Due to an unexpected shift in the space time continuum, this was also Christmas Eve…

All the nerves of a first date with the added pressure of relying on GCSE French. Worried that it will be like having a small child over for dinner due to my limited vocabulary and understanding. I’m quite anxious that I also haven’t prepared enough stock phrases to get through the evening.

Quick shower as covered in crap off the walls. First outfit on, don’t like it. Or the next one, or the next one. Ok, this will do [red trousers and black karen millen top]. Can’t find my make up, must be here somewhere but haven’t exactly had call for it up till now. Found. Ouch! mascara brush in the eye. Ready. Wait, where my shoes… Oh great, they’re covered in mud. No time to clean them but will bash them about a bit to get the worst off the bottom so I don’t trail mud through their house. Yep, I do have a pair of my good socks on in case they have white carpets and I take my dirty shoes off [my sheep ones from Muma Camp].

Ready. Now, where did I put the keys?! Found the keys. What’s the address for the satnav? I’m sure it’s here somewhere. Oh, this is the wrong phone, it’s on the French phone. Got it, but it’s now 7:20, is going to take 20 mins to drive (30 at my speed) and I’m due to 7:30. Best text to say I’m running late.

Out to the car, finally, and back inside to grab the chocolates from the table. Not great weather. In fact it’s not rain it’s sleet. Great, I’m already nervous as hell and on top of that I can hardly see where I am going or where there might be black ice. Kicking it at 40 in a 90. I’m glad nobody else is on the road.

Nearly at Luchon and a car comes up behind me. I brave it out (to at least half the speed limit). And it takes the same turn as me just as I approach the weird roundabout which I don’t understand. Can I go straight across or do I have to go round the side. No clear road markings. Panic. Turn right and pull into an empty parking space as if I’d meant to do that all along. The car goes past and I back out again. At least from this direction I know I can just turn right.

Not much longer and I am there, crawling along the road trying to work out where the damned numbers are. Got it, now for a parking space. There was a hotel back there but probably get told off and I am not in the right frame of mind to deal with that as well this evening. Half way up the road there is 3/4 of a space. Pull in as close to the other car as possible, get out, check, move back a bit more, get out, check, move back a little more again. That’s the best I’m going to get and my wheel is only just touching the line.

Walk back to their house and ring the doorbell. It is definitely ringing constantly but no answer. Try to look through the window but it is too high. Knock loudly on the door. Back up across the street to look in the window. Yep someone’s got up. And I’m in.

Ooh, so this is good news. They have two friends with them. A French chap and his Australian wife. My nerves subside as I now have someone to help translate when I get stuck on odd words.

Have to refuse the wine as I am driving. Mini vol-au-vents to start. No idea what’s in them but I’m a pro at eating most things (so long as it is canape sized) – Peter taught me this lesson at our many work functions stationed carefully between the kitchen door and champagne bar – the more you eat the more you can drink.

Lots of chat and it’s all going well. Understanding most of what is going on and able to contribute well. Lozza’s also there to help out when I get stuck. Seems that a woman has gone missing up in the mountains above Luchon. They found her backpack down a crevasse but no sign of her for days. They don’t seem optimistic that she’s going to be found at all and certainly not alive with the weather as it is now. This was naturally followed by many repeats never (jamais) to go into the mountains alone, even in the spring it can look good but under the grass it is still very wet and you can easily slip and fall. Note taken.

Hahaha… The next time you meet a French person, ask them to say the word ‘squirrel’. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages, it was hilarious.

Getting good tips about where to drink on a Saturday afternoon in the summer, details for a good English speaking French accountant, and discussion about the rally yesterday in Luchon about opening the Ski resort. I had assumed initially that Europe would decide together whether to open ski resorts, since from many you can ski into neighbouring countries but apparently now. What makes it worse is that they still haven’t confirmed when they will open. This rankles somewhat when cinemas and other indoor venues are open, other countries are opening their ski resorts, and even more so when your deliveries have to go up a small road which is currently open but will be closed following a big snowfall until spring. You can’t just send up 40kilos of potatoes only to wait for them to rot as the decision to open is delayed further but then you can’t run a restaurant without food so what do you do?!

Dinner is ready. Chicken tagine, lemony with olives, and amazing potatoes. It was so yummy!!!

The cat is cute as hell. Super timid but once you are reasonably quiet and still he’ll come over and see you. He’s so soft and lovely, I want to take him home as a Matt replacement. We did discuss it as the cat used to live at our house. Unfortunately he got beaten up badly by another animal and needs lots of care and attention. With us going back and forward to the UK it’s not going to work. It was incredibly nice that they did offer to give me the cat though. His name is voleur (it oddly means ‘robber’).

Lots more chat and offers to help put us in contact with any trades people we need and offered to help make sure that we don’t get the ‘English’ price. Dinner is done and time for salad (apparently this is the way round the French do it). Then some cheese. And finally desert. By this point however I am stuffed and can’t eat any more. After some insisting I have a tiny fork full but I think I will be sick if I have any more. A little more chat and I ought to head home, it’s already 11:30. Had the most brilliant evening though and was so glad to have met such wonderful people who were so very welcoming.

Thankfully the sleet has stopped so it’s a much easier drive home and I have had the most wonderful evening. What a fantastic group of people to be my best friends in France. Feeling very happy, and desperate for a glass of wine, so back at home and call Matt before bed.