Arriving in Poitou-Charentes

Verteuil-sur-Charente

Here is part two of our journey to France in August 2004. You can catch up with part one here.

We were glad to leave the beetle infested hotel room behind and continue our journey south to Poitou-Charentes and enjoyed an uneventful day of driving in convoy, Ed mostly up front with Dad in Gizmo the Mini Cooper, me following on alone, listening to French radio for company. I remember being slightly disappointed at how little I understood, as though being an official resident rather than holidaymaker would miraculously change my brain and wondered (not for the last time) how long it would take to understand what was being said.

Lunch was McDonalds (again), not because we particularly liked it, but because the soft play climbing area was a perfect exercise break for Ed and the coffee was pretty decent too. We spent a number of years planning our journeys in France based on the locations of McDonalds with indoor play areas, but thankfully those days are long gone now.

At the end of the day we arrived at the B&B in the small Charente hamlet, not far from the pretty village of Verteuil-sur-Charente, that was guaranteed to be beetle free. It had become a familiar and friendly place as we had stayed there for each of our three house hunting visits and having somewhere familiar was important for Ed, even though it was about an hour away from our new village. The owners had won Ed over with smiley face potato shapes, bought specially for him on our first visit in March 2004 and he was looking forward to showing them Gizmo the Mini. However our second night in France didn’t start out much better than the first.

It was over 35 degrees; the air was heavy and our clothes sticky, but the B&B was eerily deserted. We had been in regular contact throughout the house buying process and these two nights, with meals, had been booked for weeks. Having confirmed all doors were locked, we made ourselves at home in their garden where Ed ran and played as we watched the distant clouds roll in over the countryside and tried not to panic. It looked like a storm was brewing and the lack of sleep followed by a day of driving and entertaining a three year old meant tempers were frayed; especially when a night sleeping in the cars seemed a real possibility. Even the thought of my six-foot husband sleeping in his Mini Cooper couldn’t raise a smile to my lips.

We did have email back then, but the days of on the move email communication were still a few years away and we had last checked ours on Friday before leaving Reading, so had no idea of the drama that had unfolded for our friends since then. On her return a few hours later we learned an unexpected and rather serious illness had hospitalized one of our B&B hosts, so although we did get a comfortable bed that night, it was a rather subdued first night in Poitou-Charentes. We were now only one sleep away from signing for our house, but the excitement was diminishing by the day. 

To read the next day's adventure, our 12^th anniversary of picking up the keys, click here.

This post has been linked to the Dreaming of France blog link. Click here to read more posts set in France.

Our first night in France

Our house in France

Let me take you back twelve years to August 7th 2004 and the first night of our new life in France.

We were homeless. OK, we weren’t quite out on the streets but officially we had nowhere in the world to call home and our accommodation that first night left quite a bit to be desired. As I lay in bed and listened to the beetles scurrying across the floor, I wondered what on earth we had done. Our new life in France was not quite going to plan and little did I know it then, but things were set to continue off-plan all that week.

Saying goodbye

Following the sale of the house that had been our home for five years, we had spent the last month officially living with Adrian’s parents in Reading, although Ed and I had also spent almost three of those weeks in Ireland visiting relatives with Mum and Dad. On a warm summer Friday evening we had dinner in Reading before saying our goodbyes to Adrian’s parents and taking lots of fun photos, photos that would be looked at over and over by Ed in our first few weeks in France.

The first night of our four-day journey, that would see us sleeping somewhere different every night, was spent at my Mum and Dad’s house in Woking. The following morning we said more goodbyes before putting our crazy plan into action and set off for Folkestone, in a two-car convoy, with our one-way Eurotunnel tickets, big smiles on our faces and if I’m honest a mix of fear and excitement in my heart. Less than ten minutes later we drove past some friends waving and cheering us on at the side of the road. I think that, more than anything else, brought a lump to my throat and the realisation that we were now en route to our new life.

McDonalds in Dreux

Even back then we were no strangers to driving holidays in France and often made use of the budget motels, so our first night was planned for the Premier Class in Dreux. The weather was warm, we hadn’t had to drive too far and we were relaxed and happy. So relaxed in fact we let Ed have a nice long run around at the soft play area attached to McDonalds, as being stuck in a car all day is no fun when you are only three. This meant we found ourselves booking into the hotel after reception had closed, but the automated machine gave us our room number and access code, so no problems so far. For a family of three Premier Class are ideal; with a small shower/toilet cubicle in one corner and a double bed with a single bunk above, you don’t need much more for a one-night stay. However, we had been allocated a disabled room that gave much more space, but had no single bunk bed and three up in a small double bed wasn’t an option. Thankfully somewhere in one of the cars was a sleeping bag and with the extra floor space there was room to settle Ed in a corner.

After a bedtime story and lots of cuddles I could almost taste the glass of wine Adrian had poured for me in the plastic beaker from the bathroom, and I was ready to pull the door to and join him outside. Then the beetles arrived. From out of nowhere our ground floor room was suddenly crawling in black beetles. We evicted as many as we could and blocked the tiny gap under the door with a rolled up towel, but stress levels were rising, tiredness was catching up and it felt like France was testing us out already. Sleep didn’t come easy that night as every tickle on my skin had me flapping and scratching and in my imagination beetles were crawling all over us. I tried to keep optimistic; tomorrow was another day and tomorrow night another bed. We would be in Poitou-Charentes and only one sleep away from signing for our new house, two sleeps away from the arrival of our furniture and our new life that promised endless days of summer sunshine.

Click here to read the next instalment.

This post has been linked to All About France blog link up. Click on the image below to see more great posts All About France.

Book Review of The Riviera by Karen Aldous

The Riviera by Karen Aldous

My review today is for The Riviera by Karen Aldous, the sequel to The Vineyard, which I reviewed here.

We are back in the South of France with Lizzie, whose beauty salon is doing well and Cal, whose vineyard and renovation project are moving along nicely and for a while everyone is happy, including Lizzie’s young son Thierry. However things are not going well for Cal’s teenage son in the States and he needs his Dad, now. Lizzie’s work and life keep her in France, which puts distance and emotional pressure on their new relationship. Lizzie finds it hard to trust Cal while he is with his ex, Kelly, who is always the manipulator.

A family mystery from her past creates a diversion for Lizzie, but it seems there is more than one family skeleton waiting to be rediscovered. Lizzie becomes an emotional wreck, jumping to conclusions and putting her foot in it at a time when she should be happy. Her salon is the talk of Cannes and her friend and business partner Sophie needs her help to plan her wedding.

Will commonsense and love win out over stubbornness and jealousy? They are certainly not in for an easy ride, but there is something very likeable about Lizzie that had me keeping my fingers crossed for most of the book.

To read my reviews of Karen’s other novels, click on the links below.

The Vineyard

One Moment at Sunrise

To read my France et Moi interview with her, click here.

Links to all her novels on Amazon can be found below.

Book review for What Happens at the Beach by T A Williams

What Happens at the Beach by T A Williams

My review today is for new release novel What Happens at the Beach by TA Williams, published by Carina on 11th July. This is the fifth novel from this author, but the first I've read, where have I been!

Natalie arrives in south west France, where the Mediterranean meets the Pyrenees, to spend some time with her Gran, Colette, in the house overlooking the bay that holds fond childhood memories for her. She has recently graduated with a PhD in French Medieval history and even more recently split up with her fiancé David, due to unreconcilable differences between his family and her. Money is tight, but she soon finds she has good friends around her and the quality time spent with her 90 year old Gran gives her laughter, advice and love.

Men are off the radar for Natalie, as spending time with her Gran and concentrating on finding a career are more important, but there is no harm in looking at what Port Renard has to offer. Philippe, with his yacht and generous tips (when he dines at the beach restaurant she helps out in), Rémy, the sexy sword fisherman and athletic Mark, her Gran's neighbour and owner of Barney, a black Labrador who stole Natalie's heart with his gentle eyes and waggy tail. She is certainly not lacking in distractions to keep her mind off her ex David.

While searching the Internet for the university lecturer job of her dreams, she takes on the role of knowledgeable expert to a local author interested in and researching her specialised subject, the Cathars. Together they tour the region and visit the famous and hidden sights, taking us along for the ride and adding historic interest to the novel, something I particularly enjoyed. This being a novel set in France, fine dining and Champagne also feature.

Natalie is at a pivotal point in her life, but time spent at her favourite beach in France helps to heal and soothe her emotions. If she is lucky, it might just hold the key to her future happiness too.

I really enjoyed this quick and easy read and would recommend it as a perfect holiday accompaniment.

Thank you, 578 times

Fund raising for Epilepsy Action

Thank You!

With a week to go until Adrian’s Ride London Surrey 100 challenge, our target of raising £500 for EpilepsyAction has been smashed, thanks to you. 

Some of you are family, some of you friends who live nearby, some of you we have know for years and some of you we might never meet because we live thousands of miles away, but thank you all. We are over the moon and when you add in the UK Gift Aid contribution the total raised of £578.78 becomes almost £650.

This was a real boost as it’s been a tough week for us that started with a swollen foot for me, following a nasty sting. The beastie left it’s weapon concealed in the liner of my gardening boot, so I never found out what type of sting it was, but it was bad enough to make wearing shoes difficult and wearing tight cycling shoes impossible. 

Last Sunday should have been my big summer challenge, cycling the Rapha Women’s 100, a 100 kilometres in a day on the bike, but temperatures of over 34 degrees that left the road surface melted and my swollen foot, meant a change of plan. We thought an early evening, gentle 25kms would be OK, until my bike had other ideas and my back wheel popped a spoke. We taped it up and bravely carried on, but soon discovered that just one spoke out is enough to make a wobbly wheel that rubs and catches on the frame. After 6.5kms we limped home and my Rapha Women’s 100 became a disappointing 13km.

My bed for the day

My painkillers

If this wasn’t enough, last Wednesday I experienced my first taste of hospital à la Française. It was a routine gynaecology procedure, in and out in a day, but still rather uncomfortable and I’ve spent a lot of my time in an armchair, surrounded by boxes of painkillers that have done a good job of keeping my mind off my bruises. The team of doctors and nurses at the hospital in Niort were fun, friendly and efficient and I’m grateful to them all. Tomorrow my stitches are coming out and then it's onwards and upwards, but no cycling for a week or so yet.

Cycling at sunrise

Adrian has clocked up over 430kms in training rides in just over a week, despite the weather being a big challenge. Three rides, including a 120km final push, had to be very early morning starts as temperatures soared to 38 degrees and one ride had to be aborted after a few kilometres when rain reduced visibility to zero. He has now serviced his bike and given it a clean and a polish, so it’s all ready for next week in London. We will be signing in on Saturday and on Sunday morning after waving him off, I’ll be spending my day volunteering in Piccadilly with the Epilepsy Action team where I’ll be helping to set up the venue for the finish celebration and looking forward to welcoming in the riders. Until then I’m taking it easy, but no one told the courgettes that.

A couple of days of pickings

Reaching the fundraising target certainly gave Adrian the encouragement needed to keep the training up this week as it all had to be fitted in around my hospital trip, and with me out of action Ed and Adrian have also found themselves performing odd tasks, like hanging out washing, ironing, cooking, floor sweeping and spiralising courgettes.

A healthy spiralled courgette salad

The Just Giving page is still open, so if you would like to donate please see here. You can read my story about living with epilepsy here. 

Book Review of Paris Runaway by Paulita Kincer

Paris Runaway by Paulita Kincer

 

Paris RunAway

(women's fiction) Release date: June 30, 2016 at Lulu.com ISBN: 978-1-365-18923-4 220 pages Author's page Goodreads  

SYNOPSIS

When divorced mom Sadie Ford realizes her 17-year-old daughter Scarlett has run away to Paris all she can imagine are terrorist bombings and sex slaves. After learning her daughter chased a French exchange student home, Sadie hops on the next plane in pursuit. She joins forces with the boy's father, Auguste, and the two attempt to find the missing teens before they can stumble into more trouble. The chase takes Sadie and Auguste to the seedier side of Marseille, where their own connection is ignited. Since the divorce, Sadie has devoted herself to raising kids and putting her dreams on hold, but when her daughter needs her most, Sadie finds that concrete barrier to life beginning to crack. In her journey, she learns the difference between watching the hours pass and living.

MY REVIEW

Scarlett runs to Paris, chasing after Luc. Sadie runs to Paris, chasing after Scarlett. Scarlett finds Luc, and trouble. Sadie finds Auguste, Luc’s father, and together they must find their kids. If only life were that simple!

Sadie, a single parent who always puts her girls first, is alone and in Paris, without a plan, desperate to find Scarlett and return to Florida before any of her fears for her teenage daughter’s safety come true. Her only clue is an address where no one is home, but eventually she finds herself at Auguste’s door. With Luc’s father there to help, she is now part of a team and together they begin the search for their children, who seem to be in more trouble than they first thought. Sadie finds herself thrust into daily French life, with a Frenchman, who although concerned for his son is not prepared to let slip the simple things that are important in France; eating, drinking wine etc. He takes Sadie under his wing and teaches her the French way as they try to piece together the clues they have about Luc and Scarlett’s whereabouts. There is a good element of mystery too, as each new discovery about where the kids are leads them a bit closer, but always just out of reach, resulting in a wild chase across France with what-ifs, excitement and tension. At the same time, Sadie is discovering things about herself, and spending time with Auguste seems to be bringing the two parents closer, but again, the plot twists keep them tantalizingly out of reach.

This is another great read from Paulita and perfect to escape into while on holiday. I easily imagined I was in France thanks to the location descriptions, the food and the real life Frenchman on hand to add that je ne sais quoi. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paulita Kincer

Paulita Kincer has an M.A. in journalism from American University. She has traveled to France 11 times, and still finds more to lure her back. She currently teaches college English and lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her three children, two cats and one husband. Visit her website www.paulitakincer.com and her blog at http://www.paulita-ponderings.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @paulitakincer Like her Facebook page at Paulita Kincer Writer. Email paulita@paulitakincer.com Buy the book (print, ebook audiobook): Amazon

***

You can enter the global giveaway here or on any other book blogs participating in this tour. Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook, they are listed in the entry form below.

Enter here

Visit each blogger on the tour: tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time! [just follow the directions on the entry-form] Global giveaway: 2 winners, choice of print or digital copy of this book.

***

CLICK ON THE BANNER TO READ REVIEWS, INTERVIEW, AND EXCERPTS

Book Review of Finding Fontainebleau by Thad Carhart

Finding Fontainebleau Thad Carhart

Today I am taking part in a virtual book tour for Finding Fontainebleau by Thad Carhart. This is a memoir of the author’s childhood when his family moved from the US to Fontainebleau, on the outskirts of Paris, in the 1950’s. 

His Father was a US Army Colonel on a three-year assignment working for NATO and stationed at the Chateau in Fontainebleau. The family arrived after an epic flight to find life in post-war France was very different from what they had been used to in the US. Crossing the Atlantic was also quite a journey back then, in a bouncy propeller aircraft that had to make many stops and his poor Mother was travelling alone with her five children, as his Father had gone on ahead to start work and find the family a home.

Thad shares his memories of a four-year-old boy, seeing the house for the first time, settling in, his experiences at school and the locals who help them, especially in the first weeks. Life was certainly not without drama, especially at school where he had the language and culture to learn and despite his young age, many things from these years spent in France formed strong memories for him. I thought his Mother sounded like a remarkable women who adapted well to life in France and living the French way. He tells many stories of her recollections that showed she had a real sensitivity to the needs of others.

Fontainebleau becomes a special place for Thad that he returns to later in life and throughout the book his passion and knowledge of the chateau shines through. Woven into his childhood memories are his recent visits and he takes the time to explain the history of the Chateau and the many architectural changes that have occurred over the centuries. His enthusiasm has certainly sparked my interest and made me want to plan a visit.

This book is like a living history tour of the chateau and the town of Fontainebleau and there was a lot to keep my interest as I read, although for me it lacked a bit of wow factor. If you are planning a trip to Paris, do try to include Fontainebleau (I will be next time) and if you do, read this book before you go, as it will enhance your visit.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

Thad Carhart

Connect with Thad

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Here are the other blogs hosting Thad and Finding Fontainebleau

Wednesday, July 6th: I Wish I Lived in a Library

Thursday, July 7th: Bibliotica

Friday, July 8th: View from the Birdhouse

Monday, July 11th: Books on the Table

Tuesday, July 12th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Wednesday, July 13th: Girls in White Dresses

Thursday, July 14th: Building Bookshelves

Monday, July 18th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Tuesday, July 19th: The French Village Diaries

Wednesday, July 20th: Quirky Bookworm

Thursday, July 21st: Wordsmithonia

Friday, July 22nd: BookNAround

Monday, July 25th: Back Porchervations

Tuesday, July 26th: An Accidental Blog

Wednesday, July 27th: Lit and Life

Thursday, July 28th: All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Friday, July 29th: Musings of a Writer and Unabashed Francophile

Book Review of The Vineyard by Karen Aldous

The Vineyard, Karen Aldous

My review today is for The Vineyard by Karen Aldous, a novel set in the South of France that follows the new life Lizzie has made for herself and her young son Thierry. It is a perfect summer holiday read and currently only 99p on kindle UK.

Lizzie is independent, headstrong and stubborn, but feels that the time has come to make amends and try to build bridges with the family she left behind when she ran away to France five years ago. The relationship with her mother was never great, but with Lizzie brave enough to walk back up to the front door of her family home, all she can hope for is that they will now be able to make them better. However, things don’t quite go to plan and life for Lizzie becomes tricky and very hectic, especially when the past comes crashing back into her life and threatens her son and her future.

Cal, resident vintner on her mothers land, is good looking but unavailable, and yet annoyingly present in her life. The last thing she needs is a man, so it’s unfortunate that she and Cal seem to have a chemistry that neither of them can ignore and as his work brings him to France, he seems to keep popping up in the most unexpected places. He might have helped her, but he is off limits and she isn’t sure she can trust herself with him. She needs to be strong and to keep a clear head, but with so much going on in her life, can she really go it alone?

I enjoyed the excitement of being in Cannes and getting to know Lizzie and Cal, as well as watching Lizzie change as her life moves in a new direction. With a little bit of South of France magic, things begin to fall into place and she is able to prioritise what she needs and wants for the future, both for her business, her son and her love life.

This book left me feeling very happy.

You can read my review of another of Karen’s novels, One Moment at Sunrise, here and read my France et Moi interview with her here. I will be reviewing The Riviera very soon and am looking forward to reading The Chateau.

Links to Amazon for all of Karen's novels can be found below.