Erasmus students

Interest, experience and money - what appeals?

Daughter has been an Erasmus student at Bordeaux for the last year, blogged here. How exciting to live abroad for a year, to learn the culture and language, and still to be making progress in your chosen university subject.

And financially, the year abroad becomes appealing because you do not pay any tuition fees to the university you are visiting.

On top of that, UK Erasmus students receive a top-up grant.

So daughter is literally quids in.

Arcachon - dune of Pilat

This is the breath taking view from the top of the highest sand dune in Europe. Decades ago, I came here at midday and climbed to the top of the dune. I can still remember the heat and exhaustion of such a silly escapade. This time, I came at five in the afternoon, with a hat, and found that now there are steps to take you up to the top, so it's much easier.

However, once you start to walk across the sand, it's easier if you take off your sandals else you sink into fine dry sand, which fills up the soles of your footwear and drags your feet.

Earlier in the heat of the day, we spent time on the beach at Arachon, sun bathing and bathing, collecting shells and suntan, with a pleasant lunch in the sun at a local cafe and finished with too too filling gaufres (waffles). Only as the shadows grew longer did we climb the dune.

Beautiful Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a lovely European city to live in, a city we visited about 18 months ago, and have just revisited because daughter has been living and studying there as an Erasmus student. She has a flat near the market and every day can go, look at and buy this beautiful French fish, saucisse, oysters, fruit.

Close by the market is the best bakery, one that is open 24 hours a day.

We stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast, called Maison d'Amarante, where our hostess was so kind that she even invited our daughter for breakfast too. Bordeaux is not just a beautiful town, but its people, the Bordelais are so friendly too. Visit it if you can.

Les aires de France

We've been to Bordeaux, travelling by car from St Malo, a long drive but with frequent stops at aires.

Les aires are the motorway breaks on French autoroutes. They tend to occur every 10 to 20 kilometres, more frequently than British motorway stops, but also much much smaller. Some aires provide only toilets, benches and a few tables in the shade, but are frequent enough and pleasant enough to encourage you to stop.

Some aires have fuel, toilets, a small shop that sells coffee and sandwiches, and a terrasse with shade and a few chairs and tables, set in the shade, perhaps with a glass roof in case it rains. The flowers and shrubs are frequented by birds, and small animals living on the crumbs that people drop. We sat at a table in the shade, listening to the sparrows, watching them chase each other through the trees or attempting to hover around car fronts wanting to pick the dead insects off.

PhD viva done

Now what shall I do?

Six years ago as I applied for a PhD scholarship, the last of the children were on the point of leaving home, one going to university, another starting sixth form. I'd completed that job and had to relinquish it.

On Tuesday 17th May, I successfully defended my thesis against my examiners' questions to be awarded the PhD with minor corrections.

Today I have to do

• no PhD work
• no tutorial preparation or assignment marking
• no research for my new job
• no children to mind

In the next few months I shall tidy up a few ends, enjoy my temporary job and sort out further cancer treatment. I have to relinquish the research that has become my baby, and find a new project.