We have now been on this trip for two months so perhaps it is time for another review against our aim to test whether France will become a bigger part of our future living. This gite in Brittany is the fourth of the ten over our six month stay.
I am still keen on the lifestyle and the almost endless opportunities to enjoy such a wide range of leisure activities, weather, geography and cultural opportunities. Given the language gap and French love of bureaucracy, it could be a challenging project to buy a second home here. The project will always be a secondary thing which leaves open still the question of what are our prime activities in our third age. Realistically, we are not very likely to create any form of small business venture, at least in the short term.
To be comfortable with the life here, at least until Sarkozy gets a level of change through, you have to cope with places shutting down over lunch, with limited Sunday trading, with late morning starts to the day, and with a slow pace to life in most respects. Union power seems to be as strong as ever. Here in Brittany, we have airport issues with striking firemen, trains not running because of driver strikes, auto route “go slows” as the maintenance workers are unhappy and are closing down lanes surrounding cities (Rennes, Lorient, Brest etc).
The indifferent weather is also a big factor against any consideration this far north in France. Our English friends are facing another wet Wimbledon, local floods and “unseasonably cool” weather. We have not lived in Melbourne for many years and are just not used to living in weather like this. So Brittany, Normandy et al are not candidate areas for secondary homes.
The language challenge is ever present so you need to be constantly working at improving if you are to get comfortable every day. We still have our moments-good and bad.
Over the last week we have been within range of BBC radio coverage. Although there has been a lot of sporting event coverage with a bit of politics thrown in (cricket, golf, car racing, Ascot horses, Blair leaving and pre-Wimbledon tennis), the chit chat leaves me thinking that England much the same as ever and, more generally that Europe remains a place of great focus on traditions. So, if we are to create a base in Europe, France is as good a place as any, and probably better than others. Nothing definite here to decide as yet and the project remains on the books.
We do enjoy the opportunity to just enjoy being alive and well. We have discussed a lot of things over our daily coffees. Sarah has found one sugar daddy but probably not the one she has in mind.
3 comments:
Dear Randall and Yvonne
It has been great to come home and to catch up with your impressive blog. So glad you are having a wonderful time. After our wonderful trip we also have itchy feet, but first we must retire and put in place our income streams. We share your sentiments but at this stage of life prefer things to be as simple as possible so we are unlikely to pursue exploits such as a base overseas or a small business.
Your blog brings back lots of fond memories of France and all going well we will be back there sometime soon, so will be looking for details of good gites. Continue to enjoy yourselves and enjoy those daily walks to have a coffee and baguette. Why not try a coffee and one of those delicious pastries.
All the best for now.
Keep up the good work - Helen and Carl. ox
Randall and Yvonne
We continue to follow your blog with great interest and admiration. Lynne and I will soon downshift ourselves and we lacked a bit of confidentce to go it alone on an extended holiday overseas. Your trip and great blog has removed some of our concerns and while our next trip will be with a group and a minder we will now plan the following holiday as a do it ourselves. Keep up the great blog and maybe add a little more on your gite selection.
Hello Yvonne & Randall
Firstly, many happy returns to Yvonne for Monday, 9th - hope the weather was kind, and you weren't moving gites.
Secondly, I was suffering withdrawal Randall, when you hadn't posted any news since end June. It's a wonderful relief from a cold, wet Melbourne winter to see those beautiful photos and read of your highs and lows. The other solace here, of course, has been 'Le Tour' with its superb views of the countryside, and Gabriel's gastronomic delights. We will be keen to get your 'low-down' on the parts of France and the gites you can recommend - perhaps there's an opportunity there, to act as the Aust'n Travel/Tour agent arranging gites for all of us who want to visit, but not thinking of buying over there. Anyway, we're sure you'll have a few ideas of your own by now. The weather's looking good, the holidays are starting, but watch out on the roads, and keep that blog going strong.
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