The sunny days are icy cold; the leaves are turning glorious shades of yellow through to red; and the birds are lining up on the telephone wires, discussing the best routes south. The time has come for us, too, to head southwards and back to the warmth. We have one week left and at least six moths of ‘things’ to do in it. We have a lot of goodbyes to say, to all the good friends that we have made. Also numerous items that have been so generously lent to us to make life more comfortable, have to be returned. And I now know that none of these activities can take place in a minimum of time. Things happen slowly around here, even goodbyes!
On Wednesday we took our friends Sandra and Kevin to the airport in Biarritz. They had intended flying out for a week arriving the previous Tuesday, in Pau, and returning a week later. However the day before they were due to arrive they received a text message telling them that their flight had been cancelled due to some or other strike. The first alternative booking was for Thursday, which they accepted and we had fetched them from Pau, arranging to return them there the following Tuesday. However, the strikers struck again and their return flight was also cancelled. This time however, the first available flight was on Saturday which was too late for them so they arranged to return from a different airport, namely Biarritz, for which they were charged a penalty – for changing their flight plans!
The trip there was uneventful, but on the way back we got caught up in a huge traffic jam at one of the toll booths. We are still not quite sure what the problem was, but after sitting in a queue for half an hour, we drove past a three kilometer long line of trucks to reach the toll booth and then drove past a five kilometer line of cars and trucks that were going in the opposite direction. Or rather, not going! Perhaps the toll operators had also gone on strike
Thursday was a brilliantly sunny day but with a very cold breeze. A farmer friend brought his Rotavator – a portable engine-driven plough – up to the house and he and Neels turned the weed patch that used to be a vegetable garden into a perfectly tilled area, all ready for re-planting. The same day, Neels cut the lawn, so everything is neat and tidy outside. It was quite sad to have to cut the lawn as it was almost covered with huge patches of cyclamen, and their delicate pale pink and white flowers were so pretty, but they had to go. Tant pis, as they say here “too bad!”
Now it just a case of clearing up, tidying away, washing and cleaning and then next Sunday the 31st, we are off. Thanks to all the people who read my ramblings and more thenks to those who wrote and actually said they enjoyed them. We have had a wonderful experience and I can only hope that you enjoyed hearing about it.
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