Hah, the last post I did was 2nd January saying one of my New Year's resolutions was to be more active with the blog. Well, that one went out of the window didn't it - together with the 'must lose weight', etc etc. At least over the last couple of months I have an excuse. Why haven't I posted anything recently? Well, here's the calendar of events over the last few weeks . . .
Early April
Received offer on the house and accepted it - now seriously have to start packing up after 23 years of accumulation of 'stuff'
Slightly later in April
Buyer wants to complete whilst we were away in the US at Corflu, but we still said yes, just have to get everything cleared up before we go - no pressure then
Shortly thereafter Completion delayed - phew
Thursday, 19th April Fly to Las Vegas for Corflu and holiday
Wednesday, 25th April Solicitor phoned at 6 a.m. our time whilst to say likely to be exchanging contracts today for completion Wednesday, 2 May. We get back on 1 May - well, after a holiday we won't be needing much sleep as we pack up the house
Tuesday, 1 May Return to UK and continue packing whilst no news on completion, so we assume it won't be next week
Friday, 5 May Go to Sheffield
Saturday, 6 May Doug and Julia's wedding in Sheffield - hear that completion will be delayed
Sunday, 7 May Return to Tonwell and packing
Tuesday, 9 May 9th anniversary of our purchase of the house in Bourg Dun - pick up van for transporting boxes to France, which was ordered when we thought we were going to complete today. Alison and Bob come over to help load the van
Wednesday, 10 May Take overnight ferry to Bourg Dun and arrive 4 a.m. Thursday morning
Thursday, 11 May Sleep, unpack van with Martial's help with the large furniture, go down bar, catch 6 p.m. ferry back to England
Friday, 12 May Packing
Saturday, 12 May John has a rehearsal for the Jubilee gig - I continue packing
Sunday, 13 May John has a Worldcon committee meeting at Excel centre - I continue packing
Wednesday, 16 May Got a completion date - next Wednesday! - more packing
Saturday, 19 May Drive to Sheffield for Novacon committee meeting
Sunday, 20 May Return early from Sheffield for more packing
Tuesday, 22 May Pick up van again, Alison, Bob, Andy and Keith help. All neighbours come round pub for a farewell drink, as do our buyers whom we had never actually met before. Good night had by us, and hopefully by all, but we didn't get to bed until after midnight, and there's still you know what to do (packing, if you hadn't guessed)
Wednesday, 23 May Leave the house after 23 years! (Late, and leaving a couple of things behind, because we hadn't done enough you know wat!!) Overnight ferry to France arriving 4 a.m.
Thursday, 24 May Unpack van
Friday, 25 May Return to UK and stay in Travelodge near Cambridge - weird not having anywhere to stay!
Saturday, 26 May Malcolm's 60th birthday party in Cambridge
Sunday, 27th May Back to France, pick up Yvonne and Ian en route at Dieppe who are staying for a short holiday
Monday, 28 - Thursday 31 May
Collapse with Yvonne and Ian
Friday, 1 June Return to England
Monday, 4 June John's gig at the Rifle Volunteer - absolutely fantastic considering the last time they played was my 60th birthday last year.
Tuesday, 5 - Saturday, 9 June Restful time with Alison & Bob - no packing, just arranging new driver's licence, notarised photocopies of documents, new window panel to take to France, etc, etc, and somewhere we managed to fit in a meal at The Hotel Inspector's restaurant. Now that was great! Friday we came into town for Julie's farewell lunch, followed by drinks in evening. Now that really is the end of an era - no-one is left from the early days of either CIFT of Incisive e-Learning. Well, I'm still working remotely for them until we get all the courses transferred, so not totally a change of guard, but almost.
Sunday, 10th June Now really is the beginning of our new life - started with a meal round at Mesnil, of course!
Our new life also started with a cough & sore throat, which first showed itself that Sunday night, and I still have today - 16th July!! I blame Yvonne - I'm sure she was just too generous and gave me this little leaving present. Mind you, from the sounds of it I've done the same and given it to Alice Lawson.
Anyway, I think I can be forgiven for not having kept up with my New Year's resolution - at least from April, anyway. We'll see how the rest of the year goes.
Monday, 16 July 2012
Monday, 2 January 2012
A Clean Page
I just LOVE New Year's Day. It is akin to starting that new exercise book back at school- the first page is nice and crisp and clean, just waiting for the neat writing to be added. I've felt like this since I was a kid - even given the fact that I always blotted ink all over the page within the first couple of lines. Somehow I always managed to get ink on the side of my hand, so got a side-palm print over the middle of the page.
So, how long until the inky blobs appear this year? No idea, and to be honest it doesn't matter. So long as each year I try again. After all, this is the beginning of hte rest of my life.
And I do feel excited about it - this year is going to be different from my life over the last couple of years, that's for sure. We've got someone interested in buying the UK house - though they've still got to sell their house, so I'm not holding my breath (blue may be my colour, but not that much). At some stage this year we will have sold it, I am sure, and then we start a whole new life in a new country. Can't get much more exciting than that.
In addition, I still have 3 days a week work, which means we don't have to panic about getting the mortgage paid for a few more months. And to make it even better, I only have to trail into London one day a week - the other two I'm working from home. Now that's bad for the diet (don't get the same amount of exercise) but superb for the mental attitude. I know which one I'd prefer.
The big plan (so far) is that I work until end March. End of April we're off to Las Vegas for Corflu (MUST get the flights booked! That would help). From mid-end May we're planning being over here in France, obviously coming back for the Olympics. Well, we've got tickets for the rowing - no, I didn't know I was interested in rowing, but we applied for all the sports in which we had a chance of a medal, and only got rowing out at Eton College I think, not even the main arenas. Still, when else will we have the chance? We went to see the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and I wasn't too impressed with the view you get from the athletics. There is just too much going on at the same time, and the stadium is so large it's difficult to see the track on the other side - so I wasn't bothered about anything in the main stadium, even though athletics is my favourite sport. I'd rather see it on TV.
And in 2 weeks time I get my first payment of my pension! Whoopee! John and I are planning to go out for a slap up meal to use up that first payment. Not that the pension's very much, but it is better than nothing, and with the personal pensions we both took out, we might just be able to survive (until inflation hits, of course, since the personal pensions are fixed amounts). We'll carry on with the Chambres d'Hotes, but that can be for the holidays/conventions and other luxuries. So it we have a bad year, it won't bite into normal living expenses. Mind you, the best laid plans of mice and men. . . . etc
It'll be interesting to see how much the plans change over the year. The best thing will be that we sell the UK house. As soon as that's done we can start planning the rest of our lives.
So, how long until the inky blobs appear this year? No idea, and to be honest it doesn't matter. So long as each year I try again. After all, this is the beginning of hte rest of my life.
And I do feel excited about it - this year is going to be different from my life over the last couple of years, that's for sure. We've got someone interested in buying the UK house - though they've still got to sell their house, so I'm not holding my breath (blue may be my colour, but not that much). At some stage this year we will have sold it, I am sure, and then we start a whole new life in a new country. Can't get much more exciting than that.
In addition, I still have 3 days a week work, which means we don't have to panic about getting the mortgage paid for a few more months. And to make it even better, I only have to trail into London one day a week - the other two I'm working from home. Now that's bad for the diet (don't get the same amount of exercise) but superb for the mental attitude. I know which one I'd prefer.
The big plan (so far) is that I work until end March. End of April we're off to Las Vegas for Corflu (MUST get the flights booked! That would help). From mid-end May we're planning being over here in France, obviously coming back for the Olympics. Well, we've got tickets for the rowing - no, I didn't know I was interested in rowing, but we applied for all the sports in which we had a chance of a medal, and only got rowing out at Eton College I think, not even the main arenas. Still, when else will we have the chance? We went to see the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and I wasn't too impressed with the view you get from the athletics. There is just too much going on at the same time, and the stadium is so large it's difficult to see the track on the other side - so I wasn't bothered about anything in the main stadium, even though athletics is my favourite sport. I'd rather see it on TV.
And in 2 weeks time I get my first payment of my pension! Whoopee! John and I are planning to go out for a slap up meal to use up that first payment. Not that the pension's very much, but it is better than nothing, and with the personal pensions we both took out, we might just be able to survive (until inflation hits, of course, since the personal pensions are fixed amounts). We'll carry on with the Chambres d'Hotes, but that can be for the holidays/conventions and other luxuries. So it we have a bad year, it won't bite into normal living expenses. Mind you, the best laid plans of mice and men. . . . etc
It'll be interesting to see how much the plans change over the year. The best thing will be that we sell the UK house. As soon as that's done we can start planning the rest of our lives.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Fetes & Friends
Well, once again the best laid plans of men, mice and Eve have gone awry. There I was hoping to be able to do a daily diary, and it’s over a month since my last ‘confession’. Still, such is life. Now we’re back in the UK and I’m being bored at work, so perhaps I’ll be a little more industrious.
I must admit that sometimes I wonder why on earth I’m doing this – other than I was steamrolled into it by Ian Sorensen last year. Then I think about all the experiences we are having with our two-nation lifestyle, and how I don’t want to forget what it feels like to totally change your way of living, so I carry on. Hopefully my musings are also of interest to others, as are the articles each Saturday in the Telegraph (C'est La Folie) which were the original inspiration, but the key audience is me - I want to make sure I document our life and feelings.
Anyway, back to a quick summary of the rest of the summer before I totally forget.
One thing that is good about having a house abroad is that people tend to come and visit you for more than just an evening. The second good thing is that in showing them the area in which you live, you appreciate again the beauty of the region and the fun of the people.
This year our first visitation was John’s sister Alison, husband Bob and their two friends Pavlenka and Stephen. With two chefs in the house I should have been nervous of offering to cater each night so no-one would have to drink and drive, but luckily after the first bottle of wine I was fine (that’s theirs as well as mine). We did the usual coastal tour - Dieppe (street market), Pourville (Monet painting), Quiberville (fishermen’s stalls), St Aubin (nothing much but it’s the nearest beach), Veules le Roses (guardsmen bears, river, watercress beds etc, etc) and St Valery (port with metal pigeons) – and each time I show someone else these places, I see them again for the first time.
We then had my work colleage, Julie, over for the bank holiday weekend. At this time the French school kids were due to go back to school, and Dieppe was virtually deserted - even with a funfair on the seafront. Well, maybe not deserted, methinks I exaggerate a little - but the difference with just the week before was extraordinary. Somehow Dieppe is even worse than most other seaside resorts for its on-off character - and it's not like I'm not used to the lights being switched off out of season, I was born and bred in Brighton after all. OK, Brighton is a city now and is buzzing all year round, but back in the 60s it wasn't quite the same.
She also was given the coastal tour, the local bar (where she made a big hit with Michel of the fishing competition blog post), and the chalk-and-cheese dining experiences of the restaurant at the campsite Mesnil and the Michelin starred restaurant next door to our house (L'Auberge). And I think went away with a good idea of what life's like for us (though L'Auberge is only once or twice a year at their prices!!).
The one thing we couldn't show either sets of friends was the other staple of summer life in Seine Maritime, and that's the fetes. Unlike the UK, where villages tend to have just 1 summer fete, the Cauchoise (name for the people from our area of Normandy) will use any excuse to get out the marquee and the barbecue. I'm sure it's the same in the rest of France, but I can only talk of our area.
It starts on the last weekend of June, with the Méchoui - which is a North African whole lamb barbecue. We all congregate in the barn of a nearby farm where a 3-course meal with as much wine/cider etc as you want is provided. Last year we won a whole jambon in the raffle (ham leg) which we didn't finish until the beginning of this year.
Horse Fair (Fete de Cheval) in Quiberville - no, not on the promenade you idiot, that's the only picture I could find of Quiberville!
I wrote about this in a previous blog, so enough said, except that I've now found another picture. Apparently the lunch they do is superb as well, but we've never made that one.
Back before everyone had kitchens etc, most villagers used a communal oven for their cooking, whilst it was still warm after the baker had finished in the mornings. Ours (i.e. Bourg Dun's) has been restored, and in August we have the Fete du Pain where they fire it up again and - yes you guessed it - we all get together for another 3 or 4 course barbecue lunch under the 'chapiteau'. This year the weather running up to that weekend had been very wet, so parking in the field was 'interesting', especially when the car in front decided to stop just as we'd got into the most muddy of patches at the entrance. John obviously got stuck, and so had to back up to take a run at it a second time. He wasn't going to get caught again, and almost broke the sound barrier as he accelerated into the field!
We had a great meal here with English and French friends, but had to leave early to dash into Dieppe to meet up with Alison and Bob et al of whom I have spoken earlier.
Unfortunately we missed the last fete in Bourg Dun as we were away on holiday (yes, I know it all sounds like holiday, but I'm skipping over the 3 days a week I'm tied to the computer, and all the washing, ironing and cleaning that is required for the B&B). This is a 'Foire a tout' i.e. a car boot sale with the usual tat - but it's foreign tat so it's more exotic, combined with, yes you guessed it, another meal 'sous chapiteau' behind the bar.
That's where it ends, though. As we got back from our holiday in the second week of September, you could see the difference. It had been our wedding anniversary (36 years!) on the return journey from the Gironde estuary, but we decided to celebrate it when we got back to Bourg Dun. We couldn't afford L'Auberge again, and anyway they keep the same menu and we'd been there too recently to go again. How about Les Galets - that posh restaurant in Veules le Roses we've been meaning to go to for years? Nope, closed for conges (summer holidays). Oh, there's the Trou Normand in Pourville - hah, closed for conges and refurbishment. How about L'Auberge de l'Etang at Mannerville - doesn't say its closed for conges, but there're no lights on. Then there's the posh restaurant in St Valery - closed for conges....
Luckily we found somewhere and an excellent night was had, but talk about Blackpool on a wet Sunday!!
Friday, 9 September 2011
Police, horses and broken washing lines
Whilst driving down to the main commercial/retail park at Barentin (what great sightseeing trips we do), first of all we were stopped by the police. Not that we were doing anything wrong, it was one of those standard stop every third car type of thing. Usually they don't bother with foreign cars, but either they felt adventurous, or hadn't noticed the foreign plates and were now trying to bluff it out.
Of course, all they wanted to see was John's driving licence, which was the only document he didn't have with him - it was back at Bourg Dun in his English wallet. Luckily I don't think the policeman could face the paperwork, and just told us to get on. At first I thought it was lazy of John to talk to him in English, but then I realised this was most probably adding to his decision that life was too short to bother taking our lack of documentation any further. (Must remember to nag John about this whenever I can!)
About 10 minutes down the road, we were nearing our destination when we saw a sign for Pissy-Poville. I would love to live there!
That was exciting Friday, Sunday was even better - we had a . . .
Ah, that's the problem with living life, there's no time left for recording how you lived it. The former was written on 5th August, it's now 20th, and I've only a vague idea what witticisms I was going to add except for the hints in the title and the tags I'd added before writing (what a good idea, must do that more often).
Saturday, I remember, we were going to see the Horse Fair in the next village, Quiberville, but it rained all day so we didn't. Sunday wasn't so bad - damp but not raining hard, so we went to Quiberville. If you know this area, you know Quiberville is a small place but each year they have a massive horse fair. There are all the usual side stalls selling pictures of horses, horsey paraphenalia etc but also a show-jumping competition for teenagers, and an obstacle course for horses with carts. Finally, we saw a group of men playing hunting horns - quite weird really, especially as the sound is so very directional from the horns that when we were sitting behind them it sounded awful.
Of course, all they wanted to see was John's driving licence, which was the only document he didn't have with him - it was back at Bourg Dun in his English wallet. Luckily I don't think the policeman could face the paperwork, and just told us to get on. At first I thought it was lazy of John to talk to him in English, but then I realised this was most probably adding to his decision that life was too short to bother taking our lack of documentation any further. (Must remember to nag John about this whenever I can!)
About 10 minutes down the road, we were nearing our destination when we saw a sign for Pissy-Poville. I would love to live there!
That was exciting Friday, Sunday was even better - we had a . . .
Ah, that's the problem with living life, there's no time left for recording how you lived it. The former was written on 5th August, it's now 20th, and I've only a vague idea what witticisms I was going to add except for the hints in the title and the tags I'd added before writing (what a good idea, must do that more often).
Saturday, I remember, we were going to see the Horse Fair in the next village, Quiberville, but it rained all day so we didn't. Sunday wasn't so bad - damp but not raining hard, so we went to Quiberville. If you know this area, you know Quiberville is a small place but each year they have a massive horse fair. There are all the usual side stalls selling pictures of horses, horsey paraphenalia etc but also a show-jumping competition for teenagers, and an obstacle course for horses with carts. Finally, we saw a group of men playing hunting horns - quite weird really, especially as the sound is so very directional from the horns that when we were sitting behind them it sounded awful.
.............
It's now 9th September and I'm still desperately trying to finish this entry! The last thing that happened was the rotary washing line bent under a load when the wind was high, so we had to replace it which meant digging out a new hole, trying to find the 'right' sort of cement when you don't know the technical terms in French (for some reason that isn't part of standard evening class vocabulary). Don't know why on earth I thought anyone would be interested in that aspect of our life here in France . . . still, this item's finished now and I can start to fill in the gaps of the 5 weeks since I started it.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Why I love France
Many people ask me why I want to live here in France rather than the UK. One element of the decision is obviously getting more house for your money here, but the other is the lifestyle. Here are some instances which have happened over the last couple of days which illustrate exactly what I'm getting at.
- It was a hot day in Dieppe last weekend and in the sidestreets everyone had their windows wide open. On the first floor, opposite the restaurant we were frequenting, a bare-chested rotund Frenchman was leaning out of his window chatting to his neighbour on the other side of the road. As they were laughing and joking, a man came along the road taking his dog for a walk and joined in on the conversation for about 5 mintues, then continued on his way.
- We were in the local bar (Bar Doris - not a girl's name, but a type of boat) on Tuesday evening with the regulars when a young chap came in, shook hands with all the patrons, went to the cigarette counter to buy his cigarettes and then left. It was a good job there were only 6 of us, otherwise it would have taken all night! I doubt this would happen in the larger towns, obviously, but here in the country it is expected that you acknowledge everyone. Back home in Tonwell the locals would have a heart attack if a stranger came up and shook hands with them - you barely get a nod in acknowledgement from some of them and that's after 20+ years of living there.
- That same night, there was a mobile Pizza van operating opposite the bar - with a wood-burning pizza oven even! Patrick and his wife (the local painter and odd-job man) bought a pizza and brought it back into the bar and then promptly cut it up and gave us all a piece. Again, in Tonwell no way. It is also the tradition that you buy each other drinks, and if you've spent enough in the bar, Daniel will buy you a drink. The only time Julian in the Robin Hood has bought us a drink was one New Year's Eve when we had a power cut until almost midnight so he couldn't cook the food we had come for. He was quite drunk at the time!
- Sitting in the garden having lunch yesterday, a red squirrel ran into the garden, then departed before we could get a picture of it.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Never ignore John's good ideas
We said goodbye to the Aussies this morning who were off to Dunkirque on their motorbikes - they were NICE people even though I was as jealous as hell with their 3-month European touring holiday. Then there was Stephen and his friend (only referring to her as that because I can't remember her name!) who were our first guests to try the Michelin star restaurant next door. It was a success, thankfully! I know it wouldn't have been my fault if they hadn't liked it, but you know how responsible you feel, especially when its so expensive. From the sounds of it we must have the lobster starter - Stephen eulogised (is that the right spelling?) over it.
Since we had no more bookings for a few days, I said to John not to bother making the rooms up - let's just have a bit of a holiday/rest/laze, says I. I'll just get the beds moved back into the correct room, says John, and of course I have to go up to help him for a couple of hours before the Grand Prix was due to start. So it all got done. Then, after the Grand Prix there's a knock on the door and there stands a Brit who was scouting out a route and accommodation for a cycle ride he's doing with some friends from somewhere to Agincourt. Unfortunately it's the 3rd September and we'll be closed by then, but he and his friend book to stay the night. Thank you John, if you hadn't insisted that we make up the rooms we wouldn't have earned 45€ - though they want separate rooms so we have to give the twin-bedded room and the single room. Still, it's money we hadn't expected.
Then, as I'm hanging out the washing a Dutch couple turn up who want a room for 2 nights - the double room is fine for them and hey presto, there's another €100 in the coffers.
That's €145 John's earned us, but we do have to get up early tomorrow morning and do breakfasts, which is a bit of a bummer.
Went into Dieppe to try out a Turkish restaurant (L'Ankara) we had seen down one of the side streets which did a vegetarian menu, so we immediately thought of Yvonne Rowse. We've been meaning to go there for several trips and never getting round to it so decided we really would this time, stopping off to get info on the Parc des Moutiers which the Dutch couple had shown an interest in. Had a drink on the harbour, in the sun but also in a slightly cold wind, then a meal at the restaurant - and all of it 'free' given the unexpected income. Food wasn't bad, 'good value for money' is a good description - it was relatively cheap and hence relatively simple. I had moules farci (stuffed mussels) which were tasty, but the couscous stuffing somewhat drowned the flavour of the mussels. This was followed by lamb kebab, which was two lamb chops! Very tasty, but not exactly what I'd expected. Still, the whole meal came to just of €40 for 3 courses, coffee and a bottle of wine, so you can't complain. (Well, you can, but you shouldn't.) We'll go again this trip and try the more expensive menu by way of comparison, and let Yvonne try the vegetarian option.
Hey ho, that early night seems somehow to have moved to nearly 11 p.m.
Since we had no more bookings for a few days, I said to John not to bother making the rooms up - let's just have a bit of a holiday/rest/laze, says I. I'll just get the beds moved back into the correct room, says John, and of course I have to go up to help him for a couple of hours before the Grand Prix was due to start. So it all got done. Then, after the Grand Prix there's a knock on the door and there stands a Brit who was scouting out a route and accommodation for a cycle ride he's doing with some friends from somewhere to Agincourt. Unfortunately it's the 3rd September and we'll be closed by then, but he and his friend book to stay the night. Thank you John, if you hadn't insisted that we make up the rooms we wouldn't have earned 45€ - though they want separate rooms so we have to give the twin-bedded room and the single room. Still, it's money we hadn't expected.
Then, as I'm hanging out the washing a Dutch couple turn up who want a room for 2 nights - the double room is fine for them and hey presto, there's another €100 in the coffers.
That's €145 John's earned us, but we do have to get up early tomorrow morning and do breakfasts, which is a bit of a bummer.
Went into Dieppe to try out a Turkish restaurant (L'Ankara) we had seen down one of the side streets which did a vegetarian menu, so we immediately thought of Yvonne Rowse. We've been meaning to go there for several trips and never getting round to it so decided we really would this time, stopping off to get info on the Parc des Moutiers which the Dutch couple had shown an interest in. Had a drink on the harbour, in the sun but also in a slightly cold wind, then a meal at the restaurant - and all of it 'free' given the unexpected income. Food wasn't bad, 'good value for money' is a good description - it was relatively cheap and hence relatively simple. I had moules farci (stuffed mussels) which were tasty, but the couscous stuffing somewhat drowned the flavour of the mussels. This was followed by lamb kebab, which was two lamb chops! Very tasty, but not exactly what I'd expected. Still, the whole meal came to just of €40 for 3 courses, coffee and a bottle of wine, so you can't complain. (Well, you can, but you shouldn't.) We'll go again this trip and try the more expensive menu by way of comparison, and let Yvonne try the vegetarian option.
Hey ho, that early night seems somehow to have moved to nearly 11 p.m.
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Guests
Running a Chambres d'hotes can be hard work - all that changing of beds and ironing. Made especially bad when your guests arrive at almost 10 p.m. on a Friday night having booked the Green Room (double bed, shower & toilet ensuiste) to say they wanted twin beds! John swears Stephen never mentioned that, but as they went out to try and find somewhere to eat (fat chance around here at that time of night!) we quickly swap the beds around. But that made us nervous for Saturday night, because we received a phone booking just before for the one night, and I'd said we only had the twin room left. What if they wanted a twin, and now found themselves with a double? Hah, John spend the afternoon (after watching the qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix of course) tidying up the Rose room which he'd used as a depository for all his tools etc whilst rebuilding the bathroom, and we had a solution. If they needed separate beds, they could have separate rooms!
Phew, it's not an easy way to earn €100!
Still, it has its compensations...
It turned out that the new people were Aussies, as was the girl who had arrived with her Nigerian boyfriend (but with twin-beds, so I think the 'friend' part was literal) and we all had aperos in the garden. The fact that I got through almost a whole bottle of wine to myself may have clouded my judgement, but sitting there in the sun, with 4 strangers and exchanging views on everything from how crap Vodaphone mobiles are, through the political situation to whether or not the Aussies should still cling to the Queen's Birthday bank holiday when they want to be a republic, it all seemed worthwhile. Mike & Georgie (the two Aussies) were on motorbike driving a meanering route from Portugal, via Spain and Andorra, to Folkestone. They actually shipped their motorbikes from Brisbane out to the UK and will be shipping them back next week, when their 3 month holiday is over! I wish we had long-service leave.
An interesting factoid that came out of our discussions on Australia was that they too are increasing their retirement age. This can have nothing to do with saving money as we are all tempted to think is the root of the UK (and French) moves, because the Oz economy is absolutely booming. It really must just be a result of us all living longer.
I tell you something, if this life is what's in front of us for another 20-odd years, you won't hear me complaining - not until we get back to the UK and I have to start commuting into Picadilly again, anyway!
Phew, it's not an easy way to earn €100!
Still, it has its compensations...
It turned out that the new people were Aussies, as was the girl who had arrived with her Nigerian boyfriend (but with twin-beds, so I think the 'friend' part was literal) and we all had aperos in the garden. The fact that I got through almost a whole bottle of wine to myself may have clouded my judgement, but sitting there in the sun, with 4 strangers and exchanging views on everything from how crap Vodaphone mobiles are, through the political situation to whether or not the Aussies should still cling to the Queen's Birthday bank holiday when they want to be a republic, it all seemed worthwhile. Mike & Georgie (the two Aussies) were on motorbike driving a meanering route from Portugal, via Spain and Andorra, to Folkestone. They actually shipped their motorbikes from Brisbane out to the UK and will be shipping them back next week, when their 3 month holiday is over! I wish we had long-service leave.
An interesting factoid that came out of our discussions on Australia was that they too are increasing their retirement age. This can have nothing to do with saving money as we are all tempted to think is the root of the UK (and French) moves, because the Oz economy is absolutely booming. It really must just be a result of us all living longer.
I tell you something, if this life is what's in front of us for another 20-odd years, you won't hear me complaining - not until we get back to the UK and I have to start commuting into Picadilly again, anyway!
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