All Roads Lead to Lugano

On Tuesday 3rd April we moved out of our home in Manchester. This was the first house we had bought together. We only looked at one house and were totally ruled by our hearts… and although it has needed far more work doing than we originally wanted to believe, it has been a wonderful home.

It was the first place our much longed for baby called home. It was where he smiled for the first time, said his first words and took his first steps. I have no idea if we’ll ever live there again but it will always have such a special place in my heart. For now at least, we have left it behind - with a new front door, ready for the next people to make it their own.

So Long Wilko Street

It was a strange day the day we left, as that morning everything was still in the place it had always been; a few items of clothing were even drying on the radiators and by late that afternoon, there was not a stick of furniture left in the place, nor a picture on the wall.

We had taken Jude & Mabel out for the day so that the former wouldn’t cause any trouble and the latter wouldn’t get distressed, so I had to just trust that when the main man Ken said “See you in Switzerland!” that all our worldly belongings would be arriving undamaged - and with him.

Saying Farewell

The first couple of nights we stayed with my Mum (an absolute hero!) and said some farewells to my family which was beyond hard and really made it all seem suddenly very real. I could not have asked for more support from this bloody wonderful clan, and although we don’t always see eye to eye, I would not swap them for the world. You can’t choose your family, but I would choose this lot again in a heartbeat.

Ready to Leave

Saying Hello

The next leg of our journey was a stay in Essex with Amie (@theunrulyones.) With one of us a Read and one of us a Wright, I have waited to meet this girl in actual person for such a long time and it was so kind of her to let us all descend on them.

With two husbands called David, two French bulldogs - Millie & Mabel - and two tiny boys - Joshua & Jude, it was always going to be chaos, but within 5 minutes of our arrival, Mabel was shitting all over their lawn and somehow poor Millie ended up with some of Mabel’s ‘dirty protest’ all over her leg.

Before we’d properly said hello, I was cleaning shit from Millie’s leg as Amie was chasing after Mabel to wipe her bottom. It’s a good job we have spent the last year or so oversharing via Instagram and WhatsApp as this was water off a duck’s back.

The rest of our stay was a dream and I can’t wait for the Read Wright reunion in Lugano. Let’s hope it’s equally as chaotic, just with a bit more sunshine and a few more mountains thrown in.

Dreams in Reims

After Essex, our next overnight stop was Reims in France at the most stunning Airbnb. It was fairly late by the time we arrived so we just ate in and took the opportunity to unwind in the beautiful atmosphere of the apartment. Breakfast the next day also included the best pain au chocolat of my life!

The Sun Always Shines in Strasbourg

After another few hours of driving the following day, we arrived in Strasbourg. Our host had told us that we would be met by his butler Elvis, but sadly he wasn’t all shook up and wearing blue suede shoes, but a young hip garçon sporting a messenger bag.

This Airbnb (owned by a French music producer) was a bit rough round the edges but it could not have been in a better location and we had plenty of time to explore. We even braved eating out in front of the stunning Cathedral with a shoe removing toddler and an ill mannered hound in tow.

Strasbourg has never been on my ‘must visit’ list but after spending the night there, I would urge you to put it on yours if it isn’t already. It is such a quirky little city and if you love York, you will fall deeper in love with Strasbourg. Especially when the sun shines.

Moving On...

The next stop was finally Lugano and although each stop along the way had been lovely, travelling in a car packed to the rafters with two adults, a highly active one year old and a farting French bulldog for over approx 1000 miles was beginning to lose its appeal. Plus, I needed to know if:

1. Our belongings were going to be meeting us there and

2. Whether they were going to fit in the apartment.

Still, if you ignore the whining, the face melting Frenchie farts, and the double bill of Moana, the journey wasn’t all that bad. The scenery through Switzerland was truly some of the best I have seen.

After one more night staying with friends in Lugano itself, it was finally time to pick up the keys to the place I had been stalking on the Internet for weeks... And although good old Ken had been delayed with the van and we didn’t actually get our stuff in to the apartment (through the third floor window no less) until much later that day, it did not disappoint.

You can have a tour of what we’ve done with the place very soon I promise... but for now, here's a little glimpse of our new driveway. Not bad hey?

Rxx

When one door closes, another one opens...

#moving #relocating #travel #Strasbourg #Reims #France #Lugano