Settling in France, Part 1.

Part 1, Life in France. 

And just like that, I have been in France, my new home, for over three weeks.  You know what they say about time flying when you are having fun!  It has been a bit of an unusual time because Emily and Francois have been on vacation for the past two weeks so we have been more in play mode than we would normally. 

I think I am going to ramble.  Hopefully in some sort of orderly fashion.  I just find my mind going in a lot of different directions with things about life here, and specifically my life here, so I am just going to blah, blah, blah it out.

First of all, it is Sunday night here as I start this post and I am feeling blue.  And I am feeling blue because, drum roll please, I am detoxing from two weeks of daily treats from the boulangerie/patisserie.  That would include brioche, the beautiful, sweet bread I adore slathered with chunks of butter or made (thank you Emily!) into French toast which I further sweeten with lashings of maple syrup, baguettes either plain or with thick slices of double cream cheese (kind of like brie but better), croissants and pain au chocolates, the latter two eaten as is, though inhaled would probably be a better description.  Maybe there’s not a soul reading this who can relate to the feeling of that detox but let me tell you, for me it is very real.  So, though I went very excitedly to the grocery store today to stock up on fresh fruit and veg, some salmon and shrimp, and I ate beautifully tasty meals which I loved, I still feel this physical sadness.  Sigh.  It is not easy being me sometimes.  😊  But on the other hand, I know I will wake up tomorrow with a renewed commitment to staying on track, go for a run, plan healthy meals and put these feelings of withdrawal behind me.  The price one pays, or at least that I pay, for days and days of indulgences.  By the way, I had some chocolate today.  I refuse to give up everything that gives me dietary pleasure.  That would just be cruel.  And almost unthinkable. 

Have any other true crime lovers listened to the podcast Bone Valley?  I highly recommend it.  The series has been my go-to listening when I am trotting and walking around town and I found it absolutely riveting.  And frustrating.  And sad.  And inspiring. 

Now you might think that living downtown in a small French town the evenings would be quiet.  And you would be right if it wasn’t for the fact that kitty corner to my bedroom window is a bar.  And said bar seems to attract noisy drinkers.  Who like to sit outside on beautiful evenings (who wouldn’t??) and talk loudly.  And sometimes it seems like the music from the bar is in competition with the talking volume.  I smiled to myself a little while ago when I heard, through my open kitchen window, Pat Benetar’s It’s a Heartache playing.  Seemed so incongruous.  Most of the songs I hear are in French so this one really caught my ear.  I almost welcome the rainy nights when everyone is indoors, and it is quieter.  Probably will be quieter in the winter too.  Surely people won’t be at the bar every night of the week then, will they?  It really doesn’t interfere with my life, though I would like it to be less boisterous and more peaceful sounding (if peaceful sounding is actually a thing); at some point they will go home, I will wake up in the middle of the night and reopen my bedroom window, and life will go on with a pattern I am already getting used to. 

I am leaving it there for now.  Part 1 of settling into France is a wrap.  I have a whole bunch more sub-headings I can write about but for tonight that’s what I was in the groove to share.  I hope it is of some interest to somebody but if nothing else, just writing provided a cathartic release for me that I needed.  I feel less blue and a little peppier.  Just in time for bed.  Lol

As we say in this beautiful country when we plan to see someone soon- A bientot!  (Ok, not that I plan to see you soon, but you get the drift!)

From the French countryside-  xo