Notable events from my first day in Aix en Provence:
1) It’s true, Swedish people are all tall and blonde and usually called Lars
2) No matter their race or creed, no one can pronounce Kirsty
3) French people live in a state of perpetual gloom. Why do they bother having lights in their houses if they never turn them on? May as well just use candles.
4) A nice warm climate brings mosquitoes. Apparently Europe used to be rife with malaria before the WHO got rid of it last century using large quantities of DDT. I hope it hasn’t made any recent local come backs. If I start having cyclical fevers I will let you know.
5) If you are in a class of strangers and fatigue and general stupidity make you forget everything, it is permissible to blatantly lie about anything in your life. Hence I am now apparently the proud owner of three Cairn terriers because I forgot the word “schnoodle”. Yes, I know it’s not a French word. I was tired, OK?
6) Watching a German woman trying to explain in broken French to a grumpy waiter that being gluten free doesn’t mean she couldn’t have rice or chips with her meal, instead of just a burger patty and a couple of leaves of lettuce makes any day better.
7) Just because a cat knows you are allergic doesn’t necessarily mean it will come and sit on your lap. This is new. At least I’m learning something!