Yesterday morning I got up very early. There was a lot to do so the day called for an early start and there was no time to waste.
Mark had just finished installing some additional kitchen units in La Maison Rouge and had also extended the tiling, so with new guests due to arrive today, I set off at the crack of dawn to clean up the sawdust, take the excess grout off the tiles and generally make the house welcoming.
A quick shower followed by a cup of coffee (impossible to start the day without it. Breakfast doesn’t really matter to me, but coffee is a must, and I was ready to get going. Luckily, the car started straight away, which was a relief. Soon I was on my way to Caro.
As I left Reminiac, the sky was clear and the moon was lighting up the French countryside. Not a soul in sight. The mist over the fields looked beautiful and eerie at the same time. Then, by the side of the road, I spotted three deer… just standing there, looking at me…
Imagine the scene: the full moon, the rising mist, and the three deer. It felt almost supernatural. I slowed the car down, then the deer turned and ran across the fields. At that point, it felt like there was no one else in the world: just them and I. The moment was simply magical: beautiful, simple, and yet perfect in its simplicity. Nature at its best.
I was still marvelling at the beautiful early morning countryside when I entered the small village of Caro.
As I did so, the street light ahead of me came on, then the next light. As I drove, each street light turned on, a cascading effect. The magic was carrying on, I still felt alone in the world, but in a wonderful way. Were the lights being turned on just for my benefit by a supernatural power? Probably not. In that case, were there sensors on the street lights to come on only if a car passed, or had I luckily arrived at Caro at the exact moment that the time switch activated the street lights?
Either way, it doesn’t matter. I chose to opt for the first option and believe in the magic. The main thing was that the journey to La Maison Rouge was truly magical!
