Buffalo Grill

Because we deserve it :-)

 

 

May not seem like much of a reward but the advantages of Buffalo Grill are that they are easy to find - see roof; they are in every city; they do a reliably good steak; you don't have to be sitting down by 12.15pm in order to get fed; and, most importance they do the most amazing 'Diligence de Desserts'.

The man at CPAM accepted our forms for the health service!!!! With not a hint of a shrug or sucking of teeth!!! Couple of questions to which we had answers, so: photocopies of passports, english translations of birth and wedding certificates, evidence of tax paid, residence, income in england and france, evidence of any interest earned on anything in either country and filled in form, get it past the man. (With a proviso that if there is a problem they might ring the number and to hold on to our old cards - yes they had most of this information already - but hey.)

So then we had a first of many visit to the main DIY shed in the town. Him Outdoors' eyes light up with delight, wanders off muttering about what a good shop it is and how helpful everyone is. Have to say my eyes glaze over and heart sinks at the thought of how many times I will be sent the 45 minutes to Perigueux to find something I'm not quite sure about.

Then lunch. Him Outdoors loves the lumps of steak, they're not really my thing but  they are very good. It's the puddings that do it for me. The first time I had the puddings it was mainly because I couldn't decide, so thought a selection of 5 with 2 spoons (well he might get a nibble) was an easy decision. But they are all great, raspberry cheesecake, chocolate brownie, grilled pineapple, profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce and creme brulee and each one delicious. My mouth is watering as I write.

And to cap it all, when we got home there was an email from the architect to say that his plans had been passed by Batiments de France! So we have permission to apply for planning permission and we can get the ball started before we go away at the end of the week.

Brilliant stuff.

Colours and treasure

One of the things we have to tell the architect in order for him to submit planning is which colour we want to paint the woodwork. We were sent to the Mairie to get a chart of the colours available. Some kerfuffle caused by there not being any in the drawer and they needed to be printed out. Voila - er it's in black and white. Much hilarity and then we were given the proper chart.

 

We then wandered around the town trying to match up houses to the chart. No chance. Then went to the local DIY shop to try and see the colours on the tin. They don't stock any paint that has even a vaguely similar number.

 

Plan B was to go to the local DIY shed and see if they had any watercolour or artist paint with numbers on. While we were there we chatted to the Dulux paint mixer lady and she was very helpful and left us with her folder of colours all dutifully numbered.

 

We came up with two to try on a piece of wood (thank you Sue for giving us an offcut because Him Outdoors has not only left all his tools in England but has no useful hoard of wood....................yet.) These tester pots were €17 a tin but as the lady helpfully said that if we liked one at least we'd have half a litre already.

So here is Him Outdoors painting the donated plank with my pastry brush!

 

 

 

I think we'll go for the one on the right, or at least tell them we will. Him Outdoors said that he didn't mind which but he thought he probably preferred the grey one on the left........................................

 

What intrigues me is how someone whose colour sense is, to me, completely weird, can get so excited about the colours.

 

Treasure

 

Whilst he was painting I sat in the sun and rubbed linseed oil into some of the treasures we rescued from the bonfire heap at the new house. Him Outdoors was waxing lyrical about cricket bats and childhood (during which conversation I discovered that his father used to call him Stinky - something new after 40 years, always a good thing). I found a hammer that I'm sure has cracked generations of walnuts, a tiny fold up ruler, a beautifully turned needle holder with hole making device inside, some tongs for who knows what, a valve for a vinegar/oil jar and some pens and pencil box that go with some beautifully written school  exercise books from the 20s and the 50s.

 

And they were all in the leftover bonfire. What other treasures have they just burnt or taken to the dump. Ho hum, we tried to make it clear that we would love anything but it is all so unimportant in their eyes. Who could possibly want such things. I have requested that they leave a chest of old books and all the jamjars and they seem to be still there. Along with a rusty saucepan full of live cartridges.

We have plans!

So here's your starter for ten. Turn this

 

 

 

 

 

into this

No trouble...................................

This has been one of those 'it can't be Friday again' weeks. Where did the time go?

We now have a plumber/heating engineer, an electrician, a mason, a window man, the mason is going to check the roof and an architect.

We saw the architect yesterday. We are only using him to fight the planning battles for the external holes. We are very close to the ancient bits of town so there are severe planning constraints. The architect seems to think that as long as we put more expensive cast iron velux type windows in, we should be able to enlarge the two windows in the attic and the balcony window in the sitting room and why not add these dormer ones to the front. He had several more ideas for knocking holes in that we may do later but I think for now that will be quite enough. He is very keen that we should keep the plaster on the outside and in fact make the house look exactly like his picture but I thnk so much of it will just fall off when we hit it, that all the lovely golden stone underneath will just have to show.

He is telling the planners that we are buying what used to be a second home and that because we are going to live in it permanently we need more light in the attic. This will mean that the tax people will not be told of the increased floor space and we will not have to pay more tax - I like people that come up with plans like that.

The electrician also vetoed our plans to move the electricity meter from rather a prominent place in the kitchen. Apparently if the electricity board have to move the counter then they will think that the house is a new build and it will come under all their regulations (and costs). If we leave the counter where it is but put all the rest in the cellar as planned, the electricity board will think that the electricity is fine and just reconnect it - even though it is so bad there is a smell of burning??

Him Outdoors is having a bit of a panic about some of the jobs that he is unfamiliar with and that people have different opinions about but 'one step at a time' will probably see us through.

And it's really exciting!

Good day

After a couple of people have been sucking their teeth about the state of the roof of the new house, we got a mason/roofer to come and look at it.

He worked for us at the last house and he's a lovely guy that is happy to have Him Outdoors work with him, is happy to use the stones from the ruin and doesn't charge too much - and he turned up on time!!

He couldn't see what the problem was, the roof was fine, he would get his long ladder and go up and look properly at the top but from underneath it is fine, in fact the whole house is 'in good health'. There is no problem with a huge wall between us and the neighbours and the balcony can be repaired. I love him. He can come when we want, the openings will be no problem (if Batiments de France allow). And I actually believe him because I know he turns up and does what he says. Brilliant.

Whilst we were at the house we met our new neighbours and introduced ourselves. Turns out (of course) that she is the cousin of our ex neighbour from our old house. She was born here, went to Paris and then came back to retire. He was a bit more reticent (and more difficult to understand) but she is delighted to have neighbours.

We also met one of Him Outdoors walking colleagues who was visiting his mother who lives up the road. He told us that the man we are buying the house from was the postman and his father who also lived there worked on the railway. Some very complicated details about who had died when and where that I lost track of but more smiley welcoming people delighted to see a house being restored and more people in the village to keep the shops open.

We then went on to a lovely supper with friends. A good day.

CPAM 1 - Us 1

This morning we took to Perigueux:

passports
our marriage certificate
translated birth certificates
document to say we had bought a house
document to say we had sold a house
document to say we were renting a house
document of Him Outdoors' pension
document to show Him Outdoors' tax paid in France
health insurance documents for last 3 years
document to say no longer entitled to health care in the UK
RIB - details of our french bank account


BUT NOT

a document to show interest on an Assurance Vie (place where house money is sitting)
a document to show bank account interest for the last year

Good news is that they agreed we didn't need the S1 form but neither did they ask for the form we had obtained especially from the UK

RESULT

Go away and fill in this form and come back with all these pieces of paper and your form. (And I think I'll get the marriage certificate translated too.)

So maybe it will be third time lucky :-)

Marrakech - I wish I liked it more

 

We deserve a few days in the sunshine. We met 40 years ago last week, that's worth celebrating with something exciting. I have been dreaming of a Riad in Marrakech that I had read about several years ago in a book called Cinnamon City by Miranda Innes. Riad Maizie. So we booked and it was as charming as I had imagined. Done up with a wonderful eye for all things Moroccan, it is a really beautiful oasis in the middle of all the chaos that is an arab city. Slightly shabby after having been well loved for a decade but charming.

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived very late at night but were met as arranged and escorted to our riad down the maze of little alleyways that are the medina in Marrakech. Comfortable room with an amazing Moroccan painted ceiling that was everything we could hope for. 

 

 

After an excellent breakfast, we were shown the way through the souks to the money exchange and were left to explore. Wonderful bright colours, endless heaps of fascinating objects. Soon sat comfortably in a roadside cafe with delicious orange juice we watched the world go by.

 

 

On the second day we boarded the tourist bus which circles the city allowing you to drop in on the various sites. I wanted to see the Jardins Majorelle which were designed by Yves St Laurent. A beautiful oasis of shady green.

 

 

One night we went to the large square to eat as Jamie Oliver had shown on one of his programmes. Lovely sounds and smells, delicious food.

 

So what's not to like?

 

Well, the weather didn't help. It was so cold, and pouring with rain for a day and a half. It has to be sunny and you have to be able to live outside.

 

It is expensive. We went out one afternoon determined to buy something. The received wisdom is that you expect to pay about 1/4 to 1/3 of the asking price. Well when they are starting at £35 for a shawl, that's a silly price for a souk shawl. Food is expensive too, pretty much what you would expect to pay in england for a restaurant meal and even the street food soon mounts up. 

 

But mainly it is the perceived attitude of the locals. They appeared to me to be so angry all the time. Every day there were guys fronting up to each other and yelling at each other in the souks. Explosions of yelling between stall holders.

 

Every time you look a tiny bit hesitant someone will appear to help you find where you want to go, to invite you into their shop, to show you just where you can buy spices, take you to the tanneries or whatever. Initially, oh how kind, but always, always for every little thing money will be demanded.  I know times are hard and I know I shouldn't be surprised but I find it really intimidating, irritating and exhausting.

 

If you are standing in a square, someone dressed in something Moroccan will come and stand in front of you and demand money for looking at him. If you are sitting in a cafe, someone will start acrobatics in front of you and then demand money for looking at them

 

We spent one afternoon being permanently gentle, smiley, charming and slowly wandering through the souks. Determinedly answering every demand with a polite no thank you and a smile. Smiled till we had face ache. Didn't cut down on the hello, hello, madam, madam but made for a gentle afternoon.

 

So, interesting, challenging, not hurrying back any time soon.

 

 

. 

 

 

 

Mothers' Day

I have just noticed that it is Mothers' Day in England in the middle of March.

My brain immediately went into finding a card and something to send....................................

But I don't have to. For the first time since I first drew something in infant school, I do not have to remember Mother's Day. That is so weird and brought me up short.



I do remember one year when the children were small and life was chaotic that I noticed it was Mothers' Day and thought oh that's ok, Him Outdoors can get them to sort something out for me, that's one thing I don't have to do anything about. Completely forgetting that I had a mother and mother-in-law.

In our life, it has always been me that sorts out all the family cards/presents so it would be me that bought two cards, one for my mother and one for my mother-in-law. My mother insisted that it was Mothering Sunday and always looked for meaningful words. My mother-in-law was happy with Mothers' Day and veered towards the cute animal picture.

Nowadays, Him Outdoors has time to do his own mother's cards. We are fortunate that we still have my dear mother-in-law to send to.