A Year in Villefranche sur Mer - Moving to France

  Day 1392 (Wednesday) 31 st March 2021 Another early start on a gloriously sunny day and we were pleased to see the jetty for the rental boats is back. I think you probably remember the boat rental company called Dark Pelican, well apparently the owner didn’t pay his taxes on time and has lost the business, which is a real shame because it was a great little business and the boys who work there were great. Hopefully someone has bought the business and it will be back this summer – if we ever get out of lockdown. The fact that they’ve brought the jetty back looks promising. Having said that, Macron is making an announcement tonight at 8pm about the next stage of lockdown and reading between the lines it doesn’t look promising. Huw gave me a lift to Saint Jean and I spent a very pleasant 90 minutes with Christelle and Brice in the architect office. I like working in this part of Saint Jean because it’s where the ‘ordinary’ working people live and I noticed this lovely, messy balcony ne

  Day 1391 (Tuesday) 30 th March 2021 An early start on a glorious day I had my last class with Mona in Nice this morning and she apologised for not coming yesterday, from her awful English and my poor French I gathered that her explanation for missing our class was that she was busy cooking! She’s going to Senegal tomorrow for three weeks, how much cooking did she need to do? Anyway, she wants to continue our lessons when she returns in May and wants two classes a week for all of May, June and July. Because of Covid there will be no summer school this year so it’s good to know I’ll have some work with Mona. I walked from International House to the fountain to meet Huw and Place Massena looked as wonderful as ever.    This is where the big wheel used to be, I’m pretty sure it’s there in the summer and it was definitely there for Christmas so why take it down and where on earth do they store it? We walked around the old town and flower market and bought a fresh poulet club sandwich for

  Day 1390 (Monday) 29 th March 2021 Today started off with great promise with the sun shining and I had three hours with Eduard and Olga then 90 minutes in Nice with Mona. Huw went up to the villa and finished some of the garden furniture and it’s looking good. Before  After  I set up my computer and got the two lessons ready to start at 10.30. There was no sign of either of them so I sent Eduard a message ta 10.40 but no reply. I tried texting Olga but nothing. I rang Angelique (their PR in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat) and she didn’t know anything because she is here and they are in London. I tried ringing Eduard but there was no answer. I find this behaviour quite intolerable; my time is every bit as valuable as theirs so why the hell do they keep me waiting like this? I had to stay in the ‘waiting room’ in case they joined but I got on with my Duolingo and some paperwork. At 11.50 he sent me a text saying, ‘sorry we can’t make it today.’ I know I still get paid for this but it’s so bloo