home in France | Aussie in France

We’ve had a wonderful month, cycling over 1,100 kilometers along the Danube, Lake Constance and the Doubs, all on the Eurovelo 6 route, visiting two new countries – Slovakia and Hungary – exploring new areas of four other countries – France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland – and taking nearly 5,000 photos between us, but now I’m ready to go home.

Double bed with two mattresses and two covers

I’m looking forward to sleeping in a double bed with only one mattress, to having my own pillow again and a sheet and blanket, not two separate duvets which are always too hot and which always seem to slide off. I still haven’t understood why the beds in Germany, Austria and Hungary have separate covers. I don’t know if it only exists in hotels or common pratice in private homes.

Hotel breakfast - one of the better ones — Hotel breakfast – one of the better ones

I’m looking forward to having a soft-boiled egg, French Activia yoghurt (when you buy it in other countries, it’s not the same taste or consistency), fromage blanc (we found speisequark in Germany, but it’s more like Petits Suisses) and real orange juice, not that awful fruit drink substitute you get everywhere. I want Earl Grey tea and Verlet ooffee

I can’t wait to have a shower in my own bathroom, where the temperature is consistent, the water doesn’t spray out in funny directions because the holes are clogged up and the shower curtain doesn’t stick to you. Our worst shower was in a very small bathroom with no curtain at all which meant the entire floor was wet afterwards.

It will be wonderful to be able to throw the clothes in the washing machine whenever I want and have them dry the next day. It will be even more wonderful to have them ironed by my wonderful Portugeuse cleaner!

Cote de boeuf at L'Arbre Sec — Cote de boeuf at L’Arbre Sec

It will be a relief to be able to communicate properly with everyone all the time because I understand and speak the language around me. No more surprises in restaurants. And while I’m on the subject of food, I am just so looking forward to a côte de bœuf, or at least an entrecôte, and lots of steamed and baked vegetables. Not to mention my home-made bread.

The Eurovelo 6 route from the Atlantic Coast to the Dead Sea — The Eurovelo 6 route from the Atlantic Coast to the Black Sea

And last, but not least, it will be great to have a fast, uninterrupted internet connection again. I didn’t realise how lucky I was in Paris and even Blois until I experienced the often slow and discontinuous connections available in many hotels and the apartment we rented. In one place, where we stayed five nights, there was only one place in which the internet worked – just next to the door, which wasn’t really very convenient you have to agree.

In the last place we stayed I couldn’t get a connection at all but at least we were in France so I had my iPhone.

I’m still looking forward to my next holiday though – in Sofia in Bulgaria in September!