Our French Life - When!!
I was asked today when did my love of France first start, I had to think for a moment but then realised it was easy, 20 years or so ago there was a special offer in one of the National papers - Sail to France for £1 so we looked into it and I think in reality for a car and 4 passengers it was about £19 all told, so we suggested it to a couple of friends who were up for it and booked a long weekend.
I remember telling my Mother who was totally against all things French (no idea why) other than my family name was French, maybe there was some long ago dark secret that I have yet to find out about,who know's but this dislike of all things French had sort of rubbed off on me so my expectations were quite low.
We set sail on an overnight Ferry and found we had a cabin in the bowels of this massive boat which I did not like at all as it was just after the Zebrugge disaster so would have been 1988 ish and I never slept a wink all night, looking constantly to see if the water was coming under the door (I am still a bit like that now). it was a very long night.
We docked at Cherbourg and waited what seemed like ages to get off the boat, then when we did something magical happened, I was walking around in silence, something John was not used to, he asked was I alright several times and eventually I said "something happened to me when I stepped onto French soil - it feels like I have come home" this is where I feel I belong, John thought I had completely lost it but that feeling has never gone away and I knew from that day that France was supposed to be my home and that I had to make it so no matter what,they say your real roots tug at you like a magnet, maybe this is where my roots originated, needless to say my Mother was not amused but slowly I whittled away at the project that was -> how to get to France <- it wasn't until after she passed away that I really set to work on finding our home and by 2001 we had found it and bought it, spending every holiday possible here making it more and more comfortable, moving here full time in 2009, It is the best move we have ever made, it wasn't always plain sailing (Pardon the pun) and if you are thinking of doing the same there will be a lot of planning to get it right but if it is meant to be it will happen, never ever give up on your dream.
