If you are coming to France to live it is vital to have some idea of how you will make a living, unless you have enough money just to enjoy the good life. A lot of people think that buying a gite or chambre d’hote would be the easy option, but friends who do run these businesses know it is not as easy as that.

A lot of hard physical work, marketing and advertising must go in; to get the results out.  Also speaking the language is a must. I know people who have been here years and are still unable to communicate. It doesn’t have to be grammatically correct, but the French must be able to understand you, or you will find working here very difficult indeed, if not impossible.

John and Sharon work hard to ensure their guests have a wonderful holiday in a super location in very comfortable accommodation, with breathtaking, peaceful views. Other work for John is necessary too, so, working hard pays results, as in any business.

My son and family have also tried to spread their eggs into several baskets, and Julie runs a boarding kennel for dogs whilst their owners are on holiday. This involved the lengthy procedure of going through all the proper channels and advertising. Michael converted the old stable block unto a self-catering accommodation for mobility-impaired people and their families.
A purpose built ramp, decking and wide doorways were essential. Wheelchair friendly doors inside lead to a bedroom with ensuite bathroom, with shower seat, and speciality adapted toilet.
Other bedrooms and bathroom and seating area are upstairs. The guests he had last year were very pleased with the facilities and one family are returning this year.

Michael also does house renovations, but his greatest joy is his smallholding. He started with geese and hens, moved onto sheep, borrowed a ram, and had a lot of lovely lambs.
Then he decided to buy a pig, but wanted an old-English breed that could have space to run around, so eventually decided on a saddleback.
His eldest girl was allowed to name him and decided on Winston and when his mate arrived she had to be Clemmie. (Michael teaches her a little about English history This is the child at aged 4, could raise eyebrows by quoting ‘Never in the field etc etc’ word perfect.)
 His French neighbours were horrified that he hadn’t castrated the male because he would become ‘ sauvage.’
They didn’t seem to be able to grasp that he wanted him to be the sire and he was not for food.
There couldn’t be a pig less savage than Winston. He used to love sucking Michael’s fingers and often went to sleep like that. He is lovely.

Clemmie took a little longer to come to you. But now is just as friendly. We are very pleased to say the inevitable happened and on Jan 27th, at 2 am, 3 days after a new moon, which was the correct time, according to the neighbour’s lunar calendar, 10 little pigs were born.
Beaming smiles all round. Unfortunately one little one was rolled on and killed, but so far all others are thriving.
As I said before to gain anything in France, as anywhere else you have to put in, be patient, and go with the French flow.

As someone famous said  ‘‘the best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it’’

 In the middle of this article, something really nice happened. The sun shone! Now everything looks more wonderful and people have smiles on their faces.

The children are bouncing on the trampoline, and a visit to the beach last weekend saw the grand children running in the bare feet into the freezing cold sea, but we were able to sunbathe afterwards.

I became aware once more just how lucky we are to have the space that we have here in France, when a friends 10 year old daughter made a statement.
We were watching Coronation Street (yes I know I know!! ) and she said how "strange it was that people would want to live in houses that were all stuck together".
It’s great that she has no idea that thousands do live like that, as I did in younger years, and we really do forget how privileged we are to have all this space, barns, fields, outbuildings.

We feel sometimes it may be hard work to keep on top of it, but would we go back ? Never.

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