It feels like summer
… and the living is easy. My head is in an excellent spot. Anxiety down, Mike with practically no side effects from radiotherapy, sales are good, the dogs are great … Continue reading
Meanwhile at Chateau de Notre Maison, celebrations!
I apologise. I just cannot stop making fun of the Escape to the Chateau program and its spin-offs. The more of them we discover, the more we have to watch. … Continue reading
Oo-oo-oh WIS-TE-RI-A
Getting the house ready for summer is a ton of fun. I say it every year but it is true, the house looks better each year. Remember when I planted … Continue reading
Pergolating, Part I
Here we go, part I. It’s up but there’s still a ton to do. You can see a pair of the new iron chairs. They look super designer and light … Continue reading
Number 42, Before Us
Yesterday we had the great pleasure of being visited by a former resident of number 42. One who grew up here and loves the place as much as we do. … Continue reading
The Wonders of Absurdist Entertainment: Chateau DIY
Imagine this scenario: There are British people who want to live in a grand French country house, but they (a number on this program) can’t quite afford to do it. … Continue reading
The end of summer in Mazamet
And what a wonderful time we had. Discounting the heat, of course. That part was appalling. Having resisted air-conditioning all these years, we finally gave in and installed one in … Continue reading
A Very Mazamet Summer: Flowers, Food & Wine
And a good time was had by all, I believe. Our first guests of the year have come and gone. My brother and sister-in-law. I realised something fantastic happened to … Continue reading
Some beautiful places in the Tarn
I’ve been in contact recently with a pair interested in moving to the region. After having looked at a few of the properties they’ll be visiting I was bombarded by … Continue reading
The Difficulties with Villa Ermo Pt. 2
The background problems were discussed in some detail here, but having had ample experience in design/furniture/art over the past 24 years, I wanted to talk about the things people don’t … Continue reading
The Complicated Case of Villa Ermo (Mazamet’s Grey Gardens)
No news yet on Villa Ermo near the Villa de Mazamet, and my hopes that someone would take it on are beginning to fade. To be honest, I’m not surprised. … Continue reading
Mid-March in Mazamet. Sold, sold, and please don’t sell that!
It seems we’ve arrived at the hot-cakes stage of the market. The Reynes house sold for asking price, approximately one million US$. I don’t know who bought it. The park … Continue reading
Another Mazaversary!!! Also, lunch and dogs
The Ukrainian branch of the family is in a secure location so let’s set aside for a moment all the terrible things happening in the world. As we celebrate another … Continue reading
Winter in Mazamet: Visiting the Molinié Villa
It’s been cold! The lawn has been regularly covered in a white dust of ice. There have been storms and flooding in various parts of France. Luckily, we’re not in … Continue reading
Wishing you all A Life in Roses in 2022
Mike got me a few roses for a nice start to the New Year.
Happy Holidays!!! To Every Thing There is a Season, and a Time To Every Purpose
We’ve had a lovely bit of very welcomed sunshine lately to brighten up what’s been an emotional time. As we’ve completed our seventh year in France we also lost the … Continue reading
Gorgeous Stuff; Autumn in Mazamet; And just for fun: The Canadian High Court Decision
The weather has been fantastic. Mild sunny days and cool nights. It feels like compensation for a summer that was very volatile. A book by Sonia Servant via the Dept. … Continue reading
The Secret of Life: We all play the status game, but who are the real winners?
“Life is a game. To understand this is to understand why the human world can be so maddening, angry and irrational. The behaviour of racists, transphobes, conspiracy theorists, cult members, … Continue reading
2021, Summer in Mazamet — and art
… and what a strange summer it has been so far. Another year without Summer-Girls visiting. Had they come, we’d be listening to Thomas Dutronc’s album Frenchy and drinking champagne … Continue reading
E La Nave Va – Liberty, Equality and Vaccination
Only two weeks to my second Pfizer Covid shot. I didn’t think I was going to get the first until after June 15th when vaccination opens to the general public … Continue reading
Brilliant Idea for Next Door + A Brussels Tapestry
And so it becomes clear. The house next door has been purchased to become a co-living residence for seniors. It’s a fantastic idea and an interesting option both for the … Continue reading
Camellia Season, Work and Many Versaries
First of all I’d like to know what the moratorium is in the post-Trump era before we can say offensive things again and not be confused with his supporters? I … Continue reading
Happy Holidays!
So here we are and what a year it has been. I don’t even have the energy to comment. Let’s hope 2021 brings some measure of normality back. Christmas Menu … Continue reading
Preparing the house for Imaginary Summer Girls
It’s the one time a year when the house gets cleaned from top to bottom, hard to get to cobwebs removed, unused rooms opened; So even though Summer Girls won’t … Continue reading
Isolation has increased productivity.
I finally got around to restoring the George I st chest that we found in Castres. If you recall, it was in a dubious state (see below) – which meant … Continue reading
Life on lock-down, including the Joys of Cook—-ware
The Boulevard de Lattre de Tassigny and Rue de Strasbourg are magnificently quiet. The weather has been lovely this week. Mike took the opportunity to help Rudy with some rehab … Continue reading
Self-Isolation, Louis XV Stools & Some Cooking
We’re following the French governments’s advice and in self isolation because Mike fits the risk group criteria. We already live in quasi-self-isolation, so the main difference is instead of food … Continue reading
Convalēscentia – Part I
For those of you wondering: All is well! Mike is back to normal – or at least as normal as one can be after health scares of this type. He … Continue reading
Best value property in the region – by a mile!
Four floors of 200m2 each, 10 rooms, exquisite panelling, marble fireplaces, fabulous garden with ancient trees – and of course this happens to be the sister-property of number 42. The … Continue reading
Late Summer 2019 at Nº 42
Summer girls have come and gone – and their company was utterly wonderful, as always. This year they brought along with them a pair of glorious Victorian cut crystal claret … Continue reading
Louis XVI Commodes, Including a Highly Important Marquetry Dresser by RVLC
Firstly, have a look at this: “… The commode having three drawers, the first set in the frieze, mounted with panels of ormolu interlace and rosettes above the remaining two … Continue reading
Uncle-hood
We had a surprise visit – which coincided with the heat wave. We thought the temperatures (we’re just two hours away from the record breaking 45.9º!!!) might ruin the experience, … Continue reading
Lights, Camera – Mazamet
Lights, lights, lights in the garden! Absolutely wonderful. There was one thing I missed terribly about Spain and that was the ambience at night. Particularly in the garden at Villa … Continue reading
A Hanging, our Mazaversary and Various Other Versaries
The Hanging: It looks right. It was March 2015 when we arrived at number 42. Many corners have been turned since, but now it looks as if the big ones … Continue reading
Mazamet, March 7th, 2019
February in Mazamet has been like Spring. Lots of sun and beautifully mild temperatures hovering around 15 during the day, cooler nights. It’s been very enjoyable but of course something … Continue reading
Early February in Mazamet. A little bit of wonderful.
First things first, I’ve been doing the interiors of the cabinets in the scullery. They were plain and boring – completely unrefined. So I thought I’d add a bit of … Continue reading
Happy Holidays!
As usual, we couldn’t get the dogs all together and still for a Christmas card picture – so this year there are two. The boys were particularly disruptive, which meant … Continue reading
Mazamet, October 2nd, 2018
The weather has been sublime. Warm days, cool nights, stunning skies. I’ve been making an effort to order my thoughts. Sometimes my mind feels so full it’s like sitting on … Continue reading
The End is in Sight!
The fabric above is a 100% linen fabric called Water Iris, by Zoffany. Only £78 p/ metre. It’s what we’ve settled on for the dining room chairs. I’ve been working on … Continue reading
Let’s talk about good stuff. Mazamet, August 22nd, 2018
The wallpaper is up and I’m thrilled. The effect is even better in person than in the pictures. The room is alive. The dark table will anchor the whole thing, give … Continue reading
Mazamet: Being Gazumped & Hot August Real Estate
Okay, so we weren’t actually gazumped – I just like using that word. An apartment came up for sale in the building across the street (Residence du Haut Languedoc) and … Continue reading
Mostly pictures
Summer girls are here and out for the day to Albi – I was going to go with them but when I saw the temperature was going to be 35º … Continue reading
More dining-room-inations and some pergolating
The blue-grey is going up as I type. The blank space in it is for the Palmeraie (wall)paper after Carl Blechen. I’m in the last stages of the ebonising of … Continue reading
Mazamet: Creating a new life in the South of France – Interview with Gareth Johnson for MainlyMale/GTV London
Journalist Gareth Johnson of GTV London and MainlyMale asked me a few questions about our move to Mazamet. The original source has been archived, so I’ve included a copy of … Continue reading
(Almost) July at number 42
Mike got an umbrella because when summer girls are here we sit outside most days and his skin is prone to those lesions (caused by the sun) that have to … Continue reading
Pot-pourri —– is a stupid title
Did you know pourri means rotten? The French term came about during the Napoleonic occupation of Spain. It began life as the name of a typical Burgos dish which mixed … Continue reading
June at number 42
Firstly, the garden. Above is what I’ve added to the garden in the past week. Today I’ve added 6 more astilbes (purpurkerze), 2 hostas (big daddy) and three lathyrus pink … Continue reading
Amazing deal: Maison Bourgeoise in Mazamet for 85 000€
Source: Vente maison / villa 12 pièce(s) à Secteur de Mazamet : 245 m² avec 7 chambres à 85 000 euros – Lopez immobilier Apparently this is in a fantastic location … Continue reading
Les Floriales 2018
This year’s Floriales (open air garden fair) is from the 27th to the 29th at the usual spot, the Jardin des Promenades. It’s definitely worth a visit, there’s a lot … Continue reading
That was quick + The visit of flexitarian millenials.
– That took five minutes to sell, which is a rather good sign for the strengthening market of the area. Asking was 470 EU which is 580 US$ (at today’s … Continue reading
The Léon Daures Archives
The descendants of architect Léon Daures have donated all of his files/notes/drawings to the government of the Tarn. You might not recognise his name but if you’ve been to Albi … Continue reading
Older Than Springtime
The weather was lovely over the weekend and again today. I’ve taken advantage of that to start pruning the wisteria. Nightmare job. Terribly frightening to be that high up a … Continue reading
The Mezzaro & Other Textiles (an update)
The person you see in the video is J.C. Bordes. He’s a local artisan with shops here in Mazamet, in Labastide Rouairoux and in Albi – and he makes woodblock … Continue reading
Countdown + the newest family member
It’s countdown to Holy Week when the family arrives. People from Holland, (the) Ukraine and Britain. One of them is heavily pregnant with this child above! They don’t want … Continue reading
On this cold winter afternoon
Last night was the coldest night in France this winter. It snowed on the Côte d’Azur and in Corsica. Here the temperature went down to -7, but that was … Continue reading
The African Textiles Are in Place
I’ve missed these terribly. They’re either Ajar veils or Bakhnug shawls, which are part of the attire of Berber women. We had them in the hall in Sotogrande (the … Continue reading
Mazamet: The property market this week
This just came on the market this week. I recognise it as I’ve gone by many, many times. This house faces the park on Avenue Albert Rouvière, almost directly across … Continue reading
Les belles demeures des anciens patrons mazamétains – 11/02/2018 – ladepeche.fr
“…Face au château, trois belles et grandes demeures. «Elles ont toutes appartenu à la même famille Vidal, propriétaire d’une des grandes fabriques de délainage. C’est d’abord le père qui a … Continue reading
Entirely Unreasonable
From -3 on Tuesday to +17 on Friday. Insane. Snow doesn’t have a chance in these conditions. Here’s Rudy in his work clothes. We have the impression the power’s gone … Continue reading
Mazamet Under the Snow
Last night was the coldest night in France this winter. And this morning we had our first proper snow of the season. This year I was prepared and all the … Continue reading
A Carpet for the Study
A very attractive silk and wool Bidjar from the first half of the 20th century in just exceptional condition. It fits the room beautifully leaving about the same distance on … Continue reading
Summer at number 42 (Mazamet, 2017)
“And when the Lord said drinketh champagneth, we didith.” Alcoholics 20:17 We’re enjoying summer no end this year. The girls have made it particularly fun and special. They do every … Continue reading
Summer 2017 (at nº 42)
We have a slight pause between the departure of our last guests and the arrival of new ones. Well, we do have a dog guest now, but that’s different. I’m … Continue reading
Floridus and Herbidus but not Fruitidus (well, a little)
and I forgot to mention… there are teak chairs available from VidaXL (sold to most of Europe with free shipping) for just €60 each. They also make 2 and 3 … Continue reading
April at nº 42
It’s been a busy month. And dusty. Work has begun to move the west bathroom into a larger room. And what was the bathroom is going to become a dressing … Continue reading
Changes
Dealing with the limited counter space in the kitchen has not been easy, but finally we have a solution. A cross between an island and a table. It’s the height … Continue reading
From Venice to Florence to Mazamet
… Finally settled on a mirror for the entrance hall. Not as nice as the blue glass Venetian version from the other day, but attractive nonetheless. This one is Florentine. … Continue reading
Matisse, Tiziano, Veronese & Diana Vreeland
Bacchus & Ariadne have just left. They’re on their way to Madrid where they’ll be restored by the exceptionally able hand who presided over much of the work at the … Continue reading
Warmth at last
Winter sun! The weather is finally improving. After a reasonably pleasant December, the cold front was not fun. It did get us back into action and the attic of number 42 … Continue reading
Saving the Temple Neuf
Our mayor has launched a fundraising initiative aimed at restoring three of the more important religious buildings in town. One of them is the Temple Neuf, also known as the … Continue reading
Julia Engelmann (Poem) with English Subtitles (and good ham!)
I was going to continue writing about existentialism today- but in an effort not to depress anyone before the Reveillon, I’ll give you something rather beautiful instead. You might already … Continue reading
Dear Eagle’s Talons
This just arrived. I got it online. It says: Dear Eagle’s Talons, We await your arrival with impatience. Are you enjoying yourself? Goodbye my dear Eagle’s Talons. Hug Jeanne for … Continue reading
It’s not cold
14 degrees celsius today. We had a couple of colder and rainy days earlier in the week but the predictions are that this winter in the Tarn will be mild. … Continue reading
The end of an era?
That’s the cover of this month’s municipal magazine. The major item is the motorway. It’s reminding us we’re in the final stage before the concession. It’s also reminding us this … Continue reading
Books, Food & 10 Year Plans
We left Spain 2 years ago today. What you see above is my last bloody mary at the marina. I loved the marina in winter, barely a tourist in sight. … Continue reading
Photos of historical England ‘challenge Downton Abbey myth’ | Art and design | The Guardian
“Images of factories, schools, universities and civic buildings rising among old streetscapes – but also of rotting houses, barefoot children and faces pinched with poverty – have been unearthed from … Continue reading
Building II, Apartment 5
We’re speeding this along because the tenants want to move in on Saturday. A newlywed couple. He’s in the military- got transferred here and they weren’t finding it easy to find somewhere … Continue reading
The 1909 Strikes
The more I read the more interesting this place becomes. Above you can see the 1909 strike by the wool workers. A pivotal moment in history as it led to … Continue reading
1911: The first time an aeroplane flew over Mazamet
It was photographed at the precise moment it was flying over our neighbourhood. Right under the portrait of aviator Roger Morin you can see the Temple at the end of … Continue reading
which in turn was based on, which in turn was based on, which in turn was based on
In trying to see if I could find a replica of the Cormouls house in Canada I got distracted and ended up revisiting the career and history of Horace Trumbauer. … Continue reading
Indian Summers in France
Today it’s 21º Celsius. Perfectly pleasant. The sun has been coming and going and I have been raking. Endless raking under the walnut tree. And pruning. I want to keep … Continue reading
When Grand Meant Grand. Resurrecting a house.
As I’ve mentioned previously I was mystified when I heard the story of the property that used to neighbour number 42. A most impressive hôtel particulier (although here they prefer … Continue reading
Mazamet, then and now
The Napoleon III building on Boulevard de Lattre de Tassigny is getting a face lift. It was for sale when we moved here, but the sign soon disappeared. I wonder if … Continue reading
A Saturday in Mid-October
I’m politically exhausted. This weekend I don’t want to hear about Trump, Theresa May, Spain’s lack of government- or François Hollande (France’s version of lack of government.) So let’s talk … Continue reading
Another year (and a half)
This is our eighteenth month at number 42. It’s very little time, but the town seems to be changing already. Businesses are opening left and right. There’s a whole new commercial centre with … Continue reading
The Before
A friend from England just sent us this amazing picture. If you look closely, you’ll note number 42 doesn’t yet exist! Its future spot is where I’ve labelled Stanton 42. … Continue reading
When the livin’ is easy
That’s Mike and the girls looking at Mazamet from a medieval village on the Black Mountain. A tiny, cute village with a pleasant restaurant. The weather’s been amazing. The girls … Continue reading
A Saturday in August
Morning in Castres We went to the market in Castres where the girls bought all sorts of cheeses, we got charcuterie and that became lunch here on the terrace with … Continue reading
Super-cute. Down the street & around the corner.
This house has just come on the market. I know because I still get real-estate newsletters for our town even though we’ve already bought. It’s a very decent size, 450m2 which … Continue reading
A Tuesday in July
Recognize the church? That’s our street in the late 19th century. The building at the end no longer exists, and the trees are gone. Well, there are trees now, but … Continue reading
Life at no. 42, month 16. The good and the not quite
So it’s been sixteen months. I’ve more or less lost my sense of time. Some days I feel like I’ve been here forever, others I wake up and still … Continue reading
Glorious weather!
It’s an absolutely gorgeous day. Life is good! The garden is coming along very nicely. The Medici vases I had made arrived a few days ago. I put two by … Continue reading
Slowly but surely. Apartment 3 (2 bed/2 bath)
It’s taken longer than we hoped… but we’re there. The rooms were a bit fiddly in this one- very few right angles. In all I’m happy. Mike deserves a ton … Continue reading
First week of June at no. 42. The garden, the scullery and fish
The lilies are opening! Absolutely stunning. The weather’s been superb and so I’ve spent much time in the garden. Pruning, cleaning, weeding- and digging. And there’s been progress in … Continue reading
Tomatoes and other green things
Starting the tomatoes early this year was a good idea. Some of the Russian ones are already at about an inch in diameter. I’ve been tidying up the greenhouse. The peonies … Continue reading
Ukrainians, Castles & Eurovision
Guests have come and gone. They’re now back in den Haag and Kiev. After the exhaustion of cleaning was over, I had a fantastic time. We took them to visit the chateau … Continue reading
The kitchen garden + The Russians are coming!
The baby bok choy has come and been eaten. Excellent, easy crop. It only takes 30 to 45 days from seed to table. They’ve been replaced by a variety of … Continue reading
Blue skies, wisteria & other things
The wisteria looks glorious this year. I’ve planted euphorbia characias wulfenii at the base- and also liatris spicata. I think the ton-sur-ton effect will be amusing. Elsewhere in the garden … Continue reading
Work on apartment #3; Two bed, two bath
Work has begun. This is one of the apartments I prefer, which means it’s more fun. It’s got an interesting L shaped layout with a bedroom at each extremity (each with … Continue reading
A finished one bedroom apartment
The kid moves in tomorrow at noon, so as you can imagine we’ve been running around to get everything done in time. It looks quite decent. Still need to set … Continue reading
Signs of Spring
It’s 17° and the sun is shining today. The forecast says that in a couple of weeks it’ll be around 20°. Then it’s practically March and if last year is anything to … Continue reading
It only took me 11 months…
…to figure out the weather forecasts here. We didn’t get the freezing below zero temperatures and snow as had been forecast (our low was 3.8 degrees). Why? They weren’t wrong; … Continue reading
The last sprint (not really!)
Very little left to do in the 1 bedroom. By this time the mirror is probably up in the shower room but the floors will still take half a day. I’ve put … Continue reading
Winter has de-facto arrived!
A cold front has arrived. For three consecutive days the temperature will fall to minus 1 at night. Today’s the first day we decided to turn on the heating in … Continue reading
One dining room, many kitchens. Design changes.
Slight change of design plan for two of the two bedroom flats… the kitchens are going to be white lacquer. Instead of black Friday in France the soldes (sales) start … Continue reading
Lunch at the Grand Balcon
Sunday we went to lunch at the Grand Balcon. It’s been open for over 100 years. The back of the wine list is an amusing page of little notes and … Continue reading
More Christmas in the Languedoc (Mazamet by night)
We took a walk last night to see the Christmas market. The products that were for sale inside weren’t really our sort of thing. There was however a cute new … Continue reading
Christmas in the Haut-Languedoc
I took a walk into town yesterday and it seems they take Christmas quite seriously here. You wouldn’t know it on our street, where none of us have put up … Continue reading
Are roses still supposed to be blooming?
I’ve never had roses before, so this is a learning experience. After the big blooming experience of the summer, the occasional few flowers still pop up. This week it’s … Continue reading
Dr. Zhivago Time
We’ve had a cold front since last Friday with night time temperatures fluctuating around 3 degrees. It means I get to go out in coats which I haven’t worn in … Continue reading
I think I just heard the word motorway
Oh, great. That’s our local mayor there in the picture leading the charge for a/the new Toulouse-Castres motorway. It would mean people could get from Toulouse-Blagnac airport to here in under … Continue reading
A warm autumn day in southwest France
The temperature’s a lovely 20 degrees, the sun is out- and so we took the dogs for a walk just outside Mazamet. Total peace and quiet. Superb.
Intimate dinner
We had a couple of friends over for a terribly informal dinner last night. As the dining room is still not done we put a table in the grey salon. It … Continue reading
I Dream of Jeannie, Garden Version
Just merveilleux, really. Most of the work was done by yesterday afternoon. And before I knew it, it looked like this: I was planning a round wrought iron bench around … Continue reading
Landscaping at Number 42
The sprinkler system is in: Olivier has now finished removing all of the old lawn and he’s levelled the land. The border for the driveway is now in place, and the … Continue reading
That was quick
The last post made me go through the pictures since our arrival. The first night here was Monday, March 9th. As the gates opened I was in absolute awe of the … Continue reading
Autumn, Graffiti and Other Things
Autumn is firmly here, the colours are amazing. This is on the road between Castres and Mazamet: On the way out the other day, I noticed there’s graffiti in our … Continue reading
In all, a good week.
The backsplashes in the kitchen are finally fitted. So is the mirror in the master bathroom. And we’ve finally moved into the master bedroom even though it’s not quite done … Continue reading
The Garden, Part I
Work on the garden has begun. Yesterday Mike mowed the lawn as low as possible which wasn’t easy because of the irregularities of the land. Later today Olivier is coming … Continue reading
Homes of the Great Wool Industrialists of Mazamet
I’ve been trying to map them out and count them. There are two books that have been written about these houses, but I haven’t yet been able to get my … Continue reading
Life at Nº 42: Floor scraping, day I
Calling the job tedious is an understatement. White spirits, wait 15 minutes, scrape, white spirits, wait 10 minutes, scrub, mop, wipe. It has to be done in small sections so … Continue reading
The Garden
So here’s a quick sketch of the garden, almost to scale (almost because the house is actually equidistant from the side walls, which means I drew the greenhouse too small.) We’re … Continue reading
Sushi attempt #2 & gardens
Less vegetarian this time around as it included prawns and caviar. I’d never had sushi with proper caviar before, it’s usually red roe, but I was bored so I decided … Continue reading
The Dining Room: Upping my game
We had our first dinner party a few days ago. Small but exceedingly lively. It lasted eight hours, which I suppose means it went well. It was all very casual … Continue reading
New camera. Testing, 1,2,3
Playing with the camera. My old little red camera is broken. The same person who doesn’t let me use his camera because I’m allegedly not careful enough, dropped mine. … Continue reading
Photographic Impossibilities. Me or the house
I wanted a picture of me in front of the house that included the whole house. I thought sitting on the steps might be amusing. It cannot be done. By … Continue reading
The Works. August in Mazamet
The bathroom in the master bedroom is finally nearing completion! I wasn’t sure about a new bathroom in a century old house, but I’ve been converted. Everything Mike chose is … Continue reading
If sculptures could speak
I hadn’t noticed how funny that composition was until I uploaded the photo to the computer. One can just hear her saying, “there he goes again taking pictures of himself.” … Continue reading
And we agreed on a property. Life in Mazamet.
After much deliberation, and while we still had guests, we made an offer on the property above. It was accepted, we signed the private contract and we’ll be at the … Continue reading
What you can get in our region
Prices vary tremendously, but in general they’re amazing value compared to major cities or other parts of Europe that have this sort of mild, sunny weather. A couple of blocks down from us … Continue reading
The distribution (for those interested in design)
When I talk about the house it’s probably confusing, so here’s a not quite to scale sketch of the distribution: The green salon, grey salon and dining room face the … Continue reading
Canicule, the dog days of summer
From the latin canicula which means “small female dog”, the other name for the star SIRIUS. Classically it meant the period of time when Sirius and the sun rose and set at … Continue reading
Terrace floors chosen and ordered
The choice was surprisingly easy. We wanted something that more-or-less matched the facade of the house, so it had to be grey-brown, and this was the only one that came … Continue reading
Coincidences that aren’t coincidences; The Mother of Hydrangeas
They’re just glorious. At the moment we’re mainly using the kitchen doors (which are open in the picture) and it’s lovely to see those flowers as we go in and out. … Continue reading
Spanish, Italian & French: O’Marseillais in Mazamet
We decided to try the little Italian place in the town centre today because I liked the look of it from the online pictures. We walked in and were greeted … Continue reading
It’s all happening!
The shuttering for the terrace is done. Now the metal is going in. This afternoon the concrete gets poured. Also this afternoon, the countertops for the kitchen get installed. It’s so … Continue reading
Exciting!
We went to see this property today. It’s massive, It used to be a presbytery- but fortunately religion is dying down. Just fifty years ago there were thirty people living … Continue reading
Schizophrenic Weather
We’re slowly trying to get accustomed to this completely different sort of weather. The temperature changes from day to night are drastic. Sometimes up to a 20 degree difference. Although … Continue reading
In Bloom + New People
I’m doing my best to restrain my urge to fiddle with the garden- well, I’m trying to learn everything I can about English style planting as quickly as I can … Continue reading
Pattern, Colour and Progress
Working with such an intense pattern is not easy. It takes tremendous skill. To be honest I think it’s only brilliantly done in England and in India. Henrietta Spencer Churchill comes to … Continue reading
Spring cleaning, figmares and the basket case
Okay, not actually scrubbing, I’m powerwashing. Starting with the steps and then moving on to the walls. In case you’re ever tempted to try the same thing, be advised that … Continue reading
Promising
We went to see this building today. It faces two streets, which is good because that means a reasonable amount of light in every room. It’s got a business on … Continue reading
Mazamet & the house: a bit of history
Although most people probably never heard of the place, it was once one of the wealthiest towns in the world. 80% of the planet’s wool was processed here. In the … Continue reading
Mountains of Paperwork & Ducks
We’ve signed for the flats! It was exhausting. Instead of signing for the building as a whole, we had to sign for each individual apartment. And in France it’s not just deeds. … Continue reading
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