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Eurovision et le français
I'll admit to only a passing interest in the Eurovision Song Contest, (seriously, go look if you haven't before.) but this gem on Twitter speaks volumes.
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Normandy - More than just Bryan Adams
Admittedly the North Shore has been home to at least a handful of well known and/or respected musicians, not the least of which are Bryan Adams, Sook-Yin Lee, and of course the legendary Al Neil. Still though it's hardly a hotbed of music thrills. North Vancouver has
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Is France METAL?
I will admit to a fondness for Ace of Spades, although a lot of Speed Metal and Death Metal doesn't really do it for me. So it's probably a good thing that France has relatively few Metal bands per capita. And where is Canada in the
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Normandy Quiet and North Vancouver Noise
Earlier today I was hiking a back trail, high above the Ballantree Trail in West Vancouver. I was high enough up that I almost couldn’t hear the traffic on the Upper Levels highway below. I was reminded of the nearly constant wall of noise and sound that surrounds us
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Fiats and Hi-viz Vests
One of the projects over the last couple of weeks has been investigating whether it's possible or sensible to take our red Fiat Turbo with us to France. On one hand selling this car just to buy a new one over there seems like a hassle, but on
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Let There be Light!
At 11:36 am last Monday North Vancouver moved from the endless rainy season to bright, warm, sparking sunshine. Yes, it was that dramatic, and immediately the mood of everyone on the North Shore improved by about 110%. This week has reminded me that one other thing that I want
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I've Got the Power!
If you're moving to another country you need to figure out which electronics you will bring. Here in Canada we like 120v 60hz power with this plug. France though uses 230v 50hz and these plugs. What freaks me out is the voltage. For sixty years 120v is "
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What Makes a Home Even Sweeter?
Writing this blog has caused me to spend time thinking about the places where I've lived, and the things that made each home special. To the list above I'll add a few more things. A big, deep bathtub. I don't know who invented those
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What Makes a Home Sweet Home?
Top floor was ours, above a special effects shop. Over the years I've lived in many places, in two countries, and have pretty much figured out what I like in a home. I've owned, rented, and borrowed places and understand that no home is absolutely perfect.
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Baby steps in Normandy
Today we went from just spending hours poring over property listings on the Internet, and actually emailed an agent immobilier in Normandy. We have just begun our search online and this property is EXACTLY what we're looking for. We aren't quite ready to make an offer
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You're leaving North Vancouver?! For FRANCE?!
When we tell people that we're planning to pull up stakes and move to Normandy we get one of two reactions. Your specific gîte may not be exactly as illustrated. About half of time we're told "Oh wow! That's exciting!" Followed quickly
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The Journey Begins
Thank you Wordpress for titling the default blog entry so perfectly. This is indeed the beginning of a new journey. For a year or two, and certainly since the election of Donald Trump, we've been considering our options for the next phase of our lives. We're