25/07/2026
Good morning from a slightly smoky SW France.
It’s been a year this coming week that I last taught in Ilfracombe. I think fondly of the people (many now friends or were already friends) that I taught and the town. 😍
We are settling in more and more to the French way of life. My French is slowly improving and I’m making some French friends 🥂🍾 🇫🇷
French visa’s are another story. I’m waiting for my second visa now (Rich has his), there’s some query around my maiden name and I came back briefly to get some legal documents signed. Fingers crossed that goes through smoothly.
The fires are in and around Bordeaux which is 45 miles away, about 1.45hrs driving. We aren’t in deep forest area here, it’s all arable around but like a tinder box as we’ve had high temperatures since May and no real rain (2 mins down pour). We woke this morning to the smell of smoke and the fog of it, scarily checking around. Our neighbours thought of us and messaged to tell us it’s due to a wind change and it’s coming from Bordeaux. Thinking of the people who have been evacuated and the firefighters working so hard.
