Proper Introductions

Bonjour.

I hope everyone has had a great week? We have been enjoying walks with the dog a bit further afield this week, since the 1km lockdown rule was relaxed. (This restricted us to walking only within a km of the house for a maximum of one hour each day.) Bear has loved it too.

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Lockdown ends in France on 15^th December, to be replaced with an 8pm to 6am curfew, apart from Christmas Eve. We have decided this is not the year to rush to be with family. Covid19 is still too prevalent and won’t be taking time off for Christmas I suspect.

It has been so cold here this week that I am beginning to disappear under the many layers of clothing I am now wearing. I think I may have started dreaming about central heating! My cleanser, normally liquid, has solidified so I can’t actually get it out of the bottle. Max suggested I keep it by the fire. On that subject, the woodburners are great, so we just do everything in the kitchen with occasional expeditions to colder parts of the house – bathroom and bedroom mainly unless we are working in a different part of the house. If we are, we end up with very red noses and cold, cold feet, in spite of thermals. Living the dream!

The kittens seem to be coping well, although I often find them all cuddled up together – most likely for warmth. They are getting so big now – almost time for the next visit to the vet. My hands are still scarred from the last one. This time we will be wearing gloves!

We had a few dramas yesterday to liven up the week. Bear managed to singe his tail on the woodburner, quite badly. At first we couldn’t work out what was burning. It turned out to be his fur, but fortunately we found it in time. He evidently hadn’t felt anything. Next up was a smoking woodburner – the house filled with a thick smog, apparently due to a cold and damp chimney. We all smell like we have been truly barbecued! The third drama happened while we were watching my son’s university department’s virtual panto via Zoom in the evening. We were all in fancy dress, as requested by the panto organisers – don’t ask what, but it did make it more fun! Not for Nina (the black and white kitten) though as she managed to get tangled up in a wig. Scary moment but no harm done. Curiosity and cats. What a day!

In other news, I couldn’t resist doing a bit more research on the history of the house and who has lived here, after last week’s discoveries. I have made great progress and filled in lots of gaps but have also got a million questions. The house was passed down via various branches of families, depending on whether there were just daughters or not or whether someone died with no children. In some cases it is quite tragic, finding a family that had many children, none of whom survived – tough times. Knowing some of the other properties around here, it has also been fascinating seeing where people ended up living locally following marriage. When, and if, I find some more answers I plan to put together a small history and family tree for the house.

Huge excitement as we received two packages in the post this week. I always enjoy having a chat with the post lady and it is always great to get parcels. One was expected and included some festive magazines – I do love a magazine. Courtesy of The Simple Things magazine we will be making mulled gin over the weekend. The other was a total surprise – a belated birthday present from my new sister-in-law – a beautiful grey silk scarf. Just perfect.

This week I thought it was time to introduce myself properly and also Max. It has started to seem odd to have introduced the rescue animal population and not us. I don’t normally post personal photos but this is about to change. A big step!

So here I am – serving up food at our pandemic wedding in September. The warm weather seems a while ago and a little way off!

As I have said before, moving to France has been my dream for decades. I can’t tell you how many houses I have looked at online, how many ‘Living in France’ magazines I have read. After careers in marketing, communications followed by arts and charity fundraising (me) and in human resources, then project management in the NHS for 15 years, before moving to managing street markets (Max), we both went freelance to move here. This is challenging at the moment due to this year’s unexpected turn but it’s lovely to work for ourselves again. It has given Max the chance to start writing his children’s stories – a long held dream of his. He has finished one so he is in the hands of agents at the moment! It has also given me the chance to explore doing different things, such as painting and restoring furniture, learning the piano, but also writing this blog which I have wanted to do for a long time. I am really enjoying it and I hope you are too.

A few of my favourite things: my family and friends, France, food and cooking, kindness, travelling, reading, gardening, going for walks, snow, watching films, nature, Europe, making jam and chutney, baking, dancing, music, doing things on impulse (hence 4 rescue kittens!), languages. I love architecture, old buildings, interior design, colour, sewing and creating things. Oh and probably raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens – for those of you who love The Sound of Music! There is so much more…. not forgetting coffee and chocolatines.

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I have lots of photos of Max but have been looking for some of the two of us. However as I scanned through photos I realised that we just don’t have that many of us together. I seem to be the one always taking photos. So out of very few, a handful of photos to mark us moving here.

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On the left, the day we became the new owners of the enormous key, plus a ‘petit chateau’ in the Tarn countryside. We are both now a little leaner and fitter than then – it’s amazing the difference a year of DIY, digging a potager and swimming has done. On the right, 1 year later and having moved over here permanently, here we are taking a little time out to explore with Bear – in those days when you could! There are many beautiful hilltop villages in the area – known as bastide towns or villages.  

We got married in September in a very Covid-style wedding – family on Zoom (UK, Australia and Hong Kong), masks or in our case visors and a few local friends. Not quite as planned but fun and unique! We scrub up quite well really – I think our neighbour was quite surprised as most of the time we seem to live in old jeans, covered in dust or mud, not looking our best – all part of the renovation fun. I will share all the details of the run up to and the day of our pandemic wedding in the New Year. Quite an experience.

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Enough about us, with Christmas in two weeks’ time, has everyone started getting organised?

We are just working out what will be kitten proof, so possibly no glass baubles this year! We are getting our tree next week. I am sure the kittens will probably climb it! Last week I realised that I hadn’t thought about Christmas at all when the lovely artisan baker at the market asked me which day Christmas was on. I didn’t know! Unusual for me as I love Christmas and all the preparations. So I ordered our capon – recommended last year and, although I had never cooked a capon, it turned out really well, even from the dilapidated old gas cooker which managed to cater for 12 of us. This year we will be eating capon for days and days as only 2 of the 3 of us eat it. As I said last week, a different Christmas for everyone with many a virtual meal and drink I expect! Last year I decorated every room as we had lots of family over. Given 4 enthusiastic and curious kittens, I think less is fine so I am aiming for a more pared back look – partly for kitten proofing but also partly as family won’t be here. I am a big fan of fairy lights so there will, as ever, be lots of those; we have even ordered some more.

That leads nicely on to next week’s theme – definitely Christmassy –  I think it is about time for some festive food, twinkling lights and general sparkle.

Looking forward to hearing your Christmas plans.

Enjoy the week everyone. Stay safe in these challenging times

A bientôt

Ali xx