Thursday, September 03, 2009

The sound of silence...

I'd forgotten how much I love this sound...

Okay, so it's not technically silent here in the back garden. I can hear the sounds of the weekly village market taking place on the market square, the village bells are ringing 10 o'clock and every 5 minutes or so I can hear a skinny tractor with its empty trailer bobbing along the road behind it headed to the vines for another load of grapes.

I can hear the breeze shuffling through the crisp leaves of the chestnut tree and the far away sound of the recycling truck making its way through the village, followed by the sound of numerous wine bottles being tipped into the back of it.

But still, this special kind of silence I am appreciating right now, this is a silence that comes only once a year, on the day that for the first time in 2 months the little ladies are somewhere else, out of my earshot, tucked up nicely in their new classrooms, back at school.

I'm drinking a coffee, although a glass of champagne would feel appropriate, too. God bless la rentrée!

We've had a great summer. It's been a hot one, and for the first time in the 10 years we have been living here, I feel like we've fully exploited the fact that we live in a Mediterranean country.

Our days were spent alternating between the beach and the pool, and the nights between local fêtes, barbeques and parties. We've gone through several bottles of sunscreen and rosé, several pairs of water wings, at least 100 metres of sausages, and all of our swimsuits are almost threadbare.

I've taken a good break from blogging and feel as refreshed and engergized as a mother of two small children during summer vacation can possibly feel. I'm looking forward to our village waking up from its 2 month siesta and to coming here to share more about life in France.

For the moment, though, I'm going to keep myself busy by sitting very still and enjoying my special kind of silence.

4 comments:

Melissaand3boys said...

Enjoy that silence! It is refreshing to have the kids settled back in school, knowing they are happy to be back with their friends. It sounds like your summer has been wonderful!

deedee said...

My favorite sound.
I wish I lived closer, I'd come drink champagne with you.

Paulita said...

Surprising how quickly you get used to the silence and long for the kids again, though.

Anonymous said...

Enjoy the quiet. Glad you feel energized and ready for the winter.
Looking forward to your future posts.