Nothing quite like Europe in the summer, and after completing a year in Thailand, it felt so good to be heading home. It was a peaceful summer; catching up with family, lots of time and hugs for Suzi, boating, biking, long walks in the countryside, and we managed to squeeze in the Olympics, too.
Miss it and you guys so much š„²
Flying home for Christmasā¦ after my first few months in Thailand I was super excited to be flying home for the holidays, back to Samatan, excited to see everyone and Suzi and spend time enjoying the colder weather and countryside, and of course, the Christmas spirit that Europe does so well. As soon as I landed, the contrast from the tropics was there; the bare trees, the pale blue sky and fallow fields, and Christmas decorations strung up in all the villages.
It was a lovely three weeks, going back to all our old haunts; our favourite villages for strolls and driving through the beautiful countryside. Fun to go Christmas shopping in Toulouse, and dark, starry walks into the village with all the decorations glistening. There were beautiful ruby and crimson sunrises on Suziās walks, and Christmas carols being sung at the Christmas markets.
And me and dad also ventured into the mountains to the cute town of Saint Larys in the Pyrenees, where you can ski. But we just strolled around in the snow and went ice skating, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the mountain streams and churches and black horses grazing the slopes.
It was all over too soon. Already counting the days to our next reunionā¦
Perhaps the time of year we most associate with this part of France. Dry earth, abundant green, fields of wheat, maize growing taller than people, sunflowers, their yellow faces turned toward the sun in unison. Long, hot days that turn into balmy nights. Pink and red sunsets, a slow, languid feel in the towns and villages. Birds singing sweet songs.
Thanks to Maya for the lovely photos š
Having spent a year in the South of France, thereās certain things Iāve noticedā¦
Thereās a lot of mosquitoes. And bugs and worms longer than a meter, and snakes, and frogs that insist on coming into the house. But thereās also beautiful families of deer that graze in the field across from the house, and even wild boar that sprint across the countryside.
Hardly anyone speaks English. I guess this is a France thing in general, so I was forced to pull out the dusty high school French, and learned to gesture almost as much as everyone here to get my point across (thereās google translate, for emergencies). However, everyone is patient with my painfully slow speaking, and most people here are friendly, anyway.
Almost every town is cute and will make you want to buy a house there. No joke, each town is cuter than the next, with views that make you want to give up everything and spend the rest of your life right there.
You need to carry a stick at all times. There are feral dogs in almost every town. Iām warning you.
Youāll get burnt/ leave several shades darker. It really is sunny and warm most of the year. There are some cold days and nights though, and when it rains, it pours, but mostly, itās Summer time.
Youāll get to know people fast. Everyone knows me now, probably as the strange foreign person, but still. And even the cats are our friends (Spud and Celery, Iām talking to you).
Youāll need a car to explore. Thereās not much connectivity here, but the surrounding towns and villages and countryside are full of beauty and just need to be explored. From the Mountain views in winter to the fields of sunflowers in summer, and the cute villages of cottages and crumbling churches.
You wonāt want to leave. Hotel California has nothing on this place.
Thanks to Maya and Mum for the beautiful photos
There’s a lot of talk these days about routines for the day that lead to an outcome; like to be more productive, to be healthier, or to sleep better, for example. I’m no expert in any of those, but I am very good (probably too good) at making routines that I stick with. Lots of people fell into routines during the last few months, but maybe they are no longer working for you, or you want to see a different outcome. Maybe you planned to add new habits at New year, but never made the changes. Well, it is spring, so why not start fresh now?
So I turn 25 in about a week, and it feels like it was so recently my 24th birthday. Where did this year go? Ā I don’t feel that I really accomplished as much as I did in previous years, but I did get to spend a LOT of time with the hounds and the family, which is precious. And, I had a lot more time to think, and reflect, on well, just about everything.
During the summer holidays I finally had a bit of free time. Time to read, to watch clouds pass languidly across the sky, to watch the dogs sniff about the garden, as butterflies buzzed around them. To draw. Maya gave me a very helpful book with lots of tips to draw animals. I always struggle with their eyes and by making them more cartoonish, as the book suggests, you can avoid that problem, and make them very cute.
July 1st. The middle of the summer, the midst of the heatwave. A gorgeous morning, the sun already up. I laced up my running shoes, took a deep breath of fresh morning air, and set of down the driveway, starting my run. So ordinary, something I’ve done like clockwork for the last four years. No matter where I’ve been, put on my shoes, the day barely underway, jogged off for an hour. Birds were singing, the sky was azure, little rabbits hopped across my path. This was the life, I was so happy to be out there, free.
16 degrees. Perfectly clear, not a breeze, not a cloud. A little robin flitting about, pecking at the feeder. Sunshine yellow butterflies tangling with my hair. Prune and Suzi, sprawled on the deck in the shade. Not really a surprising scene in summer, or late spring. But this was February, in North Norfolk. And we had a whole week of this amazingly unexpected weather during my mid-term break in both Bruinisse and Fleggburgh.
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