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Stephen Leitch concludes his cautionary tale of getting a new house built in the Lot. Having waited over a year to get started on the building, the actual construction of the house goes quite smoothly and is actually completed ahead of schedule. Ready to move into? Well not quite, as EDF haven’t yet connected the electricity...
We recently caught up with Nicole Killick at Books and Company in Gourdon and she told us about their popular and expanding reading groups and the Christmas social event in the shop which has the added bonus of a 5% discount on any books purchased.
At the end of December we had a budget review and came to the conclusion that we would really need to tighten our belts if we wanted to get the project finished to the standard we hoped. We haven’t gone too far over budget ...
November and December have been really busy months both work wise and at the barn, so much progress has been made and we are finally starting to see a home emerge!
Another month of good progress in September! Last month you’ll remember we were putting in all the joists for the first floor which was brilliant. The not so brilliant bit ...
By early October the remaining holes for the windows were chopped out and this was one of those times when you really see things pulling together. The added light at ...
All Saint’s Day, November 1st, a public holiday in France, is the eve of All Soul’s Day, a time when our dead are remembered. In the past, a wake was held all night, prayers were said and chestnuts were roasted in the fire then eaten, the belief being that for each one a soul was saved from purgatory...
Grahame Martin, Wine Writer, explains...
"Put simply, Vins de Pays wines are a step up from Vin de Table, and a step down from Vin Délimité de Qualite Supérieure, which, in turn is just..."
If you’re looking for property close to skiing and winter sports facilities, but with summer potential too, then you should focus your search in the eastern Pyrenees mountain area of the Languedoc-Roussillon. Located in the Pyrenees Orientales bordering Spain and Andorra - the Capcir and Cerdagne plateaux are an outdoor pursuits paradise. "Pyrenees Property"
Get organised with our check-list of things to do...
Lot resident Tim Atkins shares some of his research and experiences of trying to decide the best and cheapest way to heat his French home. With tax credits of 50% now being offered on wood burning stoves, together with reduced TVA rates of 5.5% instead of the normal 19.6%, they could be an attractive option…
The recent currency exchange rate fluctuations have reduced the buying power of people moving from the UK to France. But French property is still outstanding value compared to the UK. Sell your detached four-bedroom house in Sussex for £425,000 and see what you could buy in the Lot and Quercy region of southwest France...
Artist and chef Tessa Baker has led a seriously eventful life - from the time she spilled to wine on Lauren Bacall to sailing around the world. Here she describes what brought her to France and how she has found happiness here
You love bringing your dog to France but as soon at he or she sees the car they start to fret and the journey becomes fraught with problems. What can you do? Vet Arielle Griffiths gives some advice...
What do you need to do to integrate and enjoy your new Gallic life? Maggi de Rozario, a Brit who has lived in France since 2002, and who has become so at home here that she has been invited by her local mayor to join in planning her village's future, gives
some advice
Hi again everyone and sorry it‘s been so long since the last update! As anticipated we didn’t actually do anything to the barn through all of July. August however has been a good month.
With two new baby Alpacas (Crias), things seemed to be going well for Deborah and her smallholding. But then there was the mass breakout by the animals and the latest set back is a bad case of "fly-strike"...
A new year and a new start – just what do you do in the garden in January? The answer is probably not a lot, certainly when it is wet underfoot. That’s the time for reviewing what went on last year, what worked and what didn’t...
Having first written an article for FrenchEntrée-LotandQuercy two years ago, Tessa Collier gives us an update on what's has been happening recently - changes in the rental market, sheep farming and her talent for sculpture...
August is when apples and pears start to ripen. Here's how to know if they're ready to eat. Plus what cuttings can be taken now and other seasonal tasks
.JPG "Chateau de Nieuil aerial")
Do you have a favourite place in France where you can get veggie food? Let us know and we will add it to this article so that others can share your experience.
June has turned out to be a good month despite the continuing rain! We have had no further problems with water getting in thank goodness, so we started the month with concrete being poured in the trenches for the foundation walls and in the hangar ready for the workshop ...
Linette and Stuart Smith had never run a restaurant until they moved to Brittany. Over the past year they have learned the hard way what makes a restaurant work - but they have no regrets
The different options and choices that you get when buying off-plan can be bewildering. Here we take a look at what you can and cannot find expect to find when buying in a French new development. For example, if you were expecting a fitted kitchen…
Are your pumpkin plants covered in tiny black bugs? Find out who the culprit is...
That ‘turning point’ that I talked about last month, well it turned out to be more of a roundabout…! We have had a miserable month due to the excessive rain we’ve had. The barn is sat at the bottom of a slight incline and so all the rain coming off the field has been seeping into the barn ...
If you're going to bring your pet to France from the UK it will need to be identichipped. Vet Arielle Griffiths explains what the process involves for your pet and how to get the right kind of micro-chip for travel to France
The Entente Cordiale association, based in Dun-le-Palestel is open to all nationalities, its aim to help people of all nationalities integrate into French society by organising activities,projects and social outings.
The days are getting longer and the woods are full of catkins and lime-green hellebores. The breezes are softer and the sun warms your soul. Spring is in the air. The soups and casseroles of winter are banished for another eight months. Or are they? How can you construct a decent salad with the sort of half-ripe, totally flavourless tomatoes available at this time of year...
