A Palace, a Honeymoon, and a Photo

I married my Princess, and we went to Monaco’s Prince’s Palace

This is one of my “Me and …” stories … true stories from my life. №.10: ‘Me and a Honeymoon Photo’

“When I was younger, so much younger than today,” say the words of an old Beatles song … “I never needed anybody’s help in any way.” Well, I did need help ‘when I was younger’ … on at least one occasion, and a very important occasion it was:

Some 45 years ago I married my lovely Indian wife Khatija in England, and we set off for our honeymoon to Nice in southern France on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

One day, we took a trip to Monaco, which is not too far from Nice, being just an easy drive along the scenic coastal highway. Just before reaching our destination, we stopped for a mid-morning break at a little café that had an outdoor deck that overlooked the Mediterranean, and as we took out seats at a small table, I noticed that the Palace of Monaco (The Prince’s Palace) was in view … right there … right behind us!

This was an opportunity not-to-be-missed! Think of it … two newlyweds; the Mediterranean Sea; and a Palace. What could be more romantic?

But then, just when I needed it to be effective, my ‘schoolboy French’ until then had been quite OK for asking directions, was found wanting. How do you say:

“I would like a photograph of myself and my wife, with the Palace behind us” ? This was my problem-of-the-moment, and this was the moment.

So, I approached two young ladies standing nearby, assuming that they were French, and would help me. I said, (hoping that they would understand me, and be able to cope with my strong English/Lancashire accent):

“Je voudrais une photo de moi et de ma femme, avec le Palais a derrière” (“I would like a photograph of myself and my wife, with the Palace behind”)

And to my most pleasant surprise, one of the girls said:

“Oui monsieur, je comprends” (“Yes Sir, I understand”)

I gave her my camera, and somewhat clumsily (because I couldn’t find the French words to tell her how to use it!), I gestured silently, showing her where the ‘shoot button’ was … and she said: “Oui monsieur” … I had succeeded!

I returned to my chair; reached across the table to hold my wife’s hand, and the young lady took the photo. She then turned to her friend, and said, in a thick English accent:

“Didn’t I do well?”

I kept quiet and said nothing except: “merci” (thank you), thus keeping my newly acquired Frenchness intact.

The resultant photo (now very old and worn -and somewhat dark) is shown below. Monaco and the Prince’s Palace are in the background:

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“Me” Story №10: “Me and a Honeymoon Photo” written by Fred: writer on Medium * * * * * © Fred Ogden 2021 * * * * *

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