Holiday Or Not ?

Well, that was it - we had bought a new house, but still had a house and job in the UK. Do we move over permanently or use it as a holiday home ? To be honest the latter was never really the idea, but the Housing Market in the UK was at such a level that selling there was never going to be quick, so for the next three years, we travelled as much as work commitments would allow over to France.

We bought a Transit van, and packed it full each visit. It was a good buy, but the biggest issue that eventually made us laugh, because there was little point in moaning about it, was the fact that we were stopped at Customs EVERY SINGLE TIME on the way to France. I'm not sure what they expected us to be carrying, but we even got to the point, where one of the officials recognised us ! Were we carrying any sharp objects, we were asked ? No, just chain saws, axes, and other necessary tools for the renovation ......

The other laughable - well we can laugh about it now ! - problem with the van was that the passenger window would fall down into the door unexpectedly - usually when it was raining, so we had to hold it up, or wedge it with card.

It was a huge asset to us at the time though, as we could carry so much more, so many bigger items, and avoid damaging the car that we had to use day to day in the UK.

The first few visits were interesting, and exhausting, as we were finding our feet, exploring the area, getting to know the neighbours, and cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. We were very concerned with the security, as we were bringing lots of our belongings, tools etc here, and then leaving for a few months at a time.

Our first bedroom was made downstairs with an airbed, but Craig made it very cosy with a couple of boxes for bedside cabinets, a couple of bedside lamps which helped with the ambience, and we even had a small TV and DVD. The plan was, that even if we were cold, we could go to bed and at least be warm there. In fact, I can't think of any nights, when once were we in bed we were cold, even if was freezing in the rest of the house.

We managed to get the telephone sorted quite quickly, so that we would feel less isolated, but we had no Internet facilities until we moved here permanently three years later. That was our choice though, as we felt there was no need to pay a monthly charge when we were here for such a short visit each time. However, this did mean that it was very quiet here during the day - at night we could watch a DVD, but in the day, we listened to CD's or the French radio stations - not really recommended. Their playlists appear to be very limited, so once the same song had come round for the third or fourth time, we switched to a CD !!

We were woken one morning by a small bird tapping on the window, presumably 'talking' to his reflection, but a rude awakening nevertheless at 6.30am in the morning. We named him 'Billy', as in 'Billy no Mates', as he presumably had no other friends.

We made contact early on with the Mairie. We knew that we would need planning permission for our alterations, so thought a visit would be good. We met with Monsieur Le Maire, who already knew who we were, and had driven past to see what we had been up to. There's no hiding here !!! He was very positive though, which I suppose is understandable, as our house is right on the road, so any improvements can only be for the better. He gave us verbal permission (which we now know isn't enough!) to demolish one of the hangers on the side of the house, which we did as soon as we got back to the house.

You can see the before and after pictures here - although there was a lot of clearing up, and a huge bonfire in between !

I think one of first big issues here, and that we are still struggling to get used to is the fact that everywhere shuts for lunch, and all day on a Sunday. Its quite quaint when you are on holiday, but its a pain when you need supplies for on going works. One shop that always makes me laugh though is the local shop called 'Huit a 8' (Eight til eight), which opens after eight, shuts for lunch, and then closes before eight in the evening !

I am enjoying writing this blog, as it brings back quite a few memories, and also shows me how far we have come. I hope you enjoy reading it too !