Tristesse

Only 6 days to go now, before we have to leave Aniane. Al's been in Vienna visiting colleagues and I have spent the week packing and tidying and weeding the garden, and getting ready to say goodbyes.

I'm feeling a bit subdued - while I am really looking forward to getting home and seeing everyone again, I always hate leaving. And despite myself I have really enjoyed my time here, really benefited from living in another culture (suprisingly different in many ways to my own). I've learnt a lot, from the importance of everyday pleasantries and courtesy, to the convenience of small-car-driving (I'd like one of these), and I'm pretty sure I now understand the concept of 'terroir'!! I've rediscovered a love of walking for pleasure, I've picked up ideas on land use, colour combinations, and I've learned what it's like to be a stranger who doesn't speak the language well, and how powerless that can make you feel. Luckily the people here have been kind and friendly, waited with looks of concern on their face while I stammered out my sentences, and helped me with my grammar. I can't imagine how bad it would be if people were unfriendly, hostile, or even uninterested.

And of course spring is the most beautiful season, every day there is something new to look at, flowers, leaves, interesting insects, birds, lizards... cafes that have been closed all winter are opening, kayaks are appearing on vehicle roofs, walkers doing the St Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage are coming through the village towards St Guilhem le desert, one of the stops.

Well, life goes on, it changes all the time, and we will soon be on the next leg of our adventure, to Paris and then to the UK, where - horrors! - we will not have internet access!! I believe they do have internet cafes though, so we will have to rely upon those. A few more posts from France first, though...