I woke up early one day in Riyadh and had an epiphany.   Sitting in a luxury hotel room during the winter Olympics, I  turned on the TV as I often did during my ‘layovers’, alternatively to drown out the sound of traffic or kill the silence of being alone and far from home.  On this particular day I actually wanted to watch the downhill skiing.  I channel surfed through endless sport channels, of which there are many in Saudi, in search of the winter Olympics.  Fifteen different football matches but no skiing. I understand that skiing is not a great Saudi Arabian sport but the Olympics only come around every four years!

As I sat obligingly in a borrowed abaya, so as not to offend the room service waiter with my femininity, I began to get an uneasy feeling.  I answered the door, moved back to my spot on the bed and glanced down at the lush mezze before me and resolved to try one more time to find the Giant Slalom.  Surely I had just missed it and they were actually broadcasting it somewhere.  Again I flicked passed the mecca channel and numerous football matches, but no winter Olympics. I was about to give up and eat in silence when I came across something interesting.

A documentary about a medieval village built into a cliff.

There I was half way around the world fascinated by a place so close to my actual home that it dawned on me; perhaps it was time for a change.  I went to visit Rocamadour when I got back home.

I made the decision not long afterwards to hang up my hat and throw out my old wheely bag and call it a day.  As an air hostess for twenty two years I have seen many wonderful places.  I have also had many nights out of bed and spent countless hours getting places. Now it is your turn! I will never stop travelling but for a while I will be enjoying the local sights and sharing my adventures with you about life in ‘my beautiful Occitanie’.

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