Our French Life – Page 7 – Our Normandy Life

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Okay, when people come over for a visit it can be tricky to decide where to send them. This is because there is so much to choose from. People don’t come to Normandy for the weather. If you do then I’m sorry to have to break it to you – you’re gonna need a refund. As I type it’s torrential rain just in time for the school run. Yes, we do see the sun and it can be glorious but this year and the back-end of last has been particularly dire. Now I have it on good authority that the Dordogne has been awful as well. Edit – today has been glorious! Continue reading “A Week In Normandy Itinerary Overload!” →

Our French Life, Our School Life

Master Normandy Gets Into Trouble

Apr 7, 2018May 22, 2018 ournormandylife

When a school phones me about one of my troops, I don’t expect it to be anything other than child sickness. Well you don’t with my lot. I don’t want to show boat or anything but they’re never been in much trouble at school. I’ve never sat in the Head’s office discussing my child’s behaviour. They’re well behaved at school (can’t say the same at home!) and if I ever got a phone call from the school – it was to say one of them had thrown up. Continue reading “Master Normandy Gets Into Trouble” →

Our French Life

Break A Rib

Mar 30, 2018Mar 31, 2018 ournormandylife

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Yay, the week that was #camiongate (see this post) just got better when it transpired that Master Normandy (my eldest age 14) decided to mix it up a bit with a broken rib or two. Now he didn’t do it on purpose. Just like my daughter didn’t get bitten by a dog and slam her thumb (still growing back) into the car door on purpose. Kids are kids and accidents happen wherever you are in the world. Continue reading “Break A Rib” →

Our French Life

Living The Dream?

Mar 26, 2018Mar 27, 2018 ournormandylife

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Mmmm what does that even mean? What does it mean to live the life you dream of? Answers on a postcard. I have come to ponder that of late as it’s an expression that is bandied around quite a bit. For me, it would be to live in a country that 1) I love (check) and 2) not to have to do any of the day-to-day crap as you’re an adult god damn it. No tick there. Continue reading “Living The Dream?” →

Our French Life, our relocation life

The Trouble With France Forums

Mar 11, 2018Jan 25, 2020 ournormandylife

Okay so gone are the days when you simple log onto Anglo Info and chose your particular region in France for research purposes. Sorry Anglo franchises the world over but it’s true. Yes, they are still a relative good source of information but nowhere near as good as the hundreds of facebook groups out there for living in France. Or any country for that matter. Continue reading “The Trouble With France Forums” →

Our French Life

Top Ten Tips To Learn French

Mar 4, 2018Mar 4, 2018 ournormandylife

Okay, so let’s be clear, I am no where near being fluent on the French front. In fact, even when you ask people how long did it take you to become fluent – you won’t get an answer. Why? Because you never really are. It’s never-ending. A bit like ancestry of which I am a bit of an ancestry nerd – we can talk another time and I can bore you then. There is no real beginning and no real end. You see, I will know what someone means when they say, for instance, Mrs Slocombes’ pussy or “I’m free” or “Betty” or if someone was to say “it was so farcical I could hear the Benny Hill theme tune being played in the background.” Continue reading “Top Ten Tips To Learn French” →

Our French Life, Our Renovation Life

The Consuel and Enedis

Feb 27, 2018Feb 28, 2018 ournormandylife

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Now, I haven’t really braced myself for this post. I’m just going to write and hope for the best with regard to my mental state at the end. The scars run deep so they do.

So for those of you that haven’t glazed over on the intricate details on how to get electricity in your French home – here’s your next installment. And for those that missed the first one – put the kettle on you can read it here

So, we had a temporary supply in August. However, temporary means just that and we now had to start the process of obtaining a permanent supply. Now initially we thought that this would be September 2017 but the sheer amount of work involved meant that this was a tad optimistic. Given that Mr Normandy was more or less doing it on his Jack Jones. Continue reading “The Consuel and Enedis” →

Our French Life

Carry On Doctor

Feb 24, 2018Oct 30, 2019 ournormandylife

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Now, at some stage in your new life in France you will need to pay the doctors a visit. Unless, of course, you’re a bloke as they tend to only visit when they’re actually dying or have been dragged there. The rest of us tend to go willingly and with kids in tow. Continue reading “Carry On Doctor” →

Our French Life, Our Review Life

Review Of Granville Carnival

Feb 14, 2018 ournormandylife

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Ok so we were toying with the ideal of going here. Could we be bothered? When Sunday comes around we’re all pretty tired. The boys usually have cycle training in readiness for the season and Miss Normandy has horse riding lessons on a Saturday morning – at the incredibly reasonable amount of 20 euros a lesson. Did I mention that things to do here are far cheaper than in the UK? Yes, you have blah blah. Well I’m telling you again! Continue reading “Review Of Granville Carnival” →

Our French Life, Our School Life

French School v British School

Feb 10, 2018Apr 7, 2018 ournormandylife

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Now I did touch on this slightly in a previous post but I don’t think I did it justice really. I’m going to talk about the primary school here in France. In particular, the type of work the children do. Given that I’m not in the classroom and my little fella doesn’t go into massive detail about his day – I’m going to tell you how I see it sitting in my ivory tower. You have to give our children credit. They really do just get on with it. Continue reading “French School v British School” →