Changes
Sitting in the train on my way to Villefranche this morning, I was struck by how much my life has changed in so many ways, not least of which has been the disappearance of the daily routine of my past life. Gone are the days of waking up at the same time each day, getting into my car and driving to work, seeing the same people and doing the same things. Here my life is constantly changing and evolving. Because of the nature of my work, I never work the same hours and nor am I based in the same office, something that pleases me enormously.
The weather, however, is a different story. Unlike Melbourne's unpredictable and unreliable weather, the seasons here are clearly defined. If it’s summer, it’s warm, if it’s winter, it’s cold. At the moment the temperature hovers daily at around the 28-30C mark. it won’t suddenly plummet to 12C just because it feels like it. The French seem to expect their weather to behave. When summer was late arriving this year, they were very vociferous in their complaints. Like the trains, they expect the seasons to be on time. The 21st June means the start of summer and it shouldn’t be a day late! “How dare it still be cold in July!” Now that summer has finally arrived, the heat seems to be a constant presence: it’s hot every day – not unbearably hot as it is in Australia with those hot northerly winds and burning sunshine, but a gentle soft heat which enables you to swan around in a t-shirt and thongs and get a tan without even trying. It makes sitting at outdoors cafes and restaurant a most enjoyable experience.