It hadn’t rained overnight but the streets were very wet. Sea fog I guessed. There was a delicious smell of ozone and seaweed.

Got Peds out of the menage and headed north. All the way to Bastia.
The road uneventful apart from a delivery driver who tailgated me for miles until I slowed almost to a stop. He then overtook in a comically massive sooty cloud of exhaust that left us blind. It was like one of those Battle of Britain gun camera films of a Heinkel being shot down.
The road, when we were alongside the sea, was all pretty and sandy coves with attendant beach bars. Now all closed up. Nice for the residents now, if there were any left. The weather clear blue and 26c.
I could see why people opted for Porto Vecchio and around. We’d been to Corsica when the boys were little but were on the other coast. The windward side where the rollers came in. The beaches there were wilder.
In Bastia. Found some free parking. Winner. Found the flat I had rented…but… 12 flights up. Must have missed that in the description.  The views were good.
The owner texted to ask if everything was okay, was I was missing anything? 
‘Just the oxygen tent.’ I replied.
I sat on the sofa to get my breath back and turned on the TV. Inspecteur Barnaby (Midsomer Murders) was on and there was the church I’d got married in. John Nettles going into The Eight Bells next to it where I’d had my last pint as a single man. Curious coincidence. But in my ear, a much more effective fictional Inspector said… ‘Coincidence Lewis? Really?Coincidences are the norm.’ 
So true. The fate you make. But coincidence was all confused now by the spooky modern world of machine learning and the targeting of advertising. Oh dear, here I go again, gettin all Kanye West on yo ass.
The town turned out to be a gem of a place. Very liveable. Great restaurants.  Shops full of high quality stuff to wear and eat. Nice.
Past the old port was the marina where the feeling of the buildings was like the south of France of days long gone.
Beyond the harbour wall they were putting in new sea defences. Huge concrete blocks being craned-in. A diver in the water guiding them in. 
I sure hoped everyone knew what they were doing. 
I went back to the same place as yesterday where I’d had a terrific bavette steak. 
The guys were very professional and the cheese for the second time…brilliant.  No more lunches for a while monsieur!