Our new home in France

While looking for a house to rent, somewhere to base ourselves while we hunt for the right property, we found the perfect house in the perfect spot -and with the help of the lovely people at Cle Rouge Immobilier in Duras it is ours! This blog is primarily for our friends and family to follow the ups and downs of the adventures. However if we don't know you, I hope you'll enjoy the story too, and that one day you may consider booking into our lovely home as a paying guest - you'll be made very welcome!

Monday 16 April 2012

April

As is now traditional, I am starting this update with an apology for the length of time since the last one! I have been really, really busy.
To compare the view in February and today...
What it doesn't show is that it is freezing cold today, despite the blue skies, there is a North wind blowing and it's bitter!
Since the last blog, I have made a flying visit back to the UK. On Mothering Sunday, which was also Hugh's birthday and the weekend of his retirement, we shared a lovely meal with most of our children (we missed you Alex and Sarah!)
Matt, Tom, Nicole, Dave, Rob, Hugh, Fiona
Ellen, Susie and Orla

We went to the White Hart at Fyfield, who looked after us very well, despite us changing the booking and having a late start due to some lost car keys. So, Hugh finally retired from the day job, to work full time (and more!) at Vue de Duras.
He had a fantastic send off from his work colleagues, with lots of good wishes and euros for a tree and a brass plaque to go with it.

Hugh may, one day get a chance to relax and enjoy those fruits, but not until he has finished painting the shutters....
six done......
...twenty to go!
 Our offspring thought it amusing to design T-shirts to match our new lives!

But little time for marketing until he's fulfilled his role as 'infrastructure manager' (I don't think it would fit on the back!) I like to think that mine is the French meaning of  'boss' although I have had a busy week cooking!
Since Hugh's 'retirement' we have been trying to have days off to explore the area around us. We have managed one day out in four weeks! On a warm and sunny day a couple of weeks ago, we went to the Dunes at Pyla, near Arcachon. When I went with Nicole and Dave last summer, there were stairs up the side of the dune - the highest in Europe. They weren't there this time, so we had to climb up the sand, with lots of stops to admire the views. And what views!
Looking West over the Atlantic
Looking East over the pine forest of Landes.
 We had a leisurely lunch next to the lake at Sanguinet, Hugh's favourite sort - 12 euros 50 for three courses including wine!

Sanguinet
We now have signs to help our guests find us - they seem to be working as we have had plenty of guests! The gite is now booked out for the whole summer, and we have a good number of bookings for the B&B too. Our guests seem to like it here and we're very happy too!

Finally, an update on what Nicole is up to.  She and her friend Neesha are swimming 25 miles over 25 days in April, they are just over half way now, and still in need of more donations to Cancer Research UK. They are hoping to raise £5000 in memory of Neesha's friend James. 

Nicole and Neesha
See the article in the Worcester News
and go to Just Giving  to donate to this fantastic cause. They have raised just over £2000 so far. 
Well done girls!