Coming clean

Lavoir (wash house), Pontivy, Brittany
Lavoir (wash house) beside the river in Pontivy, Brittany, France

Having a washing machine delivered to our house was a big event in more ways than one. There was one in place when we bought the house but its continued grinding, squeaking noises were a clear indication that we’d have to replace it sooner than later. Whenever we’ve had to buy an appliance here, Bill has done a thorough job of investigating our best options both online and in bricks-and-mortar stores. Once he settled on a specific machine, it was no surprise to me that our local, in-town appliance store that we lovingly think of as Western Auto® ended up being the best place to get it. Continue reading “Coming clean”

Stripping

A stripped door frame, ignore the burn marks
A stripped door frame, ignore the burn marks

No, not what you think; this is a G-rated blog. It’s all about paint, maybe almost a hundred year’s worth. Although our house was built in 1925, from what we can tell, most things like doors, windows, electricity, and plumbing have all been replaced and that’s a good thing. I remember as a child crawling around the attic of my grandmother’s house that was built about the same time as our new place and being fascinated by the knob and tube electrical wiring, a process that Thomas Edison had patented only a few years earlier in 1892. There is one interior door and its frame, however, that appear to be original and we set out to discover what was under all that paint. Continue reading “Stripping”

And they named it….

Can you see the Pyrenees?
Can you see the Pyrenees?

It’s not at all uncommon, especially in rural areas, for houses to have a plaque above the front door with a name; not of the owners but of the house. Examples we’ve seen include “Long Weekend”, “Good Times”, and “My Dream”. We were invited for lunch to a small village outside of Carcassonne with precise directions and the reassurance of “If you get lost just ask for the Tile House; everyone knows where it is”. We arrived without incident to discover that our hosts lived in a former tile factory, hence the name. With that inspiration, it’s time to name our new place and we think we’ll call it “Modération”. Continue reading “And they named it….”

The kitchen octopus

Where do all of those pipes lead?
Where do all of those pipes lead?

The last time we had an octopus in the kitchen was…never except now, with the new house, there’s one there 24 hours a day and we couldn’t be happier even though it keeps us in hot water. Literally we have all the hot water we want, on demand, from this machine you see pictured here hanging on the wall in our kitchen. Anyone familiar with the old television game show question “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” will understand its size. Updated to our current location, it’s as tall as a baguette, as wide as a beret, and all of those pipes keep us toasty throughout the house. Continue reading “The kitchen octopus”

Satisfaction

Walking beside the Canal-du-Midi
Walking beside the Canal-du-Midi

Despite the title of the Rolling Stones’ 1965 hit song (and today’s blog post), according to the lyrics, they were never able to get any satisfaction. Luckily that’s not the case with overseas visitors who settle in France, according to a recent survey I read about last month. In fact, we find ourselves in a country that ranks 4th out of 45 countries when respondents were asked about the quality of life, and we totally agree. Continue reading “Satisfaction”

Cave drawings

A moose, a buffalo, a world map perhaps
A moose, a buffalo, a world map perhaps

A few years ago we spent a delightful week in a 10-bedroom chateau, about 3 hours north of here, with our travel buddies Paula, Kate, Cathy, and Jane. That area of France abounds in natural beauty along with numerous caves where prehistoric humans left their mark. Although we could have gone to the better-known Lascaux caves to see replicas of art from nearly 20,000 years ago, we chose the similar Pech Merle where a limited number of visitors are allowed each day to view the original paintings. You’ll never guess what we discovered on the back wall of our courtyard. Continue reading “Cave drawings”

Southern hospitality

Serving Roland's homemade cassoulet
Serving Roland’s homemade cassoulet

If you live in the US you will be well-acquainted with the words in the title of today’s post. Having been residents for 20 years in Atlanta, often considered the unofficial capital of the South, we were surrounded by reminders of the heritage of that region: friendly people, big smiles, warm welcomes and tables full of comfort food always generously offered. We’ve been in France for less than a year, but I can happily report that we’ve found exactly the same reception in this southern part of the country. Continue reading “Southern hospitality”