Yesterday we had a clear day with no bookings so we decided to head for Ikea in Montpellier to buy some long awaited bookcases so that we could at last take some of our books out of the piles they rested on the attic floor.

We got back to Le Presbytere at about 6 only to see two puzzled people, a couple about our age, standing outside our door.

They produced a print out from our web site which gave my directions to our chambre d’hote and a letter accepting their reservation.

I had a moment of terror when it struck me that I might have taken the booking at a weak moment and then forgotten but was very relieved to see that the acceptance was signed “Marie.”

I explained to them that they had come to the wrong Presbytere.
This actually threw them into distress and they asked could we not put them up anyway.
Their presbytere, an internet search revealed, was in Provence near Les Baux and about 200 klms away.
Having booked it they then googled in directions to, and that was when ours came up.

We decided to take them out of their misery and Sile agreed to get a room ready while I gave the couple wine on the terrace- certainly a case of pulling the long straw and we sent an email to the other presbytere, explaining what had happened.
They were from Los Angeles and a lovely couple, him American and she from Lithuania originally.
We sent them forth for a meal, no-way that could be pulled together at the last moment,and plied them with more drink when they returned well satisfied.

They left after their breakfast, delighted with their mistake and full of invitations for us to stay with them when next in America.