It would be lovely to say it seemed like just yesterday I was here, but it’s simply not true. The winter drags on so slowly, it seems like an eternity before returning to my happy place. And this year I’ve arrived even earlier. Alas, thankfully I am here yet again. As the years pass by, I don’t take this for granted given so many things out of our control can turn our plans upside down in an instant.
The top of the Col de Fontaube.
This year is starting off completely different too. Which is likely a good thing: it’s important to shake things up, it gives us perspective. For the first month, I am house-sitting for my friends who are out of town, and cat-sitting. I am extremely allergic to cats, and they have two. But it was a good opportunity to live on the other side of Les Dentelles to see how it feels and help out where I could. I am not a cat person, so this is an added challenge. I think they hate me—which would be fair enough as I can’t give them the affection they are used to. Hopefully we’ll soon find some sort of détente.
This first week has been a bit of a blur, as it’s a whole different thing getting set up in a different house, figuring how things work, trying to keep pets and plants alive and well. I find it rather stressful because these are important things to care for, and I don’t want to mess it up! So, I’ve been rather distracted and not able to appreciate that I am here yet. Though today I did have a lovely moment.
I’ve been on my bike every day since arriving, and it’s been very warm. I went from virtually no summer at all, to extreme summer. All over France there have been heatwaves already, and it doesn’t seem to be relenting. As I write this it is +36. It was +36 by noon today, and we have more on the way. It’s cooling off to +32 this week, then back up. I hear it’s going to be a warmer than usual summer. Getting out early on the bike is great if you can manage it… and I haven’t really. So I’m getting used to the heat rather quickly. Today I rode up my favourite Col de Fontaube in the Drôme. At the top there is a little drink stand, and I have rarely seen it open. But today it was. I thought, why not stop in on my way back? There was no one else there, a big patch of lavender with an amazing view, so I sat there with a cool drink enjoying only the sound of bees, and watched endless butterflies swoop around with the scent of lavender in the air. It was beautiful. I finally think I am settling in…
The strawberries from the Crestet round-about farmer are the sweetest and best.
Pretty villages and blue skies, always.
