We went to a lovely town about half an hour’s drive away in the Luberon called Lourmarin.

It was very picturesque – violet shutters (les volets violets) were clearly in the regulations.

We had a nice meal and a walk around. I even bought a hat. I’m sure we’ll be back.

On our recent trip to Aix, we had a little someone along for the ride.

While I was away I got another angry letter from France Travail.

Because they said I hadn’t replied in time to their first letter my chômage entitlement had been suspended.

I decided it was time to pay them a visit in person.

On Monday I talked to three women at the counter who checked and said that the director had received my letter of explanation and all I could do was wait.

They did suggest I come back to scan in some information from Euronews which I hadn’t brought with me.

So on Tuesday I went back and saw a different woman. And she was much more proactive.

She admitted it was their fault and went straight off to raise my case with the director, took my phone number and said she’d ring me with an update soon.

Then she rang this morning to say it had been sorted.

With a bit of luck, I might be able to send them my forms before the end of the week.

Cath took me to Cucuron – a little village 30 minutes away that she had been to while I was away on work.

It is very picturesque with lots of nice-looking bars and restaurants.

We had a drink but on the way back to the car I spotted this sign.

Guignol Lyonnais.

Lyon is never far away, as I’ve noticed before.

Can you tell?

I’ve just got back from two weeks working in Moldova and Georgia.

I find a France gripped by Olympics fever.

Particularly about this guy.

Swimming sensation Léon Marchand.

According to the local paper il a conquis le cœur des Français.

Now it was the turn of le benjamin to visit us.

Unfortunately for me his trip coincided with my being away for work.

But he kept his mum company and made the most of our, now, super clean pool.

Cath has kept it in tip-top shape while I’ve been away and Nathan got her to buy a couple of frites and a little bouncing pool ball.

I got to play in it with Nathan on his last night – at 23h30 after I’d been travelling all day.

It was great fun and lovely to see him if only briefly.

Come back soon.

This is a little unexpected. I’m in an area of Georgia this week helping a small newsroom with their election planning.

The journalists tell me about the town’s most famous son who sounds familiar.

Charles Aznavour.

There is even a star in his honour at Akhaltsikhe’s Rabati castle.

When I look him him up on Wikipedia it says he was born in Paris in the 6th arrondisement.

But his father, Misha, was indeed an Armenian from Akhaltsikhe.

His family then ran an Armenian restaurant in Paris.

So I guess that does make him a famous son of Akhaltsikhe.

Maybe not Georgia’s most famous son – but then the less said about Stalin the better.

Work has taken me to Georgia.

On my first night in Tiblisi there were still some reminders of France.

It’s just like Lyon!

I’m doing a week’s work in Moldova and have noticed that as well as saying multumesc for thank you – the Moldovans, who speak Romanian, also say merci.

There is even a supermarket called Merci.

Although I detect quite a few Italian words in the Romanian language they also say déjà for already.

Languages – they’re funny, n’est-ce pas?