Why I Want to Move to the Country

#1

 London

Yes, true the sky is pretty impressive... but look at the the lanes of queuing traffic! Arrrgh!

The Country

Promenade

Pure mountain air, blue skies, trees and nothing to do but go for a walk. Can't beat it.

To the countryside and beyond!

Ah ha! So after the non-starter offer that was put in on our flat before, we've now had another one... after a few days of negotiation. So, now with what seems to be a genuine offer in place (the buyers are due back tomorrow to measure up for furniture... so fingers crossed they still like it just as much!) we can start seriously thinking about moving.

So, the first step is finding a conveyancer... hmmm, easier said than done it seems. We've had a couple of high(ish) quotes, both of which have been from conveyancers recommended by estate agents, who I'm assuming get a fair chunk of the money we pay as a thank-you for the referral. This is obviously something we want to avoid... the estate agents will milk enough money from the sale of our flat as it is.

So, tomorrow we're off to have a look around a couple more houses - one we've already seen once (which needs a lot of work and is a bit too pricey - especially when you take into account how much the work will cost to have done, but, on the other hand, has beaucoup de potential) and the other house is smaller but in the centre of the town meaning it will take half the time to walk to the station (and as my boyfriend will be commuting to London everyday, this is a big consideration).

So, recommendations will be very welcome for any good conveyancers! In the meantime, we'll wait to see if this time the offer stays standing - if it does and we find somewhere we like, then we could be out of London within the next 3 months - yippee!

Police bus in Paris

The police in Paris have a bus! Yes, a bus. A real public transportesque bus. 

Now that's très cool.

Crêpilicious!

Right, I know I have already talked about the gorgeously wonderful versatile foodstuffs that are crêpes in a previous post, but as it was recently Shrove Tuesday (or mardi gras as it's called in French) I had to make some more. I had to, it would have been rude not to.

So, to spice things up a bit I recorded, well photographed, the whole process from start to finish. For those 'Shake to Make' addicts out there you will see how easy it is to make them yourself.... and therefore avoiding spending an obscene amount of money on some kind of half-arsed lazy alternative.

Read more »

International Women's Day? *gallic shrug* What an idea!

Ah, so International Women's Day, eh? Sounds cute! What's it all about? Some kind of 'us women think we're so special that we need a day to celebrate this'? Bless.

On Tuesday Nicolas Sarkozy decided to air his thoughts (ahem) about International Women's Day which celebrated its centenary yesterday. It's a shame, that yet again, he didn't opt for the more sensible option of keeping his bouche tightly shut.

Read more »

Le Word of the Day: Godasse

Godasse (noun feminin): Shoe (derived from the word 'Godillot')

Travelling back in time to the mid 1800's, a chap called Alexis Godillot was living it up as a prosperous Army Supplier. He supplied many things including tents and saddles, but is most well known for manufacturing the ankle boot called the 'Godillot'.

Read more »