Just like many other people who have finished years of tertiary education, I have buggered off to travel around the world for my "gap year".
I was going to don some ski's and head to the slopes but the more I thought about it the more I realised that the cold and I are not friends especially with the severe number of bones I have broken. So I decided that sunshine and water was were I should go. My heart got set on the French Riviera, namely the tiny town of Antibes.
Shit it was a shock that the day actually came around. For quite some time it had just been a date that waited in the forever coming future. i think the worst part was the whole saying goodbye to the love of my life. My Lord that was the most painful feeling, never mind the embarrassing teary walk through the passport check. I walked through those gates feeling like an empty glass.
Thank God for the happy 9 hour stopover in Dubai where I had the pleasure of visiting my TP for a nice fat catch up and hugs. Travelling looks so much easier in the movies. I slap myself when I say things like that.
While waiting at the airport I hear the familiar South African accent so inevitably I was drawn to it.
Amazingly these people, 2 of which I knew from old days, would help introduce me to life in Antibes.
Once we had eventually gotten to Antibes from Nice airport I was on my own again. off to JPL (or Juan Le Pins) where I had booked my stay for the next few days. A large room, no sheets, nothing waited for me. I was suddenly thrown back to the goodbyes at the airport from JHB, tears immediately Obviously the train was late, obviously I have no phone to contact anyone, obviously the food stores closed before I could go get anything. Great.
The rain didn't help.
The next day was so much better. I hopped on a bus to get to Antibes and met some more South African yachties. They were going to a yacht show and were nice enough to give me a ticket to go with them. it was at this rather boring yacht show that I bumped into yet more south Africans who I knew! AND the beginning of better times in Antibes began that very instant! All the unsettling feelings of loneliness were replaced with ones of happiness and support.
So my first two days I learned two things
1. Antibes is pretty much a South African Village that a a lot of French people work at.
2. Go with the flow and somehow things will work out.
I was going to don some ski's and head to the slopes but the more I thought about it the more I realised that the cold and I are not friends especially with the severe number of bones I have broken. So I decided that sunshine and water was were I should go. My heart got set on the French Riviera, namely the tiny town of Antibes.
Shit it was a shock that the day actually came around. For quite some time it had just been a date that waited in the forever coming future. i think the worst part was the whole saying goodbye to the love of my life. My Lord that was the most painful feeling, never mind the embarrassing teary walk through the passport check. I walked through those gates feeling like an empty glass.
Thank God for the happy 9 hour stopover in Dubai where I had the pleasure of visiting my TP for a nice fat catch up and hugs. Travelling looks so much easier in the movies. I slap myself when I say things like that.
While waiting at the airport I hear the familiar South African accent so inevitably I was drawn to it.
Amazingly these people, 2 of which I knew from old days, would help introduce me to life in Antibes.
Once we had eventually gotten to Antibes from Nice airport I was on my own again. off to JPL (or Juan Le Pins) where I had booked my stay for the next few days. A large room, no sheets, nothing waited for me. I was suddenly thrown back to the goodbyes at the airport from JHB, tears immediately Obviously the train was late, obviously I have no phone to contact anyone, obviously the food stores closed before I could go get anything. Great.
The rain didn't help.
So my first two days I learned two things
1. Antibes is pretty much a South African Village that a a lot of French people work at.
2. Go with the flow and somehow things will work out.
