What struck me as characteristical of Mayle's writing style in this chapter is the way he plays with stereotypes like the French having a elastic understanding of time or disliking foreigners invading French ground. He uses a lot of irony and hidden wit, but, when you read between the lines, you realise that he richly appreciates the French culture.
Two major events marked the March in the family. Firstly, the massive stone table has finally been moved to its place after seven people grunted under the brutal weight of the table like "an elephant in labour". Can you imagine that?
Secondly, the Mayle's ate their last truffles of the season despite their exorbitant price. The way Mayle portrayed the truffle business reminded me of drug smuggling- all the secrecy and money involved. And before I forget, you can come and eat truffles in Croatia-we really have the best. For further information visit:
http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0602/istria.html
There is another cultural reference my heart is set on revealing to you-the flamboyant world of espadrilles. If you don't know what they are, look at-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espadrilles
And to finish off I have a magnificent piece of news for you- all the vocabulary in this chapter was fairly clear.
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