Inside the cottage.

The cottage has modern conveniences like hot water, electricity, a modern kitchen and bathroom. but it is the qualities of the ancient structure that i love. Lke this breakfast nook.

















And the grand cheminee.
















Kyrie and Smudgy like it too.

The house next door.

The house next door. (detail)

















Another view























And another.

Closer to home.

Kyrie leads the way. She and the cat have adjusted amazingly well.











There's our place on the left















As you can see it is an ancient structure, probably 300 years
old. It used to be a potter's cottage.
















The stonework is amazing.

The view down on our little hamlet.

From the road above leading to the little hamlet where cottage is located there is a nice view of our temporary home.








To mark the turn down to the ha,let there is an old cross. These are commonnly found along the country roads.













As we get closer you can see our cottage, the second house from the right.

Brebis as we started walking home.

Bonjour everyone, A 15 minute walk from the county cottage where I am staying I dropped off the car at the local mechanique for some work. I love walking on these old roads lined with ancient stone walls.



kyrie and I began walking back to our house and right away she found something new to her smellosphere, flocks of sheep, called 'brebis" here.




She didn't know whether to chase them or run away. I put her on the leash to keep her out of trouble while we passed them.









Even in winter there are babies. They are so cute. When driving one must be patient because often the brebis wander on to the road and do not seem bothered to hurry off the road just because you want to get by.

French Consulate in San Francisco

I reached a big milestone in my goal of living in France when I went for a long stay visa application appointment on September 16 at the French Consulate in San Francisco. Everything went well, but it was nothing like I imagined it would be. I was nervous and over-prepared. I had been practicing possible conversations in french, worrying about my attire and whether my fingernails were clean. I imagined a grand french style interior of the consulate where I would be ushered into an elegant office to meet with a haughty scrutinizing french visa officer who would test my ability to speak french, and who would ask me many questions to determine if met France's high cultural standards for acceptance into their superior country. (Yes, I like Chopin and I know the date of Bastille Day). Instead I found an interior as uninspired as any DMV waiting room complete with rows of plastic moulded chairs. When my name was called I went up to a window as personal as any train station ticket window. The Asian woman did not speak to me in french, in fact she didn't even have a french accent, instead speaking English with a heavy Korean (I'm guessing) accent. She listed off the required papers and documents holding out her hand each time to take them from me through the slot in the window. She then ordered me to place my fingers on the electronic fingerprint machine, and next to stand in front of the camera for a photo. Then she told me I was done and that I would receive the visa in the mail in about 10 days.

Here is a photo of the consulate building. I noticed a for lease sign wondering if they decided they needed a different building with at least some french architecture like a very large entry door or decorative plaster. It is, however, well placed, located next door to a very culturally fitting building, L'Eglise Notre Dame des Victoires.

Herculean Task

My New Year's resolution for 2009 was to spend the year working towards the goal of living in France. Rather than be overwhelmed by the work required I have tried to simply focus on one task after another that needs doing. For example I have researched and obtained the regulated size and type of kennel necessary to fly my Alaskan Malamute, Kyrie. I have researched the visa requirements and have started the checklist by renewing my passport. But by far the most difficult
aspect has been working on my house to improve and upgrade it so that it can provide me with rental income.

Since this prospect is being done on a shoestring budget I must do the work myself. I did have some help in the kitchen installing a dishwasher and remodeling the cabinets to fit it. Otherwise I did all of the work in the bathroom and kitchen improvements alone. But I forgot to take "before" pictures. Now I am working on repairing and painting the exterior. This time I did remember to take before pictures, so here they are.