Sunday 12 March 2023

What I'm dreaming of.




The UK has been suffering some awful Winter weather.  

It was wet-n-windy here for a couple of days, horrible, and I believe there were even a few millimetres of snow on the other side of The South Downs (i.e. what we call 'Up North'), so I began day-dreaming again; it's what I do best. Photo from 3 days ago.

In less than three months time, we shall decamp to France for the Summer. We shall stay there for June, July, and August, and do all those things we've been missing over Winter; like constantly mowing all the acres of bloody grass up at the barn and around the cottage, and generally trying to keep the place from becoming totally overgrown.


We shall swim several times a day, spend far too much time trying (in vain) to keep the pool clean, and curse at any sign of developing algae. Such is the life of a pool-owner; it ain't all fun and frolics. Below is how I would like it to be; permanently.


I shall go mushrooming. I'm almost certain to find Girolles, but whether or not we'll have a crop of Cèpes (below) is never guaranteed. They are without doubt the world's best mushrooms, so my fingers are crossed. August can be a very good Cèpe month; it depends on the amount of rain.


But, I suppose what we're looking forward to most is that wonderful peace and quiet of open countryside that our home offers. I wake every morning to this scene, and never tire of it. We may not have Sunflowers this year, but the open landscape is always spectacular.


We are currently re-considering our future residency in France. My youngest has put his newly converted barn on the market (top; he's in no rush to sell) and we are toying with the idea of doing the same within the next few years. Property abroad needs to be lived-in, looked-after, and up-kept. Nothing has yet been decided, but sadly Brexit has rather mucked-up our long-term future there. However, it also has to be said that our tiny hamlet is not what it was, so we won't be too heartbroken to say 'goodbye', if or when we sell. We've had 50 great years there. In future we shall travel to other more exotic destinations, but for the moment we'll be very happy to spend time there again.


Anyone who's thinking of moving to France, and buying a beautiful home (with the financially advantageous letting potential of an additional small cottage and pool) needs look no further. All of the above could be yours for the price of a bed-sit in S Ken; and you'd never need to go out to work again.

I might even divulge my best mushroom locations.

 

23 comments:

  1. So the time has come for a permanent change. I can understand why, especially if your son is selling up. It's paradise all right but at a cost.
    But you'll miss those 3 sunny months. Would you buy a smaller holiday home in some sunny corner?

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    1. We'll think about it, but probably better these days that we rent a villa in different locations each year.

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  2. Best to make a decision about it while you still can.

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    1. Yes, we don't really want to leave an international mess for others to clear-up after we've gone.

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  3. Probably for the best. As Rachel says, it may be a good idea to start the ball rolling now.

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  4. Now the seed has been sown, you should be able to take time to make a decision. You'll probably need to make a pros and cons list.
    You will miss the beautiful French countryside, but there does come a time when practicality comes to the fore - isolation is not the best thing as the years progress. Nothing stays the same.

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    1. We would miss it terribly, but not all the recent changes we've witnessed.

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  5. Is S Ken South Kensington? I think it is laudable that you and Lady Magnon are not shying away from reality. You recognise that you are getting older. Things are not as they used to be and it is just about time to move on. Too many older people leave it too late.

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    1. Yes, S Ken is indeed South Kensington. It's where I've always hankered for a small Mews House! We're beginning to think that our time has come; we're no longer spring chickens.

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  6. It all looks like a dream you might hope to have in mid-winter.

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    1. I always start dreaming at this time of year. Summer still seems like a long way off.

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  7. One my dreams in retirement, is to rent for a month here and there.

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    1. I think that's really a better idea than buying somewhere that you go back to year after year.

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  8. With many people working remotely, someone will jump at the opportunity to live (and work) in France. Somehow, I always envision you owning a home with a garden and working the land.

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    1. We have plenty of land; too much even. But being there through summer we do get to eat plenty of fruits, etc.

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  9. That was the farm I was remembering. Wrong adjective I am sure.

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    1. The barn was a Tobacco drying shed, but I'm not sure where the tobacco was grown.

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  10. Cro, You have a wonderful Summer to look forward to. Oddly enough it warmed up a bit today in London. Had to turn the heating down. Still, only 12 days to go for the start of British Summertime.

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    1. Roll on summer. I don't like the colder months, I want to be in shorts and T shirt.

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  11. Navigating changes is always a bit of a struggle for me. One thing that I have noticed is that contemplating the change is more difficult for me than actually dealing with the change once the decision has been made. Good luck. You and Lady M might not be spring chickens, but you are good eggs.

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    1. Thank you for your final sentence; we like to think that too. I'm sure you're right about 'change'. I do tend to worry about things far more than needed.

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  12. I shall hope for a damp August so you can get those mushrooms. Your place in France is so wonderful, I hope when you do sell it is to someone who loves it as much as you do.

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