Still plowing through assignments, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The main job today is to go to Toulouse to pick up Rita from the airport. As I was about to leave, I got a text from her saying that her EasyJet plane had been delayed leaving Geneva, and that she would text me again when they finally announced a boarding time. So I settled back down to more assignments, while listening to the music downstairs as the painters merrily went about their job on the ground floor. Having just finished painting the house at Taggerty, I was well aware of what they were doing. But I was surprised to see that they were wall papering the hallway walls before painting it, in order to smooth out any irregularities in the surface - a very professional job. Finally, another text message arrived, and I headed off to drive to Toulouse.

I found it amazing that I adjusted so quickly to driving at 130kph on the motorway. I just seemed to be cruising along, whereas in Australia it would seem like I was going at breakneck pace. I arrived at Blagnac Airport (the site of the Airbus factory) at about 1500h, only to find that her plane had been delayed by another hour. So I settled down to watch the passing parade in the terminal. Two things were clearly noticeable. Firstly, all the promotional material for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, with four games scheduled for Toulouse. Secondly, as in Paris, the increased frequency of security patrols wandering through the airport.

At long last, Rita emerged from the arrival hall and we headed off back to Moissac, dreading the start of the peak hour on the Toulouse Peripheral. But while there was increased traffic, it was not too bad and we arrived home within the hour. Rita gave her seal of approval to all the outdoor renovations (the brick infilling of the Terrasse wall, the rose arcade and the timber floor on the verandah). We had an early dinner, and then it wasn’t long before Rita was out in the garden pulling up the weeds that had taken over the front half of the garden over winter. While she was there, we discovered another cat who had taken a liking to the garden, and to the birds sitting in the bay tree.

Unlike the other neighbourhood cats, who are very shy and skittish, this one was very friendly, and was quite happy to play with the broom Rita was using to sweep the garden and to offer itself for a good tickle behind the ear. Looks like we’ve made a friend with this one!