Easy Like Sunday Morning; a glimpse into one couple's daily life in rural Brittany

Last year, Steve and I spent seven months in the Tarn Et Garonne region of France on a house sit, which confirmed our suspicions – we wanted to remain in France full time. The Dordogne and The Limousin had been our first choices, but a three day stay in Dinan changed all that.

We fell for the charms of Brittany after a visit to Dinan

What's not to like?

We fell in love with the area, viewed a property in the Cote D’Armor region, loved it, put an offer in on it and three months later, had taken possession of it J

Our little piece of France

We have now lived in our small and beautifully tranquil village of 450 people for three and a half months, and it has surpassed all our expectations.  Steve is busy full time on renovating our house, with me as his first mate, labourer, plaster mixer supreme and coffee maker.

I DO work, maybe not as much as Steve, but I try

Oh and when I get the time, I write!  I am sat now at our breakfast bar as I write this blog; out of the window I can see the birds in the garden as they flock to the feeders. The neighbours climbing rose trails lazily over our wall, sharing it's beauty with us. Swallows flit silently in the eggshell blue sky, catching midges on the wing, and once again I count my blessings. 

My regular visitor

I am a member of an ex pats Facebook site for those of us lucky enough to live in Brittany. On occasion, someone from the UK or further afield will ask the question – “We’re thinking of moving to Brittany, can you recommend it?” The question seems to be all the more pressing in light of Brexit. People are worried that things will change, now that the UK have decided to leave the EU, and that maybe they won’t be able to live and work as freely in France. My view is, that people lived and worked in France before the UK was a member of the EU, and will continue to do so regardless of the decision to leave. It is not something I worry about at all.

The questions about a move to Brittany are usually met by an overwhelming barrage of answers, most, if not all of which, say – YES, come and join us here in this beautiful area of France. Come and find out for yourselves what life is like here.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538666086361820/

Steve and I left the UK in 2010 in a haze of disillusionment and disappointment to live in Gozo. 

Steve by the pool overlooking the sea at our old house in Gozo

It was an absolutely life changing experience. We were there for over five years; we made wonderful lifelong friends there who we miss to this day. We worked on the island as singers, developing a solid following of like-minded people who loved the music and the camaraderie. Unforgettable memories, most of which are recorded in my award winning 2^nd book entitled, Gozo, Is the Grass Greener?

With an honorable mention at the 2015 London Book Festival and a WINNER at the 2016 Paris Book Festival, my autobiographical book about Gozo has proved popular

When we made the decision to live in France, we had many dire warnings of how difficult it would be to settle here. From the nightmare we were promised if we tried to buy a house, to the acres of forms required to open a bank account and register for health care, the nay sayers had something to say on just about every subject possible.

I will admit, there have been some obstacles, but none have been insurmountable. We now have a joint bank account, which yes, DID require a lot of ID and form filling, but it was not impossible. We have house and car insurance here, which was considerably cheaper than in the UK and offered more in the way of benefits.

The process of buying the house was surprisingly straightforward and has been explored in a previous blog.

Buying the house was amazingly hassle free

The health care registration is ongoing, but IS getting sorted, slowly but surely. We have had no problem accessing health care in the meantime – doctors, dentist and a trip to the A&E of the local hospital when Steve managed to prong himself on a sharp tile.  We have found an English speaking vet for our rescue dog Merlin and have so far, been impressed with the care offered, both to us and Merlin J

The one and only Merlin, our rescued Griffon Bleu

The village we live in could be straight out of a novel. Quaint, friendly, and accepting. We know our neighbours and are regulars at the local café/bar for coffee or a Kir cocktail (or 2) J

Our local cafe/bar

The Mairie (local mayor) has been round for coffee and helped us to fill in the forms we needed when we had to get permission to put some new windows in. There is a wonderful boulangerie, just a short stroll from our house, where I can get heavenly fresh bread, mouth-watering patisserie and basic shopping six days a week.  On the way, I might meet 3 or 4 neighbours who are on the same bread buying mission; we exchange a pleasant bonjour and go about our business.

Decisions decisions

This is a rural area, with high levels of agriculture.  Acres of sweet corn rubs shoulders with the fast growing wheat. Hedges grow wild and untamed. Cows regard you with marvelous bovine disinterest as you walk on by, or if they are feeling mischievous they will rush at Merlin in an attempt to scare him and jostle noisily at the fence as they compete for the best position from which to see him. There are peaceful off road walks for me and Merlin; ponds with ragondin (coypu) wild duck, heron, buzzards, deer, foxes, badgers and much more. A short car ride will get you to areas with rivers, forests, lakes, historical buildings and areas of stunning beauty.  

Ragondin with babies

Our village at 6 am




There is space here. We never feel hemmed in or crowded. Even popular beauty spots seem secluded and almost muted in their tranquility. When I walk out in the early morning or late in the evening, the silence is quite literally deafening. 

Just before the sunrise in our village




Most of the people in the village seem to retire early, with shutters down and doors closed by 10pm. No one has music blaring out, no car engines revving, no shouting, just peace.

The beautiful early morning sun breaking through




The weather here suits Steve and I and we seem to have the best of both worlds. At the moment, we are enjoying the beautiful summer weather, with temperatures up in the high 20’s and low 30’s, which is quite hot enough for us. However, mornings still have that coolness, along with low lying mist over the fields. Perfect for walking Merlin and for making the most of the glorious countryside before it gets too hot.

Full moon!





We have not lived here through a winter, so cannot comment from experience. However, I am reliably informed that the winters are mild; frost and snow are rare. You can find out more about the weather in Brittany by following the link below.

http://gitelink.com/brittany/brittany-weather.htm

If it’s an ex pat community you want; you will have no difficulty in finding one in Brittany, though Steve and I prefer the more traditional aspects of life here. There are plenty of local bars with live music and many other social activities. Car boot sales are popular, as are fetes and similar festivities in the local villages.  Contrary to popular belief, the French are NOT ignorant, hostile, rude or awkward. We have found everyone to be pleasant, friendly, helpful and extremely polite. When you walk into a doctor’s surgery, a shop or anywhere really, everyone in the place will say good morning. Steve and I were initially taken aback in the local café when people we had never met would come in and greet us with a hand shake or a double kiss. I recall one lady bringing her five children in. Without a word from her, they all came over to us and shook Steve’s hand and kissed me soundly once on each cheek. Delightful J

There are small traditions here which endure. Each village has its own school; no question of closure, or moving several schools to one bigger school.  Local shops are supported; it would be unthinkable for a village, no matter how small, not to have a boulangerie!

I speak basic French, which is improving all the time. When no one around you speaks English, you learn very quickly. My vocabulary includes a startling variety of DIY and building phrases, such as, “We have some rubble to get rid of” – for the local rubbish tip! If in doubt I point and say, “Un comme ca s’il vous plait” J

Ready for the rubbish tip - again!




We know people who have lived here 20 years, while others, like us, have only been here a few months.  They all say the same – life here is lovely. Of course there are challenges; we are not living in a Disney movie, but there is an ease about living here, a laid back, relaxed vibe, which we soak up like sponges.  

So, if you are contemplating, “Shall we move to Brittany” I can speak from experience and say – do; you won’t regret it. Life is short, it is not a dress rehearsal. A recent study of people at the end of their lives discovered that they did not regret the things they had done, but the things they had NOT done, the risks they did not take and the road not taken.

Anyway, you will have to excuse me, I must go to the boulangerie, where I suspect there is a fresh baked baguette, and perhaps a strawberry tart with my name on it J

Ah yes, that'll do nicely





My new book, Caught in Traffick us due out imminently. It is a sequel to the award winning Known to Social Services. The book is about the harrowing world of child trafficking and is set in Thailand.

It will be available via Amazon in paperback and as a download. I will keep you informed.

Merlin also has his own short story, now available on Amazon, entitled, Merlin, The Hound Dog; Part One, In From The Cold. It is £1.99, a % of which will go to animal charities

Merlin also has his own Facebook page!

www.facebook.com/merlinthehounddog 

For more details about my writing, please visit my website;

www.freyabarrington.com

I will leave you with a few more photos of this most beautiful area.

A bientot J

Freya 

Road to Hell; or our 36 hour dash from Brittany to the UK and back!

Okay, perhaps it wasn’t the greatest idea we’ve ever had to make a trip from Brittany to the UK and back again in less than 36 hours, but here’s how it came about in such a hurry ……….

Steve and I had been in our new home for about 6 weeks when we decided to get a dog. Not just any dog of course, but a rescue dog, and not just any rescue dog. Oh no, if we’re going to have a dog, while up to our ears in renovating a house, then let’s make sure it’s one who has never lived in a house in his life, and is therefore not house trained; add to that a background of abandonment and ill treatment, which makes the poor thing frightened of just about everything and everyone. Yes, let’s have THAT dog, oh and make it a BIG dog too - J

Welcome to Merlin.

Merlin, our beautiful Griffon Bleu de Gascogne - who has perfected the hang dog expression to a tee

So, what has this got to do with us going to the UK and back again in less than 36 hours? Well it all came down to two things.

The cost of travel

Someone to care for Merlin

Merlin's care was our paramount concern

We realised that ferry costs were becoming startlingly high with the advent of the summer holidays. A quick price check put a return trip on the ferry with the Land Rover and trailer at an exorbitant €700 return!  The Channel Tunnel was a more reasonable €200, so the Tunnel it was.

Up until this point, we had managed to avoid the Tunnel and for good reason. One only has to turn on the news to see the trouble going on both sides of the Channel, with riots and violence breaking out on an almost weekly basis. Delays and frayed tempers are common place, hence we had always used the ferries. In addition, it is almost a 7 hour drive for us to get to the Tunnel, compared with a mere hour and a half to the closest ferry. But the Tunnel it was.

The next big question was what to do about Merlin. A nervous and highly anxious dog, it was untenable to even contemplate taking him with us. To expect any dog to spend that length of time in a car without much of a break is totally unfair. Added to this was the fact that the weather was too hot for him to spend time in the back of the Land Rover, plus when he is anxious he won’t eat or drink properly; it was obvious that we needed to identify someone to care for him.

What about me?

Thankfully, help was at hand from a lovely lady called Wendy who agreed to care for Merlin in her own home for 2 days and one night. We knew what a task she was taking on and were extremely grateful to her. However, due to other commitments, her window of opportunity for looking after Merlin was small, and in the end it was either, make the trip in 4 days’ time, or leave it until September when the prices go down a bit.  Decision made; I booked for 4 days’ time.

I had little sleep the night before as I fretted about getting to Wendy’s in good time with Merlin and trying to get him settled before we dashed off. We left our house at 6am, and it was at this point that the Sat Nav decided;

 “I know, let’s go the scenic route”. 

There ensued a frustrating journey, which at any other time would have had me exclaiming in delight. “Oh look at those lovely woods” or, “What a pleasant little one track road this is; and with so many lovely twists and turns”! However, when you are towing a trailer with a fretful dog in transit,  and on a tight schedule it’s no joke. Thankfully, we arrived in good time and Merlin was introduced to his temporary home – complete with 2 cats, which set his tail wagging like a flag!

Off we went in the direction of the Tunnel; ignoring the Sat Nav’s attempts to send us back the same way, we managed to navigate to the main road and we were off.  As is my habit when we go on a road trip, I had packed a picnic and flask. As is also my habit, I began to eat it almost as soon as we were on our way. Steve on the other hand, was in his, “Man on a Mission” mode, refusing all offers of ham and cheese sandwiches on fresh baked soft white French bread, and snatching water only when necessity drove him to it.

The miles flew by, and finally I was able to appreciate the scenery and beauty of the area, in which we are lucky enough to live.

We are lucky to live in such a lovely area

Sunrise in the Cote D'Armor

However, my good mood quickly evaporated as we arrived at the Tunnel. After a drive of almost 7 hours, the last thing we needed were delay, but, delays we had. Two hours of them to be precise.  As we sat in the long static queue, we gave thanks that Merlin was not in the back of the Land Rover. It was hot and tedious and he would have been a very unhappy dog. We finally made it onto our train and made the quick 25 minute crossing to the UK.

THEN the fun began L we had been spoiled by the wide open spaces of France, and had almost forgotten the congestion on the roads in England. It seemed that the M25 was one giant car park. The M1 was no better, with bumper to bumper tail backs for miles. It was Friday evening rush hour and the whole world seemed to be on a journey to somewhere. What should have been a 4 hour trip took 6 hours and once again, we were grateful that we had not brought Merlin.

We finally made it to our destination in Derbyshire and immediately ordered a Chinese takeaway! Some things are just necessary J

After refuelling ourselves, we set about loading up. Our belongings had been stored at Steve’s mum’s, and so into the attic, shed and bedroom closet we went, rooting out boxes, suitcases, guitars, speakers, amplifiers and much more. It was a bit like Christmas, with long forgotten things seeing the light of day once again. Needless to say it rained as we were loading!

Packed to the top!

Steve soon had it all packed up, covered and amazingly, we were ready to leave again in less than 4 hours. However, we had one more destination …………. Tesco!

Thankfully, open 24 hours and close by, we made a trolley dash around, picking up the things we either can’t get in France, or, which are so ridiculously expensive as to make them prohibitive. Top of the list was Bisto gravy, followed closely by mushy peas (for Steve not me I hasten to add, I tend not to eat anything which is luminous green) brown sauce, and Tilda Basmati rice. Heinz beans were of course in the mix, as well as Walker’s crisps and some Cadbury’s chocolate – all good healthy stuff of course J

Just got to do it!

We managed to snatch a few uncomfortable hours’ sleep in the chair and on the sofa before it was 6 am again and time to leave.  Once again, despite it being a Saturday we hit the traffic and queued for another 2 hours on the M1 L How people manage to do this every day of the week is beyond me.

Arriving with an hour to spare, I had the mother of all headaches; a combination of lack of sleep, lack of proper food and stress.  Leaving Steve to snooze in the Land Rover I set off for the Duty Free shop in search of paracetamol. Of course we had bought paracetamol in Tesco but could I find them? Of course not, so off I went. Picking a pack up, I squinted at the price – wait for it – a whopping €4.95 for 12 paracetamol! “What?” I raged loudly at no one in particular “€4.95? These are 16p in Tesco” and with that I stuffed them back on the shelf and decided to put up with the headache.

“Did you get some?” asked Steve when I got back.

“Are you kidding?” was my response, “They want €4.95 for them, not likely, I’ll find the ones I got in Tesco”

He nodded in understanding, “Paracetamol rage?” he asked knowing me all too well.

I admitted somewhat sheepishly there had been paracetamol rage in the shop.

There then ensued a LOT of rooting, rummaging and generally annoying behaviour as I determined to find the lost tablets, my headache worsening by the minute. Finally I managed to find them, and felt extremely satisfied in NOT having wasted €4.95.  I felt better almost immediately J

Thankfully, the return Tunnel was free of delays and we even managed to get on an earlier train. As we drove off in France, we both exhaled. We were home, and despite having the 7 hour return trip ahead of us, we felt a sense of relief. There was not one hold up on the way home, no traffic jams, no road works, no stress, just a lovely drive through the wide open spaces of the country we are proud to call our home.

We called at home and literally threw everything in the door before going to pick Merlin up. 

Stuff!

More stuff!

It was late when we got there, but Merlin had his bags packed and was ready to come home. He had, of course, been fine. He had made friends with the cats, and also met some tame sheep and been spoiled rotten by his auntie Wendy J

Home again

I think it took all three of us a good week to get over the journey and settle back into a routine again. It was tiring beyond belief, but for the first time in six years, we have all our stuff in one place – at home.

Feels good J

I looked at Steve and smiled. He had driven the whole 1400 mile round trip without once losing his cool or getting rattled. He had also turned in to the wild man of Borneo! I mean it had only been 2 days for goodness sake, but without regular grooming, Steve reverts to caveman mode. His bristles grow at an alarming rate, and his hair, well, let’s not go there. Let’s just say we were both glad when he showered and shaved the next day!

***

Merlin has been with us now for almost three months and has become somewhat of a celebrity. He has his own Facebook page;

www.facebook.com/merlinthehounddog

AND he has his story in print and available as a download from Amazon;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Merlin-Hound-Dog-Part-Cold-ebook/dp/B01I09GHZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468437724&sr=8-1&keywords=merlin+the+hound

In this short story, you can read all about Merlin and the progress he has made to date in his new home. We love him dearly and he has quickly become a part of our lives and has a special place in our hearts.

Please visit my website at www.freyabarrington.com for more details about my writing. 

I have a new book due out, entitled Caught in Traffick, which given this trip is quite appropriate! The book will be published very soon, so watch out for that one.

Happy Summer everyone

Freya