Candes Saint-Martin, my favourite spot in La Touraine.

Friday 24 April 2015

Back to the future

Yes, you were right, of course ... my holiday destination is Corfu. It'll be my first beach holiday since 1983 when I visited Malta with my late husband.

Spring sky on April 14th: plane tracks over Brussels.
Looks like it's pretty busy up there !

The last time I took an airplane was in 1995 or 1996. I'm not quite sure. If it was 1995, my destination was Sweden, If it was in 1996, it was Geneva (Switzerland). In both cases I went on a business trip. 

I'm not really a beach or pool person. So what takes me to Corfu, you may ask? Well, it's a long, long story. I'll try and squeeze it into a nutshell. I'm going to visit a relative, who - all things considered - isn't really a relative. Her name is Marleen. She was once married to my brother-in-law, who by the time they got married in 1987, was already my ex-brother-in-law, as my husband had passed away in 1983. Marleen and I always got on like a house on fire, despite our age difference (about 7 or 8 years I think). Marleen's marriage wasn't a success and ended in a divorce. So I guess that makes her my ex-ex SIL. 

We stayed in touch after her divorce until about 18-20 years ago when she got involved with an unsavoury bunch of people. After that I lost all track of her. We stopped exchanging birthday and Christmas cards. So that was the end of it ... or at least that is what we both thought.

Last January while cleaning out some drawers, I came across an old address book. I was about to throw it out, when I decided to leaf through it ... just in case. Suddenly I came across Marleen's last known address and telephone number. Intrigued, curious and slightly nervous I dialed the number. How would she react after all these years? The phone rang - once, twice,  ... 'Hallo?' a creaky old voice said. OMG, I thought, if this is Marleen, life certainly hadn't been kind on her. 'Marleen?' I tentatively inquired. 'No, sorry dear, you must have the wrong number.'

I apologized and hung up. At that point I could have given up. But I didn't. I put on my Sherlock Holmes cap and continued my search ... A little voice in my head said that I had to find her.

(more to come ...)

P.S. April 14th, the day on which I shot the above photo, was special and unique! More about that to come too. Two cliffhangers in one post! :)

10 comments:

Diane said...

Now I am intrigued...... next post please.

We are off on holiday next month and will be in Ypres from 5th to 7th tracking down a war grave of one of N's relatives. We then go on to Amsterdam.
Keep well Diane

chm said...

Wow!

Carolyn said...

Martine, up to your old tricks! Naturally I am hooked, so hurry up and spill the beans.

GaynorB said...

Looking forward to the next instalment of your mystery :0)

The Beaver said...

That's not fair, those cliffhangers :-)

VirginiaC said...

Oh my dear Martine, I love when you leave us dangling off the cliff....can't wait to find out how your sleuthing helped you to find Marleen.
Hope you fill us in soon, I can't hold on for too long......

VirginiaC said...

Forgot to mention that those contrails over Brussels are fascinating yet somewhat scary...all those planes en route to various destinations...gosh air traffic controllers have very serious jobs with so many people's lives in their hands.

Craig said...

I can't imagine where this tale is going Martine and look forward to the next installment. The sky shot over Brussels is superb.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

I am also intrigued !! Cannot wait for next instalment , of course you must of found her.

ladybird said...

Diane, Hope you found the grave and that your trip wasn't in vain. Dis you visit the 'Flanders' Fields' museum?

Chm, Wow - indeed.

Carolyn, Sorry, it took a bit longer. I have been terribly busy lately ... so the blog wasn't a priority.

Gaynor, Online now ...

TB, I know, but I simply can't resist them ;)

Virginia, Air traffic controllers have huge responsibilities indeed.

Craig, The shot was pure luck. It was my mother who noticed the checker board pattern in the sky.

Anne, Of course I found her !