After a long drive we arrived at Shepton Mallet in thick fog. The weather forecast had said that there would be sunshine for the whole weekend so we had dressed accordingly, having left home in France when it was 20 degrees! (Note to self: Remember that the weather forecasters are nearly always wrong when there is a fair on.) Two jumpers later and we had unpacked the van and set up our stall. Lots of friendly people came over the next three days and we had a lovely time, although the weather did not really improve until Sunday. Daughter No 1 visited us and took a few photos – I did intend to take lots but of course it was busy and so completely forgot.
Although I love our life in France, I also like to stock up on some English staples that I just can’t find here. So boxes of teabags and digestive biscuits are always purchased. French supermarkets can be fun when just on holiday, but food shopping is still a bit of a chore to me, although our local supermarket has an amazing fish counter.
This has got me thinking about how the French do things differently, and how we are adapting. Now we have only been here permanently since last summer, but already I am getting used to the break in the day when the shops close and I can justifiably sit with a book and a coffee after lunch. I also love the courtesy when in shops, and the friendliness of our local hamlet as everyone has been unfailingly kind and welcoming. We are now planning for Newark so lots of pootling around hunting for goodies. One of my favourite finds are these lovely antique chairs which more often than not have to be stripped. If we are lucky, they have original tickings underneath which means they can be used without recovering.
