Hello heatwave

Thursday, was travel back to Fumel day…. A relaxed morning in Porto.. fondly saying goodbye to our smelly flat. And ubering to the airport in 20 degrees around 9.40am.., got rid of my bag… all going smoothly.. through customs…. Still smooth…found gate…

Clear calm day for take off…watching the sights and sounds of airport life…

Airport cyber vehicles – Elon Musks influence one could say!

Plane leaving at 12.30… and in typical Ryan air fashion was a little late.,,,but only 30 minutes…landed within 15 minutes of scheduled time…

Walked out of Toulouse airport…and we were hit with the heatwave that France had been suffering all week! However there was the shuttle bus leaving in 5 to the train station..air-conditioned!

All going well, apart from starting to melt! Our train was on time, but many other trains on the board were suspended…this should have rung alarm bells! But we just thought we had an angel on our shoulder taking us home…

There we were, slitting in our train from Toulouse to Agen- the last leg of our journey to collect the car and drive the 40 minutes home to Fumel! Scheduled to be back by 7pm!

The train left on time……one, then two, then three unscheduled pauses…stopping to rest on the lines for whatever reasons…and halfway through the journey at Montauban…we were all told to get off, the train was going no further!

So there we were in 40 degrees, with a platform full of confused disgruntled passengers all wanting to get to Agen – and no trains going…

They were putting on a bus…in half an hour…

Luckily Kevin knew what the bus looked like…he dealt with the luggage and I pushed and shoved and grabbed a seat on the bus…a few people (like 20) were standing after loading and had to get off as the driver couldn’t drive the hour and a half with standers!!! ….we meandered all the regional roads…stopping at the scheduled train stations on the way…and finally arrived in Agen a little after 8pm…

Out of the noise of airports, planes, Train stations, trains, platforms and buses…and heat, we fell into the air-conditioned Citroen in silence for the drive home…

On the positive side…no traffic on the roads except a bunch of heat dazed pigeons who did not fly off as usual and Kevin had to play dodgems with them!

We arrived to the house a little after 9pm..to every room in the high 30s… fans on, doors open, Kevin connected the aircon unit upstairs, watered gasping garden…and a cold beer as the sun sank around 9.45!!!

Yesterday promised similar weather…but up at 6am to catch the mid 20 temps and get as much of the cool air into the house…then Kevin’s painters arrived about 9am…they hadn’t worked all week in the heatwave, but were back!! So Kevin set them up and we went off to the supermarket (air-conditioned) after hanging two loads of washing out! Good drying weather!

The Lot river…looking very still, with not a breath of breeze…

Shopping done, we came back, unloaded, while the two painter boys toiled on in the rising heat…with their spray machine and cherry picker! I collapsed on my bed…fan on, Kevin wanted to keep an eye on them as they don’t cover windows etc….so he worked in the garden …. Losing buckets of sweat…..for several hours! I brought the laundry in and folded it!!!

Now…my brother in law had left me a couple of presents…namely boots… which I was dying to try on! But…swollen feet from 35 days walking, a big travelling day yesterday and the extreme heat…. Seemed I had gained a shoe size (for now)…

However with a thin sock, I managed to squeeze into these red cowboy boots!!! Am I ready for Texas or what!!!

Around 5pm the painter boys packed up and left…and We took cold showers…as we were meeting Kevin’s English friends for dinner out… dilemma…what to wear…

Thanks to my friend Jean from the Camino, who kindly donated me a Spanish cotton skirt, and some nice sandals, I could rock the skirt as a dress, with only one other item of clothing needed!

We met Kevin’s English friends, who took us to a cafe by the river in Puy L’Eveque.,

Terrace cafe…we had a great time…cold beer desperately needed, even with my minimal clothing choice, I still had rivers running down my body..,so what does a gal do..,

Finish the meal with an ice cream Sunday!!

I’ll soon be back up to my weight goals at this rate…

Today, Saturday here, is going to be another high 30’s day…so we are hoping no workmen arrive….and we can have a relaxed “fan” day!