France

One of the loveliest things about our 6 month adventure in France is the sheer number of beautiful little medieval towns that we’ve had the pleasure of visiting and taking pictures of. We’ve also had the bonus of seeing these places during the autumn and winter – there were very few tourists in each place. Galan, Pyrenees The first thing we usually notice when we pull up to places like this is the relaxed atmosphere. No one seems to be in a hurry, not even the tourists. Small cafes, as in the rest of France, can be found in every nook and cranny. We so often see crooked buildings that lean so far over the street they almost convince you that they’re about to topple over. Noyers, Burgundy Often, just when you think you’ve fully...

In preparation for our arrival to Paris, we’ve been listing some of the things we’re most looking forward to doing in the city. As bad luck would have it, Rachel will be arriving on the 14th and I’ll follow her up north the next day. We won’t be spending Valentine’s day together so it’s only fair we take full advantage of the city of romance during our 1 month stay. Naturally I’m excited by the photographic opportunities in the city. The rain in Burgundy has been relentless for 6 weeks. If I ever hear a French person complain about English weather I will have solid evidence that France is every bit as bad during this time of the year! Even if the weather is as dull and grey in Paris as it has been here, there’s still...

In 5 days we’ll be saying goodbye to our three little friends, Byron, Bijou & Poppy. We’ve had a wonderful time so far. As our first house sit draws to a close, our entire concept of what it is to be a house sitter has changed. The biggest pleasure of house sitting is that for the briefest of time, and in the most shallow of ways, we get to experience a life that we couldn’t conceive of. In the evenings we take the dogs for a walk, and say ‘bonjour’ to the farmer walking through the vineyards. If the weather permits, we sit out on the veranda and enjoy a glass of wine in the silence of solitude. Having said that, we knew there’d be demands on us, and we knew that it would be our responsibility to take care of everything,...

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally here, in France, on our first house sit. Those of you who follow my daily journal will know that the house turned out to be a lot bigger than we expected. The owners have poured their heart and soul into it – it’s fitting of an episode of Grand Designs. bathroom It’s intensely modern, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The main part of the house is open plan, stylish, and extremely shiny. The guest side, while full of modern sleekness, also contains much of the old character of the building it was in its former life. What all of this means is that it’s a lot of responsibility. We must keep things clean and orderly. This is no easy challenge when you’ve got two Bernese...

2 and a half years in Asia…it’s incredible how quickly the time has passed. We have only 2 more months in Indonesia before our brief return home and then our eventual move to France. Preparations are underway to map out our 6 week journey around Indonesia. But further than that, we’re trawling house sitting sites for accommodation in France. So far we’ve come up with nothing. The demand far outweighs supply. The other problem is that we haven’t house sat before. Without references from owners of homes we’ve looked after, it’s very difficult to gain the trust of prospective home owners. We won’t be undone, of course. House sitting is by the far the most financially viable option, but there are other avenues we could...