This is going to be a very hard experience to write about. It's one of those moments when you really just had to be there to appreciate how funny it was. We still love laughing about it today. I'll try my best to describe it.
We'd travelled from Australia to Europe for an approximate five-week family vacation. We first stopped in London for seven nights before hitting the EuroStar in Paris to celebrate my wife's 50th birthday and my daughter's 21st birthday on the same day, 10 September.
I distinctly remember when my daughter was born, and we worked out the coincidence that their milestone birthdays of the 50th and 21st would fall on the same day. I remember thinking I'd better organise something super special when that came around, and boy, did it come around fast. I hope a Sien Champagne River Cruise followed by a night tour of the Eiffel Tower lived up to the promise. I also surprised them in Paris with 2 tickets for a girl's night out at Moulin Rouge. For my son and I, we would just wander aimlessly around the suburb, looking at souvenir shops while they enjoyed the show.
Anyway, on our arrival in Paris, a couple of us developed a little sniffle and a sore throat, probably from the air travel. It was nothing too serious, but we certainly didn't want anything to develop so early into our amazing planned holiday. We were staying in the Montmartre district of Paris, and directly opposite our hotel was a Pharmacy that we thought would be great to pick up something for sore throats.
This is where it gets difficult to describe so accurately. We were specifically looking for a throat gargle, not cough syrup, lozenge or Steprpsil-type product. My wife asked the male pharmacist if he had anything for sore throat in a gargle. Admittedly at first he looked slightly confused but did say yes or 'wee' in this case. My wife said in a gargle, not a cough syrup. Again, he replied yes, but again, he looked slightly confused with our English. So my wife demonstrated what we now call 'The Gargle' With her head right back like a sword swallowing act and making a loud gargle sound while pointing down her throat. By this time, both the pharmacist and a couple of assistants are staring with a stunned, confused look. The sound loud enough to draw attention from people around us wondering what the hell ? My daughter, son and myself erupted in laughter. After a short pause, he again politely said yes and proceeded to reach for the throat gargle. Demonstration success.
It is just one of those wonderful, memorable moments we often reflect on at family dinners, and it still brings us to tears of laughter.
About the Author
The author of this blog, unless otherwise noted, has no affiliation with any property or business linked in this article. Unless otherwise noted, there is no free accommodation or payment from any businesses. The information contained in this blog is strictly the views of the author and not professional advice. The author of this BookDirect blog is a travel and tourism professional with over 30 years of experience in international hotel management, global travel, short-term rental management and a tourism awards judge specialising in accommodation and attractions.
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