Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
'We could get teachers in!' I said, returning to the table having been inspired in the tiny toilet
and still doing up my flies.
'You mean like a writing holiday or a painting holiday, like that?'
'Exactly!' I replied. Natalie looked at me, a glint in her eye.
We thrashed it out over the cooling food for another twenty minutes or so. Convert one of
the barns into a classroom, use local hotels and
chambres d'hôtes
to house the students, have
the 'teacher' stay with us and we'd provide the meals for everyone. It was using the property
to its full potential, we'd be at home together, I would do the cooking and therefore be largely
kept away from the 'students' and the local community would gain in tourism. It seemed like
the perfect answer, even if it would take time to set up, build and then establish it seemed an
ideal solution for us. And I would be at home more.
'Have you finished?' interrupted the waitress from her trough of chocolates.
'Yes, erm… could you box it up for us please? We'll take it with us.'
I hate it when Natalie does this, I find it embarrassing but it seemed to please the old wait-
ress no end, especially when she managed to sell Natalie a bag of Chinese tea as well. And in
the spirit of goodwill, and after she'd carefully boxed up the remains of our meal, I even ate
a bowl of lychees which I can't stand and she wished us a
Bonne Année
as we walked the 5
yards across the road to our hotel with an almost complete Chinese meal and half a bottle of
rosé in our hands.
The lychees had their usual effect on me and I barely slept that night - and just as I was
about to, at six in the morning, the fire alarm went off. It was, as always, a false alarm, but it
rendered any further sleep utterly impossible and so I spent the early hours sitting in a chair,
staring at my laptop and eating cold Chinese food. It was horribly reminiscent of being away
at work only this was very different. Natalie was in the bed in the corner of the room, gently
breathing and, more importantly, we had a plan. This could be a big year indeed.