We have arrived!

The log fire is in full glow and Eddie & Alfie are at my feet. The electricity and plumbing leaves a lot to be desired and to be perfectly honest, the wallpaper is hideous. But I don’t mind, we are here!

Our journey down was great. I must say, having 2 gorgeous puppies creates much interest and we were welcomed wherever we stopped. We had one night in a little Auberge roughly halfway down and Eddie & Alfie met their first French friend: a miniature poodle called “Plume”.

Language was not a barrier for them, they got on well and we were able to have them at our feet as we ate supper in the cosy dining room. I love this about France: dogs are normally welcome in restaurants and cafes.

So our dogs will not have a problem communicating but my husband is determined to upgrade his “restaurant French” as he calls it and I caught him yesterday leafing through my France Buying Guide. He loves the language tips he found there and is already familiar with several rather obscure construction words which frankly I don’t even understand in English.
www.francebuyingguide.com/guide.htm

As we neared Toulouse we saw the Pyrenees in the distance and Edith Piaf’s famous song “Je ne regrette rien” came on the radio. It seemed somehow very fitting, made us both smile.

It is a great feeling to actually BE here, knowing we own the house and that we can take time to carry out the improvements it needs whilst embracing our new French lifestyle. Wednesday is market day in our nearby small town of Lezignan Corbieres. The whole town becomes a market, it is the most wonderful atmosphere and I took great delight in buying fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers. Although our kitchen is basic at the moment, I decided to try my hand at the local special dish, “cassoulet”, a wonderfully rich stew of goose, duck, sausage, beans and breadcrumbs. I had some appreciative takers: my husband, my stepson Jack and his lovely American girlfriend Blaine. No Michelin star yet but I am getting there.

It is wonderful having this space: our house is on 3 floors and is over 3,500 sq.ft. The ceilings are high and I have not yet even counted how many marble fireplaces we have, there is one in most rooms.

As I write we await quotes from 2 French builders but my husband and stepson have already got down to some hard graft and Blaine and I find stripping the huge walls is quite therapeutic.
We have slept well this week, lulled by the silence and peaceful evenings we spend here. There is a great feeling of safety in rural France and the sense of community is something I feel many of us have lost in the UK.

“This is just beginning to sink in,” said my husband, “we don’t have to go back to the UK for several months.” With that he and I both breathed a huge sigh of relief.

There is a lot of work ahead of us but what an adventure. We have much to look forward to in the next few weeks and right now, sitting in front of the fire with the dogs, life really does seem wonderful.