A blogging friend who many will remember from the first Bloggers Bash Elissaveta Marinova or Ellie to the rest of us and who writes at A Writers Caravan was in touch recently. In our discussion she reminded me of her postcard to England when she left to work in France and my reply. It was only in February but things felt a little different back then. Re-reading my reply made me think it might apply to all sorts of au revoirs and Auf Wiedersehens so I share it here for anyone who might find it useful

Dear [   ]
England has asked me to respond to your kind letter.
First things first. The footprints. You’ve left footprints in a few hearts and they don’t seem to come out with the usual products: time, distance that sort of thing. We will have to let them stay.
Then there are the smiles. We’ve tried to collect them and put them in the attic (often called Scotland) but they keep bouncing around and won’t settle. Did you have to smile quite so vigorously? We are led to believe that the French smile more slowly and with an accent so perhaps you might think about that.
And finally, while dealing with the tedious admin we are led to believe that you were misled into thinking some tears were needed to top up the channel. Rest assured no tears are needed. There’s a little man in a fountain in Brussels who’s been working the oracle for years. So, as with the smiles, we will hold onto the tears until you send a forwarding address.
That just leaves me to say Bon voyage and chin up old fruit. It’s been a gas!
Yours sincerely
E.N. G’land (secretary to the UK)