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| Belfast City Hall |
Hi, Guys! Welcome to my blog! For those of you who have been sharing life with me now for the last four years, it's great to hook up again and, for anyone joining us for the first time, please make yourselves at home in my, 'Empty Nest'! You are very welcome!
My name is Heather. I am a writer and lover of all things French. Since the 'young' age of 40, I have found myself feathering an empty nest. Well, I say empty; if you look carefully in the corner behind a few twigs and a feather you'll find my husband Ron; a rather reluctant adventurer, preferring the quiet life. He has, much to his surprise, shared a wonderful three years living 'La vie en rose' with me in south west France.
As you may guess from the title of this post, 'Bonjour, Belfast', we have been forced by circumstances beyond our control, to migrate back to our home town of Belfast. It is from our nest here in the suburbs of this interesting city that, reliving every moment of our French adventure, I have written and published, 'Bonjour Darling', the funny, poignant and amazing true story of our time in France.
Life and blogging wait for no man, however, and so I will continue to share with you my thoughts on living here in Belfast, life in my empty nest and, of course, I will share with you my reminiscences of life in France, when a rainy day in Belfast leaves my nest a bit soggy!
For now, let me leave you with a memory that transports me every time I revisit it. We are travelling home through the Loire valley on a balmy evening at the end of June. The river is wide and snakes effortlessly through the vineyards. Passing sleepy little towns, each clustered around a village square, where the spire of a tiny church marks the centre, and on, following the river as if caught up in its flow, mesmerised by its beauty. Turning a corner, the river stretches out on our left and, like a golden ball of fire, the sun sits on the horizon where the river meets the sky, creating a sparkling pathway across the water. It beckons us to stop the car and get out. Looking into the crystal clear water, the emerald green reeds obey the direction of the flow; like life, it is unstoppable on its journey. We stand in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the gentle lap of the water and then turn back to the car. At home in Belfast, as I write this post, I share with you the lesson I learnt from the river Loire that night. For a peaceful life, don't resist, just go with the flow!
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my empty nest and that you will call back again soon. In the meantime, please check out, 'Bonjour Darling', the true story of our French adventure. You can read the reviews and order your own copy, by clicking on the image of the book on the top right of this post.
