Un bon retour
By Jove, I’ve done it again! Successfully changed continents, moved over to the right side of the road, gone from winter to summer, activated the foreign language modules of my brain, all in the name of travel and discovery. Despite the noticeable change in my surrounds, it’s really as though I never left.
After my long, arduous journey from Sydney to London via Abu-Dhabi, I arrived at Heathrow Airport, only to be greeted by my beautiful cousins, two of whom, immediately adorned me with necklaces, that I soon learnt to be known as ‘loom bands’*. This very warm, Hawaiian-inspired welcome was a lovely way to be greeted back into Europe.
Though my UK stop-over was brief, I had enough time to admire the beautiful English summer, enjoy alfresco dining and push my way (and my fat suitcase) through the tube. From London, I made my way up to Northern England, eventually to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, which interestingly enough sports some credible Beatles memorabilia, such as ‘the Yellow Submarine’. From there, I bid my farewell to sunny England and arrived in the rainy South-West of France (evidently climate change in full swing!).
Et me voila. Here I am, residing in a small village called ‘Peyrillac’ in France’s Dordogne region. There are about 400 people in the village, so as you may imagine, living is very local. The house that I’m staying was constructed in 1747, made of traditional stone. My bed looks like something that the bourgeois would have slept on during Napoleonic era.
The lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, courgettes, plums, peaches, blackberries that I’ve been enjoying at meals have all been cultivated in the nearby field or in the garden itself. As there is devastatingly no bakery in the village, our bread is purchased from the next closest village. Given that bread is considered a fundamental human necessity in France (specified in the ‘5th Republic’), there is a bread van that comes three times a week, sounding its horn loudly, so that locals know it’s serious bread and croissant purchasing time. I felt slightly self-conscious after my purchase of bananas and avocado from the supermarket in town was, in good humour, pointed out to be ‘foreign’ by my host family.
I have had to re-adjust to the French concept of time, which is even more extreme in the quiet and slow countryside. Last Sunday, the next-door neighbours were invited over for Lunch, which ended up being an elaborate 6-course feast (not including aperos or coffee), from which the total sitting-down time was 4 hours.
Of course, it is a pleasure to be surrounded by such beautiful the peaceful green rolling hills, golden fields, medieval churches and chateaux and the mesmerising Dordogne River. My biggest feats so far have been trying to find room in my stomach and politely accept a slice of cheese after delicious, hearty meals, knowing there is still dessert to come and judging whether to ‘Bonsoir’ (Good evening) or ‘Bonjour’ (Good day/hello) passers-by on my evening runs or walks. Tough life.
I’ve been enjoying swimming, cycling, berry-picking, canoeing, visiting charming villages and towns nearby, catching up on sleep, reading and indulging in French cuisine. Nevertheless, it’s coming increasingly obvious to me that I’m a city girl. I am craving a bit of the noise, bustle and vivacity which comforts and inspires me.
Fortunately, it won’t be long before I’m back in some of my favourite cities. Before heading off to South America, I will be completing a kind of condensed, 11-day Victory lap of Europe: Paris –> Lyon –> Torino and it’s surrounds –> Madrid. I am aware that Paris is a massive detour if heading to Lyon, but for a 30 euro fare, who could resist such an offer to visit cette ville si belle?! If I can visit four European cities for much less than an airfare from Sydney to Perth, then why wouldn’t you?! That Australian spatial mentality will never be shaken.
What awaits me after Europe is a completely new and undiscovered path. This is my cue for “I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore, Toto”. From September to mid-January, I will be living in Santiago, Chile, working as a volunteer for the NGO ‘VE Global’. The organisation runs six social service initiatives which foster positive development of children at social risk in Santiago. I will be working full-time in one of these initiatives, as well as developing projects in a committee, such as fundraising events and campaigns.
I have been attempting to revise mi español, but I fear this will not help much with trying to understand the local Chilean accent, which is supposedly, one of the hardest accents in Latin America. Nevertheless, I look forward to the new challenges, opportunities and adventures which await me in Chile.
* a bracelet-making craze which has radically swept the under 12 crowd in Europe (and most likely many other countries) away from their Nintendo DS consoles.
View from my bedroom window
maviefranglaise 