Haystacks and sunflowers

Beep, beep, there goes the alarm its time to get going to St Pancras station to catch the Eurostar to Avignon. Oh, it looks like half of London is going to Europe today, its all sun hats and bike helmets. Maybe these people are going to the same place as me?

All aboard the 7:19 to Marseille, stopping at Lille, Lyon and Avignon.

What a nice seat, my seat selection plan worked and I am sitting facing the direction of travel with an aisle and a window. Time to ring Stephen and bother him. Right on the dot, the train glides out of the station. There is good wifi and laptop power time to finish off work and get through some emails. I want to finish by the time we get to the other side of the channel so I can stare out the window and see the countryside. 

Before I blink we are out of the tunnel and into France proper, its green and lush. Looks really hot as the sun is baking down over the landscape. Those sunflowers are divine, fields and fields on them. More working, nearly done, just a few more thank you’s and lunch has arrived. Well that’s it lets shut up that laptop and enjoy the ride.

The sunflowers are huge, and appear to turn to face the sun. I wonder if that is true or not? Will have to find out. Haystacks are in every field, I wonder if I am in a Van Gogh painting.

6 hours later right on schedule, we glide into Avignon and Jane and Russ are here ready and waiting to whisk me back to their home. Its hot, 39.6 degrees.

It's supposed to be an hour drive but with so much chatting and things to see we arrive in no time. I settle in and then we head out on a walk into the local bush, called the garrigue. What's that big bird panicking behind us its a pheasant! Chalk up a new bird! Lets keep going down this track, a danger sign appears that must be interesting, yes its a limestone cave. Lots to explore here bees and bugs galore. I am like a kid in a candy store. Back we go to base and sit out in the shade and have an extended many course dinner, drinking, solving the problems of the world, bird watching and star gazing (we even saw the ISS my first time in Northern Hemisphere!). What a wonderful night.