Simon-the-censored Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 It's that time of year.......you know, when your influx of 'visitors' begins, be they friends or family.That time of year.... when you're expected to put your own life on hold and transform yourself into a tour operator and hotelier.....sound familiar?They're on holiday.......'They' like to 'choose' the food they eat and the drinks they drink - in YOUR home.'They' like to be entertained and chauffeured around every day - at YOUR expense.'They' embarrass you at local fêtes and make you cringe at local restaurants.You thought you knew them well but, apparently you don't!.......Summer has started - wonderful!Simon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 It's simple, don't let them.Do what you normally do and let them entertain themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSKS Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 When we were in Hong Kong it was even worse. People would come for weeks at a time and couldn't understand that we had jobs to go to - in fact some would get quite offended when we didn't accompany them everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I have to disagree with some things, but perhaps not all.I have the 10 day thing with friends and family. A week was never long enough. Two weeks were too long. Ten days and I always felt like I wished that they were staying longer, but knew when they had gone, it was enough. No one ever choses the menu at my table when I am buying the food and cooking, I do. I accommodate various dietary needs and requirements, but my table my food. I also let my guests go and buy the food and cook for us all. I like entertaining and going to see the things I am often too lazy to just go and see and really should, and am 'activated' when guests arrive. HOWEVER, everyone knows that I have a siesta every afternoon when we are not 'out and about'. I may not sleep, but I get time alone and I like that. I take care as to what restaurants we go to and have never been embarrassed when we have been out. Also as we always leave a good lump of money when we stay with friends for a holiday, they do too. It was never a problem. What was strange was who called to see us.Sometimes people we knew, but weren't best friends would turn up, but I have some friends, still my best friends really who never came to see me in France at all. Think you need to have ground rules really if you feel like you do about having people staying with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon-the-censored Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Just like to clarify one important thing - I'm talking about 'their' expectations, not mine !Simon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 [:)] Yes, you get yourself some expectations then. Looking back I think I did. Probably showing off a little really about where I was living and my food, I knew I wanted them to enjoy it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSKS Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 OH signed up to facebook a couple of years ago. Had a couple of contacts with old acquaintances/work colleagues who were all excited and chatty and wanted to know when they could come and stay. When it became clear that we are not a free hotel we never heard from them again. Strange? It's amazing how popular you become when you live in a holiday area! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Well, the thing to do is to ask them what jobs they can help with while they are there, and attach a list. My daughters' friends used to descend regularly and were more than happy to dig, shift huge stones, relay tiles and help load and unload trailors into skips. For which it was a pleasure to feed and entertain them. And I found they preferred to go off on their own to do stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon-the-censored Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 wooly - 'jobs to do' ! you've got to be kidding....they're on 'holiday' - they may break a nail if they lift a finger!The comments that make me laugh are:> we'll eat anything....(not!)> what are we doing today ?> where are we going for lunch / dinner ?> what's for lunch / dinner ?> do they speak English ?> sentences normally starting with 'we usually like....'> can you drink the water ? (in the Pyrenees!!)> have you got a local Chinese / Indian restaurant ?I do love them though!!!Simon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I suspect that I would be trading them in for new'uns.[Www]We took parents in law to a local restaurant when it was still good.As I knew FIL was fussy I ordered his meal. Lovely rouget in a lemon sauce, his eyes nearly popped out of his head when these little pink fish arrived on his plate. (little coz they were not rouget barbet which are cheaper and IMO not so nice). I had ordered the same and he saw me tuck in and he did too. He looked genuinely surprised as he tasted them and finished everything on the plate. I ordered him some carte d'or chocolate icecream to finish and he was well pleased with his meal.Can they speak english? Well my FIL spoke pitmatic, so spoke 'english' of a sort, but very hard to understand, even for 'english' people, even for me.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I may be Mrs Grumpy but it's the kid's lack of table manners that gets me. I really don't like the way they eat everything with their fingers.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We don't do local tours and restaurants for our visitors. We maybe take them somewhere we've been half planning/meaning to go ourselves, but never got round to. Or, off in the van for a few dozen oysters and some cold white wine on the beach.We do the accommodation and meals at home and let them to do the restaurants if they wish. We're not too bothered about restaurants, as we can usually cook better ourselves than most places around here. French restaurants, except Les Routiers places, seem to have really taken a dive in the last few years.The real nightmare is when the recently divorced friend of over 50 years, who can do no wrong, turns up with the new "love of his life".That's when I discovered how blind Love can be!! Edit. And we eat the oysters with our fingers [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon-the-censored Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Tell me about it nomoss!!My Uncle turned up with Moinka from Warsaw who 'needed' to spend a lot of time at McDonalds using the free Wifi service for her on-line business???! Never asked her what exactly it was!Uncle mid 60's, short and rotund - Monika, mid 30's tall, blond and Amazonian.Could write a book !Simon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Uncle mid 60's, short and rotund - Monika, mid 30's tall, blond and Amazonian. Couldn't that little sentence have given many a man of a certain age 'hope'! (or nightmares)[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Exactly. Like the man said - there's no fool like an old fool [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommier Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 OK beat this comment:(This is after cooking really, really good home cooked food for 5 days)"Tonight we'll go out for a good slap-up meal" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissie Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Another question that gets me is "But what do you do with all this spare time you now have?".....[:-))]...Well, actually, I rush around doing all the things you do at home, PLUS looking after visitors who like to lounge about half the day with a glass of wine and few nibbles, and think tossing the salad is a really great contribution to the workload......!!I have to say that many of our visitors are a lot older than me, and so I haven't generally the nerve to force them up ladders to empty the gutters or ask them to shift wood around. Am waiting for grandchildren to get old enough to come on their own and help us out with the chores.Chrissie (81) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon-the-censored Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Not exactly relevant to the topic but....One of the things that used to make me smile, specifically on Nice flights, was the disproportionate amount of guys wearing Chinos, navy blazers and panama hats - accompanied by the glam girls who'd had their hair done for the journey - from London!Are they still around today ?Simon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon-the-censored Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 oh and... airport transfers are taken as a given - never dream of hiring a car!Simon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyF Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 The great advanatage of living nearer to a channel port than an airport....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSKS Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 While all our visitors take it for granted that we will do the 320km round-trip to Lyon (and the same again when they leave), they would consider us crazy to expect them to come from Bristol to Gatwick to fetch us.Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I guess that we're lucky, but I doubt that we're alone.Visiting friends (totally unprompted, I hasten to add):fill up the car (with fuel I mean!!)buy the groceriestake us out for a really good lunchReckon on at least 2 out of those 3.We don't take advantage: nor do they. It's unsaid.Much more difficult if it's your business though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 [quote user="JK"]While all our visitors take it for granted that we will do the 320km round-trip to Lyon (and the same again when they leave), they would consider us crazy to expect them to come from Bristol to Gatwick to fetch us. Why?[/quote] Sorry but you are quite 'mad' for allowing that. If motorways are included I dread to think of the price. Surely there is an airport closer than that, or a station, can't they catch the train.Our trips to Lyon or Geneva were 200 kms return and that was far enough.Come on folks, unless we are talking about ageing parents who are no longer driving and are getting a bit 'stroppier' than they ever used to be, why put up with it! I'd resent the xxxx out of them being in my house. It'd make me feel likea stick of rock with 'loser' written down the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon-the-censored Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 but....they're on H O L I D A Y.........I guess Gardian is just really lucky with his guests...Simon :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 [IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/P1000368.jpg[/IMG]The sign above our front door.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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