The last time I posted about the renovation works at our little place, the house was in uproar and we were tip-toeing through piles of debris and dust as our plans were turned into reality. The airbed in front of the fire proved to be a comfortable place to sleep and certainly very cosy, whilst…
Tag: renovation
L’Art de la Rencontre – 3 years on…
Yesterday Andy and I sat in the Artisan Bakery on The Quay in Exeter, raising a cup of coffee to celebrate the 3 years since we signed the papers and picked up the keys to our long-dreamed-for house in Provence. Of course we would have rather been in France, sitting in one of our favourite…
The building work starts and the water stops….
By the start of November our little place was in a state of chaos in readiness for the work to start. The rooms were piled high with relocated furniture & building supplies and Andy had laid new Travertine floors throughout the 2 main spaces upstairs that would become the new bedrooms and bathrooms. This was…
Time for the transformation to begin
Firstly I have to start with an apology – the last few months have been rather chaotic with one thing and another and I find that this really is the first time I’ve been able to sit and write about our little half-life in France for quite some time. It’s probably best if I start…
Let the renovation begin….
It’s well over 2 years now since we finally picked up the keys and opened the door to our little house in Provence after so many years of dreaming about it. We couldn’t afford a perfect house with elegant gardens and a pretty pool and always knew that our little place would need a bit…
Stepping back in time at Simiane La Rotonde
Over the summer one of our favourite cycle rides took us to the delightful Boulangerie at Simiane-La-Rotonde, just across the border from us towards Banon in the neighbouring Department of Alpes de Haute Provence. The Boulangerie itself is worth the hour long uphill cycle, but it’s not the only attraction as the village itself…
Sunday Mornings in Carpentras
If you’ve been following my blog for a while you’ll know that one of the things I love most about France is the chance to spend the weekends pottering round some of the fabulous local ‘Brocante’ markets. In the Summer the weekends pass by in a blur of Vide-Greniers in local villages & more professional…
A Saturday hop across the Rhone
Not every day starts with blue skies & sunshine in Provence and Saturday was one of those days! When we woke, the rain was drumming on the roof & the whole place just looked soggy, so any thoughts of a bike ride went out of the window & we quickly decided on Plan B,…
Bring on Winter – the woodburner has been fitted!
The last 2 days have gone by in a blur of builders, rubble & dust, but it’s been worth it. Having got rid of the hideous pellet burner (affectionately known as Growler) back in August, we’d been keeping our fingers well and truly crossed that the fireplace company stuck to their word and that they’d…
Out with the old & in with the new – cheerio ‘Growler’!
When we bought our little house it came with a pellet burner in the living room, which was the owner’s pride and joy. It certainly heated the room well & we were given a demonstration of how it could be switched on remotely using a Smartphone, so that the house could be lovely & warm…
