1st December

I was awake most of last night but more of that later.

Strictly Sunday breakfast round up……..

How GORGEOUS, darling, was Craig as Dolly Levi?! He was loving it, wasn’t he? A 40 for Karim and Amy- hurrah! Shouldn’t Kelvin and Oti have got 40 too? I was surprised that Emma and Anton got as much as 39 for their dance, although it was good. And I thought Alex and Neil, and Chris and Karen, deserved more than they got too. On the subject of Chris Ramsey, the podcast he does with his wife Rosie- Sh***ed, Married, Annoyed- is brilliant! Thank you, Alison 🙂

I had a FaceTime chat with Charlotte and also with Rob and Amy.

Then I failed my first TEFL online assessment!!! 🙂 It’s not as bad as it sounds! You have to do a test assessment but it’s on the information that you have to read, including the terms and conditions, before you are allowed to proceed to the first module! Who reads T’s and C’s?! Well, everyone who does the TEFL course, that’s who! Because you have to get 70% to pass go! I only got 50% and so I had to retake it! I got 85% second time around. Still room for improvement- but I’m in 🙂

I set off at 2pm to go to Chantal’s house. We had coffee and then Philippe drove us to the Christmas market in Ballan-Miré. Their neighbour Sylvie came too. I’d never been in a left hand drive car before- except in a taxi once or twice. It’s fascinating isn’t it how we have a fixed way in our head that things are. Chantal got in the right hand front seat and I thought “oh she must be driving” then, somewhere down the road, I realised that, of course, Philippe was at the wheel! Bizarre 🙂

The market was lovely. Ballan-Miré is a really pretty little town and it seemed like everyone was there and having fun. A friend of Chantal’s had a stall and, before I knew what was happening, I had a Santa hat on my head and was “modelling” her wares! She and her son both want English lessons and she’s asked me if I will teach them when I go back to France in the New Year. Fantastic! Bien sûr! 🙂

I’ve decided to go home earlier than planned. Various reasons but, in the main, because I am worried that I might end up not being able to get back for my op, for Christmas and for my Dad’s op. The places I still want to visit here are a distance away and if I use up my petrol and can’t get enough to fill up to get me home then I’ll be in a real pickle.

Of course I have a half finished hat project here with Chantal. So the plan is that, initially, I will come back to the Tours area for a couple of weeks to do that and to do some English lessons for Chantal’s friend and then I’ll move on. Chantal and Philippe have a close family friend (he calls Philippe uncle) who has an Airbnb apartment close by and they showed it to me on the way to the market today. It’s looks fab. It’s near a lovely park where I could run- and it has parking!!! Cedric, the owner, has a sex shop in Blois and, if the business is successful, then he will eventually sell the Tours property. But for now it’s available to rent. Philippe spoke to him when we got back from the market and he said that I could stay there “mates rates”which is very kind. Chantal forwarded his contact details to me and I had to smile because he is saved in their phones as “Cedric….Sexy Shop” Brilliant 🙂

As I was leaving, Sylvie also made me a very kind alternative offer of staying with her when I come back to France. Her daughter is moving out soon and so I could have her room for a couple of weeks. She lives almost opposite Chantal so I could make hats to my hearts content! I’m spoilt for choice! Staying in this area also means that I can visit the places I didn’t get to see this time, namely the châteaux Chenonceau and Villandry.

I’ve had a lovely day. I woke up (after the very limited sleep I had had!) feeling a bit sad and down- but now I feel happy and very blessed to have met these delightful people who, like Pascale, have welcomed me so warmly and who I now consider to be my friends.

Merci beaucoup à vous 🙂

Bonne nuit 🙂