And in local news today ....

I have just started writing a weekly ‘round-up’ of news for a local website here and in doing so I am reminded that it is a while since I last updated this blog.  So here is a round-up of my extremely local news...

Firstly, the Carcassonne – East Midlands summer flights have begun, so now I am a regular visitor doing the airport run.  On Wednesday the waitress in the airport restaurant brought me my regular ‘Cafe Allongee’ before I had even ordered it!  The airport is in the final throes of renovation work which has been going on for 2 years now but it can only be an improvement and will be nice when it is finished.

Talking of nice things when they are finished, we finally have a kitchen!  It is such a luxury to be able to store food, cook and wash-up in one room at last and it is so beautiful that I can almost forget the fact that it has taken 10 weeks to get to this stage – in much the same way that mothers can forget the pain of childbirth when they gaze into their new baby’s eyes...  The ‘cuisiniste’ has been conspicuous by his absence during these long weeks but finally dared to show his face last week to present us with an oven glove, a bottle of wine and an enormous bill.

Having left the dog to amuse herself in the garden while I went to the airport I was dismayed when she ran to greet us and was absolutely soaking wet.  She had somehow worked out how to turn the hose on and had bitten so many holes through it that it had become a giant sprinkler system and was now her new favourite toy.  A trip to the DIY shop beckons to see if they sell ‘dog-proof’ hoses.

Also on the subject of the dog, now that the ‘summer season’ is starting we can no longer take her to the more popular beach areas due to her obsession with balls.  Despite the fact that we take her own tennis ball she is much more interested in all the footballs being kicked around by the children and has disrupted many a happy family game.  And I can only apologise to the poor gentleman who was attempting to entertain the crowds on Place Mediterranee with his juggling act.  Although it was entirely his fault for dropping so many balls, and despite the fact that I think he earned more money by having a dog as part of his act, we can never return.......

And finally.... Perpignan Properties is no more.  I have been asked to join a local estate agency which by definition means that I can no longer be considered an ‘independent property finder’ – so if anybody is interested in taking it over, don’t hesitate to contact me!  My new agency is called Beautiful South and I think I was taken on as I am the only person who can pronounce the word ‘South’ properly!  I will be the main liaison for the English-speaking clients and have already spent days on viewings, long hours trying to understand the database and even longer hours at the Prefecture sorting out all the paperwork....

I shall continue writing this blog – mainly because I hope it gives a real flavour of the realities of living life in France for those who are thinking of taking the plunge, but also because it is the easiest way of keeping in touch with my friends!