Thoughts So Far …

Hello again.

Many of you have asked what my initial thoughts and impressions are of my French sojourn. So instead of doing another round up of the previous day’s activities (and yesterday was another grey day – good news though is that its blue skies today)

But before I start, some photos not previously used

Dwarf House !

So, things I really like

• Bread – Not unexpected, but it is super good. It doesn’t stay fresh long but it does make good toast for days after. I bought croissants in my first week, but to keep on a budget, these are now just weekend treats !
• Cheese – Mostly cheap and jolly good.
• The Town – The tiny streets in the old town are always fun to walk round.
• The Aude – It’s great hearing it from far off (though that will change as we move into Spring / Summer)
• Change – Most shops have a jar or box of 1c and 2c coins which they use if you do not have exact change.
• Being able to sit outside and have a beer.
• Walking every day.
• Starting to get smiles of recognition from shop workers as I become familiar.

And a list of things I don’t like

• Dog poo – Yes, there is dog poo. Not everyone picks up 😦 and you do need to watch the pavements. I’ve not fallen foul (!) of this yet, but kind of expect I will at some point.
• Pavements – Speaking of pavements, the French seem to just make a cursory attempt at pavements. Some streets have them, some have part pavements or really narrow pavements, which is all right for dwarves, but not much use for me.
• Smoking – Not bothering me as much as I’d have thought, but so many people smoke here – not seen any of those eCigarettes here. And because of the poor weather, people in bars tend to stay in the bar and just put their arm out the door as they smoke
• My Bank Account – watching my money disappear. Double 😦 😦 and realising how much this is costing me !
• Not being at Hawthorn Cottage (though that’s not really a French thing !)

And things I am missing (hints to anyone coming over)

• Hummus – Have not yet been able to get this. Or tahini.
• Sweet Chilli Sauce – Not found this yet either (plenty of mustard though)
• The BBC 😦
• Diet Coke – It’s available here but just does not taste the same. I have tried the Spar house diet coke and a couple of other brands, but it just doesn’t taste that great. Not a bad thing I suppose. The good thing is I am not missing diet Irn Bru.
• There are also things like a cordless vacuum, a dishwasher, large white towels and a cleaner which I thought I would miss more than I do.

Anyway, the sun is out and its warming up out there. So off I go …