Its almost August .... where did the year go?

Hi everyone,
Wow....I just read I havent posted since November 2010! Just goes to show, time flies when you are having fun! And have I been having fun? You bet!

Around the end of October I started (seeing for the want of a better word) a wonderful man I had known for over three years. I had met him and his then wife through another friend, when I first came to where my little village is, at our local bar/cafe. I had spent many happy times with them and their French friends and was shocked to hear that they had seperated six months before. I was surprised when one day I received a phone call and an invitation to dinner and I guess the rest is history! Since then we have travelled to many places together including, Rome and Cinque Terra in Tuscany, Barcelona, Australia and just last week for my birthday, he took me to Bruges in Belgium. I am so happy. His name is Alain and the sweetest man you could ever meet.

We spent a month in Australia driving from Melbourne up through central NSW to visit my great friends in Orange, Colin and Beth, then we drive to Lightining Ridge, yep a long way for just an overnight stay, a quick look at the opal mines and we stayed in a fantastic place "The Shack". A little tin shed out the back of a private house with an outside dunny and the loveliest of accommodation! If you are ever going to Lightning Ridge you MUST stay there!

Then we travelled across to the Gold Coast and stayed with my great old friends Lisa and Alan from Street Cafe. A wonderful welcome when we finally arrived at their gig at the Southport Surf Club to a standing ovation that we had arrived from France! Alain was a little embarrassed as many patrons shook his hand and welcomed him to Australia. A fab few days with them then we flew to Cairns to spend a week in a luxury apartment on Trinity Beach. Alain was overwhelmed as his life long dream of coming to Australia had finally come true. As you all know I love making my dreams come true!

We went snorkelling on the reef,

fishing amonst crocodiles,

 exploring Cairns and a night in the Daintree Forest in a cabin on the beach

before flying back to the Gold Coast and the long drive back via Byron Bay and Sydney.

We spent two nights in Sydney with Pete and Rae, lovely people who took us to dinner at Kirrabillee and a noght tour of the harbour. Whale watching on a boat, the Manly ferry trip and a walk around the Rocks. As much as we could fit in for a two day stay and we were off on the Hume Highway back to Melbourne to spend a week with my family and my mums 75th birthday. A trip down the Great Ocean Road and a stay with my dad and Dee in Beaufort near Ballarat.

Poor Alain, so much English to take in but he managed wonderfully and even learnt some Australian sayings which I wont repeat at this point!

The trip was all too short and the month was over.  In no time we were on the plane back to France. It turned out to be a 36hour door to door trip with delays, re routing and our 4 hour drive from Paris! We were exhausted by the time we got back.

So apart from spending time travelling we have a wonderful life here in rural France. I have spent most of the past 12 months renovating my cottage downstairs into a studio and now here is the results...well most of them. I still have some more photos to take and upload soon.

This the the room of the previous blog pictures I was digging out! You will note the stone wall in the kitchen photo is the same stone wall in the empty room!

OOh its 1.40am so I will continue to update my blog as soon as possible.

Meanwhile,

a bientot,

xxM