I received this email this morning from a fairly new part time resident of Varen. I thought you would be interested
Dear Friends,
We have been thinking about you and France and our house in Varen. We just wanted to stay in contact even if just in a small way via email. Of course, we won’t be coming to France this year. No Saturday market outside our door, no sweating it out in the Summer’s heat, no walking, or riding or driving around the beautiful countryside. No vide greniers😿, meals at the Moulin, visits to surrounding towns, swimming in the river, etc etc, the list could go on! Sadly, it’s probably the same for you as it may be a northern summer spent largely indoors or social distancing.
Anyway, it is our hope that you, and all the elderly residents who are our kind and patient neighbours, are all avoiding the dreaded virus.
As winter here is just around the corner, we are both well and observing the stage 3 restrictions that are in place. So far, Australia has been doing quite well with the mathematical curve flattening below 1.0, which is good.
We are fortunate to be on our small farm with endless tasks to keep us occupied and we barely notice much change to our lives as we are pretty self isolating even when there is no pandemic!
Hoping you all stay well and really looking forward to meeting up again when life gets back to post-Covid normal.
And my reply
How lovely to hear your news but so sorry you will not be able to get here this year
Us Brits thought Brexit was bad but now this.
Mains Tendues is closed , for who knows how long. All the staff and I am sure customers miss it.
My husband died in November from his cancer and two weeks after I moved into the village. How stressful it was a week before Christmas, but how thankful I am to be here in the village now. I have a house up past the Vival and school and I am pleased I have a nice sized garden. Friends can walk dogs and we have chats over the gate social distancing of course
I can see this going on for quite some time and it is terrible to hear of friends who have died.
Stay safe, enjoy your place which sounds perfect, a bit like Mas del Sol my former home which had two houses and two hectares, fabulous for two fit people.
Lots of love and I will pass your message on to other Mains Tendues staff
Love Val Johnstone
