18th June 2017

Him indoors is upset. His prized Land Rover has been sold to a dealership in Toulouse. Well, I say sold, but where's the money?  Their ads say 'Guaranteed - your money within 24 hours'. So Wednesday, in 40 degree heat, we first tootled to Albi to pick up a hire car, followed by a hazardous two vehicle drive down the motorway, me driving the LR, Him following in the unrecognisable hire car - both with GPS voices telling us to go in different directions! At last we found the dealership, signed the paperwork and waited for the transfer of a large amount of money into our French bank account....and waited....and waited.  Now Sunday. No car. Still no money, and our bank is shut Mondays. It'd better be there Tuesday or else.  Meantime, the saga of our English bank continues. Thursday, they agreed by email a small amount of compensation for all the stress over their threat to freeze our account. All sorted then?  No. Friday we received by standard post yet another letter, returning our previous id documents, saying they are unacceptable. Right hand:left hand syndrome? Words fail me. So tired. This leaving is so so difficult. Like the GPS all I can hear in my head: Take the exit, take the exit.

24th July 2016

49 years together. Amazing. 11 years since we moved to France. Challenging. Our early hilarious mishaps (see Pensioners in Paradis paperback (www.amazon.co.uk/Pensioners-Paradis-Olga-Swan/dp/1847994156?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc), contrast with our wonderful French experiences, as they unfolded, on this blog. However, the first turning point came 8 years ago when my brother was dying. Despite frantic efforts to reach him in B'ham in time - and nobody but nobody would have our dog urgently (and the kennel woman was in Morocco!) - I was too late to speak to my brother before he died. Then, soon after, my sole remaining sibling (both parents having passed away 50 years ago) also passed away. I'm now older, but wiser. Never say you'll never change your mind. Life, age and politics can change everything. The Brexit button, despite a legal challenge in Oct, is likely to be pressed Jan 17. So, that's my target too. We, and the UK, may well be leaving France behind over the next few months. But, still keeping an open mind. Who knew 49 years ago that our lives would evolve like this. You never know what's around the corner.