Autumn in France
Ahhh, the peace of autumn. The last holidaymakers have gone until the spring, and the only sound to be heard is the tractors beavering away in the neighbouring fields.
I say autumn, but the weather here is more like summer. For weeks now, the weather has just been getting better every day, and I suspect it is almost as hot as it was two months ago. Certainly it is unseasonally pleasant. It’s due to change (for the worse) tomorrow I understand, but mustn’t grumble.
I would have gone for lots of bike rides, but as I already said, I am currently bikeless - I have ordered a new one that will arrive towards the end of next week. I would have gone for a swim in the pool but the liner is being replaced and there is no water in there at the moment. So I mowed the field instead.
But hark, I see the robin, autumn has arrived! Our robin disappears during the summer and faithfully returns in the autumn to hop about on the terrace, along with lots of other small birds that gather outside during the winter. It is a great treat to watch the birds when the weather is too cold to sit outside, even if I am in principle too young to get pleasure from birdwatching. (???)
But wait, the robin is throwing himself against the window! What is he doing? Over and over, he throws himself against the glass. Enter stage left - the cat! Yes our little white fluffy cat has killed the robin and is taking great pleasure in hurling it, over and over, against the window.
Now there aren’t many things that spoil my lunch, apart from the children singing too loudly or Mrs B telling me the roquefort is off, but dead birds being flung at the window comes close, I can tell you. Still, the cat was obviously very pleased with itself, and proceeded to eat every last part of the robin, beak included, before stalking around looking for remaining stray feathers to devour. Hmmm, nice.
Anyway, enough of all that, we’re going away for a few days during the coming school holidays and now I am confident the cat can fend for itself, so that will save a few euros on cattery costs. We are going over Rodez way in the Massif Central, and staying at Belcastel (a ‘most beautiful village in France‘ as it happens, so close to my heart) in a house owned by the local town for the benefit of the town and its visitors.
We’ve always wanted to stand in the rain looking at the ‘cloud that would be a dramatic mountain range if we visited in summer like everyone else’ that is the Massif Central, and going in November we are unlikely to be disappointed. I’ll let you know later.
