Le week-end

The plan for this first weekend was to have a rest. We knew we would be tired after the journey, but it was important to start the ball rolling on bank accounts and telephones before the weekend (Monday is a public holiday).

During the next year, we both expect to have times that we don’t leave the apartment due to ill-health or because of the fatigue related to our health conditions. So this was a good opportunity to test out our new home.

Our apartment isn’t that big compared with where we live in the UK and our bedroom, living room and study are all combined into one room. Fortunately it is a large, bright and airy room. The kitchen is small, but does have a table to eat or to work at.

With the front door shut there is enough room in the hallway for another comfortable place to sit and read or listen to music. And the bathroom – a place I am likely to spending some time – is roomy, warm and quite pleasant as bathrooms go.

There is even a tiny courtyard out the back, overlooked by dozens of other flats, but a place to get some fresh air and sunshine if we don’t feel well enough to go out.

Today we read, slept, watched TV and used our laptops. I popped out to buy a newspaper and some food which took about 10 minutes - a shorter trip than back in the UK.

Probably the highlight of the day was watching a stage of the Tour de France. I usually follow Le Tour avidly, but have missed out on the first seven days due to our busy week moving to France.

It was easy to catch up on the race, thanks to the local paper which has two or three pages on Le Tour each day. Today’s stage was full of drama with rain and a determined four-man break-away. Eventually Mark Cavendish from the Isle of Man won a magnificent sprint - much to the delight of the spectators and the French media team.

So, a comfortable day resting and the apartment passed the test with flying colours – but I do feel a little exhausted after watching a 170 Kms cycle race.