Coffee and Chocolatines

Mental Health Awareness Week Hello to you all I hope you have had a good week. Isn’t it funny that whatever the weather, we always want something different? Over here in France there has been a real lack of rain over the winter. At times it hasn’t felt like that but in many parts of France there have been water shortages. Now the weather is rainy and chilly for the time of year, we want the sunshine! Last year in May the weather was warm and we were longing to swim (see post Diving into la Piscine to find out why we couldn’t!). This year with temperatures around 16°C at…

Hello everyone I hope you are all well and have had a good week? Our week has included a delightful rendez-vous with an ex-mayor of our village – wine and cake in the afternoon – my kind of people! We also exchanged homemade preserves – they are trying our Clementine and Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, we are trying their Raspberry Jelly – very tasty. Our favourite boulangerie has re-opened after having a revamp – we treated ourselves to some of their delicious quiche for lunch on Wednesday and on Thursday I had the best news – I finally have an appointment at the préfecture in Albi for my carte de séjour.…

Hello to you all I hope you have had a great week? I have enjoyed hearing from some of you – your comments mean a lot to me. It is also very exciting to know that there are people out there reading this each week – the ramblings of someone trying to renovate an old house, make a new life, keep working and generally deal with all that life sends, and of course French admin. I have some amazing friends (you know who you are) who have been very kindly encouraging people to follow our journey through the Coffee and Chocolatines blog. This week one friend in particular, Susi, recommended…

Bonjour I hope you have all had a lovely week? The cuckoos are singing their familiar song and the sun is shining. For the first time in the last week (see below to find out why), I went out for a longer walk on Thursday. We are surrounded by fields of gold at the moment as the farmer has planted rapeseed – a glorious sight. We had lunch in the garden today as it was 24°C – perfect. A cup of tea or glass of wine with this view anyone? My very early flowering French lavender is buzzing with bees and, along with some beautiful irises (flowering for the first…

Hello again Welcome to our life in France, or welcome back if you are already following our story. Each week an update on all that life brings, as we settle into our rural ‘petit château’ in the Tarn département – the ups and downs and our long slow renovation of this beautiful quirky old house. A short (and late) post this week as I have suffered a little (actually a lot as it turns out) at the teeth of Raoul! More on that shortly, but it has meant my right hand is out of action – very annoying when right-handed. I am typing this with just my left hand and…

Hello everyone After posting last week’s blog rather late, this week I was trying to be ready early. Friday was my birthday and I have a long held rule of no work on my birthday. I have to say this isn’t really work and I am enjoying writing it, but the birthday rule stays.   As you will see by the date this is being posted, my plan to be organised early did not work out. I had a lot of work to do up to Friday and then I had my birthday. Lockdown birthday number 2 but a day to celebrate nonetheless. A fabulous bouquet arrived from my sister…

Hello everyone and a belated Happy Easter Firstly apologies this is rather late – I got distracted by clearing overgrown flowerbeds, wildlife in the house and by my new garden helpers: Plus a very special garden visitor on Easter Saturday: Easter Day was chocolate day for me (I gave it up for Lent, lifelong habit) – I have been looking forward to it. I love dark chocolate, the higher the cocoa content the better. Max is less keen on anything over 70% but I love 100% – so bitter and delicious. What is your favourite chocolate treat? Some friends gave us some yummy chocolate eggs which we are enjoying. I…

Hello to you all It is officially Spring. Butterflies are out. My amazing double narcissi have flowered. Some of the fruit trees are in blossom, some are heading that way. The scent as you pass the plum trees is heavenly and the blossom is full of bees. As we near the end of March, the weather here is trying to warm up. We have had some gorgeous days with temperatures getting over 20°C but the nights are still pretty cold. I am looking forward to the end of the hot water bottle ritual, which is performed every night. 3 bottles to be filled and pyjamas wrapped around them so it…

Hello everyone A little late this week (sorry), but I hope you have had a lovely week wherever you are? Our week has included a birthday and 2 visits to brocantes, a luxury – firstly to go out and secondly I do love a good wander around a brocante. We have also had a UPS nightmare, still not resolved but to counter that Max is finally in the health system. Hooray!! To crown that his Carte Vitale arrived on Friday morning. Finally a tick can go against that job! We also did some very satisfying pruning but much more exciting, we have unearthed a slight mystery in the garden. A…