Tag: Americans in Carcassonne

Life in France

Coincidences

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Our nearest newsstand with bread and pastries inside and a castle outside.

Do you believe in coincidences? Bill and I feel as if we make our own luck so the same applies here. Our experience has been that when you keep a positive attitude and surround yourself with other like-minded people, your results match your expectations. A few days before we left the US, Bill telephoned Air France just to confirm that Heather’s reservation was in order since our own online record showed only the two of us as travelers. Can you guess the name of the telephone reservation agent who helped Bill? Her name was Heather. We had nothing to worry about. Continue reading “Coincidences”

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Life in France

Our first night at home

A view from our bedroom window
A view from our bedroom window

It’s been just over a year in the making but last night was our first night as French residents in our new home in Carcassonne. We’ve been here for a few days already, staying at the Hotel des Trois Couronnes looking out across the Aude river at that magnificent fortress. Now that same castle looks down on us since this house is literally 100 yards below those crenelated walls. I can’t wait to take Heather on her first walk along a road where Romans once tread two thousand years ago. Continue reading “Our first night at home”

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Life in France

The view

Carcassonne Cité
Carcassonne Cité

Since the lease on our house doesn’t start until March 1, we’re spending a few days in a hotel that is located right beside the Aude River. That alone would be a nice enough location but as you can see from the accompanying photo from our room’s balcony, we have a great view of Europe’s largest fortress, known officially as the Cité. If this had been taken with a telephoto lens you could probably see the roof of our new place just below the turrets on the right. Continue reading “The view”

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Life in France

Looks like we made it

Heather and Bill
Heather’s first night in France

We arrived this morning, right on time, at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. At immigration we got the all-important date stamp in our passport to show when we arrived. We have to send a copy of that with our visa to the Office of Immigration and Integration in Montpelier to complete the paperwork needed to stay here for the next 12 months. Once we got to baggage claim we didn’t have to wait long for our 4 checked bags and to our delight, our fifth and most important checked item, Heather, was at the oversize baggage area in baggage claim. What a reunion that was! Continue reading “Looks like we made it”

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Before leaving the US

Thank you for being a friend

Thanks for the memories! (Photo by Jane)
Thanks for the memories!
(Photo by Jane)

One of my favorite American television comedies was Golden Girls about 4 women who shared a house in Miami. Their adventures, and misadventures in the case of character Rose, played by Betty White, always brought a smile to my face. Today at a farewell lunch I was pleasantly reminded of that show. Continue reading “Thank you for being a friend”

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Before leaving the US, Dealing with government

USDA Grade A certified

USDA shield
Grade A shield from the USDA website

This morning we had to have Heather at the vet for a 9:10 appointment. That was not a problem when we first made the appointment and lived 5 minutes from the office but since we’re in a hotel over an hour away we didn’t look forward to making the trek during rush hour traffic. As with all other aspects of this move, not to worry. Continue reading “USDA Grade A certified”

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