MY AUSTRALIAN COUSIN

The weather this year, in my little corner of France has been shocking. During this miserable period however, I had a very important visitor - from Australia!!!!!!

​Many years ago my grandfather’s sister emigrated to Australia with her husband and children. It must have been a daunting trip back in the 1950s with no hope of regular visits home to her family in Wales. My father always kept in touch with his cousin and sadly they both died about the same time as each other - continents apart. I knew I had one Australian cousin as Paula had visited Wales to visit my father many years ago, but I didn’t know I had another. 

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I received a message (how wonderful is the internet) from Helen saying that she would be visiting the UK with her husband James. They would be touring around Europe and could they visit me in France? Well France is a big country but has a brilliant infrastructure. So one wet miserable morning I drove to Angouleme to meet them from the Paris train. They had spent a few busy days in our beautiful but cold capital city. The weather in the UK and Paris must have come as a shock to them after Australia - I hoped that rural France would not be too much of a disappointment after their adventures.

Thankfully they were happy to just chill. They had wonderful tales of their travels around England Scotland and Wales and they met another unknown cousin (hope to meet you soon Mark) in Wales. Helen actually knew more about my father’s family than I did. We got on like a house on fire. It was as if we’d always known each other - it was weird! Although I have to say she was significantly quieter than me!!!!! 

The rain didn’t stop!!!!! ​So one day we ventured into town. Well it was shopping weather!!!! Grammar school husband joined us. We were honoured as he hates shopping - but he was with us for the impending lunch!!!!! 

Angouleme is France’s Ville de l’Image, capital of comic books. It has over 30 cartoon paintings on the walls and buildings of the town. It has a cartoon museum and a labyrinth of medieval cobbled streets full of bars, restaurants and exclusive boutiques. It sits on a hill overlooking the Charente valley and has a wonderful 19th century indoor market, Marché des Halles with stalls brimming with local produce, wines and street food style diners.

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Helen and I hit the clothes shops!!!!! ​We were warmly welcomed by Veronique at Le Boudoir de Marguerite (see previous blog post) and we then went to a favourite boutique of mine called Strass. The beautiful Iris always looks so chic and helped us with our purchases - French gifts for Helen to take home down under. Strass Angouleme has an amazing Facebook page with videos of all the new clothes arriving at their shop. Watching the fashion shows is excellent for my French, especially the difficult numbers (prices) - lol.

Our last night was spent at the Beau Rivage restaurant in Mansle overlooking the river Charente. I even lent Helen my coat to go out - such is our family love!!!!!! We talked all night and the next morning we sadly had to say goodbye as they headed off by train to Bordeaux to fly to Italy. What jet setters!!!! 

I found out that Helen is a brilliant artist, so every day I rush to my postbox as she’s sent me one of her paintings to hang in my French house. ​You can look her work up on her Instagram account helengerschwitz_art. That’s one thing we don’t have in common, I couldn’t draw a stick man with Banksy to help!!!!

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So - my perfect cousin - until we meet again. Hopefully in Kangaroo Island!!!!!​
​Next time I will be in beautiful Biarritz, see you then!