Cottage & Countryside Living
a weekly journal
Bon dimanche!
Another week has flown by and we’ve been non-stop since we came here getting all the bits & pieces we need to get done per our visas to house hunting (more on that below). So here’s what we’ve been up to this week in the countryside:
Lundi (Monday): our visas were officially registered via the app. FYI: what no one tells you when you apply for the visa & get approved that you have another fee when registering once you are here. It was another 220 euros for each of us. But at least we are in the system and now we wait. The French Immigration Office will reach out to us regarding our visas, schedule a medical checkup and test us for language skills. And we need to be flexible so when they say it’s tomorrow, everything else gets cancelled so we can go see them. Then we ran some errands for the cottage including getting new energy efficient radiators. The ones that are here are from the 90’s and not good. Hubby is installing them this week. We also squeezed in another house viewing. We were very optimistic going into seeing it but quickly realized it was not for us.
Mardi (Tuesday): My paint samples from Little Greene Paint Co. arrived! I was so excited to finally get them so we could start planning the kitchen makeover. We’ve narrowed it down to Rolling Fog #271 for all the walls & trim and that will carry through the main living space of the cottage. For the base cabinets, we chose Eturia #326. I plan to hunt for some vintage wood storage for the upper parts. We’re still deciding on a contractor for the project and still waiting on estimates (devis). We had a house viewing scheduled but ended up canceling after reviewing the specs one more time. Plus it was a little further away than we wanted to be.
Mercredi (Wednesday): another rainy day in Normandy. It feels like we went from New England winter snow to Normandy winter rains. Got our estimate for stone for the road in front of our cottage. Luckily our neighbors want to go in on splitting the cost so we both can get to our cottages. Then we headed out to visit 2 more houses. The first one reminded me of a bit of a dollhouse and a bidet in the entry hall was rather unique (lol). Although it could have worked for us with the size, layout and the land, it was literally right next to the road which was a main through way of not only the village but a major trucking route. So sadly that was a no. The next house was in a quiet location at the end of road. It was a cute Normandie style longere home. It had been updated in some areas but not in others but the long and short of it: overpriced and no view. So sadly another one bites the dust.
Jeudi (Thursday): after 2 failed attempts by Fedex to deliver to us (that in itself deserves it’s own post), I drove an hour to the Fedex facility in Caen to get the package we had been waiting for since we arrived in France: the check for the sale of our house. Then it was back to the cottage to gather up the kitties to take them to their new vet. All pets need to be entered into the national database within 8 days of arrival. Luckily our new vet squeezed us in. All the kitties did very well with the check-ups and their paperwork (times 4) were entered. Now we await their id cards and then they will receive their EU passport. Yes you heard me right…their very own passports.
Vendredi (Friday): Another filled day- we had some trades people come by to quote the kitchen remodel. Then headed to the Chateau to meet Jean-Francois in person and finalize some details for my May Normandy Retreat. (I’m now taking bookings for the Fall Retreat.) It’s such a beautiful & quaint chateau in the village of Isigny-du-buat. If that name sounds familiar, it’s the village where the factory for President Brie is made. This is cheese country after all!
Samedi (Saturday): today was a roller coaster of emotions. It started at a house that we were viewing for a 2nd time. We had a few more questions about the property and wanted to see if the feeling we had was still there when we viewed it again. Well… it was. We officially put in an offer so now we wait to see if it is accepted. Then it was off to the phone store to get a a French phone number. Next we went car shopping. We thought we found a car but ran into a bit of an issue with one dealership but we think it was a communication issue. Hoping to get that settled next week.
Today is Sunday and I’m glad it’s a day of rest because after this past week I actually we both needed it. The power went out this morning due to the storm so we started a fire in the fireplace for warmth, lit a bunch of candles and snuggled with the kitties under the blankets until the sun came up & the wind and rain continued. It’s all good now but learning to go with the flow when that happens is something I am learning to handle. It’s also got me thinking about having a “just in case” kit hear at the cottage for guests and what we will do in our own home if it happens which I am told it does. So now I’m enjoying a glass of Pommeau (a regional aperitif: kind of like an Apple port), binge watching Lupin on Netflix and enjoying the fire with the hubby & the kitties. Life feels good here and the dream is slowly but surely coming true.
Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!
à bientôt- Jenna
Sunday Saves
Things that caught my eye this week….
Laduree & Estee Lauder have teamed up for a limited edition release. Sadly the lip oil is sold out in the US but is still available in France. However the lipstick collaboration is available everywhere.
Collecting Vintage Pitchers via Cottages & Bungalows magazine. I’m looking to have a huge selection of vintage pitcher available to buy at my flower farm stand and on my online shop.
My Instagram friend Jeanne Bergeron was featured on the Redfin website for her Parisian decor style.
Tarte à l’Oignon Alsacienne recipe via Pardon Your French. I cannot wait to have an oven back so I can make yummy goodies like this!
Winter Skin Secrets: French Beauty Rituals for Cold Weather via My French Country Home
A love letter to French supermarkets (plus a definitive list of what to buy when there) I will say this about moving to France- we go to the market way more than we did in the states for a few reasons. First, our fridge at the cottage is small…very small so we can only fit so much. Second, we are eating differently than we were in the states. Lighter meals but that make us feel fuller. And lastly, we are only buying what we need when we need it.
Are you thinking of moving to France like us? Here is a great guide book I found on Amazon (after the fact of course) that will help you save A LOT of time and money. I occasionally reference it now when I am not sure on something.
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à bientôt- Jenna
Should be good light inside with windows that size -- fingers crossed for the offer!