Yesterday was a BIG day, left Fumel in the south of France at 7.30am to catch my first train from the neighbouring town of Monsempron to Agen…a pleasant 45 minutes through the countryside as the sun was rising! Then I had a 30 minute changeover to catch my next train from Agen to Bordeaux! A two hour trip. At this point I will just highlight that I was travelling with an extra big bag as well as my smaller carryon transporting Kevin’s winter (NZ) clothes back to Malta!
Bordeaux train station is large and we arrived several platforms over from the exit, which meant getting a 20kg bag and a 10kg bag down a flight of steps to go under the train lines! Challenge number one! Exiting finally onto the outside cobbled area (rolly bags on a cobbled road is not ideal), to be greeting by an unsavoury chap vomiting his heart out! Lost for the first time in the day, dragging two bags looking for a shuttle bus I had booked to transport me to the airport! Finally a young very helpful man could decipher my ticket (on phone) and pointed me in the right direction. Getting rather hot, hungry and thirsty, luckily not in need of a loo (as the three of us – 2 bags and me would not have fitted in the cubicles) I loaded bags and myself on the (full) bus.
A 30 minute bus ride, bags retrieved, I went in search of my bag drop point – after visiting all three terminals I found the Ryan Air one, only to realise I had an hour and a half before I could rid myself of the big bag – being the budget airline it was in a part of the airport with no cafes! So getting hungrier and thirstier I settled in to wait it out!
Finally I threw myself through customs, being stripped of almost everything apart from my pants and shirt ….. with only an hour before take off, there was a kiosk – cold drink and tough old ham and cheese baguette! Found my gate and a seat and savoured the roll and drink…another 2 and a half hour flight (spend dozing) and taxi to the Paola apartment by 7pm!
The first thing I noticed were the very dead looking plants , the watering system (on the terrace) had been off (battery died) through the recent heatwaves. My job for the summer, to look after the plants, was going to be even more challenging. Rather exhausted last night, I watered, made my bed and found a packet of crackers for dinner.
Needless to say this morning was full of jobs, sweep the dead leaves, water the plants, wash the deck, cut off dead branches, washing, annoying the neighbours for keys as I didn’t have a full set here, having my first coffee in more than 24 hours, supermarket shopping…..all on foot as I have arrived in the middle of the Paola feast.
Bunting galore, fireworks like a war zone, roads closed and the Saturday fish market adding an interesting aroma in the 35 degree heat!
After my morning of activities, I took a couple of hours to just lie and read. Tomorrow, I need to get into the garage and hope the battery charger has done its job and Roland’s little car (my ride for the next few weeks) fires into life!
Welcome to Malta, settle into my work pattern, swim and see my cousins and friends! And of course try and bring the terrace garden back to life!
All who wander are not Lost girls 