Wednesday Wrap-up

Another working week. Luckily I got the weekend off and headed an hour north by TGV to Lille for the giant fleamarket.



But I have a confession. I didn't buy a thing. Not for want of trying, I assure you! We pounded the pavements for hours yet came home empty-handed.

It was quite the adventure though. We didn't plan any accomodation, so sourced a spot for our tent when we got there. We were going to sleep in the backyard of an abandoned building, but upon finding out that the place swarms with gypsies that cut throats at night, we decided to pitch elsewhere. That elsewhere happened to be a parking lot. Oh yes. We were even provided with cardboard boxes to insulate us from the cold concrete. I am officially a hobo.

Lille itself was very beautiful and liveable. Reminded me a lot of Melbourne, with its trams, old houses and greeness.

There were millions of people from all over Europe

Sunday morning we had breakfast in the local bakery after packing up the tent. After bidding farewell to tonton in his gourmet foodstuffs store we hopped on the tram to the local park to feed the ducks baguette, nap amongst flowers and drink red wine. Then it was back on the tram to the nearby town of Roubaix to visit a modern art museum housed in an old public bathhouse.











It was then time for a final browse through the markets, a quick cherry beer and the train home. Ramen for tea.

Since then I've been working (myself into a state). I'll be honest, things aren't going so great. So I've decided to take some time off/out and focus on the things I enjoy, as this year is supposed to be a working holiday.

Thanking you all for your patience lately. I'm exhausted when I come home from work and never have the time to devote to blogging. I'm hoping to strike a healthier work/life balance soon.

Things to look forward to:

• Trip to Iceland/New York/Prague - I'm getting my planning hat on yet again
• Making new friends in the local orchestra (rehearsed with them for the first time tonight! Totally surreal following the conductor in French)
• Old friends being in town
• Filling my world with flowers
• Taking myself on movie dates
• Stopping and breathing