Going home for Christmas

 Hello!

 My last post left us in Avignon at Christmas. My time in the town was almost up: I would be heading home for Christmas, and then I would return for a short while in January before heading to Vigo in Galicia, Spain to begin the next chapter of my year abroad. 

 However, there were a few things to do before leaving Avignon.

 I went to a concert by the folk duo Sons of Birds at Cami-Li, the little bookshop and tearoom where I enjoyed spending time and had my origami and watercolours classes. It was a lovely place for the gig, intimate and cosy, with a great atmosphere. The pair sang some songs in English, with excellent harmonies. The tunes were simple but effective, and often moving. It was an evening to remember.

 I continued attending the twice-weekly English-French conversation classes at Cami-Li as well - they were a wonderful way to meet new people from all over the world. Students, residents, language assistants and people just passing through Avignon all came together for a chat and some tea (or hot chocolate for me) and cake. They were one of the best things about my semester in the town.

 I did some exams, bought Christmas presents, ate Paris-Brest cakes, which you can see at the top of the post, took lots of photos of lights and decorations and hung out by the Rhône - my relationship with the river was something special and I would miss it. 

 Finally, the time came to go home for Christmas.

 Back in September I had flown straight into Avignon airport, so only needed to get a taxi into the town. This time, however, I would need to fly from Marseilles. I packed my backpack with difficulty - I had a lot of presents to fit into it! - and caught my train south. It was a pleasant journey; for December it was sunny and bright. I met a friend from one of my classes on the train and we chatted.

 I arrived at the airport and made my way through security. I then faced the wait until my flight. Marseilles Airport is pretty busy and I was glad to find a quiet little lounge I could chill in. 

 I listened to The Blue Nile - nice, calming music - and looked out at the blue sky of France. 

This time I was only leaving for a couple of weeks, but it really wasn't long until I would be leaving for the foreseeable future, and that thought made me slightly sad, excited as I was about Spain.

 I got my flight, arrived back in Manchester, and started my train journey back to my hometown. There was a moment when I was at Salford Crescent - a station so legendary I wrote a poem about it - and it was very foggy, and lights were glowing gold behind the trees and the fog made it all very surreal and mystical. It was a definite moment of knowing I wasn't in France anymore.

 I got home and celebrated Christmas. My family loved their presents, especially some posh French chocolates which each contained a deep and meaningful quote - almost like a fortune cookie. I completed my last assignment, which was to be done online. I sent it off.

 Soon I would be returning for my last little chunk of time in Avignon, and then would be flying from there - or rather, from Marseilles - to Vigo. There was so much ahead of me, but I for the moment I just enjoyed being with my family and drinking Horlicks again.

 Watch this space to share the rest of my travels.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x