Today is our 11th anniversary in France so I've decided to repost what Simon wrote on the day we arrived.
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That was exciting!
Susan and I arrived in Preuilly at about 1.30 pm, having been delayed somewhat in Rouen. (More on the trip later.) John and Jill arrived and helped us unload the car, and about 90 minutes later David and James arrived in the truck.
Within about 10 minutes of starting to unload the corner of the barn I had cleared for storage was full, and as things progressed our belongings took over the whole barn. I am not sure whose stuff we are storing but we can't own that much stuff. David and James were brilliant, as were John and Jill who arrived again to help unload the truck.
David, the neat removalist
David and James had suffered a poor ferry trip - it was REALLY windy so the ferry was a bit bouncy - then a long drive at not very fast speed in an overloaded truck, yet still managed to be really efficient and happy and chirpy. I am not sure I would have been capable!
James. It's good a see a man happy in his work.
Susan went up to l'Image and booked them a room for the night, and then she set too in the kitchen. After unloading we sat in the garden, listened to the silence, and took in liquid replenishments and a plate of saucisson, chevre and fresh baguette.
Then it was over. The truck was reversed all the way down the street, John and Jill departed to cook dinner for us (thanks again) and we were left, bemused, in a house FULL of stuff, to start our new life in France.
Reversing down the street
Everyone has been brilliant - from JB, Rosie, Kippa, Pat and Geoff, who cleaned, lifted and encouraged like fury in London, John and Jill who volunteered to unload and then provided us with dinner, and David and James who were incredibly cheerful even though I am sure they were overworked.
Simon
p.s. I know we are in France and an hour in advance of ourselves London-wise, but we have decided not to change the time we post on the blog. This will give us a chance to write entries on the day they post.
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For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.
We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos.
We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos.
11 comments:
Welcome to France! Eleven years already! Wow! By now, you must feel like natives?
Looking forward to eleven more years of interesting and informative posts. Keep up the good work!
Come on chm! Do you feel like a native in the US? I feel at home, but I'm very conscious of not being native.
That was a kind of joke. I know what you mean, Susan, because I never felt like a native here in the US. But I feel comfortable even though English doesn't come up easily.
Yes, people like us, we are foreigners everywhere now.
I've admired what a full and interesting life you have carved out in a small French town. It's a rather odd life just now but I'm willing to bet you're making the most of it. Happy Anniversary, Jocelyn
Susan, apart from here and Leeds, I have felt like a foreigner wherever I've lived. I don't think being sent to boarding school helped...
but here, where I am the MOST foreign....
I feel the most at home!
Congratulations to both of you from me'n'her!
What I meant to says was - your blogs are one of the reasons we love this area. Here's to the next 11 years! We are stranded here after skiing in the Pyrenees - and are very happy to be so.
Thank you, but of course I am consumed with guilt at all the things I could have done and didn't (like garden and spring clean).
Thank you.
I'll bet you are happy to be here and not in England!
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