Home Thoughts from Abroad

 

Oh, to be in England

Now that April’s there,

And whoever wakes in England

Sees, some morning, unaware,

That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf

Round the elm tree bole are in tiny leaf,

While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough

In England - now!

We have booked our return to England on the Shuttle!  We both found it quite ‘emotional’ (for want of a better word) and there was this pause between the two of us deciding on the date and time and filling in the form online, before finally pressing ‘GO’!  I’m not sure what the hesitation was.  Was it a desire to extend our stay a tiny bit longer?  Were we not looking forward to returning home? Was it the dawning of realisation that ‘all good things come to an end’? Frankly, of those three options only the first applied and, once we’d pressed that button and our end date was written, we both agreed that we were looking forward to getting home again.

Thinking of home now is very like Robert Browning’s ‘Home Thoughts from Abroad.’.  April is usually such a lovely month, with the garden and the countryside waking up and epitomising hope, optimism and new beginnings.  Having said that, Spring here in rural south France has been unexpectedly glorious.  Having arrived in the depths of winter, to see the dramatic change in the countryside on our dog walks over four months has been a surprise and a delight.  Right now the wild flowers in the verges and fields are at their best and to leave while it’s all looking so good is probably the best way to have it.  Once the weather really begins to heat up, it won’t be long before the verges become just dry grass and most of the colour we’re enjoying disappears.

We’ve missed our friends.  Going away for four months at our age, and leaving family and good friends of similar age behind, the chances are that there are going to be medical issues with one or two during our absence, and so it has transpired. It’s upsetting to hear about illness or accidents when all you can do by way of support or comfort is to write or ring.  Not that there would be that much one could do if still in the same country, but there is a strong feeling of wanting to be on hand. It will be good to get home and check up in person on those about whom we have been concerned.  

Keeping in touch generally with friends has been easy thanks to modern technology.  Apart from emails and WhatsApp, there has been regular contact with the daily online Wordle competition with some, and the online Scrabble battles with others.  I have gate crashed my regular Monday tennis group a few times for a catch-up on FaceTime, during their post game coffee and chat session.  If the weather had been better, I would have done this more, but the weather generally in the UK these past months has not been the weather to tempt four ladies of a certain age out on to a tennis court with enthusiasm!

As I write, the car has finally had the problem with a wheel bearing fixed, almost four months after the problem first appeared!  It has caused poor Richard quite a headache and a good deal of stress.  It has also made him reluctant to venture too far in the car for fear of breaking down, and the ensuing drama of summoning help, getting back to Caunes and then getting the car repaired somewhere.  However, not straying too far afield has actually had a positive effect, as we have been able to explore and get to know the immediate area really well.  To be honest, with two dogs in tow we were never going to be wildly adventurous and, thanks to a delightful dog sitter, we have sallied forth and ventured further afield a few times.  However, we now have a couple of weeks to take advantage of a healthy car and stray a little further from home before we leave.

I have booked one more visit to the Dragon’s Den - the Vet!  The dogs have to have a tapeworm treatment and general checkup no less than 24 hours and no more than five days before crossing back into England.  This time I tried yet another strategy and emailed the lovely Doctor Mougin direct, asking for a ‘rendez-vous’ (it sounds highly inappropriate doesn’t it, but that’s what I should call it!) the day before we leave Caunes, and three days before we cross the Channel.  After 48 hours I get an answering email telling me that Doctor Mougin is away until April 30th and would I please telephone the Surgery to arrange a rendez-vous!!  Scuppered!  Once again I telephone and with determination, and not without difficulty, I successfully make my rendez-vous for the right day!

It goes without saying that we are so looking forward to seeing son Ben and family. Take your eyes off his two teenage boys for a second and they grow another couple of inches!  GCSEs loom and we’ve missed out on some rugby matches, rowing events and there will be cricket matches now to get back to.   Living a mere 15 minutes away from us, they are the only ones of our immediate family who still live in the UK.  Oh, and we can’t wait to have their mad Hungarian Vizsla to stay again!