Chronicle of a return "home"

Chronicle starting, ironically enough, with a picture taken in the Vieux-Québec the Saturday before Easter. It was just as nice and sunny as now, one could have thought it was summer if not for the old snow, full of sand, melting here and there and the bare trees. I have to admit, it is much greener here.

I have ambivalent feelings about Quebec City. It used to be my favourite city in the whole world when I was a young child, even though it was probably the only one I knew apart from Chicoutimi, Jonquière and the other ones from my region. Quebec City was for me exciting and exotic, with all its old buildings and Breton restaurants (about this: my wife thinks that Old Quebec looks a lot like Brittany). When I grew up, I slowly discovered Montreal and since I studied and worked there, I became a Montrealer. And there are tensions between the two cities that I integrated at least in parts in my psyche, it might have changed had I studied in Quebec City, it might have been different. Now I have to admit, Quebec City is much more beautiful than Montreal, even on a bad day. Its Vieux-Québec looks a thousand times better than Old Montreal, which I find much more austere. But I cannot help but feel that the place is full of tourists and bureaucrats. For all its flaws, I find Montreal more welcoming for people who want to live there (for tourists, that's another thing).

Anyway, that is supposed to be about a return "home", so enough about the trip. I put home in apostrophe as I don't quite feel home here yet. I live here, but I am not a local, or at least I don't feel like one. I guess it will be the case until we settle somewhere for good (or get a cat). That said, it is nice to be back in the flat, especially since the weather is so nice. The sun is here most of the time, when there is wind it is a warm one and when there are clouds the temperature does not drop dramatically. If it stays like this, it is promising for the summer. But I know better than to trust April. I can live with heavy Spring rains, even Summer showers, I just don't want snow and hail anymore/yet. I want some warmth. And some greenery, although I have been served with this since we got back in England. My recent trip home also made me want to discover British places I have not visited yet, or not visited enough. I am thinking about Cornwall, Wales, Devon...