Vacances D'Hiver

Seven weeks after arriving back here, the first school term of the year is over and the 'Vacances d'Hiver' at last begin. The winter holidays are the holidays during which the people here traditionally go up into the alps to ski. Though yesterday, I got into a rather intense discussion about Hollande's government- and the decrease of the middle class which now means they can't afford to go skiing, when a lot of the 'chomeurs' (unemployed) can as a result of the 'allocations' they receive.

Yesterday I ate 'en famille' with Sabine in Saignon, and we had a delicious birthday cake for her daughter, Maï's birthday which will be next Wednesday but they will be in London and she wanted to spend it with her 'Mami' (grandmother) and me. Then in the evening I went back up to Saignon with Marie to do private lessons with her elder girls and eat with them. Wednesday is always a day I end up in a food coma..yesterday I ate a grand total of eleven courses; with Sabine I had a salad course, lentils and sausages, a cheese course, a birthday cake course, a coffee course and cider, then started all again with Marie and had a salad course (smoked salmon, pink grapefruit and avocado (well worth a try!), a quiche, a cheese course, a carrot cake and a coffee and again several glasses of red wine. I had no trouble sleeping last night!

And tomorrow, I will be going home. I fly from Nimes airport to London Luton at 7pm tomorrow night, and have planned a day of sightseeing in Nimes before I go. This could potentially not be the most relaxing day of sightseeing, as I am going to be wearing two tops, two jumpers and the biggest winter coat, plus carring three bags to transport the maximum stuff back to the UK.

This week, I have been packing and repacking- with the final pack completed Tuesday evening- having rolled up every jumper/ top/ dress possible and fitted them all into the tiniest spaces in my hand luggage case. Because Mum, Dad and Kate are coming out to bring me home I will have three other suitcases to deposit some of the paraphernalia I have collected while being here- though only today I realised there are five mugs, two teacups and saucers, two plates, three Moroccan bowls and a jug to add to my crockery collection. But my plan for these holidays is to get all winter clothes home- and bar one jumper and one coat I have succeeded on my mission of packing them all up. I really did have to sit on my suitcase lid, and it did take three different attempts, but the zip is closed and it is not going to be opened again until I arrive at home.

So the blog will be taking a winter holiday break as well, and will be back in March to tell you all about my Vacances d'Hiver!

I bought this card in a shop in Apt- it says 'it will be better tomorrow'- for motivation and bon courage!