Sunday 10 November 2013

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes - Marcel Proust

It's a bracing, sunny day today. The sea is gently agitated, crashing waves against the rocks. Refreshing. Stimulating. Beautiful.

I couldn't take the grin off my face driving around the coastal road to visit my family. Listening to Ella Fitzgerald. In my car. My very own car.

Yes, I have taken possession of my car and am enjoying getting used to it. And to driving on the left-hand side of the road. You'd think it would be the most natural thing in the world. Having learned to drive on the left. Yet my right hand keeps looking for the gear box and finding the door handle. Either years of driving on the right have contaminated my learning or it is indeed more natural to drive on the right. A matter I disputed during my whole time in France. More to annoy the self-righteousness of those arguing the case rather than from any deep convictions of my own. Still, I'm beginning to think they may have had a point.

I put petrol in the car today too. And don't mind telling you that I was shocked. Shocked, I tell you. Your money doesn't go very far these days, does it? I need to get a job...

But I'm enjoying popping in to see people. And having them popping in to see me. I forgot how comfortable it is to pop. Is it so very British? Or just not very French? Whatever. It's a long-time since I popped, and it's one more thing I'm enjoying re-discovering.  And a bonus of my popping has been to be given part of an allotment. Just over the road from my home. By my cousin and her husband. Finally I will be able to get outside and try my hand at gardening. Growing my own vegetables. And flowers. With lots of help and direction of course.

And so things are falling beautifully into place. My broadband is installed. My furniture has arrived and is (more or less) sorted. After four solid days of working on it. And three sleepless nights organising it in my head. I'm settling in. Nesting. I've just put my bins out for the first time. Bins for rubbish, for paper recycling, for bottle recycling. Even for battery and specs recycling. How efficient. How environmentally friendly. How cool.

All I need now is the job. Did I mention that I don't have one yet? After hundreds of applications? Onwards and upwards. Everything in good time. All good things come to those who wait. As they say. Whoever they may be...

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