We only have three more days left until we have to leave St Felix and we are already in mourning. As we think about leaving, naturally the are many things we will miss and some things we won’t miss quite as much.

The list of things we won’t miss is quite short…

1. The car parking buildings. The owners of the buildings must be very greedy I think. We hired a small car but every time we enter we a car parking building, all the passengers have to pile out and then direct Chris into a car park only 10 cm wider than the car. Today Chris couldn’t get out of the car after it was parked. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t every car parking building.

2. The occasional incredibly grumpy person. The overwhelming majority of French people are lovely but you do strike some beauties along the way and get a sense that not everyone welcomes visitors – eg the hotel receptionist who wanted me to write in the visitor’s book that she was the best, even as, in the same breath, she assured us that the wifi code was Italy1, with a capital “I” (there was no wifi code, she just needed to input our name and room number into the system which she never did) or the waitress who leaned in close to Chris and addressed him in a loud, exaggerated tone because he mispronounced a word and then made him pronounce it properly twice before she would bring us our drinks.

But the list of things I will miss is very long…

1. The food! Everyone says French food is amazing and it is. I am particular going to miss the crunchy baguettes, the creamy butter, the melt in your mouth croissants, the sweet tasty tomatoes, the rich variety of cheeses, the canard and my new favourite dessert – cream brûlée.

2. The wine. It is probably a good thing that I am leaving. The wine is abundant, very inexpensive, good quality and so very different to Australian wine. We have been drinking far too much of it.

3. The beauty of the countryside. In Lauragais it is the rolling hills of yellow, green and brown with medieval villages or castles on every second hilltop. In Provence the countryside is much greener with lots of vineyards and rivers. Near the Pyreenees there are beautiful rocky mountains and valleys and gullies. My favourite is near Switzerland with gigantic snow capped mountains and deep green valleys. I love the fact that if you drive for an hour or so the scenery changes. I love that we haven’t even explored Loire valley or so many other parts of France yet.

3. The beauty of the cities – especially Paris. The architecture and public art works are stunning, the trees are beautiful, the monuments are often magnificent and breathtaking. I admire the French so much for preserving their beautiful things.

4. The history. Coming from the antipodes, the history of France and the many wonderful artefacts, just leaves me feeling gobsmacked so often. I can’t believe we’re even allowed to touch these old castles, let alone walk on the mosaic floor from the 1300s or cross a bridge built in AD something. The stories behind these artefacts reads like the most dramatic fiction – sometimes I can hardly believe the stories are real. Sometimes I can almost feel or touch the ghosts of the past. There’s is so much more to discover.

5. The people. I had very low expectations of the kindness of French people and I am happy to say I was completely wrong. 99% of people we have met have been welcoming, inclusive, warm and helpful. I love their reserved politeness which can be so different to the Australian way of “telling it like it is.” We have bumbled our way through France with atrocious French and all of us are leaving with the desire to learn the language better.

6. The weather. It’s gentle. You can sit in the sun and feel pleasantly warmed by its rays. You can sun bake for an hour and just get a mild tan. They get thunderstorms here in the south – but not cyclones. We have found the weather, like the people, very civilised.

7. Precious time together as a family. I’ll be honest – they have driven me mad and are still driving me mad. We have never been forced together, 24/7, for so long before. I could count the number of minutes I have had alone in the last 6 weeks, on one hand. I rarely have a shower or go to the loo without being interrupted by someone. But the time together, just the four of us, has been amazing and we have had some great conversations. Nick, who can’t wait to grow up, is particularly close to me over this holiday and I have been cherishing our time because I know he will be pulled in many different directions away from the family when we return.

8. St Felix. The lovely, comfortable house that Darren and Cecily have so generously let us use, Cecily’s spacious and rustic country kitchen, the deck with an amazing view of the village, the pool where we have had so much fun. We’ll also miss this lovely village with the most amazing Boulanger in the south of France (baguettes and Tresor Noix de Pecans are to die for!) and the gorgeous cafe “Sybellas” so perfect for an apero.