I am very excited as it looks like I will be going to a joint 60th birthday celebration/school reunion in my home town of Tranent in eastern Scotland.
On the one hand it all seems familiar and I can recall lots of names and faces like it was yesterday on the other hand it is like several life times ago.
Let's see.
Am just going to dig out some old pictures.....
Monday 25 January 2016
Monday 19 October 2015
Ben the hoose
Finally got to the end of unpacking or storing our chattels - a place for everything and ....
It's a fine old lady of a house with plenty nooks and crannies and there is always under the bed when stuck!
Top floor is a big light and airy attic space - just need to watch out for those beams - ouch!! It has a delightful guest bedroom/'en suite' (no such thing is France but never mind - its a lovely loo and shower room!)..
Look at that sweet little tartan curtain on the wee window - now where did that come from?
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| Curtain design by Maggie, stitching by Jeff.... |
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| poppies and tartan theme... |
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| snuggly.... |
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| en suite.... |
On the middle floor we have our huge bedroom and another 'en suite' but its a Jack and Jill with an intriguing 'bathroom cabinet'!!
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| A recycled sideboard?? |
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| Waking view.... |
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| Ooooo la, la |
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| my little den.... |
then back down to the ground floor - a cosy working kitchen and fireside to end the day....
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| This part of the house dates back to 1520 - reckon it's seen a baguette or two..... |
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| today's shell collection.... |
One week anniversary...
8th Oct -
One week since we moved to Avenue Jean Moulin in Portiragnes and so we took some time to reflect today - good move?
Yip, this is at last what we always dreamed about living in France. Kind of wish we had come here 3 years ago, but, it seemed too far away, inaccessible for us and just a step too far.
The house is charmingly old, spreading over three floors,and across a narrow street from the Hotel de la Marie, overlooking a busy village centre. Yesterday I walked to the hairdresser to make an (urgent!) appointment, then to the well stocked Spar grocery, the post office and home again - in 15 mins! Fabulous.
As I peg out here on the front terrace I am lucky to get away with less than three 'Bonjours' as folk pass the gate.
Jeff loves nipping to the boulangerie some mornings for fresh croissants and at least half a dozen 'Bonjours' there and back. A friendly place and less than 10 mins drive from lovely beaches, less than five minutes walk from the Canal du Midi.
Went to Beziers today to check out the local Chamber of Commerce, Le Centre de Formalities de Enterprise, the flower market and had few coffees here and there. Lovely, helpful people and got some pointers about french language courses - tres bon!
Later we drove to Clermont-L'Herault, about half an hour away - a charming town with many cobbled streets, artisan shops packed to the rafters and dozens of antique dealers/depot ventes - would need a week to browse it all.
The house feels cosy and peaceful - huge high ceilings and not a straight wall in sight! I love the high french windows and creaking wooden pastel blue shutters - opening them in the morning to bright sunshine and village noises.
The local beach has been a beautiful and restful pitstop everyday this week - too good to miss as we enjoy gorgeous autumn warmth. Don't expect it will last.
Came home and Jeff got a parking ticket just yards from the house - oh well back to reality!
One week since we moved to Avenue Jean Moulin in Portiragnes and so we took some time to reflect today - good move?
Yip, this is at last what we always dreamed about living in France. Kind of wish we had come here 3 years ago, but, it seemed too far away, inaccessible for us and just a step too far.
The house is charmingly old, spreading over three floors,and across a narrow street from the Hotel de la Marie, overlooking a busy village centre. Yesterday I walked to the hairdresser to make an (urgent!) appointment, then to the well stocked Spar grocery, the post office and home again - in 15 mins! Fabulous.
As I peg out here on the front terrace I am lucky to get away with less than three 'Bonjours' as folk pass the gate.
Jeff loves nipping to the boulangerie some mornings for fresh croissants and at least half a dozen 'Bonjours' there and back. A friendly place and less than 10 mins drive from lovely beaches, less than five minutes walk from the Canal du Midi.
Went to Beziers today to check out the local Chamber of Commerce, Le Centre de Formalities de Enterprise, the flower market and had few coffees here and there. Lovely, helpful people and got some pointers about french language courses - tres bon!
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| Jeff browsing the flower market - too much choice |
The house feels cosy and peaceful - huge high ceilings and not a straight wall in sight! I love the high french windows and creaking wooden pastel blue shutters - opening them in the morning to bright sunshine and village noises.
The local beach has been a beautiful and restful pitstop everyday this week - too good to miss as we enjoy gorgeous autumn warmth. Don't expect it will last.
Saturday 5 September 2015
Our new place (French abode number 5)...
Looking forward to some beach time without having to drive for hours there and back. Nearest beach (10 mins drive to the Med) is very quiet and without the usual touristy, resorty clutter - just a couple of little restaurants that open in the summer.
There are nearby more supported beaches with lots of facilities, so good when the bairns (and their bairns) visit.
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| peachy on the beachy |
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| Jeff the water baby.... |
Best bit we think will be being able to walk/cycle along the Canal du Midi only a few meters from the house.
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| Canal du Midi - We are both canal 'anoraks' so hope to be out boat spotting soon. |
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| the new (16th C) hoose at Portiragnes, nr Beziers |
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| my new office |
Friday 14 August 2015
Wednesday 12 August 2015
Back in harness!!
In December last year Jeff spotted an advert for English tutors needed at IPSA an air and space engineering university in Toulouse (l’école d’ingénieurs de l'air et de l'espace).
In short I started work there as a 'casual' in March and have loved every minute being 'back in harness', back in the world of work.
The students are average age 21/22 and pleasingly 25% are women. They are lovely and very polite and keen to learn. Most have pretty good English language skills, so its a pleasure to help them improve through the use of good fun activities. There are a pool of about a dozen tutors and we are called the Piscine (french for swimming pool).
One week I thought it a bit funny that little groups of students kept gathering round me at break times asking me questions about Russia - What is Moscow like? emmmm....cold. How far is it from Moscow to St Petersburg? emmm.........about 200 miles?? (no idea). What is the cheapest food? emmmmm....noodles? McDonalds? Vodka??? (no idea)..... Then I found out that upon hearing my accent, most of the 140 first year students on the English immersion course thought I was 'Rooshian!!!'. So I am now Маргарита or Рита Asquith! he he he
One week I thought it a bit funny that little groups of students kept gathering round me at break times asking me questions about Russia - What is Moscow like? emmmm....cold. How far is it from Moscow to St Petersburg? emmm.........about 200 miles?? (no idea). What is the cheapest food? emmmmm....noodles? McDonalds? Vodka??? (no idea)..... Then I found out that upon hearing my accent, most of the 140 first year students on the English immersion course thought I was 'Rooshian!!!'. So I am now Маргарита or Рита Asquith! he he he
Nipped, bobbed and popped.....
We have had batches of visitors and went away ourselves visiting, all within a few weeks of each other so it was a bit busy but just the ticket for catching up....
Between March and June we nipped to Tenerife and in short wished we hadn't. Least said.
Then a few weeks later bobbed down to Lloret de Mar - what a pleasant surprise - really nice, busy and spotlessly clean. Also managed to pop into Andorra and Barcelona - both as ever just splendid.
Went to the UK to catch up on family especially those gorgeous grandkids and their mum and dad's too of course and then had a week in Aubigny-sur-Nere with Haddington Pipe Band and two bus loads of Scottish folk including my dear sister Mary and her family (invasion of the McMillans) and then most recently have been nipping down to Beziers and getting to know our new home town and beaches (it's a hard life).
Inbetween all our trips then we managed to host our friends the Blacks from Ayrshire,
Taff and Angela from Wales/ Sunderland/ Poitou Charente and the gorgeous and gregarious Rebecca and hubbie David from Deux-Sevres.
I hope none of our visitors noticed we were either packing our bags or unpacking and in a general state of on-the-move.
Oh well I suppose that's us.
Between March and June we nipped to Tenerife and in short wished we hadn't. Least said.
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| William and Margaret Black talk into the wee small hours.... |
Went to the UK to catch up on family especially those gorgeous grandkids and their mum and dad's too of course and then had a week in Aubigny-sur-Nere with Haddington Pipe Band and two bus loads of Scottish folk including my dear sister Mary and her family (invasion of the McMillans) and then most recently have been nipping down to Beziers and getting to know our new home town and beaches (it's a hard life).
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| David and Rebecca have lunch in Lavaur (only just) - yum yum |
Taff and Angela from Wales/ Sunderland/ Poitou Charente and the gorgeous and gregarious Rebecca and hubbie David from Deux-Sevres.
I hope none of our visitors noticed we were either packing our bags or unpacking and in a general state of on-the-move.
Oh well I suppose that's us.
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| Aubigny - a memorable Scottish week |
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