Château Marquis de Terme
I watched bemused as the military-green tank lurched around the corner in front of Château Marquis de Terme and advanced towards me. Or at least it initially looked like a tank; as it neared me I could see its true identity; it was in fact an aging Volkswagen Polo, its military appearance the result of a quick coat of green paint and the addition of a turret atop the roof, complete with a long gun barrel, all constructed from cardboard and painted the same green. So I hope you won’t blame me for thinking it was a tank. And for being more than a little bemused.
Trundling to a halt right in front of me, on the edge of the vineyard, a young Frenchman popped his head out of the turret. He was, presumably, accessing it through the sunroof of the car. Turing towards me, and without a word with regard to his mode of transport, he spoke in a cheery voice.
“Pourriez-vous nous aider s’il vous plaît? Nous cherchons une croix”.
I figured the tank commander was looking for the cross at the end of the Rue Montesquieu, which sits just around the corner from Château Marquis de Terme. A very small and simple cross atop a stone pedestal, it sits in the centre of the road at the junction. It’s not that I am an expert in the crosses of viticultural France (now that would be an impressive Mastermind specialist subject); more that I had just driven past it, a few minutes before.
“Merci”.
And with that this modern-day Pierre Billotte slid back into the command and control centre of his tank, otherwise known as the passenger seat, and off they went. To this day I have no certainty what they were up to, although I imagine they were strong contenders for the ‘best decorated vehicle’ prize in some sort of Jeune Viticulteurs de Margaux annual treasure hunt. But it is one visit to Château Marquis de Terme that I will certainly never forget.
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