aici sén pla: November 2017

Aici sèn pla

This blog started as a daily record to mark our fifth year at Segala. Daily it did not turn out to be but after the year I have decided to continue as an occasional diary - after all I do still like it here or "aici sen pla".

Its our fifth year living at Segala. I have decided to try to mark this year with a daily post ( some days it will be just a photo) of our life over the year. I have trawled my brain for witty titles without success then I remembered the slogan on the T shirts at the fête in Espinas in the summer.

A friend translated it from the occitan for us. It seems to mean something along the lines of I like it here. Very apt for us, "I like it here " is a refrain we use to each other at least daily so that's the plan - Aici sén pla - a year of daily musings from a contented retired expat who thinks herself damned lucky every single day.

Sunday, 26 November 2017

family matters

Obviously ex pat life has a few( just a few) drawbacks and separation from family ranks as the most significant. This is why we have always been keen to make the effort to get involved with family events whenever we have the chance. We were therefore delighted when my brother asked us if we would go to his wedding at the end of October. A second marriage for both parties, it was to be a very small gathering at the historic blacksmith's forge at Gretna Green in Scotland, followed by a larger party in their home village in Suffolk . For us it meant a 5 day trip with a different bed every night but we caught up with some friends and spent good times with the family.

Gretna has clearly capitalised on it's romantic and historic past and I gather some weekends get very busy. On a Thursday at the end of October though it was quiet and even the weather played fair.

The party at the weekend was great for us as both of our children plus families were able to be there as well as several nieces and nephews who we we see all too rarely.

The icing on the cake for us was that, after 17 years together, our daughter and her partner have finally become engaged, a moment I had thought might never happen and I suspect it was the same for our daughter, Anyway she was so so happy and is now eagerly planning her wedding "festival party" for next September. It will definitely be different from Gretna Green!

The bonus is I get loads of excited emails and phone calls as the plans unfold. It certainly promises to be a wedding with a difference.

It's now the count down to our next family time , our traditional annual December get together in Derbyshire. This year we have rented a house for the family over Christmas week and will be spending a night beforehand in the potteries for the now annual meal with our old music and dancing friends.

Good times ahead. For now we are adjusting to some colder temperatures and settling down to a winter routine. There's still no time to slack though, lots to do in the garden, dancing 2 or 3 evenings every week, walks to be done etc etc .

aiçi sén pla