Well as many of you will know I have been left in France whilst Ben goes back to the UK to sort a few things out. So now I have a decent amount of time on my hands I will start to tell all about France. First - yes it is everything I hoped it would be - it is as exasperating, bureaucratic, beautiful, fascinating and incomprehensible (and I don’t mean the language!) as expected. And we have definitely made the right move - especially if the recent UK weather forecasts are correct!! Anyway I have been pestered for more details [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well being the spontaneous people we are we spent the weekend in Pamplona, Spain. The day started off with a nice quiet trip to St Jean Pied de Port planned for a spot of Sunday lunch but the lure of Spain only a stones throw away was a little too much - Spain being one of the countries that I have never actually visited. So I was in the bizarre position of being told stuff I didn't know by Ben - this is a rarity! As we dropped over the Pyrenees the sun started to blaze and the landscape became considerably [View Full Entry]

---

---

We have discovered that the cusine in this area of France is heavily duck influenced. We are bombarded every mealtime with more and more fantastic recipies for our feathered friend. They come in all shapes and sizes, from packets to cans, sliced onto salad or converted to the local speciality foie gras, there isn't much that can't be done with a duck. My favourite so far is duck saucisson with a lightly peppered outter layer. They eat duck the same way we would eat chicken in the UK. It is everywhere. Not that I'm complaining, it's just that myself and helen [View Full Entry]

---

---

I am currently sat at a computer at what has become our local bar watching the interesting and amusing site of Ben struggling to hold a conversation with a drunk french local with a very strong basque accent - I think it is one of those moments where you need to be here but trust me the agony on Ben's face is wonderful - especially as the said Basque keeps on bursting into Spanish Folk songs at the drop on a hat... Even the barman has a pained expression. But this is what has become of our lives - we have [View Full Entry]

---

---

The word habitable means something along the lines of being able to live in. It seems in France that a habitable house is just that, you can live in it. You can also live in cardboard boxes, tents, mud huts, corrugated iron roofed shanty’s, some would say in some countries you could also live under the stars. All of the latter options would be more suitable than some of the ‘habitable’ houses we have seen. Got to give the immobilliers 'A for effort' in their marketing of these properties. We have however found one or two gems in amongst the merde, [View Full Entry]

---

---

We have eventually made it to Naverrenx in the south of France with a mended Cornelius!! The town here is beautifully - photos to follow and we have started viewing houses - the majority of which would have linda barker and lawrence llewyn bowen (sp) in a state of esctacy about the atrocious interior decor (again photos to follow!!). You all would have been so proud of me - I didn't point and laugh once - not even at the truly dreadful wax wall hangings - again photos need to be seen!!! We have found a great campsite, run by an [View Full Entry]

---

---

Châtellerault day 2! Diagnosis is good for Cornelius, he has broken his rear suspension, and parts should be here today and fitted by tomorrow lunch, we will then be able to continue our journey south. This means that we are once again held captive in Châtellerault by it’s numerous restaurants their pre-fixed menus and pitchers of vin rose - such a hard life!!! We both feel totally relaxed today and there is nothing it seems that could cause our stress levels to rise. We have had a couple of lovely long walks around the centre ville, not another English speaking person [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well we finally departed the shores of blighty, after a lovely meal with Emma (as she called it the last supper!) we pootled down a almost deserted motorway towards Dover for our 2am ferry. we arrived on schedule and parked up on a chilly tuesday morning. Our ferry dumped it's cargo and we embarked feeling very tired yet very awake. Our boat left the harbour and the twinkling lights of dover slowly faded into the cold english night. Slowly ahead of us new lights began to shine through an equally cold dark french morning. Curling up on benches and a floor [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well as the song goes "my bags are packed and I'm ready to go..." except that our Jetplane is actually a 1.3 Ford Ka - not quite as impressive but what is is the amount of stuff that we have managed to fit into the Ka named Cornelius. We have the tent - which we shall call home for the next 10 weeks, inflatable mattress, sleeping bags, duvet, camping stove, lantern, crockery, cutlery, kettle, saucepan, table and chairs, pillows, fire extinguisher (well Ben will be cooking occasionally!!!), and of course a change of clothes or two. We have also to Ben's [View Full Entry]

---

---

Early in 2006, jan 2nd in fact, Ben and I decided that is was time to take a gamble and change our current way of life and sell up and quit jobs in the UK and move to the South West of France! For those new to the Honisett's, here is a bit of a background check. Ben Honisett - 31(Greyer than desired) Ben has worked for Dunwoody Marketing for nearly a decade climbing the internal ladder until last April when he was made General Manager of his department. Although having worked 14 hours a day 5 days a week for [View Full Entry]

---

---