Time to get real .......

What’s it really like living virtually alone in a foreign land?

 

Not that bad really.  Now, I know I have been waxing lyrical about the beauty and all around gorgeousness of this area and this remains to be true.  However, the weather changed literally overnight from a barmy 20C to five days of torrential rain (very unusual I am told) to now brighter skies with waves of sleet and sometimes snow, which is settling on the higher mountains. The temperature has obviously plummeted down into the minus and highs of no more than 9. 

Panic, this is not a house built for the winter living it’s definitely designed for the summer heat, tiled throughout and the bedrooms are glacial at best.  We have some heating but not very effective however our saving grace is the stove fire which does keep the downstairs area quite toasty.  We had some wood but clearly not enough for the winter, where is the best place to get more from?  I text one of our neighbours (the easiest way to communicate) to ask;  where the best place is but unusually I still have not been answered.  Fortunately J  (long distance neighbour, a street away) arrives and rescues us, there is a decent place down the road and they speak English, yay, result.  Any way we duly order some but are still awaiting delivery, fingers crossed it comes before the supply here runs out , as then I will be seriously grumpy. The cat and I DO NOT LIKE THE COLD.

Husband is back in the UK for nearly two weeks which means I am effective on my own all day every day until the kids get back from school at 5pm.  I relish in the luxury of the quiet house and I'm able to do my ‘own’ thing but this soon loses some of its shine.  The lovely French ‘grand-mère’ has moved back to Perpignan for the winter so is obviously no longer around.  Yes, I can here you shouting, get out do some exercise, go for a walk enjoy the beauty, did I mention the torrential rain? Now that its stopped I will be enjoying the splendour that surrounds.

The problem is as soon as I step out the door I feel like a toddler and am just as articulate if not worse.  My French is at the stage of, I know what I am saying is correct, i.e.: some of the grammar and most of the vocabulary is correct but I am still not been understood as my accent is completely pants, which is so frustrating but completely understandable. Therefore unless I am speaking to some good English speakers it is so much easier to email or text people if the conversation needs to go further than the daily niceties.

Before I went back to 'proper' work my life in London was not that different.  I had many hours on my own. What was different then, was I could go out the door and have a chat to anyone even if it was only about the weather.  Here at the moment that is a step too far, which make me feel more isolated than I really am.

Where does this leave me now, well exactly as I said more or less on my own but I am making good use of this time.  It’s given me a lot of time to think about what I really want and how I think we should proceed in the New Year.  It’s also given me loads of time to keep going at the French, which is clearly essential.  It is  great to be able to give my undivided attention to the kids when they do get home as there is nothing I ‘have’ to do, it’s all been done.

So as I add another log to the fire and curl up on the sofa with my French books, ok sometimes a sneak peek at a novel or too.  Life here is still good; I still just love looking out at the beautiful vista we are lucky enough to have. Just as a write this ‘our’ resident eagles give me a fly past, that is truly good for the soul. So, I cannot pop down to my old favourite coffee shop and have a brew with my mates and I am too shy/scared to do it here with my new mates. As I reflect on this time I have come to realise that I am happy to be on my own, I am alone not lonely, now if any of you knew me  20 years ago you would know that is a HUGE leap for me.

 

In week or so time hubby will be back, with all the razzmatazz that comes with that and I will be longing for some quiet time. A bientôt.