Aici sén pla

10 months since the last post - how time flies an' all that!

We will soon embark on the fifth year of our life here at Ségala - the Ségala sunrises continue to be stunning but somehow I never get round to blogging - too busy enjoying life and hoping I don't wake up to find it's all a dream.

Time for a change. I've never been good at diary writing ( a pity as there are such stories I could tell that no-one would believe now) always too busy just getting on with it. But this year we embark on our fifth year living at Segala. I have decided to try to mark it with a daily diary ( some days it will be just a photo) of our life over the year starting on 8th October when we moved in.

I have trawled my brain for witty titles without success then I remembered the slogan on the T shirts at the fêtes in Espinas in the summer

A friend translated it from the occitan for us. It seems to mean something along the lines of my soul/heart  likes it here. Very apt for us,  "I like it here " is a refrain we use to each other at least daily so that's the plan - Aici sén pla - a year of daily musings from a contented retired expat who thinks herself  damned lucky every single day

how time flies when you're having fun

Three years ago this week we moved into Ségala and the fun began. We woke up to our first Ségala sunrise, the first of many, and pinched ourselves to make sure it wasn't all a dream.

Our furniture had been in storage for 3 months so we improvised !

 

 

 

I never have been good at keeping diaires but a blog seemed a good idea as a way of recording our progress. The problem is finding the time especially during the summer months when we live out of doors most of the time.

Looking back over the three years it has just flown by. We have made Ségala well and truly ours, inside and out, and have a very busy social life all year round. This year we have even met some English people! I could never have settled for the six month in France, six months in England option which many choose, we would miss out on so much real French life and I'm sure I would make worse progress with the language.

Another reason to be here all year round is that many associations only run in the winter. One of our dancing courses has just begun again and this week I have started going to a patchwork and quilting group - its a very long time since I did any patchwork and I have never done quilting but I was inspired by the group's exhibition in the Spring and am already hooked. The next exhibition is in three years just enough time for me to learn enough to make sure I have something on display! ( I already know it will be a wallhanging called Ségala sunrise and the design is coming together in my head). It is good for me to get out and meet more new people and practice my French without having TC in the background to help and as always when meeting a new group of French people with a common interest everyone was so friendly, welcoming and helpful.

So now we are preparing for our third winter here, the wood is being stacked, the garden cleared and bulbs planted, the swallows have left and Bernard is chucking sheep poo around with abandon. Hopefully afterwards he will bring us a nice pile of our own as in previous years. The potager has been very productive this year thanks in some part at least to the addition of copious amounts of "fumier de brebis".

In the meantime the Autumn sunshine and blue skies are keeping the pool around 20degs so TC is still getting his swims although cooler nighttime temperatures are forecast for the end of the week so there may not be many more opportunities and I think I'll be waiting til next year!

a universal language

Another milestone this week - two years since we moved into Ségala - and what a wonderful two years it has been. In some ways it seems much longer as we feel so much at home here and in other ways the time is just flying by (hence no blog since April!).

We had a really busy summer with visitors arriving constantly as the previous ones left. It's great having visitors, we love seeing people and sharing this fabulous corner of France with them but it does cause a significant problem - my French speaking and listening skills went into dormant mode! After they all left and the rentrée commenced  I felt I had taken more than several steps back when I started to try my French conversation skills again with our French friends at our dance workshops.

Although we do know some other English people in the area most of our socialising is with French speaking people who we have met through our interest in traditional music and dancing. I have TC to thank  as his musicianship ( he is an accomplished concertina, guitar, piano player) has opened doors to some superb soirees and fun occasions throughout the year with people of all ages and backgrounds sharing common interests.  TC has also enjoyed the challenge of learning a new instrument the diatonic accordion ( melodeon to us English) which he is now confident to play in public! Last week we went to lunch at the Auberge Lou Bourdie and how thrilled was he when Monique invited him personally to play at the vin nouveau soiree again!

Luckily our French friends are very patient with me as I massacre their language and hopefully over the coming months I will make some progress again - in the meantime at least we can play music and/or dance - a universal language.

April - end of year bal for los dancaires

First time out for the accordion

Bals sous les Halles was a brilliant series of outdoor traditional dances in various villages with market "halles" over the summer

Les musicians de Salles à Milhars

The musicians were pleased to be asked back Le Troubadour for the annual occitan festival in Laguepie

The boy's toy

"The truest expression of a people is in its dances and its music. Bodies never lie"

Agnes De Mille 

worth the wait

We sat for an hour outside the office of the notaire - at first in a state of high excitement and anticipation which gradually turned to a sort of "well what happens now" feeling as we wondered exactly how long the notaire would wait and what happened next if the vendors didn't turn up at all! This was one year ago today - it all turned out OK in the end, the notaire started without them and eventually they arrived and we left the notaire clutching our keys.

We couldn't blame them really - selling their beloved Segala had happened rather more quickly than they had expected and they had had little time to get used to the idea of moving out after putting the house on the market expecting a long wait for a buyer. Then almost immediately along came us, money in the bank and nowhere to else to live. We had had problems with our own house sale (from82to82.blogspot.com/) and had lost the first house we had decided on - good thing too as We sat for an hour outside the office of the notaire - first of all in a state of high excitement gradually turning to a sort of "well what happens now" feeling as we wondered exactly how long the notaire would wait and what happened next if the vendors didn't turn up at all! This was one year ago today - it all turned out OK in the end, the notaire started without them and eventually they arrived and we left the notaire clutching our keys.We couldn't blame them really - selling their beloved Segala had happened rather more quickly than they had expected and they had had little time to get used to the idea of moving out after putting the house on the market expecting a long wait for a buyer and then along came us money in the bank and nowhere to else to live. We had had problems with our own house sale (from82to82.blogspot.com/) and had lost the first house we had decided on - good thing too as it turned out as Segala was much the better choice for us. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuv-CDr936Z-WkuAQs-cQ4YDeVT8wBBH1MSPjlvrKHhHdsFNn2MqLLM7MWITc9IBMaICclU-cZhc5TIkNOHCkvGWUc-n6TIVsBXpMGwXMznJxbytAGOR29zug92cMKyNw2UlcLSvZ4taf/s1600/October+10+at+Segala+069.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuv-CDr936Z-WkuAQs-cQ4YDeVT8wBBH1MSPjlvrKHhHdsFNn2MqLLM7MWITc9IBMaICclU-cZhc5TIkNOHCkvGWUc-n6TIVsBXpMGwXMznJxbytAGOR29zug92cMKyNw2UlcLSvZ4taf/s320/October+10+at+Segala+069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660722163064271106" border="0"></a>So now Segala was ours but here followed another wait, two days this time, for our furniture which had been in storage for three months, to arrive and then the fun could really begin. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpk1KuX02sjNwaiHNzRp0DFxq6e9D0SJoyG2xXnqyS2HgwmvTzUXBneqdlz0CtOdnwjHzFyOoWL1Gj1ujvjMmc3JZ6eb3uxjlcuwnaFKGSizZrFzflfUyu3D4cukbMl_thWdPC2RL9oZRH/s1600/1282.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpk1KuX02sjNwaiHNzRp0DFxq6e9D0SJoyG2xXnqyS2HgwmvTzUXBneqdlz0CtOdnwjHzFyOoWL1Gj1ujvjMmc3JZ6eb3uxjlcuwnaFKGSizZrFzflfUyu3D4cukbMl_thWdPC2RL9oZRH/s320/1282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660719457168787970" border="0"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0WSVVpY1akVVBY-28DrOvio116enrFRPhyElS7Nkve2JqWqYx0WK_7uDLTAeyIrPqz6nVAonBgOFkUDaZEBhnI8yGZCYaChyphenhyphen3yPdn3P0cZq8yEq-EV2x1QVrdgOibuDp0Rnq74FOliXK/s1600/1290.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0WSVVpY1akVVBY-28DrOvio116enrFRPhyElS7Nkve2JqWqYx0WK_7uDLTAeyIrPqz6nVAonBgOFkUDaZEBhnI8yGZCYaChyphenhyphen3yPdn3P0cZq8yEq-EV2x1QVrdgOibuDp0Rnq74FOliXK/s200/1290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660724330480711938" border="0"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIzI3QrB-Ghr90k722Ey_p6sBEY2pZAgxcNcm9FIRFcn-qMZHboXgm_1Tyr5N0TCNeh4BjkLCUVu5nANsMGRvAKQq_cGqNulztGCQ_Nz1T61jfYmqjgIh7x62LZYhO86wnmOhDvB3CaM8/s1600/1284.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIzI3QrB-Ghr90k722Ey_p6sBEY2pZAgxcNcm9FIRFcn-qMZHboXgm_1Tyr5N0TCNeh4BjkLCUVu5nANsMGRvAKQq_cGqNulztGCQ_Nz1T61jfYmqjgIh7x62LZYhO86wnmOhDvB3CaM8/s200/1284.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660723002590960210" border="0"></a> it turned out as Segala was much the better choice for us.


So now Segala was ours but here followed another wait, two days this time, for our furniture which had been in storage for three months, to arrive and then the fun could really begin.







One year on and we feel as though we've been here much longer. There's been plenty of work, lots of changes and we have many plans to keep us going for some years yet.






I just love the garden and it now feels that we have really made our mark on what was here. A well stocked garden has certainly saved me a fortune but there is always scope for the determined gardener!

The biggest development of all of course has to be the pool - May to August was dominated by its installation. Months of mud and destruction, delays and frustration but eventually , two months behind schedule, it was finished. Thanks to the never ending indian summer we have enjoyed we have been able to get good use out of the pool this year and can look forward to the years to come. We are so glad to have the experience of swimming pool installation behind us and gradually the green is returning where all through the summer there has been a mud mountain. Dealing with the pool company was a nightmare and there were times it did not seem possible that we would have anything but a gert big hole throughout the winter but the finished pool is beautiful. It was definitely the right decision to get it done in the first year - message to anyone thinking about it- never underestimate the destruction of your garden which will be inevitable - at least it wasn't my creation in this case!



The family has grown too. The two of us moved in with two chickens and started to make friends with two farm kittens the previous owners had started feeding. One hitched a ride in a visitors car and disappeared, the other adopted us and moved in. We were too slow prevent her becoming pregnant and before long we had five cats. Although having such a houseful of cats was a bit of a worry it was an education watching Charbonne raise her kittens and we were sorry when she suddenly disappeared never to return ( and that after an expensive spaying operation too!). We managed to find a home for one of the kittens and now we have three lucky black cats which is manageable - one for each lap and a spare one on the sofa!




So that's it, one year gone already, its been worth waiting for!

the march of time

Oh well - it had to happen - a "significant" birthday. Can't stop the march of time and the mathematics of another year gone! (Our dancing friends appreciated the croix occitane on my birthday cake)

Whilst I am not keen on many of the results of aging, it is worth remembering that its only because of the luxury of retirement at an age when there is still time to embark on new enterprises that we are here living la vie francaise.

It is almost a year since we left England, at that time without a French home to go to, in some ways it seems so much longer than that as we feel so much at home. We certainly have no regrets about our decision to come.

What do we miss from England?

• sitting in the pub with friends after clogging practice (and the beer)
• my hairdresser
• decent garden centres
• j cloths ( brought back a year's supply on my last visit to England)

Other than these not much else other than our friends. Family, who did not live near us in England, we are seeing as often as we did and travelling back to England for visits is really easy.


The list on the plus side is just too long. We are loving the weather, living in the countryside, the lack of traffic, the food, the lifestyle in general. Our new house and garden is just what we were looking for and we are enjoying our projects to make it "ours". Getting involved with traditional music and dance has been great for us , we have lots of new friends and Trevor is being able to extend his musical repetoire including learning a new instrument.

The one thing which would improve things for me ( apart from the above list) would be being able to speak better French. Day to day stuff like shopping is ok but the general banter of conversation is more of a challenge as the subject keeps changing. The local accent round these parts ( think Geordie) doesn't help either! I really must look into some lessons after the summer.



On other matters the kittens are thriving - unfortunately still all here and causing havoc - we have banished them to outside most of the time as their antics were wrecking the kitchen. Charbonne ( mother cat) is booked in for spaying next week - better late than never!

half a year on

This week marks six months of us living here at Ségala - time to take a breath and pinch ourselves to check its all for real!

We have had an incredibly busy six months and become regulars at the local Mr Bricolage as we worked on making Ségala our own. We were lucky that apart from the new ceiling beam and bedroom floor the major works on the house were done by the previous owners who created a lovely home out of a basic barn building. All we have had to do is work on changing things like the lighting and kitchen to put our own touches.




The garden too was beautiful and well stocked with plants which it has been fun to watch springing into life with the warmer weather. I have moved many of them and with each small change the garden feels more like mine. The greenhouse was an unexpected bonus and it is currently crammed with plants and seedlings ready for planting out.








Winter in this area was a new experience - we had been here in November and February for short visits but not for extended periods. It turned out to be more lively than I had expected - clubs etc actually mostly run in the winter months ( our dancing classes for instance will finish this week for the summer)- there were lots of dances to go to and we have met lots of people and generally led a more sociable life than usual. We had to get used to being without central heating and a stone house can take some warming up but log fires and efficient radiators and gas stoves have kept us cosy. Despite some cold spells, frost and snow its not been as cold as we are used to and there have even been occasional lunches in the garden. Its also been blissfully short - here we are at the start of April and it feels like summer already.

Best of all has been our success in getting involved with traditional music and dancing in the area - TC has been able to extend his repetoire and we have met lots of people with common interests which helps to reduce any language barrier.

We love Villefranche which is our nearest town ( only 20 minutes drive away and so different from the traffic and hassle of the drive through Longton and Fenton! ) and visit its brilliant market every Thursday. Today we drove to Bruniquel to visit our little holiday house ( next issue is getting that sold) - a beautiful drive along the Aveyron gorge. The countryside is turning greener every day and as Easter gets closer the holiday businesses are sprucing themselves up and getting ready for the arrival of the summer visitors - glad I'm not one of those any longer!

Now we are looking forward to welcoming our own summer visitors - hopefully there will be plenty - to be able to share this corner of paradise we are lucky enough to call home.