Mr. Fix It’s French finesse!

Blessed as we have been this week with wall to wall sunshine, we have taken the opportunity to go out and about, meander through the stunning French countryside catching sight of the snow-capped Pyrenees in the background, walking Eddie & Alfie along the canal, amongst the olive groves and alongside clear streams. These crisp, dry and sunny winter days seem to blow away all the cobwebs and we find ourselves with renewed vigour to continue with our house renovation.

Our kitchen plans are coming along well, yet to be put into practice since there is still much preparation work before the hard graft of putting it all in. We have very high ceilings in this grand old house and Mr. Fix It will lower the kitchen one slightly in order to effect a great lighting scheme to shine down softly on the large space. This will be partnered with table lamps above our corner fireplace and hidden spots under the cupboards. Lighting is so important: it can make or break a room. Even with our kitchen in its present unfitted state, in the evening with just a lamp or two lit, a large church candle on the fireplace and dull light from the oven, the space feels comfortable and welcoming. Mr. Fix It has a natural talent for design and it shows. He also has a tremendous eye for finding items for this house; he can spot a good one a mile away! He came back the other day, filled with joy at finding some beautiful stained glass to insert in the door we are blocking off from our entrance hall to our kitchen. “Can you believe I found two pieces with a fleur de Lys emblem and two with a Tudor rose?” How very fitting! The glass is opaque, slightly beige/yellow which will tone so well with our plans for soft colours in this room.

Looking further ahead, we have found – but not yet acquired – some elegant posts which will hold up our balcony. Whenever we go to Carcassonne or Narbonne, two beautiful towns, we look up and note the stunning wrought iron balconies and posts and brackets underneath. If you keep your eyes open, you can find all sorts of ideas when walking around this beautiful part of France. In almost every town or large village there is a “brocante” shop – a kind of antique cum junk shop and we have spent many a happy hour rummaging around some of these. Occasionally we will find something which stands out and we know immediately that it will suit. I was delighted to find a pure linen bolster cover with our own initials embroidered on it. It must have been meant: there were no other initials available! Bolsters are rarely seen these days in the UK but are still popular in France and our large square bedrooms seem to invite such old fashioned comfort.

So January draws to a close, the days are stretching and we look forward to many more days pottering around the markets, quirky shops and fine French towns. Mr. Fix It as ever is still full of ideas and I admire his finesse. We have already achieved so much in this house and shall, I have no doubt, continue to enjoy the rest of what is to come.

Alexis
The Overseas Guides Company

Have a look at my website at: http://www.francebuyingguide.com/

Mediterranean winter sunshine to blow away the January blues!

I don’t know about you but I often find the middle of January to be something of a low point: Christmas is long gone, the New Year celebrations are over, the bills are coming in and those resolutions are perhaps struggling to stay intact! Having spent the holidays in England with our family and catching up with old friends, we find ourselves shaking away those January blues however now that we are safely back in our French home still marvelling at the sunny winter days. As I write, the sun is streaming in through our windows, the church lit up ahead of me as if to say “cheer up, this is going to be a good year”.

Coming back to our imposing house, hungry again for the Mr. Fix It touch, we are relishing anew the space and warmth within its walls. Yes, winter is still here for a while but bright sunshine brings with it an immediate sense of happiness and Mr. Fix It is rightly proud of his efforts to install our central heating which works so well. Our house has very high ceilings and many people remarked that the heating may not be as effective as one would have liked for this reason. But it does! It is dry down here and those old cast iron radiators work so well. Coming down our marble staircase in the morning I often stop on the half landing to admire the beautiful stained glass window through which the sun streams.

It seems to us that French life is very much focussed on appreciating what the country has to offer: beaches, mountains, fine architecture, a wealth of history, wine, culture, cooking and traditions which date back several centuries. Sometimes the French can seem very set in their ways and reluctant to effect change. But we have found this is part of the charm of living here. Life is full of variety and in general the lifestyle is very relaxed. Lunchtime is still an important part of the day. At least one person each day says to us around mid-day “bon appetit”. Yes, there are fine restaurants but also excellent bistros and small restaurants with a “prix fixe” menu offering marvellous value.

Rome was not built in a day, as the saying goes, and thus we are taking our time over our house renovation, eager to get it all right. A year on, we have achieved a great deal but there remains much to be done. One thing we do know however is that we have no desire to live again in the UK, life here suits us – and so many others, young and old alike – very well. There is a feeling of stimulation undergoing a project such as this one and that, coupled with continually maintaining a feeling of still being on holiday, is what makes our lives here so joyous. Tempted to do the same? I do not think you will regret it!

Mr. Fix It and I wish you an easy passage through January – soon Spring will be on its way but for now the winter does not seem so bad, blessed as we are with that lovely Mediterranean sunshine.

Alexis

The Overseas Guides Company

Have a look at my website at: http://www.francebuyingguide.com/

Looking forward to a very French 2011

As each year passes and a new one begins, most of us take time to reflect on what has been, what we have done and achieved and then to plan for what is to come. Mr. Fix It and I have enjoyed an extended break back in the UK to spend time with family and friends over Christmas and the New Year. We travelled through from our home in the Languedoc Roussillon by car, passing through 4 more countries en route for England, Eddie & Alfie sweetly ignorant of their increasing cultural experiences.

It occurred to us en route that we now feel very much a part of central Europe; that our perspectives have changed since we have been living down in the South of France for the best part of 2010. We feel as though we are on some sort of adventure and our connection with different European nationalities gives us great stimulus.

We achieved a great deal in this huge house in just under a year. A few weeks’ break from hard toil for Mr. Fix It can only have done him good: we come back refreshed, with renewed vitality and great anticipation for the year ahead. First stop: the kitchen! I confess to being extremely excited at the thought of finally opening my library of cook books and being able to rustle up a variety of dishes. Cassoulet, a hearty casserole from our region, has always been a favourite of mine and I have already decided that this will be my first “proper” meal once our kitchen is in. I will have to wait a little longer however: Mr. Fix It, ever in planning mode, is deciding on lighting, positions for appliances and sockets and heights of both worktops and “L” shaped breakfast bar. Yes, we still have a lot to do in the heart of our home but we will get there: watch this space!

Christmas in the snow with our family was a very welcome break. Mr. Fix It, ever the handyman, powered up a remote control helicopter on Christmas Day to entertain our small nephews and nieces although in truth, it was my 85 year old father (along with Mr. Fix It) who enjoyed it the most: there is a little child lurking deep inside us all!

The seasons in the Languedoc Roussillon are marked and individual and although it is quite a few degrees warmer than the UK and Northern Europe, the winter is still winter: crisp, cold dry air. One thing we notice though, since being away for a few weeks, is the sun: there is simply more of it here! Even a cold wintry day is usually bright and the sky is rarely overcast.

So we are happy to come back and set our minds to elevating this beautiful house to the level which it deserves. Even though the New Year has just begun, we already have several “bookings” from friends and family for the Spring and Summer months. Looking back for a moment and remembering visits from 2010, what we remember most is that without exception, each of our visitors has loved their time with us. Everyone, it seems, likes an adventure, many of us would like to do so. Perhaps it will be your time this year to buy your dream home in France?

I wish you much joy and happiness for the year ahead. I hope it brings you everything you choose.

We are happy to be back in this country of space and beauty. Mr. Fix It and I hope your dreams also come true in 2011.


Alexis
The Overseas Guides Company
Have a look at my website at: http://www.francebuyingguide.com/