Not such a funny Mayor incident this one, more a steam from my ears incident.
In the Chateau St. Vincent next door to our Presbytere, an old lady lived on her own who suffered with Alzheimer's. At week ends her charming good looking rugby playing son came from Toulouse to look after her. Malc and I got on with Bertrand really well and he and Malc often had a beer and watched rugby matches together. One day he came to tell us about a terrible thing that was going to happen if we did not all band together and do something about it. The Chateau of Belpech was going to have the path up to it changed from being a public right of way to being private if we did not go to the Mairie to sign a petition. Fired with enthusiasm for the cause Malc, Bertrand and I went into the Mairie to sign.
Now what we had not realised at this point was the socialist Mayor and Bertrand's parents, the more right wing Colonel and his wife had been at loggerheads for many years, so the relationship between Bertrand and the Mayor was not good. When we all asked to sign, the Maire totally lost his rag, and began ranting and raving. Malc and I were not sure what it was all about, but we all signed, with the Mayor flinging himself around the room and banging papers and books down.
When we got outside Betrand apologised and said the Mayor wanted the road to become private so he did not have to maintain it. When I asked why the Mayor seemed so angry that Malc and I were signing Bertrand told us that the Mayor was shouting "what did we "ressortissants" know or care about the patrimoine of France, never mind Belpech.
At this I lost my temper and started to go back in to tell the Maire he was wrong, we did care and we paid our rates like everyone else, etc.
I was dragged home cursing by Malc and Bertrand.
Now I have checked with Malc that this was an exact record of this event and he agrees it was.
What happened to the road around Belpech, it became private with access for Bertrand whose fields surrounded the property.
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