15-16 May - First Days in Ceret

How nice to get back to Ceret! The apartment was just as we left it, though last year's fix for the persistent roof leak had clearly not done its job. Power on, water on, shutters open and we were in business. It was a delight how quickly we were back in French mode and ready to get on with life here.

We've got our travelling down pretty pat, and reinstalling ourselves in our French apartment is a quick and nearly painless process, so by dinnertime we were pretty much sorted and ready to enjoy our European sojourn.

I had popped out to pick up a baguette and made a simple but late lunch using a few things we had left in our cupboard, as there is no way to buy things like cheese or tomatoes at lunchtime in Ceret! We made a small start on unpacking, but Karen needed a catch-up snooze while I went out to do the starter shopping run. I collected the French basics like Roquefort, Comte, chevre, Camembert and Emmental cheeses, some veges and fruit, eggs, milk and fromage blanc for our breakfast. Non-essentials could wait.

In the afternoon we did a bit of tidying away of what we'd brought with us, and moved our clothes back into our bedroom - we pack them away in case we get Airbnb guests while we are away over winter. With having a late lunch, we also had a late dinner then retired early to catch up on some sleep. We don't normally get jet-lagged, but there's no way not to be underdone with sleep when travelling. In France we are near on opposite times than in New Zealand - day = night, so it takes a few days to adjust.

We slept OK considering the time zone changes, and rather than our normal habit of a walk before breakfast, we chose to have a cup of tea and then breakfast in bed. After the business of our 5 months back in New Zealand, it felt quite surreal to wake up in France and not have plans for the week, let alone the day ahead. This is the first time we've been here without specific things we have to do - renovations, work, writing, whatever.

For our first walk we chose the route that takes us out into the fields to the north of the town. Spring had clearly been very fruitful here - growth is phenomenal and the fields were a real picture.

Local field of poppies

It had apparently been an odd spring, with more rain than usual, but one week of abnormally high temperatures. As a result the cherries are 2 weeks later than normal, but different varieties are maturing earlier or later than expected. We were able to confirm that yes, some are indeed ready for eating!

The cherries are ready!

We can't remember such a green spring. It is lovely being here in such a distinctive season. We are most used to the dry hot summers, so starting the year with the freshness and greenness of spring is a treat.

Lunch was what we've been waiting for since leaving - crispy baguette, French cheeses and fresh tomato and peppers. It's hard to beat. The only problem is that you can never eat enough bread to try out all the cheeses.