Rivers Edge Blog
BA provides the missing travel link from Surrey, Suffolk and Kent in the UK
British Airways new direct summer flights from London Gatwick to Limoges Limoges Airport, (Bellegarde), situated in the Limousin region bordering on the Charente, has come a long way in the last 10 years, graduating from small temporary buildings for a terminal to an...
John Surtees CBE
Photo by Nic Redhead (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons March 10th saw the demise of a Motorcycle and Car racing legend. John Surtees CBE. John Surtees died at the age of 83 on the 10th March. He was much more of a local hero to me and many of my...
Everything you always wanted to know about tomatoes but were afraid to ask…
It is the time of the year to think about growing, eating, buying one of natures most wonderful and healthiest and certainly the most popular vegetable. Or is it a Fruit? For most people around the world it is classed as a Fruit, well actually it is also a Berry which...
The Ides of March are come!
It was the Romans who coined the name for March by calling it Mars, (Martius in Latin) after the Roman God of War. Looking at what is ahead of us this month the naming of it this year could be quite apt. For the Romans it was the first month of the year. It seems to...
How to get a Doctor in France
Last time we gave you an idea of how the French health system works and what you will need if you intend to live in France permanently. In this article we have information on how to get a Doctor. It is worth considering asking your doctor in the UK before you leave if...
Everything’s Oak-ay
We could hardly contain our excitement when preparing for the next, crucial stage of the build. It was autumn 2006. At long last the first floor level was going to be put in place. It was certainly not a job for amateurs. Susie had insisted we use Oak, Only oak. Oak...
You’ve Got To Have A Dream
You have got to have a Dream, If you haven’t got a Dream, How you gonna make a dream come true? Many of our more curious visitors and interested guests comment on how beautiful the Moulin is but ask us, how or why, we came to the decision to buy a derelict water mill...
Many steps forward – One big step back
Living on the rivers edge Part 3 The Moulin renovation was progressing. We had already survived numerous trauma’s but we had reached a great milestone in the works. A beautiful tiled new roof had transformed the building giving it a hint of what was to become. It...
The French Health Service
Amid the furore, excitement and packing for those preparing to make that permanent move to France there always remains a few deep seated worries of moving to another country. One of those high on the list will be the issue of healthcare. You will have done your...
The best Christmas present – ever
We British are quite mad about our pets. We look after them and cosset them just like children, sometimes more than our children. But then, what we get back from them is unconditional love. All we have to do is feed them and give them the occasional titbit,...
Lines of Thought
You know what it is like when you are busy, the more you have to do the more it all piles up on you and, somehow, as so often happens, when you have so much to do, you find so many little distractions and obstacles that get in your way, destined to slow you down....
Camping or Glamping?
We learnt a new word this week. Well, not surprising really. We are English people in a foreign country, France, so you would expect us to pick up new words all the time. But, this new word is not French. It may not even be English although it sounds English if there...
Just call me Lucky
I have been an accident just waiting to happen all of my life! It started at the age of 3/4 when I grasped the heating coil of an old electric fire just after it had been switched on. Had I been born a cat I would have probably be on my third x 9 ‘lifetime’, by now....
Nature’s most incredible phenomenon
Photo: http://birding140.comOne of the greatest of natural sights in France and other places in Europe including parts of Southern England happens twice every year. Heralding the onset of spring and the colder weather of autumn it is a source of great excitement...
Reality or How (not) to rebuild an ancient French Water Mill
Living on the rivers edge - part 2 We had fallen in love with a derelict watermill and a totally overgrown garden area. But, we had looked past the dereliction and seen a property with a wonderful, grand character and amazing grounds set on a river. This, just walking...
Pedal Power
Cycling around France is a great way to explore the countryside. You can do it at your own pace, stop when you like, have a picnic and, if you avoid the busy towns and cities, then you almost have the roads to yourself. A number of our guests bring their own bikes to...
That cow Mathilde!
Mathilde lived opposite the rear of our Moulin just over the other side of the river. The problem was that she preferred our place to her own and took it upon herself to visit-often! It’s not that we are anti social. When you make the move to another country with...
Football Crazy, Football Mad
We have to admit it-we are all football mad in our house. We are just passionate about the beautiful game. It does not really matter who is playing as long as it is a good game. There is the odd down side of course. Jody, our operatic Parrot who also likes football,...
You take the High Road; I’ll take the Town road
Some visitors assume that French people are not that socially minded. They see all of those houses with closed shutters. The stern look the French sometimes use when seeing strangers. The quiet roads and lanes where you rarely see people walking. On occasion the...
A Good Luck Charm-with a dark side!
May Day Muguet. A tradition in France which goes back to the 1500s is the giving to friends, family and loved ones a sprig of muguet, (Lily of the Valley), on the 1st of May. Said to be started when some were presented to Charles IX and his mother for good luck. The...
The French Invent the Party
Did you know that on the 14th July 1790, France invented the party?Not that anyone realised that at the time. But every year, come the 14th July, not one person in the land ever forgets. You might know it as Bastille Day.This is the most celebrated event throughout...