French Escape

  A brief trip back to England revealed to me the things that I have missed while living in France.   As I sat on the bus from Heathrow to Cambridge, I was mesmerised by the autumn colours. The sun was shining, the sky pale blue and the trees were spectacular, as if putting on a show especially for me.  How could I have forgotten, so quickly, how lovely autumn is in England? I was so taken by all the loveliness that I didn't  take any pictures.  You'll have to take my word for it.  (The photograph above is one that I took last year, on Stourbridge Common, Cambridge.) I hadn't  realised that I missed the changing of the leaves. There are few deciduous trees around Menton and of the tress in my garden (two lemon, one orange, two kumquat, one fig and one persimmon) only the fig and the persimmon tree, lose their leaves.  The leaves on the persimmon had turned a lovely pale reddy orange before I left. When I returned  just seven days later, all b...

  Another obstacle has been successfully overcome, in the journey towards residency in France.    After three months in Menton, two letters arrived by email summoning us for a medical to assess our fitness to remain.  The first part, a chest X-ray (presumably to exclude TB) took place in a very smart radiology department in Nice. Our X-rays were undertaken at lunchtime, so as not to disturb the paying customers.    It was a short distance to the Prefecture and we parked easily—surprisingly, for a government building, there was plenty of parking (and just 1€ per hour). However delight turned to dismay when we arrived at the end of a very long queue snaking towards the entrance of the building.  We presented our appointment letters to the security guard, ready for a long wait.    I didn't know whether to feel smug or embarrassed, w hen we were whisked past the  barely moving line of people, which continued miserably inside the building and...

  I couldn't wait until more had happened to write a blog, I just wanted to share this review of Rude Awakening from Bookviral.  This is just one paragraph, read the whole review by clicking on the link below: " On this level there’s an understated audacity to the way she writes, so cleverly handling her narrative that we must always be vigilant for subtle changes in tone with few writers so adept at capturing the emotions of their characters." https://bookviralreviews.com/book-reviews/womens-sagas/ Please share it and click on the Crimson Quill icon if you think that Rude Awakening is worthy of this award. The trilogy is available to order from Amazon and all good bookshops.

  The kitchen in the apartment was very small, something to be expected in France but as well as its inconvenient size, it was shut off from the main room by a door that turned it into a claustrophobic cupboard. The only window high is in the wall. There was no oven and narrow, inconveniently deep cupboards.  It was quaint and very French but hopeless unless all you wanted was coffee and toast. We could not wait, it had to be changed, updated and opened up into the lovely light main room.   Although we do not need consent to change the inside of the property, we have to apply to the syndic de coproprietée for permission for any change to the outside —the building is a monument  historique , the equivalent of a listed building.  We have sent a request that includes quote and photos for air conditioning and, as soon as the quote for a new garage door comes through, that will be sent to the syndic too. It appears we have to wait for a committee meeting for...

  We are constantly compromising with those around us, to make sure that our world runs smoothly. Some situations require more effort than others. Walking on a busy street, we all have to make minor corrections in order to prevent ourselves crashing into each other. Imagine if we all continued to walk on our chosen path, without adjusting for the presence of others, it would be chaos. Sharing a space with someone requires a different sort of adjustment, especially when that space is limited.  In England, there was a three bedroomed house with many rooms and two people, one of whom worked. Those two people now share a small apartment and both are retired.  A new routine needed to be established, space for each negotiated.  It is especially difficult when both parties are trying to make it easier for the other, trying to anticipate needs, trying to read thoughts, This can lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations and missed opportunities. When both are trying too h...

I admit that I have meandered through life since I arrived in Menton, been very lazy really.  There have been a few niggles but nothing that bothered me while I was on my own.  The hot water  in the apartment  was merely a trickle  but when there's a heat wave, who needs hot water?  There isn't a TV, but I have books and there's always Netflix on my laptop.   I had meant to make an appointment to register with a doctor...  And then, there was an annoying rattle on the Jag (as if I had a playing card in the spokes). It didnt bother me, I couldn't hear it if I turned the radio up. However since Stuart has arrived, the car has been through the car wash, filled up with fuel and is  booked in for new bearings on a wheel .  I have braved the phone and made an appointment with the GP whose details a friend had given me, weeks ago.  There have been visits to various shops, televisions have been studied and comparisons made. But most ...