A Year in Villefranche sur Mer - Moving to France

Day 966 (Friday) 31 st January 2020 I had an early start this morning and got the train into Nice. The weather was gorgeous and the beach and the bay glistened in the early sunshine (well, early for winter) On the way to the station I saw that there are still two Christmas decorations up. Nice was also looking lovely I spent a very pleasant two hours with Alicia in William’s office and decided to get the tram and bus home and I was soon sunbathing on the balcony. By 4pm when the sun went behind the mountains I was back in my winter woollies, but I’m not complaining – it’s lovely during the day. Huw had to go into Nice to see an accountant about our tax situations here and in the UK. The meeting went well but there are still some papers that need doing and he was quietly confident that he is getting close to sorting it all out. Are the French really obsessed with manners and etiquette? The Local France The French have a reputati...

Day 965 (Thursday) 30 th January 2020 I was in a bit of a grumpy mood for a while last night because it feels like that every time I check my emails or answer my phone one of my many schools wants something from me and I said something about passing the buck and realised I didn’t know what a ’buck’ was and neither did Huw so I looked it up and found this… "Passing the buck" originated from a ritual practiced during card games. Card players used to place a marker, called a "buck," in front of the person who was the dealer. That marker was passed to the next player along with the responsibility of dealing. Eventually "passing the buck" became synonymous with passing on responsibility. I was hoping for a more exciting explanation but it’s interesting enough. Huw went up to the big apartment this morning to let an electrician in to fix the intercom phones so he has earned some more beer money! I walked up the hill to the bus stop...

Day 964 (Wednesday) 29 th January 2020 It was a stunning day today and so warm – it was more like spring than late January. I had the morning off and I recently finished my Christmas jigsaw of Badger and we managed to get these great photos of him. I caught the train to Beaulieu and I didn’t need to wear a coat, just a blouse and a light cotton jacket – bliss. Beaulieu looked very charming in the sunshine I spent an hour and a half with Odile and Sarah and then enjoyed the walk from Beaulieu to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. There were a few people basking in the sun on the beach Baie de fourmis, which translates to ‘Bay of ants’ – what a dreadful name for a lovely beach. In Saint Jean I spent 45 minutes with little Ocean and 45 minutes with her big sister Claree. There was a bus strike again today so Huw very kindly picked me up on Kisbee and he brought my Parka with him because it’s pretty cold on Kisbee. We were home in no time and th...