This past weekend I drove up to see my good friend Didi in the Savoie. The Savoie is about three hours away, close to the Alps and a stunning part of France. I always love a chance to visit my friend, but some years it doesn’t work out. This year, if I could help it, I wasn’t going to miss my opportunity.
Morning view.
Visiting a friend for a weekend used to be easy. Now we have to find out how risk-averse everyone is, determine if they are comfortable with someone else in their home, decide how close you can get etc. etc. It’s all a bit much and really rather depressing.
Lac du Bourget.
But when I said I would come up to visit my friend Didi, she didn’t hesitate. Of course, come she said! And she greeted me with a fabric shopping bag over her head just so we could hug safely. We desperately needed to hug. But once the bag came off, it was like old times (in fact, if you knew Didi, the bag over the head is hilariously just like her!).
This weekend helped realign and balance the equilibrium and make life feel just a bit more normal. Spending time talking, cooking, having snacks and meals, riding bikes, lying by the pool… it all felt so comforting. The stunning views, different perspective, meeting her group of friends all added to a wonderful time that made my heart feel full. We did a Sunday morning cycle along the beautiful Lac du Bourget, had some wine after, followed by lunch. There was laughter, there was singing (while cycling I might add), sunshine and warmth. It was just what any doctor should order for one’s sanity.
Normal times, I miss those. We all hope one day we’ll get back to some semblance of normality, but in the meantime, these are the moments I treasure. Thank you Didi, je t’aime.
So many cyclists! Very lucky to be welcomed into this lovely group of Didi’s friends.
