London has been getting me down lately. Admittedly it is February, and I’ve long had a hate/hate relationship with the month in London. I have a personal saying: one should never make life-changing decisions in February, because you are more than likely over-reacting to the grim weather.

However, the weather in London hasn’t been that grim this Winter. And I’m about to break my own rule in a big way. More on the specifics of this later. For now, I’ll tell you about zipping away to Toulouse to perform this thinking.

Why Toulouse? I’d been looking at beautiful chateaus for sale, and most of them seemed to be located around Toulouse. I’d heard it was a nice city, and I felt the attractions weren’t so necessary to see that I’d be able to resist them, and be focused on reading, writing, planning, working. In all these ways, Toulouse has been a delight.

I found a delightful place on AirBnb, that may well tick every fantasy of mine for a perfect room: it is *literally* in a library, and has leather bound books lining the walls. There is a huge plush desk with a leather top, and a big round table perfect for playing board games (if you were so inclined). There are huge tall windows, that overlook a lush private garden. There is an opened cage in the grand room next door to my bedroom, full of gaily tweeting budgies. It is perfection.

And I wandered the streets yesterday, admiring the happy architecture, the serene energy of the people, the graceful squares with charming fountains in their middle. As the evening set, the warmth of the sun basked everything in a golden hue, and I felt creative and inspired.

Watch this space for what I’m up to as a result of this sojourn!