I uploaded my last blog to my old site patblog.patbell.co.uk d’oh. Anyway, today we went to Site de Peyrassoulat to see the “original” of the artwork we have bought as a souvenir of our time in France. So when we get to Australia, probably in November 2019 visa permitting, we have something other than all the various christmas tree decorations we have bought on our travels. No we aren’t hanging the picture on our tree next year!
I was up in Paris this Friday getting my biometrics done. Finger prints and digital photograph to accompany my visa application. It was a 6am train from Limoges for the 3 1/2 hour trip to Gare d’Austerlitz. I had planned to walk along the Seine past Notre Dame, then across past the Louvre and north towards Montmartre. But it was bitterly cold and all I really wanted to do was get on the metro and then find a warm café before having lunch at a Brasserie. Which is what I did and then spent 40 minutes queuing with all the others (who were actually applying for UK visas at this joint UK/Australian visa handling centre). Two minutes for my appointment and I was done. I am next due on 18th January for health check. Delia’s coming then and we’re squeezing a trip up the Eiffel Tower into the day trip.
I shall miss France – Europe in fact. It shouldn’t make any difference to my work – a digital nomadic life is all the rage now! Plus I will be available anytime before noon (European time).
As for Peyrassoulat – it was quite magical. The sun came out and the sky was blue. Autumn leaves covered the floor the ancient woodland and two huge 200 years-old plane trees were kept company by four over-500 years-old yew trees.