Time to bow out...

Last dinner in Biarritz, moules frites I'm coming for you!!!

Les montagnes?! On y va!!

Spent a glorious weekend in the tiny village of Luz St Sauveur in the Pyrenees chez Frankie.

We trekked around a couple of mountains, witnessed the beautiful Lac de Gaube, and saw Le Vignemale aka the highest mountain in the Pyrenees. Yesterday I took the Holy waters in Lourdes (in a nice and tacky Virgin Mary shaped bottle), and visited the Lourdes museum. Was a lovely break away!

Thanks Frankie!

In other news, I will be back in Blighty this time next week. It's all coming to an end...where has the time gone?!

La route compte

'It's not the destination, but the road you take that matters'

One of the things I learnt in the Bonnat museum, Bayonne.

Half of my heart won't do

Down the road, later on, you will hate that I never gave more to you

Than half of my heart...

GATEAUX BASQUES FOR LIFE

Mmmmm gateaux basques and a beautiful sunset.

Make a happy Sam...

Montrez moi le chemin

So I just re-read the blog I wrote on my second day in France, over two months ago...

I wrote this promise that morning:

'I will stick it out for two months. If, and only if by the 1st November I still feel homesick, unsure and unwelcome, I will leave.’
It’s signed and dated.
Now just to see if I can keep this promise to myself.'

Well, I kept that promise to myself. It's the 7th of November and I am still here, a hell of a lot more sure of myself and confident.

I can remember the feeling when I woke up, my first real day in France, alone.

To think of how far I have come, emotionally, mentally, physically, is quite amazing really. I mean to anyone else it probably seems like nothing, but to put yourself so far out of your comfort zone (at my age) is pretty scary and pretty life changing.

I have about three weeks left in the auberge, then home, which I am really looking forward to...

And then...

The next challenge.

Gotta keep moving forward, never look back with regret.