campagne Décoration, July/August 2009. This is how the French see England!

j

Have a good weekend!

j

All credit to: Mags, for setting up this cosy week, and Michel Plessix, whose BDs were publised between 1996 and 2009 by Delcourt.