Mr. Fix It and Family

Familiarising ourselves with the French way and becoming a real part of the village seems to have come easily to us. This has been largely helped by our 2 cocker spaniels, Eddie & Alfie, who greet everyone they meet with loving wags and licks. Thus it was that we met Justin the other day in our local bar, a young English boiler engineer and dog lover. Mr. Fix It was in planning mode (as he frequently is) and although his French is coming on apace, it was with some relief that he was able to discuss our heating requirements with a fellow Englishman, well established in the area and totally au fait with the “normes” or general requirements in France for where and how to site boilers, pipes and the like.

We have a huge, dry cellar and Justin advised us that we should go for 2, rather than 1, boilers side by side, to be placed in the larger part of the cellar with flues giving out to the garden. “November was glorious here last year,” he offered smiling. “But you are wise to get this going now; you will be warm as toast throughout the winter with these grand radiators and a few log fires on the go.” Mr. Fix It is justifiably proud of the 9 cast iron radiators he bought on line and seemingly magically connected the first one in our large entrance hall just this week. Neither of us have any doubt that if the dogs could do, they would help and so their interfering noses as he worked on this first one endeared us to them even more.



The soft late summer sun continues to shine, the last few tractors are still harvesting the grapes and we continue to meet Dutch, German, Spanish and English people on late summer breaks by the canal. Somehow one feels much more centred living down here in the Languedoc Roussillon: there is a vibrancy that comes from mixing with our fellow Europeans. Friends who visited us this week looked in awe at this grand house as they walked in: it seems that everyone is bitten by the same lovely French bug when they come here and we found ourselves looking in estate agents’ windows to encourage their dream of buying a property down here. One of them said we were brave taking this on – there is still a huge amount to do – but could see the continual reward which comes as each improvement is made.

Our evening barbeques are not yet over, it is still warm enough to sit outside until late and although our mini oven serves us well, I start to look forward to the day when our kitchen will go in. I can visualise black granite worktops, sleek finishes and soft lighting as I make our morning coffee watching the sun rise in the east. The plans are down on paper, the logistics left in Mr. Fix It’s capable hands. I know this will be quite a stunning space.

Meanwhile Eddie & Alfie, our immediate family here now, with our adult children spread around the globe, help us in a way they cannot understand. Happy to be wherever we are, they have somehow enabled us to integrate into this little community perhaps more easily than we would have done otherwise: France is a dog loving country. One only has to look into their soulful eyes to realise that being here in the Mediterranean sunshine with them as we continue with our renovation has an added meaning. It all seems so easy.



Alexis
http://www.francebuyingguide.com/