Once Again - Farewell & Safe Journey

Almost a year to the day, we waved Matthew off as he headed for France to work a season as centre manager at a PGL site in the Ardeche region. As usual, he left the packing till the last minute. Seems to be the only way he can work, so he was up just after 5 a.m. which of course meant that my sleep was disturbed as well.

This year, he has my old car, a Fiat Ulysse which is much better suited to transporting him and his equipment than a Corsa which is what he has used for the previous 2 years. That said, the car was still full to the brim, but then he did have 2 bikes in there this year instead of just one.

It's a long drive. 2 - 3 hours to Dover and 11 - 12 hours from Calais. Despite encouraging him to stop overnight, he won't. He will pull in at services when he gets tired and take a nap and then finish the journey off. It's a worry for his mum and I. We always look forward to the text to say he has arrived safely.

I'm hoping to nip out to see him in early April. I will go mid week to mid week so that I get a weekend free in France and work the rest of the time. The joys of the digital age. I can be anywhere and still work, which is why sadly, the company believe they can give jobs away to someone in India :-(