This morning I had breakfast on the balcony in the (not-so-)early morning sunshine and after coffee at a friend's house this afternoon, I took the back road home and drove through the vineyards, heading towards the snow-capped Jura mountains, with the sunshine beating down, the thermometer showing 25 degrees and a light summer breeze wafting through the windows to keep me cool. It reminded me of why living in France is so wonderful. So here are some of the things that make life here so fine.1. The aforementioned sun
Sorry to all of you still battling the drizzle and the blizzards in the UK, but we've had some nicely well-defined seasons since we've been here and the transitions between them have been nothing if not swift. Two weeks ago it snowed, and we tucked in a last weekend of decent skiing. Then a storm came, brought a ton of rain and some thunder two nights running and lo, the following day it was spring. Since Sunday we've had more or less non-stop sunshine and 23 degrees. The trees were a little surprised by all this, and despite the lack of buds until two days ago, they have been rushing to get their leaves out quick smart.
2. French children say 'Bonjour'
Yes, it's true: everyone who walks past you in the street, even the children and the teenagers, says 'Bonjour.'
3. The supermarkets only sell seasonal produce
OK, so this is a little annoying if you need a spring onion in the middle of winter, but ultimately it's a Very Good Thing for airmiles, local produce and the like. You can't buy soft fruit in the winter, and you can't buy a red cabbage in the summer. Fair dos. It encourages you to think about what you're cooking, where the food has come from and to appreciate the growing seasons. I like it.
4. Lunchtimes
The French consider lunch important enough that everyone has to take two hours out for it. What's not to like? (well, the fact that the 12-2 closures mean you can't make any calls to businesses, visit shops in small towns or even, bizarrely, have lunch at a time that suits you (i.e. outside the 12-2 bracket) - these things are quite annoying)
5. The bread
Don't live here if you have a wheat intolerance. Avoiding bread is impossible, and why would you want to? It's incredible. Not to mention the croissants, fine patisserie, and macarons, available in the obligatory bakery in every village...
6. The skiing
Don't ski? Pah. Then why are you living in France?
7. The word for a walkie-talkie is 'un talkie-walkie'
Need I say more?
8. French radio
They have absolutely no qualms about playing songs such as 'Especially For You' by Kylie and Jason, entirely without irony, in the middle of an average programme. Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul, The Bangles and Bon Jovi are other favoured artists.
9. The wildlife
When Alec was born and we started looking for nice places to walk, I was a bit put out to realise there weren't any wildlife/bird reserves nearby that we could walk around. Then I realised it's because there is no need. On an average walk around our village, or out into the fields beyond, I will probably see as many as half a dozen big birds - buzzards, kites, kestrels and other things I don't know the name of. They are two a penny here, and rarely a day goes by when we don't seem them. There are deer in the vineyards, lizards scuttling along the pavements and something big that keeps leaving giant pawprints in the snow (admittedly, it's possibly a dog).
10. Did I mention the sunshine?
On the downside, the French are appalling at keeping their road surfaces in a decent condition. Pot holes all over. I suppose you can't win them all.
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