Tag: blog

Our French Life, Our School Life

The One Where We Are In Lock Down!

ournormandylife

war of the worlds pic

No one would have believed (in my best Richard Burton voice)…that when we moved here nearly 3 years ago, that we would face a situation which is, quite frankly, like no other. I certainly have not seen anything like this in my lifetime.

Unless you really do live in an absolute bubble, then it cannot have escaped your notice that the world is currently at war. Not with each other but with a virus. Coronavirus or Covid19 as the French always refer to it. Continue reading “The One Where We Are In Lock Down!” →

Our French Life

A French v An English Car Salesperson

ournormandylife
car sales man
A typical UK Salesman?

For those of you that are my die hard Normandy Lifers you may recall a few posts whereby I have told to never assume anything. Or assume the total opposite to what you knew in your previous life. Living here can sometimes make you feel you are in a real life pantomime or in some sick game show called “Total Opposites” only there is no prize. Nope. Just costly mistakes as no one tapped you on the shoulder when you got off the boat and said “oh by the way, everything you have come to think of as normal and logical eg car breakdown, insurance, tyre tracking and anything else related to living and breathing is defunct”. “Now on your way and enjoy!”. To read more about this warped game I find myself occasionally in and yes, I did say occasionally, as folks I got wise. I’ve graduated to a bit part role in the France Panto that is my life or as I like to call it affectionately (?!) “France. The lost years” you can read about it here. Continue reading “A French v An English Car Salesperson” →

Our French Life

The One Where I Get Ram Raided

20190226_104919 (1)

I set out to write about things to do in Vire, Calvados or Vir-ray as my brother-in-law calls it. I actually prefer this version as it sounds all posh like.  Well firstly, it’s not to get ram raided by another car in the supermarket car park. This happened to me yesterday in the E.leclerc in Vire. So firstly, if you are out shopping be mindful of the kamikaze parking that goes on here. Everything is different. Logic. Common Sense. It’s like living in an opposite game show where the rules keep changing. I love France and the French people are, by and large, very nice but how it all works (even accepting it) can feel like you’re living in a pantomime. I mean the whole way in which we think, in my view, as Brits is the complete opposite to a French person. Continue reading “The One Where I Get Ram Raided” →