The French lifestyle and banking on a Monday.

With the painter still here (he's finished the kitchen, and moved onto the small bedroom) and our things still in storage, there isn't a LOT to do. So I've been busying myself with the hazelnut tree in our garden. It's just started dropping nuts, so we had a couple of days gathering them up. The first day, we filled a bowl, and a half a two litre jug - by now, the jug is overflowing, as is the bowl. It's a lovely thing to do - gathering your own food from your garden. Yes, it takes time - lots of it! - but it is a fulfilling thing to do. And who can say 'no' to free food!??

The newly painted kitchen - no longer bright yellow, but
a beautiful fresh cream. 

As for the bank - it seems we still have a lot to learn about this country. We drove to the nearest town (about 9km from us), to the bank, to collect our new bank cards. We arrived, and ..... they're shut. As is most of the town. DUH! It's MONDAY! And the French just don't 'DO' Mondays!  How could I forget. So we bought a cooker instead! ... As you do! Well, since most of town was shut, we went on a little drive to 'see what's down that road', and we happened on a Surper U (supermarket). While I waited with the doggie, my husband went inside to see if they had any cookers, and would you believe it, they did! So he bought one! It's a basic gas stove and oven - just what we need for this house, as there is no 16amp fused plug for an electric oven. PHEW! I was beginning to think that we'd never find one. As they say, 'We're cooking with gas!'. 

I suppose tomorrow will be back to town to make a second trip to the bank. Oh the joys!!

Talking of 'joys', it's mid September now, and it's still beautifully warm here. Sunny and 30C - it was 21 and cloudy where I used to live. .... Remind me why this is such a great place to live?!

30C in mid September?! Not bad at all.

The end of a rather long week!

I am sat at the fold up table in our livingroom typing, as there really isn't anywhere else. The painter has been working on the kitchen all week. It was yellow. Very, VERY bright yellow. And not exactly well painted either. There were brush marks of the yellow paint on the white(ish) cornice, and the doorway didn't escape the torture either. But now, a week later, it's looking rather spiffy! Off white and a white ceiling. All the light and plug covers were removed and cleaned, and the light fitting was also taken off and cleaned. The radiator was removed, primed and gloss painted - BOTH sides!!! Yes friends, this man is an ARTISAN! Here, reputation is everything! People talk. Unlike in the UK - people talk to each other, and if you do a rubbish job, you may as well not show your face in the village again.
The garden is dry as a bone, but hopefully some rain in the near future will bring it back to life.

School - it seems every day the kids tell me of yet another item that they need for school. I find myself saying 'That wasn't on the list!' quite often. But we're muddling through, and I'm sure we'll get there in the end. The weight of their school bags could sink a small ship! All that paper in there - no wonder my son has shrunk a few centimeters.
There has been yet more paperwork from the school - oh yes, there are still a few more trees on that sacrificial pile to be used yet. Forms for responsibility of the school, responsibility of the bus company, should he be allowed into school if he's late (er YES!! Why wouldn't he?!!!), and what to do if he misses the bus.
Yesterday, was the first time on the bus to school and home - poor boy was so nervous, he looked like he was going to throw up. But, he did it. He got there, and back, without losing anything, or getting off at the wrong stop. Of course he made it LOOK effortless, but inside he was a tornado of emotions. He's finally manged to sort out his book bag on his own too - a huge activity in itself!

AND, we have a FRIDGE!! Yes, a full size proper fridge! The little fridge in the caravan can now be switched off. YAY!!! For the first time in weeks, we had properly cold Coke! And Ice-cream too! Love it!

Soon my husband will be returning to the UK to fetch our things and the cat. Then we'll be able to live again! But, in the mean time, we need to find two beds. One for us, and one for the girl. Her bed would never have survived such a move - chipboard 'wood' is only so strong. And our bed was given to my brother in law who was desperate for a new bed. So the hunt began yesterday. We drove to Bergerac. And came home with .... an iron. The beds were ridiculously expensive! I will NOT pay 600 Euros for a bed frame. But fortunately, we've found one online for under 100 Euros.  Just need to get it ordered now, and one for the girl.

One has to remember that in France - everything takes time. Lots and lots and LOTS of time. Nothing happens very quickly. So if you are of an impatient disposition, then this may not be the country for you. Everything closes at 12 for lunch and reopens between 2pm and 3pm (if you're lucky!). Even supermarkets! Restaurants close at 2pm! So if you want to eat lunch out, you'd better get there early. But there are benefits to this way of life too. People work fewer hours, but they work harder in those hours. People feel like work is not their whole life - they have a life outside of work - there is actually TIME to have a life! Lunch is a civilised affair, not a quick stop, where you throw some stodgy bread and bland filling down your throat, in the hopes that you've enough time to swallow before the shift restarts.

Many French schools only have a four day week, and some four and a half (like ours). Usually either Wednesday or Thursday is a half day, or no school at all. It gives the kids a chance to pursue other interests outside of school - which is great, given that they are at school until 5pm for secondary school.

On the whole, the French way of life is good for us. It's what we wanted. More time with our kids, (although 5 weeks in the caravan might be taking the Mickey!), good schools, and a better work environment - just to name a few things. While things are hard for us at the moment - language barrier being the greatest of the hardships - but those will all change, and things will get easier. I still feel that we've made the best choice for our children, and family as a whole. There would be challenges no matter WHERE we lived, but I feel that these are worth going through for the life we will have in the very near future.

Stress and a HOUSE! Brace yourself - it's a long story!!

The last four days have been THE most stressfull of my entire life - bar none. And if anyone is thinking of moving to France, understand that an entire forest will be sacrificed in your honour. I. Kid. You. NOT.

Let us start at the beginning .....

On Thursday morning, we were still sitting in the caravan on the campsite, just a hair away from murdering each other! We were of course, waiting to go see the estate agent (immobilier) here in Montpon. The meeting was at 2pm, but it felt like the longest wait ever! We arrived at the estate agent's office, met the landlord and his wife (who were both incredibly nice!!) and began the meeting. ..... An hour and a half to just go through the lease ... this should have been an indication of things to come. Afterwards, every page had to be signed - all 20 pages - and most are both sides! Then two extra copies need to be made for each of the parties - plus a whole bunch of extra papers about the energy efficiency of the house, local information and so forth. Right! We're all done then?! Um ... no. We were ALL off to inspect the house. Every door, every handle, every light needed to be tested and ticked off. Discussions about what repairs (painting mainly and a light fitting etc) needed to be done, The garden didn't escape attention - no, in-depth discussions were held about what was to be done in the garden - what was to be taken out, replaced or cut back. Finally, when the keys were handed over (and yes, they were indeed some ginormous keys in there!!), we felt like we'd run a marathon!! It was 5:45pm at the end of everything!! Then we still had to go back, get the caravan, and take it 'home'.
Now of course, we had nothing much with us, so the caravan is still where we need to cook and where the fridge is .... just for a couple of days though.

Friday brought it's own set of stresses. School enrollment and bank accounts. yay. (Can you feel my excitement?!)
Our first stop was the Marie's office (Mayor's office, and very helpful people!). They handle most things in the towns. And .... more paperwork. But, we managed to get my daughter enrolled into the village Primary school. It's a school of 75 children. Her old school was over 400 kids. We had to be back for 3:15pm to meet the head teacher. Right. Off to Montpon (8km away), to get the boy enrolled into the school. And ..... MORE paperwork. Birth certificates, passports, two photos, marriage certificate, school report and vaccination certificates - all needed for enrollment. After a short wait, we met the head teacher and the assistant head. Lovely people, very understanding, but very clear about the challenges ahead. Of course we had the all important supplies list too - and there goes another big chunk of the forest! TIMBER!!!
Then we rushed off to the bank. All we needed was a simple current account. Nothing particularly fancy. But it's a full on 'sit down interview'! I felt like I was being 'checked out', whether we were in fact the right sort of people for the bank. Thankfully, we made it though and ....... then the paperwork started. It must have been at least another 20 pages - double sided and two copies of each account's paperwork AND an extra copy of everything for the bank too. I can hear the forests groaning!! After an hour and a half, we STILL weren't complete, and were asked to return after lunch. The entire TOWN closes for lunch from 12 noon to 2pm.
So we returned home (8km back), had a quick lunch, and arrived at my daughter's school for her meeting. Of course the head teacher was in a rush - something about another appointment - and spoke a lot of very complex sounding French at me. I gave my best 'I'm English and I haven't a CLUE what you're saying' facial expression, but it made little difference - she still spoke at me with great speed and zero clarity. Thankfully my husband understood enough to 'Uh huh. Dacaor' back to her. But we are still sure there were some things we missed. And that was it - she was enrolled! And we had yet another supplies list to complete. ....yay.
Of course it wasn't over yet, oh no!! So we dutifully returned to the bank, and continued the process of opening our bank accounts - for another hour and a half!!! By the end of it I felt like my head was going to explode. It was the most intense day I've ever experienced!

The following day, Saturday, was 'Buy all the supplies' day. So we trundled off to the huge hypermarket in Pinehleau (about 22km away), in the hopes that they'd have a reasonable selection. It took about two hours, and the help of one very patient shop assistant to get most of the supplies together. At the end of it, I was so tired, I felt like I should have been put in the trolly and wheeled around!! And the cost of all of this? 200 Euros. <falls down> Good grief. It's not cheap having kids in school - especially secondary school! And the books!! Sooooo many books! TIMBER!!!!! Also. a quick spiffy new haircut for the boy on the way home - his mop turned into a far more stylish cut by the talented William.

Sunday should have been a  day of rest, but in our house, it was a day of labelling. Every pen, pencil, colouring pencil, ruler, chalk stick or compass had to bear the name of the child. Everything. The books were easy once we'd deciphered which ones were for what (large format, medium format, which subject needs folders, and which needs files etc), but everything took soooooo much time! And tissues! How many packs of tissues does one little girl need?!! It's beyond me. And of course all the tissue packs need to be labeled as well! It was a task that took the ENTIRE day. I started just after breakfast, and finished just as dinner was being served. The whole day. I was shattered.

Monday was the least stressful, but still stressful enough. It was the little darling's first day at French school. Both were so nervous, they looked like scared jackrabbits, ready to bolt at the tiniest sound. But, they had no choice, it had to be done. My son was first. And of course .... more paperwork. Bus, and school dinners had to be arranged. But we couldn't hang about - we were off again to take the girl to school. We arrived, and thankfully got to meet her teacher this time (was only the head teacher before). A lovely young Frenchwoman, who looked like she'd get on well with my girl. And that was it. Kids dispatched, and we were off home again ..... just in time to meet the painter, and the gardener. They worked away, and before we knew it, it was time to collect the girl. SUCCESS!! She had a great time at school, and everyone wanted to be her friend! Awww!! Next was the boy at 5pm (kids here have longer at school than in the UK, but they get very little in the way of homework, and if they DO get any, it can be done in the study periods!) and he too had a great time. Perhaps this whole thing really will work out after all. Fingers crossed!
On closer inspection of both timetables, it seems that they both only have school in the morning on a Wednesday. the afternoon is at home. Nice! Except, he STARTS at 8am on Wednesday. Yawn! That's going to be fun! But they've both made a start, and small mercies - there is no school uniform. They get to wear comfortable clothes - that they actually like. There's got to be a bonus in there somewhere!!

The joys of being in a caravan.

Nearly 5 weeks ago, we set out on our adventure. Yes. FIVE weeks ago. Since then, Bessie has been renamed Ginormica. Given some of the very narrow French roads that we've had to navigate, she certainly did feel 'Ginormous'! But today was another story! We have a water pump that sucks water out of the water butt outside and delivers it to the taps inside. Simple. ..... Except when the housing for the pump suddenly and mysteriously develops a crack - letting in lots of air, and spurting water all over both the outside AND inside of the caravan. NOT a good thing. Now the chances of getting a part for this, is ... well, lets just say 'zero' - since it's a Sunday. Then we discovered there was a crack in the cap for the water butt, so had to swap them over to stop the water leaking out of there. Then, we discovered, there were SEVERAL leaks in the unit that the water pump plugs into!! So my wonderful husband toiled away all day fixing all these problems, so that we could still have running water inside. No easy task!! But he did it. And all is once again right with the world. 

Fast forward to tonight - 9:30pm. All the lights are on in the caravan, and the kids go to brush their teeth. Lights dim, and the meter reading for the battery drops to zero. WHAT NOW!???? Everything on the pump is checked again, inside and outside, and finally, we discover, a fuse has blown! Some things run off the battery, and others off the mains power that we hook into. The battery is charged up by plugging it into the mains, and without it, many things just won't work. URGH! Off to check it out ...

Tomorrow we are viewing three houses, and I am determined that we WILL be taking one of them!! Even if it means changing our future plans a little. 

Update: We've managed to isolate the fault to the pressure switch on the pump - it's the one that stops the pump when the taps are turned off. Fabulous. It only cost us 6 red fuses. We once again have no running water inside. It's back to bottled water. Wonderful. Will have to get it sorted out tomorrow after the viewings. Oh the joys!!!

Saturday is Market day in Sainte Foy le Grande!!

We arrived here in Monpon on the 19^th August, and the house hunt has begun in earnest! We've looked around at the surrounding villages, and we've contacted the estate agents. Requirements here to rent a property, are not a lot different to those in the UK. You need to prove some sort of income, and you need to be able to pay the rent, and at the very least, look like a decent sort of person. Apparently, we fit the bill, and we're off on Monday to see three houses! One is in Monpeyroux, the other is in VilleFranche de Lanchat, and the cute sounding Le Pizou. Fingers crossed we'll be able to take one of them!

When we were in Sainte Foy Le Grande a few weeks ago (was it really that long ago??), we somehow managed to miss the Saturday Market. Doh! So while we're in the area, we decided to pop down there to see it. WOW! It is B-I-G!! I can see why it was voted best market in France in 2014!! There is EVERYTHING! From live chickens, to toys, jewellery, LOADS of fruit and veg, meat and cheese, clothes, and just about everything else you could imagine! There were even two people there selling beds! Rotisary chickens, paella, Asian cuisinse, sweets and goodness knows what else!
I tried to make a video of the market, but fist my phone died on me, then the dog felt sick, then I lost my husband! LOL! It was destined not to be done this time! But I took some pics though. I will be going back to the market, so will DEFINITELY be doing a video then!

There were two stalls, where they had the cutest little piglets, but were claiming to be selling boxes of sweets for 7 Euros each to fund their vaccinations etc Hmm, it seemed like a bit of a story – an expensive one at that!!

But it was an awesome visit, and I do love that town! Hopefully we'll be regular shoppers there!

There were a few jewellery stalls - this one
had jem stones for sale too.

Unlike the other bag sellers - these bags
were handmade by the seller. French leather
and antique fabric scraps. 

With the heat here, it's important to keep your
food protected from the flies! And these are
super handy!

There seems to be a belt seller (or 5) at every
market!

This picture does not adequately show how
busy it was! At one point it was 'heaving!'

This is a 'floating tap'. There is a perspex
tube that supports the tap, and draws the water
up, then the water pours over the outside of
the tube - all giving the illusion of a floating tap.
90 Euros!

There were several stalls selling fresh seafood.
And it all certainly smelt fresh! There was a
definite 'sea' smell rather than a nasty fishy
smell - which shows how fresh it was!

It was so busy that we all kept bumping into
each other!

More reed tote bags.

A little something for the quilters!

Although there were two of these sweet stalls,
I didn't see anyone buying from them.
There is a lot of 'anti-sugar' feelings here at
the moment.

Back in Vine country, Bordeaux and serious house hunting.

We're finally back in vine country. I love this area! And it is definitely an area I want to live in!! We arrived on Friday at a small camp in a town called Montpon-Menesterol. It's just our base for the area for the time being.

While on our way back to the Dordogne area, we encountered two trucks carrying the same load - we tried to guess what it could be - and finally decided that it must be something for an aeroplane, since airbusses are built somewhere nearby. But getting past them was stressfull to the MAX (right hand car on left hand roads - not fun!!)

Can you guess what it is?!?!

We also saw some of the pretty little towns getting ready for their festivals.

We popped over to Bordeaux this morning, to see the fabric & general market, as well as the city in general since last time it was very, VERY wet. But today, it was gorgeous weather – clear and warm! When we got to Bordeaux at about 9am, I was stunned by the lack of traffic!! It was so light for such a big city! Anywhere else in UK, and it would be murder to get in …. but this is of course France. It is Monday. And it is early. And we must not forget that it IS of course August. We were in a queue of …. seven cars. I am sure that the traffic will be considerably heavier from September onwards. However, within the small number of cars that are on the road, many of them are CRAZY! Changing lanes at high speed with no indicators, and actually, a general disregard of the lanes in the first place! It was quite nervy at times – heaven alone knows how I'd cope in Paris where they're famed for their crazy driving!! We finally parked up, and walked over to the market. At 9:30am, I thought it would be fully set up, and traders in full swing ….. uh, this is France, and it IS still Monday. So no, not everyone was set up yet, and some hadn't even arrived yet! So we meandered along Rue Victor Hugo, got a few more pics of the car hanging out of the parking lot, the Grosse Cloch (Enormous bell tower) and the arches. We saw a lovely sculpture of a tortoise in Place de la Victor. A lovely square where something always seems to be happening – concerts, or like today – blood donations. Hey, it's still something happening! Unbelievably, many of the shops only open at 10am, and even then, it seems begrudgingly – but they're fast to close up for lunch time – even cafes and pizzarias are sometimes closed for lunch – yes, I know it seems mad. But again, it must be remembered – it is Monday, in France. So, we wandered back to the car, via the market, which by 11:30am, was finally in full swing. There was a lot of fabrics for clothes, ready made clothes, and other 'general' things. The food market is on every day except Mondays. We drove around the city and saw loads of interesting buildings, where my husband used to live and work, and a few other places. It was really good not to have to do a lot of walking in the heat! Tomorrow and the rest of the week have promised high temperatures again. Should be interesting as we officially start the hunt for a house. The paperwork alone should keep us occupied for the next few years!!  

Entering Bordaux at 9am. We were at the
back of the 'rush hour' queue.  Not many at all!

Architecture in Bordeaux is just amazing!!

The bell tower of the
Bordeaux Cathedral Saint Andre.

The Market is held in the square
just next to the cathedral. 

This car has been like this for nearly 20 years - it's a feature
of the multi story parking in Bordeaux on Cours Victor Hugo.

Port d'Aquataine aka Place de la Victoire

There's a beautiful sculpture of a tortoise in the square, and
of course the kids had to ride it. Little did we know how hot it
was - being metal - and I'm taking my time with the pictures ...

.... and of course a funky pose too!
And a QUICK exit off the roasting metal!

This is the Grosse Cloche (the enormous
bell). It' is hard to appreciate just how
big it really is from the pics!
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Back to the market, and by 11:30am it
was finally in full swing!

The long rows of appartments and building on the
river front are very impressive!

In the last 20 year, there have been a
number of improvements to the city.
One of them is the tram system -
inexpensive and covers the city pretty
well.

As with any city, it is rapidly expanding to accommodate
 a growing population.

Porte de Bourgogne

WHICH WAY!?

The main road along the river

Pont Jacques Chaban Delmas
This is the new bridge, and it can raise up
and lower again to accommodate taller boats.

You can even go up in one of the four pillars
to see the view from the top,
just so long as you enjoy climbing stairs!

An old bus, now restored and used for tours around the city.

On the river front, there's a small area where kids can run
around on the square, and it has a centimetre or so of water on
it - and every now and then, it sprays water out!
Wonderful on a hot day!!

On the way back to camp, we saw this huge building.
Apparently here, they make the caskets for the wine!