After our days of heating problems, I can now say that it has become nice and warm in the house.
Fortunately, because the sky in Normandy shows a lot of clouds with quite a lot of rain, recently.
We cherish the days that come in between when the sun shines nicely. Then it looks like spring. The birds sing their happiest song. The warmth of the sun makes the front door crack in its joints.
And when we make plans for the land around our house and around the gite, it starts raining again.
We are still busy in the gite. We had hoped to be finished with this by the end of January, but we are already keeping to the French time: everything on time.
The 'things-to-do-list' is slowly getting shorter. But new points are written on the back. Sometimes our search for where we can get materials is hilarious. The 'quickly go' to the hardware store is often an entire afternoon. Because we already have experience with non-English speaking staff, I prepare my question in French in advance. I can then unleash that freely on the unsuspecting French man or woman who helps us. In this way I also immediately learn how to say this in the future. That you then get a flood of French words back, is funny in itself. We certainly understand the intention of what they say.
Due to the heavy rain, the soil around the gite will become soggy. However, the temperature is pleasant for the time of year so the weeds are already growing. The path that runs from the entrance over our driveway to the gite is overgrown with grass and mud. In order to allow guests to get their car to the front door in a pleasant way, we will have to get started with it. Looking for gravel, which we can apply there.
So there is still plenty to do for the coming period.
I'm going to start making the curtains for the gite. I already have the fabrics and can't wait to hang them up later on this week.
Slowly we see the design taking shape.
Paint here and there to add color.
The name of the gite is 'Soleil de Fleurie' so it must also be cheerful.
Currently also busy with all official matters, such as opening a bank account, arranging insurance, and registering the gite.
Sometimes we don't get any further because we have to have an official Dutch origin birth register. (luckily that can be requested online in NL) or a French telephone number (then just a French SIM card). You always come across something that gives you a delay.
Things that you come across on the internet but always surprises you. But for which there is always a solution. It all takes a little longer, also because you have to sort things out in a different language. One of those things is importing the car to France so that we get a French license plate. We will all get it done. At the French pace.
Is everything going so easy?
It seems so, right?
Of course there are also bumps on the road from emigrating to France. We will for sure come across them and it will take time, a lot of time an patience.
But, we are slowly getting into that French flow.
Oh, and did I mention the desserts in France? The pastries are also delicious here. The bakery in the village where we live has addictive coffee pastries. I can highly recommend it!
Always nice when it rains harder than you actually want, or when everything goes a little slower than you are hoping for...
