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/