Tag Archives: lifestyle

Totally Transfixed in Melbourne, Australia

Had to share this with you. As I was pressing the shutter, I knew I had captured a unique moment. The three men sitting motionless on the bench and the woman standing as still as a statue were all completely mesmerised by the same thing — an art installation at the NGV museum in Melbourne, Australia which consisted of a long strand of what appeared to be metallic tape as it was blown back and forth between two large electric fans. It was an interestingly silent moment!

3 seated men & 1 standing woman are mesmerised by metal tape blowing between 2 large electric fans at the NGV art museum in Melbourne, Australia

Leaving France In A Week. Yikes!

We’ve had some amazing blessings in the last few days and (Universe, are you listening?) they are VERY much appreciated and acknowledged. Now if we could just sell the 3 piece bathroom suite that we got in anticipation of renovating a house here in France (small sigh!) and sell the 6 month old gas cooking stove, we’d really be laughing!

After the dastardly movers cancelled with 9 days before the scheduled pick-up, I put the move back up on the AnyVan website in the UK and started taking bids again. I don’t know if they offer this sort of service in Australia, the USA, or Asia — but it’s a godsend for those of us living in Europe.

You put the details of your move online, list what you have, and then different moving companies compete for your job by submitting bids. They are dealing with the AnyVan website and you are quite safe because all they have is your user name — no address details and so forth.

Within 24 hours, new bids starting rolling in and many of them were quite a lot higher than our previous contract. But through some frank discussions of what we could and could not afford, we managed to get a proper registered moving company (not just a man and a van!) that is sending a full size moving truck down here with 2 drivers to pick up all of our things on the 30th — NEXT WEDNESDAY!

I sold my Peugeot last week to a couple from England who are still over there and they won’t be back in France until February. But we arranged to deliver the car to their village near Mirepoix and hand the paperwork and keys over to their charming neighbour Aidan. He was a simply wonderful surprise on an on-and-off sunny then overcast Sunday and we had several hours of stimulating conversation at his kitchen table. It’s a shame we didn’t meet before we were getting ready to leave the country — but I feel like we will stay in touch.

I’ve just secured a storage unit for us in Norfolk in an insured, clean, indoor building and not a damp and cold outdoor shipping container style lock-up. So we will feel very peaceful about leaving our things safely tucked up there whilst we visit Mark’s parents in Norfolk for a wee bit and then get on the road to the Midlands, Yorkshire, and perhaps on up to Scotland to decide where we would like to live and work next. It’s another adventure and you just know there will be lots of stories and photos along the way!

I have dozens of photos to share from our 3 day trip to Toulouse a week ago, but there is simply no time to do that right now. Photo editing is out — packing dozens of boxes is in — simple as that. And in between the sessions of packing, we are squeezing in last minute dinners, lunches, and drinks with our friends here in France that we will miss quite a lot.

All for now. The packing tape and rolls of bubble-wrap are singing to me!

Life Changes, Life Planning, & Leaving France

Saying goodbye to France was something that we had not considered when we moved here last year, settled in, bought furniture and appliances, and began to make friends. But recent changes in the taxation structure since the election of Francois Hollande as President of France, the bureaucratic quagmire that all of us who move to France are forced to endure, pension issues, and several other boulders in the road that frequent readers of this site will already be acquainted with, have made this a place where we no longer wish to invest our emotional energy or our money. We are moving on after 10 months here in the South of France — with regret — but the decision has now been made and we are in the process of sorting out our last few weeks here in St. Girons.

And where are we going next? Well, to be truthful, we aren’t certain! We are flinging ourselves into the arms of the angels again, waiting to see where feels right, and then trusting that our choice is a good one. Our furniture and 100-plus boxes are being picked up in 2 and 1/2 weeks and taken to England to go back into storage. But then the fun begins as we go back on the road for awhile and we look for someplace to settle down. Living out of a suitcase wore us out after a year the last time and after spending almost 9 months in Normandy, we stopped moving in St. Girons. Who knows where we will be when we send for the household goods the next time!

A quiet moment between two women visitors at MACBA, the contemporary art & design museum in Barcelona, Spain.

The next few months should be very ‘interesting’ and we’ll need to be flexible. There is an unfolding book about life in France as an expat and I’ve even written the introduction chapter — but we’ll discuss that in another article.

Right now we are making lists of things to do, notifying the utility company, and packing-packing-packing. (again!)

Stay tuned as we find our feet on shifting sands!

Barcelona Market Shopping At Night

Photos of the day for today are from the huge enclosed market — the Boqueria Market — which was dedicated in the mid-1800s and which is easily accessed from the wide and tree-lined pedestrian walkway of La Rambla.

We had a pleasant stroll though this market and took a small packet of chocolate truffles back to our apartment. It was quite a happy and lively atmosphere and I was surprised to see just how many people were out at night buying their fruit, vegetables, and all other manner of food products.

Cut fruit dealer at the Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain

Happy night-time shoppers in the Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain

A Beauty Break in the Midi-Pyrenees Of France

Life in France is frequently centered on quiet village and rural lifestyles. As a result, the scenery is often quite splendid even if the instant gratification of 21st Century amenities are somewhat lacking.

This charming view was taken on a roadside in the Midi-Pyrenees somewhat near the picture in a previous article about the Cathar ruin that we passed whilst driving back to France from Spain — “Slivers Of History On The Side Of The Road In France.

View of a rural village & countryside in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France from the D117 roadside.

From Barcelona, Not The Normal Thing To See At A Museum!

Walking down a narrow street in Barcelona, heading for the contemporary art museum called MACBA, we strolled past several sidewalk cafes at the front corner of the large white museum building.

Sidewalk cafes are conveniently located outside the front entry of MACBA — the museum of contemporary art in Barcelona, Spain.

We certainly weren’t expecting what we saw unfolding in the courtyard in front of us. Dozens of young people were ‘hanging out’ in various places along the courtyard and in clumps at the front of MACBA. And what we were laughing at was the sight of skateboarders doing tricks right in front of that museum!

They were quite considerate and confined their activity to a small area so that they didn’t interfere with the pedestrians who were criss-crossing the plaza or coming in and out of the museum.

Young men on skateboards perform in the open plaza outside MACBA — the museum of contemporary art in Barcelona, Spain.

Day to day life in Barcelona surprised us again and again. We might be living in Europe now, but our quiet French town is rather sedate compared to the unfolding comedy, drama, and action in this large metropolitan part of Spain.

9 Days to Christmas In A French Town

Taking a break from all of the photos and articles on Spain for a glimpse of a French town when there are 9 days left before Christmas.

The local town council has attached Christmas trees to the lamp posts on both sides of the bridge over the river.

Cyclists on the bridge in St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France

View from the bridge in St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France at Christmas time

This charming little dog was waiting for his/her owner to finish shopping in the toy store.

A little dog waits patiently for its owner to finish shopping in the toy store.

The weekend market now has a wintery Sunday version that has vintage goods for sale. It was quite enjoyable to be able to walk freely through the bare-branched avenue of trees without being jostled by the large throngs of people that attend the Saturday market. We didn’t actually find anything we wanted, but it was certainly was pleasant to walk in the fresh air and have a look around.

Shoppers at a winter outdoor market in St. Girons, Midi-Pyrenees, France in December 2012.

A Wanderful Life

The Neverending Journey