Whilst Marseillan Gently Sleeps ...
I wouldn't usually describe myself as a "Morning" type of girl.
I like to think I'm the kind of girl who can party late into the night, and the only morning hours I might see are the wee-small ones at the end of another great party!
In recent years, things have changed and my more frequent wee-small hours have been those at around three o'clock, when waking briefly for a quick pee.
However ...
...when your dear friend announces she wants to be on the road at 6 o'clock, as it's a long drive back to Sweden from Marseillan;
...and when you've chatted and laughed for hours, lunched on moules by the waterfront and watched a classic French movie together;
... and when - in amongst all that - you've repeatedly forgotten to deliver the copy of your new book that she's asked for (more than once);
... something has to be done!
Thanks to Fred, my aging but active cat, I was blessed by an insistent tapping of his paw on my cheek as a 5 o'clock alarm today. This was my opportunity! I could either roll over, or get up, pull on a tee-shirt and army pants, and go. I chose the latter. Pausing only briefly to write a heartfelt dedication in the front of "Mexico Amiga!", and to reassure Fred's ever-hungry brother, Barney, with an early breakfast plate of cat biscuits, I found my keys, my sunglasses and my wheels.
Cycling at any hour of the day in these glorious Mediterranean lands always leaves one open to getting a bug in your eye. So sunglasses, or yellow tinted night-driving glasses, are the order of the day, whatever the hour.
I'll leave you to decide whether my pre-sunrise photo was worth turning out of my cosy bed for. Seeing the surprise on my friend's face, and having one more "Au revoir" hug, most definitely was. Let's not speak too soon, but it's possible I could be redefining myself as a Morning kind of girl, after all ...
