Finally, after all the looking we have found something that Keith and I both like and think may actually suit the purpose….

It’s ok – I know what you are thinking, ‘it needs a lot of work’ and I guess more importantly … ‘where will you stay when you come over’  – it does have a granny annexe – we aren’t so kean, but I am sure that over time we would be able to get it how we want it….

Ok – you win, it is Chateau de Carrouges…. we quite like the gatehouse, but Keith’s mum persuaded us to go and have a look round the Chateau as well – definately worth a visit if you are over here.

It is amazing what you can do with a few little wild strawberries from the garden! 

I made lemon sorbet last week (on the left of the photo), but after a visit from one of the neighbours who asked if he could take some of our little wild strawberries to make some jam I decided to have a go at a bit of strawberry ice-cream today ….. yum 🙂

Lets hope they grow back quickly so we have a chance to make some more before we go!

Apologies in advance for any French followers … but you are a little backward in your processes.  Today we went to Caen to pay a deposit by card (face to face) for some work on the motorhome. Having thought that I had cracked it and managed to confirm exactly what we wanted done and that the work conformed with UK standards etc the company said they would send me an invoice that I would need to reply to as confirmation before we could book a date for the work.  WIth days disappearing quickly in my naivity I sat watching my inbox for the next couple of days thinking they were busy…… nearly a week later (and a couple of chaser emails) it turned up in the post (yep, that odd looking box at the end of the driveway that generally carries supermarket offers and not much else nowadays) requesting a cheque to cover 30% as a deposit before we could get a date in the diary…. I did see a pigeon hanging around the post box and I do have my suspicions 🙂

When I called them to try and pay on the phone I was obviously talking greek – which to be fair I have been known to do on occassion – only two options 1) a cheque sent from the UK which would take another week, or 2) ‘popping’ over to Caen….. so over we popped 🙂

Anyway, we are booked in for the work now and they were very friendly … just the french process. 

On the way back we thought we would go and visit at Falaise … birth place to William the Conquer.  Unfortunately most of the town was destroyed during the war, but what was left has been lovingly (and some not so lovingly) restored.

It was worth a stop, but why it is twinned with Henley on Thames I will never know ….

It is just like being at home….. cold, wet, grey, windy – but beautiful 🙂

Keith’s aspirations for a bigger garden have got the better of him …… thankfully the weather hasn’t been too great since my parents were last here in September, otherwise we may have been using the machetes 🙂

Three hours later and we – sorry I should say Keith as I didn’t get involved – have a good idea of what the next six months’ gardening has got in for us and we haven’t even started with the edges or beds…..

Most importantly though …. the bar-b-que works 🙂

It can’t all be bad….. although the clocks went forward and we lost an hour the sun is shining and we have just gorged on the most delicious (although visually it may not look that appetising) croissants 🙂

Not that we are trying to entice anyone out here … but just as a word of warning I reckon the almond croissants way at least a kilo each!

Who would be so daft as to think that you could sucessfully bake bread in a motorhome….yep, us 🙂

The first loaf reminded me of a scene in ‘About a boy’ when Hugh Grant witnessed the killing of a duck with a loaf of bread…. however we have refined our bread making skills and have now (albeit with one batch in the middle reminding me of some kind of drop scone…. no sorry, dropped scone) sucessfully made several batches of rolls….

We are now working our way up to a full roast dinner…. although Keith cooked Bacon, eggs, mushrooms and beans this morning for breakfast and I am sure he used every possible cooking utensil in the motorhome… 30 minutes to cook, 5 minutes to eat and 30 minutes to wash up 😦

Isn’t she pretty?

I guess that isn’t the most important thing when you are about to spend the next 18 months sleeping, eating and generally living in…. but she does look quite smart 🙂