SUMMER IN PROVENCE

Old chateau converted into an open air cinema, Groeux les Bains

I've just returned from a short summer holiday in Provence (which, at this time of year, is overwhelmingly dominated by blonde Dutch families with their requisite 2.4 children in tow). I was so happy to revisit many of the spots I checked out during my backpacker adventure down here a year ago, plus a couple of new discoveries. I absolutely adore Provence. If I thought I could get work down this way I'd move here in a red hot minute. The pine trees, the oak forests, the cicadas, the apricots, the Roman architecture. Idyllic doesn't even begin to cover it.

30! HELP!

This is it.
The big three oh.
Had to happen eventually right? I remember as a teenager that I could never possibly image EVER being so old as 30. Well, it happened. All I had to do was wait, time did the rest.

YE OLDE

In between the annoyingly typical weekend rain showers, I popped over to Burgundy (Bourgogne) to check out the chateau of Guédelon, a project that's already 8 years in the making to build a 13th century castle using only the skills and technology available in the era. Already feeling like I'd taken a step back in time while trundling through the rural backwaters of the Yonne region, this just added a little extra flavour of medieval authenticity. Being as I am, in such a densely populated area now, I forget how sweet the country air smells. The smell of woodsmoke, damp leaf litter and clean air was worth the inconvenience of passing showers.

JUNE IN THE DUNES

This past weekend was a fun trip up to the northern coast to hang out at a seaside(ish) apartment in Merlimont (near Touquet)

SLOW

It's actually been a slow few days, and I must shamefully admit I have not been profiting at all from the sunshine nor life in Paris. The thing about living in such a famous city is that there's something of a self-imposed pressure to be constantly taking advantage of that fact. Especially when one makes the rash decision to blog their adventures online...

Even though I have been a hermit, there have been some daily life developments, mostly in the 'what now? department.

Without going into too much personal detail, the stress of our respective employment situations (in both the having and not having sense) has been taking a toll and we're both taking some time out to reconsider our quality of life here and whether a move to a more regional area might not be a better idea - maybe Toulouse (althought the previously mentioned job interview didn't pan out), or elsewhere.

In the meantime I'm working on my 20th reiteration of my employment 'motivation letter'...migrainus merdum, so unmotivated. Oh and I went to see Star Wars - apparently wookies are from Vietnam and Darth Vader is some kind of metaphor for George W. (if you're not with me, you're against me...)

NO TIME TOU-LOUSE

I've been waiting to use that line for ages, I must admit

Well, one weekend and a lot of kilometres later, and I can now say I've seen at least a little of southwestern France.

Leaving late on Thursday night, we drove the 700 odd kilometres down to Albi (a town just out of Toulouse where we had a free bed waiting). Arriving at around 2am, we didn't see much of the town, but opening the shutters to a hot southern sunny day, we were greeted with a very green view of the river Tarn, and more than a little jealous that this wasn't OUR daily view!