A Power Cut Strikes

via Pinterest

Last night it was all going so well.  Snow outside but inside warm and toasty. The OH happily watching TV, a nature documentary about polar bears in the wild...I was about to conference call a client in New Zealand...when it all went black.  Zero! No lights, no TV, no wi-fi.  Incroyable!!

The number of times we both tried turning on switches ..our brains are just so tuned in to having and "needing" electricity!! We ended up going to bed by candlelight.  No...it wasn't romantic it was COLD! 

Even the chainsaw works by electricity....we had enough for our fabulous burner downstairs but not enough pre-cut wood to fit the tiny burner upstairs.  So I went to bed wearing thermals and a hot water bottle.

I had taken out some Jersusalem Artichokes to defrost ready to make a soup for lunch today - the recipe was on my laptop! My OH recently returned from a  trip to England reminded me that the freezer was full of bagels, brown sliced bread, hot cross buns and crumpets....oh boy were we going to have a feast along with the last of my precious raspberries from last summer!

This morning we found out that it was only our house in the village without any electricity.  Our neighbour Marc tried to help but ended up ringing EDF for us.  They promised they would be here during the morning.  Being English and pretty cynical I did not believe that for a moment.  Anyway at 12.20 a very jolly man from EDF arrived and soon found that the problem was a very very old fuse, maybe 50 years old. 

So did the polar bear die??? The OH doesn't know OMG!!
So did I miss lots of emails and phone calls...I don't think so!!!
Lesson learned...always have our mobiles charged up...
and we need more candles and matches ......

It's funny that when our kids were small and we still lived in England we used to go away camping every weekend in the summer with a Medieval re-enactment group.  We used to leave our mobile phones in the car..we were creating an authentic living history campsite and no technology was allowed.  A wood fire, good company, singing and a few(!!!) drinks were all we needed!  We all loved it.  What has gone wrong??

Even living in the depths of rural France we are so reliant on electricity for our work, to play and, probably most importantly to keep in contact with family and friends.

We pride ourselves on living a simpler, more sustainable and less complicated life here in Le Morvan.. but without electricity....how do we do that??? 

Imagine how life without electricity would impact you....let me know what you think!
 

Snowed Under?

The Meteo was right, the snow arrived at around 2.30 am this morning.
We woke up to a winter wonderland.   Lucky we were prepared!

Wood for the wood burner is an essential - read my post here about  "making" wood in France

http://moncoeurestdanslacampagne.blogspot.com/2012/11/faire-du-bois.html

Having experienced a couple of very cold Burgundian winters I knew we needed to be ready. At the end of October I started making draught excluders for every door.  Long tubes of fabric stuffed with cut up t-shirts and old socks.

In the summer I don't bother with curtains on every window....but for the winter I hang thicker, heavier curtains on the doors and windows .  And this year I have added two layers of curtains on our bedroom and living room windows - it seems to be making a big difference.

We have red tiled floors downstairs and bare wood upstairs so for the winter I cover up the floors with rugs and carpets.

Then the winter preparation turns to winter clothing. When it is very cold I wear thermals, you can buy pretty ones and as they are thin you can wear them underneath your ordinary clothes. Layering clothing definitely keeps you warm.

Wear a hat - it keeps you warm so don't worry what you look like!

Prepare hot soups and stews.  Good comfort food to keep you warm inside as well as out.

The snow is set to last for the rest of the week and temperatures of -7 degrees are predicted.

How do you cope with the winter?

Out of My Comfort Zone

Le Morvan, Burgundy, France
http://moncoeurestdanslacampagne.blogspot

After years of procrastination I am achieving what I always wanted and that's thanks to Michelle Schaffer and The Ultimate Blog Challenge....I am finally sitting down and writing every day....and not paid-for by clients writing....actually writing what I WANT to write.

The Blog Challenge has been a big break through for me.  I have finally found the discipline to sit down and WRITE.

I am also doing things that take me out of my comfort zone. 
They are a little bit scary but very exciting!!  For example:

Tweeting my blogs daily
Seeing more 'Likes' on my Facebook page
Making contact  with other bloggers
Receiving comments on my blog
Creating a Pinterest board for my blogs
Learning how to upload all my blogs onto my Pinterest Blog board
Learning how to create my very own quote and image via Michelle's Youtube video.  See above for my first attempt!!

I am looking forward to the rest of the Blog Challenge and have a feeling that my blogging life will never be the same again. 

 

Finding your French house online

It's the weekend and time to explore France for the house of your dreams
- from the comfort of your living room.  The internet is a great place to start.  There are thousands of properties for sale throughout France and many sites include 'virtual tours'. 

First of all check out www.immoprix.com.  It is run by Notaires de France and shows the average property prices for each region and department.  You will be able to see which areas are in your budge.

Essential French House Buying Vocabulary 
Pieces - number of rooms e.g. 3 Pieces - 3 rooms
A renover- to renovate
Refait neuf - newly restored
TBE - very good condition
A rafraichir - in need of decoration

Longere - farmhouse, rural property
Fermette - farmhouse
Une maison mitoyenne - semi detached
Une maison individualle - detached
Un pavilion - bungalow
Une cave - cellar
un salon - lounge
une salle de sejour - living room
une cuisine - kitchen
un grenier - attic
une grange - barn
au premier etage - with first floor


When you have found a few that you are interested in, contact the relevant agents. Before you know it you will be planning your first viewing trip to France.

Don't Give Up On Your Dream to Live Abroad

French Home via Pinterest

Apparently today is the day when most people give up on their New Year's Resolutions. Is one of your resolutions to move abroad, maybe to France?
Well don't give up on the idea....you can make it happen!

Just for the moment park the idyllic, romantic notions of what living in France will be like - it is a great lifestyle but you need to be clear on your reasons for making the move.

First of all decide where you want to buy. France is bigger than most people realise and each region is very different. The landscape varies dramatically  and there can be changes of climate and culture, region to region. What is important to you? Skiing, sandy beaches, horses, vineyards? Spend time doing your research.

How will you live your new life?  Will you be running a business or looking for a job?

It helps to put your thoughts down in writing, especially if there are two or more of you in the decision making process. We had a checklist which included being within walking distance to a baker, panoramic views and a balcony! But the best laid plans.....we fell in love with a house above our budget and managed just one out of the three. It was a coup de coeur!

- Give a lot of thought to where you would like to live. Here are some questions to think about.
- A busy city or country village?
- Do you like to live in isolation or do you prefer to be part of an active community?
- Village or lively town?
- If you have children, find out if the area you are thinking of has lots of other young families. How far away is the school? Are there activities for the kids?

Access to airports, ferry ports, autoroutes?

 Then what type of property?
Apartment, farmhouse, townhouse or chateau!
- A property with land - be careful not to carried away, too big a property with lots of land to maintain. Buildings and land need expensive and often time consuming maintenance.
- a new build or old property to renovate?
- a property with income potential - a gite, campsite, cafe?
- Room for visiting family and friends
- Room for growing family


Once you have some ideas about where you would to live and what kind of property you would like....then you are ready to start the search for your dream home.  

J'Adore ... La Petite Moisson

It's Friday and nearly the weekend, so lets kick back a little with some music.  I have an eclectic taste in music, it really depends on my mood and what I am doing.  Today I started with David Bowie's new release, then some vintage Bowie, followed by Marianne Faithful, Polly Harvey and a dash of Kings of Leon.

But....I wanted to share La P'tite Moisson with you, a great local band from Le Morvan, where I live in France.  The band plays a mix of traditional Morvan folk music, Bluegrass and Folk.  The accordian is an important part of the local sound especially for dancing to lively country dances like la bourree.
La P'tite Moisson play at banquets, village fetes, festivals, bars, clubs..anywhere and everywhere!  They are an essential part of the summer for me.

See La P'tite Moisson play "Waltz of Champ Gaillard" on the You Tube link below. It is filmed in Le Morvan and you get a glimpse of the Morvan countryside..  the petit chemins (little roads and paths)... the mysterious hills.... etangs (lakes) and forests full of wildlife. http://youtu.be/jA4BJ_9R1lA

Does music affect your mood?  Did you listen to La P'tite Moisson? Did it conjour up a French summer for you?

 

Back to School

via Pinterest

First day back to French conversation classes after the Christmas holidays - and boy it was tough - after three weeks spent speaking mostly English to family and friends I had a real struggle.

The conversation classes have given me confidence to speak more French, mistakes and all ...but that's another story!  The classes are informal,  we encourage each other and we have a good laugh too.  Today's topics of conversation ranged from French New Year traditions, homosexual marriage in France, Gerald Depardieu, French education and even plastic surgery.  

Although I live in France I don't always get the chance to speak French everyday. Books and CD's help but nothing beats learning a word or phrase and then recognising it when you are out and about. For me, this really helps the language to sink in.  

Be brave and ask at the Tourist Information office or mairie's office for information about conversation classes. 

I have a French friend I go walking with and another I visit exhibitions with, both friends only speak French. So, I am not tempted to lapse into English!  If you are not living in France try and find someone to speak French with...there might be a French person who would love to practise their English in exchange for helping you speak French.

Go online and check out BBC Foreign Language courses, they are free and include repetition which will help your pronounciation.

Whether you are in France or not  think before you go shopping or go into a cafe and imagine how you would ask for what you want in French.  How about writing your shopping list in French?

Read France 24 online for news and find French newspapers online. 

Watch French films with English subtitles

Listen to French radio - even music stations will help

Listen to French language CD's while you are walking, cooking or doing housework

Follow blogs with a French theme - I find these very useful

French Word A Day -  don't worry it isn't really every day! The life and times of American Kirstin who is married to a Frenchman.  This blog gently eases you into a little French, through tales of the family's daily life.   

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13c1409fede0a1f9

French Language Guide - packed full of grammar, quizes and bite sized info.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13c1be42df47341c

Try and immerse yourself in French
for at least 30 minutes every day....et voila!.