So I only went and fffffffflipping well did it! That f was always going to be a different one but in the end I thought that I’d better not as I have some little friends who I hope will be reading this and Auntie Jane really ought to set a good example, didn’t she?!
I never thought it would happen though! Little me who up until not many years ago wouldn’t say boo to a goose! Me that got a job as an au pair in Paris aged 19 and chickened out! Hopeless I was!
But life is short and precious and this trip, and my love for languages and particularly all things French, has been on the back burner for some time now. It was approaching the now or never stage really so, having considered and finally dismissed the idea of a sabbatical and tefl course (not doable financially!) I began to wonder about selling up and doing this trip. I think the thing that gave me the kick up the bum that I needed was being unwell due to Menieres last year and, the cherry on the cake was having my driving licence taken away and then the fight that ensued to get it back!
So the house sold in a week in February this year and then took 25 weeks to complete!!! I left work at the end of June and then the completion date fell through and to say this was a bit of a stressful time is an understatement! I was surrounded though by so many lovely people who kept me going with encouraging words and support. I will always be grateful.
Completion day finally happened, 29th July 2019. I think Abby and Alex (my buyers) and I, and lovely Tabby at Robert Watts, will never forget that date! So then I was homeless and jobless and so many people offered me somewhere to stay. I want to say here a big thank you to you all. But the people who I need to thank the most are the 2 Charlottes- Kelly and Bentley- and of course David and Jim and lovely Nancy too. I hope I was an ok houseguest. Thank you so much for having me.
In the weeks and months in between finishing work and setting off on my travels I have had some fabulous times. The LSMP end of term do/my leaving do was brilliant! I also went to Bedale with some of my lovely nursey friends, to the Fringe in Edinburgh with the Fringe girls (but minus Barbara this year sadly) and to stay with my wonderful boys Will and Tom in Glasgow. I’ve made a couple of trips to Shrewsbury to see the lovely Reeces, went to the wedding of Hollie and Sam which was amazing and then of course, just before I left, Rob married beautiful Amy- an event we had all been planning for so long and all of the hard work paid off. It was superb- 12 hours of sunshine and happiness.
I’ve also seen Harry Potter’s golden snitch (not pretty), visited a pottery that makes, amongst other things, beautiful ceramic dildos (aka bangle/scrunchy holders for the faint hearted!) and encountered a car accident whilst out walking with my friend Helen where in the absolute wreck of the car (from which the driver walked free with just a grazed elbow, thank goodness) we both individually found 2 dice laying on the road, both with 6 uppermost! We felt this was definitely something- not sure what, but something! Helen’s husband, Al, just shook his head and smiled at us indulgently!!!
Here are some pics………
Wow! What a summer! And how blessed am I to be surrounded by so many wonderful people.
So, on the morning of the 26th September, I awoke and thought “oh heck this is it”- or words to that effect!
I had all day to wait before I left Okeford Fitzpaine for Portsmouth! I was like a cat on a hot tin roof! Very nervous, particularly with regard to driving on the right but even more so I had developed a fear that I wouldn’t be able to find places to park!
The trip to the port was fine and boarding the ferry was unbelievably easy too. I don’t quite know what I had expected it to be like but, easy peasy! I found my cabin and then went out on deck. I spoke to Will and said it was like being on the Titanic- but on second thoughts hopefully not! Very exciting though.
I bought a ticket for the cinema. They were showing “Yesterday” and, although I hadn’t wanted to see it when it was out in the cinemas I thought it would pass on a couple of hours of a long overnight crossing. Oh dear! The cinema was on deck 5 I think, so quite low down. The sea was choppy to say the least. Rolling waves is probably a better description. I began to feel very, very sick! I’ve never experienced seasickness before but it wasn’t pleasant at all. The nausea reminded me of last years menieres flare up crossed with the first 12 weeks of both my pregnancies! It was awful! I managed to get to the end of the film (which despite my being a huge Beatles fan was, as I had feared it would be, pretty awful- sorry Danny and Richard!) without needing to use un sac a mal de mer (sickbag) but it felt an awful long way back to my cabin on deck 8- I just made it!!!
The cabins are very noisy but one advantage of being deaf is that the noise is dulled somewhat when one’s hearing aids are switched off! Still, I didn’t sleep. I felt too ill and was too nervous about the next day, which was gently introduced to my cabin with some piped supermarket style music at around 6am French time- 1 hour ahead of the UK.
I still felt grotty but made myself eat a croissant. Then it was into the car to await instructions for leaving the ferry! Eek! Driving! Parking! All my fears to be faced!
As it turned out, it wasn’t bad at all. A few little mistakes and missed turns but I was soon (thanks to my trusty satnav) parked up in St. Malo. I couldn’t get into my accommodation until 6pm and so had lots of hours to kill before then as it was still only 9am! But where better to be than this!
St. Malo is beautiful! I read a book which was set there a while ago. Set in the 2nd World War it’s about a French girl and a German boy. It’s called “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. I highly recommend it. In fact having been to St.Malo now I might reread it myself. Fabulous.
The weather yesterday was stunning. I headed straight for the beach. Walking along, the harbour’s edge was littered with empty mussels shells. The seagulls were literally having a feast! The tide was out so I could walk along way down the sand. This area is known as the Emerald Coast and I can see why. The sea is an amazing green, turquoise colour- and so clear. People were loving the day and the sunshine. Singing opera, riding bikes, running- all on the beach! As usual I took sooo many pictures! Including the only selfie you’ll see of me on this blog. It’s my shadow- makes me look tall and thin- hurrah!
I walked along the old walls of the city from which the views were spectacular. Then I headed into the city itself and wandered around the lovely streets and window shopped. I know! Didn’t I do well?!
Jane’s Tour de Force 