La Belle France awaits

I'm now getting ready to go to France and decided to take my car for a wash, just so that the flies stuck to the front don't get totally ingrained into the paintwork in the heat that's supposed to arrive.

I sometimes wash my car myself, but sometimes, when it's absolutely filthy I take it and get someone else to do it for me. One of the places I like to go is the car wash at Dobbie's Garden Centre, just on the outskirts of Edinburgh when I'm up that way. They're pretty thorough and also pretty damn quick.

Last week I'd spotted a car wash in Kelso and, as I had some shopping to do there today, I decided to try it. It was actually pretty good, especially if you've got quarter of an hour to spare. Yes, the Kelso car wash isn't the place to go if you're in a hurry. There were 2 guys on duty and they spent a lot of time switching the hose off and chatting to each other. It was rather endearing really.

And now my car is clean and ready to sit outside the house for a week, I have to get packed. I've been a bit last minute on this one, but I'm hoping for very hot weather and minimal clothing, so it shouldn't be too much to fling in my case.

I'm off to stay with Sara and Kzryzstof in their farmhouse in Normandy, complete with chickens, pony, donkey, cats, guinea pigs and two brand new Great Danes who I've not me yet. Sadly their 3 Danes that I loved spending time with died in the last 18 months. Clarence is the same age as Vespa and Myrtle is just about 4 months (I think). Here's a lovely pic of her that Sara sent me so I know partly what I'm heading for:

Myrtle a month ago

Sara and I have been friends since we were 13 and at boarding school in Sussex together. I try and get over there every year, but don't always make it. So it's been 2 years since I last ventured Francewards.

I'm really looking forward to a bit of downtime, but it won't be so much relaxation as I'm only on Week 4 of my 9 Week course with Uni of Iowa. It's such a full on course and there's no let up, so I'm girding my loins and hoping that Sara's usually pretty crap internet is going to work enough that I can post my comments on others' work so they don't think I've slacked off completely. At least they already know that I won't be able to take part in the online Sunday discussion next week so aren't expecting participation on that score. And tomorrow night I'm hoping the internet at my mother's house is working a bit better than the last time I was there.

So folks, it's au revoir et vous voir dans un peu plus d'une semaine. My French adventures will be posted on my return.