Blog posts

Five years

Bonjour to you all

Five years ago today we completed on our lovely French home. Where has that 5 years gone? The decision was made, the deed done and we owned a tiny corner of South West France. A new life, an adventure beckoned. A house to sort out and pack up in the UK, our life to be transported across the Channel and down to the Tarn. Here we are 5 years later, settled in rural France – something I never saw myself doing – the rural part that is!

The house has been a roller coaster of events and experiences, just like life really. Good times and challenging moments. Slow progress with the renovation as every job takes forever and plans often get interrupted by more pressing needs. Water leaks, septic tank problems, trees down post dramatic storms, and so much more!

This weekend we are taking a much needed break away from all things renovation for Max’s birthday. We are heading to Pau for a night away in a rather lovely looking hotel – a rare treat.

What have we learned over the past 5 years? Renovation work takes forever, every crack turns into the Cheddar gorge, every job gives us an insight into some of the history of this lovely but challenging old house and invariably throws up another 10 associated jobs. We have found out a lot about the centuries of life that has taken place between our incredibly thick stone walls and guessed at how the house has evolved and grown over its lifetime. We have also battled at times with French administration which can create all sorts of obstacles but eventually you get there. I have learned vocabulary for things I never thought I would need to know and realised how many gaps there are in my French language knowledge! We continue to revel in having a pool to swim in during the summer, you almost don’t need a holiday. We have also come to realise that whoever told us that winters here are mild and reasonably dry and summers not too hot was not entirely truthful. It never snows they said – every year since we arrived! Not much admittedly but nonetheless minus temperatures and snow. We have had rainfall beyond belief, not that much fun from a cold damp point of view when the house you live in is built directly on the earth, and then summers at 40°C. Some of this I am sure is down to climate change but we are not the only incomers to notice the disparity between what we were told and the reality. Maybe you forget as each season moves to the next.

This house is certainly home now. Weirdly it has even begun to feel quite average in size in spite of the fact that it really is quite large! It’s funny what you get used to and how quickly you expand into the space you have. We have become firm fans of brocantes and vide greniers and have a pile of unfinished projects to complete. Plans have changed over the 5 years, but now we seem to have reached final decisions about room uses, colours and furniture.

We have explored many a beautiful place and the countryside in the Tarn is utterly gorgeous. Gaillac wine, our local tipple, is wonderful. So many vineyards to visit. Already we have some firm favourites and have met some really interesting wine producers.

So onto the next 5 years and hopefully more adventures and a lot more renovation.

I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. Thank you for sharing our journey.

A bientôt

Ali xx

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