Tag: Housing

Life in France

Paper covers rock

A neighbor's stone cottage wall
A neighbor’s stone cottage wall

Do you remember the child’s game called Rock, Paper, Scissors? On long car trips it helped to pass the endless hours and the only equipment required was your hands. It was a battle among your flattened palm that represented paper, your fist that was a  rock, and the scissors that your extended index and middle fingers became. The rules were simple: paper covers rock; rock breaks scissors; scissors cut paper. We seemed to have played a grownup version of this recently. Continue reading “Paper covers rock”

Unknown's avatarBob
Life in France

Traces

A trace of blue in the kitchen
A trace of blue in the kitchen

Once we figure out what “Mediterranean Style” means we think that’s how we want to decorate the house. After all, we’ve moved to the south of France so we want our home to reflect that choice but just what does that encompass? There are the colors, the styles, the materials, the furnishings, the accessories, etc. I think that we’ve discovered the traces of where to begin. Continue reading “Traces”

Unknown's avatarBob4 Comments
Life in France

French locks

Yes, a French lock but not for today's post
Yes, a French lock but not for today’s post

I started to write that the first thing we did after getting the keys to our new house was to change the lock, but that’s not actually true. We knew the toilet worked but was a bit wobbly and needed adjusting so Bill took care of that straight away. Our next step was to order a refrigerator. After all, if we were going to be working on the place for the next few months, we might as well be comfortable and the local sparkling wine doesn’t chill itself. With those priorities checked off the list it was indeed time to change the lock and have a French lesson at the same time. Continue reading “French locks”

Unknown's avatarBob3 Comments
Dealing with government, Life in France

En-tiley ours

Blue and white tiles in the kitchen
Blue and white tiles in the kitchen

It may have taken three months, that felt like a year, but we have signed the final sales contract on a house in France. The first time I mentioned anything about house buying on the blog was in a post from May when we had been taking some pictures of courtyards. We both crave light, finding dismal days depressing, so a house built around an outdoor courtyard, with glass doors and windows opening each room to the sun was ideal. There are websites (listed at the end) that give complete details about the entire house buying process here, but the highlights of what we went through are below. Continue reading “En-tiley ours”

Unknown's avatarBob9 Comments
Life in France

What’s down there?

Hidden steps down to the basement
Hidden steps down to the basement

Bill’s a curious guy and I mean that nicely. You do have to be careful here in French with some descriptors because your “inquisitive” friend might just be “odd” depending on where you place the noun and adjective. The house we’ve rented has plentiful and almost instant hot water and no apparent place to hide a huge tank or even a compact on-demand gas heater. Bill had been wondering about it since our arrival and finally asked the landlord where it was and her response was to simply point downwards. Ah ha, we have a basement and some place new to explore! Continue reading “What’s down there?”

Unknown's avatarBob7 Comments
Life in France

Cour or cœur?

A gated courtyard in Carcassonne
A gated courtyard in Carcassonne

Carcassonne is certainly not lacking in grand examples of beauty: the tree-lined Canal-du-Midi that allows the Atlantic Ocean to connect with the Mediterranean Sea, the River Aude with its source buried deep within the Pyrenees Mountains, and of course the city’s iconic medieval fortress. Sharing the spotlight with those monumental sites are tiny courtyards, safe havens from the winds of winter and the summer sun, hidden all over the city. I have long wanted to live in a home built around an interior courtyard so that each room could benefit from the sun and breezes. It looks like we just got our chance. Continue reading “Cour or cœur?”

Unknown's avatarBob7 Comments
Life in France

I can assure you

Insurance building, Place Davilla, Carcassonne
Insurance offices in the Tomey building, Place Davilla, Carcassonne

The French word for insurance is assurance and I can assure you that we’ve been trying to buy some ever since we arrived. Because of rental laws here, apartment and house leases usually run for 3 years and you are required to have renter’s coverage for that whole time. Our place is furnished so we don’t fall under those same rules but we still felt it was important to be covered, especially since our own household goods have arrived. Trying to get an insurance company to accept our money has not been easy. Continue reading “I can assure you”

Unknown's avatarBob