Pom in France (how do you like dem apples??)

[gus3049]

Hi all,

I have migrated here on the advice of a friend. The politics, bad vibes and general atmosphere in the UK forums have driven me both to distraction and finally - away. Hopefully, this will be a friendly, interesting and informative place.

The only training I have in woodwork is related to musical instruments, I have made guitars all my life but finally learnt how to do it properly fairly late in life. My main interest now is woodturning but I still get involved in antique repairs (er...and making:o)

Professionally, before I retired (in theory) I made and installed kitchens, doors, windows etc and made furniture. I now spend my days working on our rambling house here in France, enjoying the local product of the grape and making lots of woodshavings for the chickens and cats.

We grow most of our own food and enjoy our village community which feels a bit like the UK did when I was young. A sense of belonging, being responsible for each other and actually treating each other as human beings rather than statistics. Before I left the UK, it was beginning to feel like somewhere I no longer knew or wanted to be part of - perhaps the forums just reflect this.

Anyway, I look forward to some community here.

[mattocks]

Welcome Gus, I think you'll find a pretty friendly and knowledgeable bunch here.
South west France is not to shabby a spot to find yourself in, slightly envious about your move.
Spent a month based there during the '07 rugby world cup. ( no reminder of the 1/4 final necessary, Thanks)
Great weather, great wine and food and I found the locals pretty friendly as well.
I hope your move is all you want it.

Welcome again

Frank

[gus3049]

Welcome Gus, I think you'll find a pretty friendly and knowledgeable bunch here.
South west France is not to shabby a spot to find yourself in, slightly envious about your move.
Spent a month based there during the '07 rugby world cup. ( no reminder of the 1/4 final necessary, Thanks)
Great weather, great wine and food and I found the locals pretty friendly as well.
I hope your move is all you want it.

Welcome again

Frank

Thanks for your welcome Frank.

The weather, like all things, is changing a little. This year has been wet some of the time and roasting the rest. Still a great place to live though.

[Christos]

Welcome to the forum.

I hope you do find these forums friendly as generally people are.

[Jonzjob]

Hi Gus, good to see you down here mate!!

Wot 'apples'?:oo:

[gus3049]

Hi Gus, good to see you down here mate!!

Wot 'apples'?:oo:

Le Poms,le poms!!!

I know you can't spell so I assumed you wouldn't notice:q

[Jonzjob]

Oh dear! What have I done :o:C

[crowie]

G'Day & Welcome "Down Under" Gus,
Sounds like a nice place to live but I don't have a word of french.
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork.
Cheers for "On Top Down Under" Crowie

[gus3049]

G'Day & Welcome "Down Under" Gus,
Sounds like a nice place to live but I don't have a word of french.
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork.
Cheers for "On Top Down Under" Crowie

Hi Crowie,

Thanks for your welcome.

I'll do my best to find some more pics, you will find a few on here already!!

[JJF]

Welcome to the forum :2tsup:

[gus3049]

Welcome to the forum :2tsup:

Thanks for the welcome.

Which bit of France are you in??

[munruben]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

[cadas]

Welcome.

I was a Pom in France until a couple of years ago, living the dream and running my own cabinet making workshop in the limousin.

I can make oak staircases in my sleep..!

[gus3049]

Welcome.

I was a Pom in France until a couple of years ago, living the dream and running my own cabinet making workshop in the limousin.

I can make oak staircases in my sleep..!

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome. If you were living the dream, why did you wake up? I would need a very good reason to leave here. Maybe there is something further down south that equals it??

[gus3049]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Hello John,

Many thanks.

[JJF]

Thanks for the welcome.
Which bit of France are you in??

I live close to Toulouse, to Albi :U

[gus3049]

I live close to Toulouse, to Albi :U

Hmm,

Looks pretty good. So, we have you with a cathedral town, Jonzjob down in Carcassonne with 'undreds of castles and you have us.........well we have a chicken house or two and a very impressive greenhouse (yes i did build it).

There is a chatux in a local small town and a folly about five kilometres away. It was extended by a couple of French guys. They also extended themselves. Too far as it turns out and went resoundingly bust before it was finished. So most of it is just a facade. Only the original house has a front, back and sides. Most of the roof is still there. The council have just taken it over so it may be restored to its intended glory and be right famous all over this part of France.
236667

Apart from that its just village life, very peaceful and hopefully, perfect for a couple of old codgers in retirement.

[Jonzjob]

Being as it's show us time here is a nice site that shows Carcassonne. It really is an exceptional place and we get loads of you 'down under' guys up here looking around and holidaying on the Canal du Midi.

Carcassonne - A guide to the city (http://www.creme-de-languedoc.com/Languedoc/city-guides/carcassonne.php)

That is one heck of a cathedrial in Albi init JJF. Buils at the end of the Albigensian Cruisade to show just how powerful the Catholic church was then. That cruisade was a very nasty time for the Cathars weren't it!

An impressive little house there Gus! I'm surprised you haven't volounteered to do it for them free of charge mate :? If I may, I will make a suggestion about the photo. It looks as if it's several stitched together? If it is and you used the auto exposure settings on your camera the light can change as you pan, so it's a good idea to put it on the manual setting and use the setting that you get on one of the auto exposures. that way, as you pan the setting stays the same and the photos will all have the same shade of sky. Sorry if I'm teaching you to suque les œufs mate :D

[gus3049]

If I may, I will make a suggestion about the photo. It looks as if it's several stitched together? If it is and you used the auto exposure settings on your camera the light can change as you pan, so it's a good idea to put it on the manual setting and use the setting that you get on one of the auto exposures. that way, as you pan the setting stays the same and the photos will all have the same shade of sky. Sorry if I'm teaching you to suque les œufs mate :D

I just press the little button the top John. I will not get into the sort of exposure I know about:no:

[Jonzjob]

What? A bit like this???

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Blondcamera.jpg

:o:o:o

[cadas]

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome. If you were living the dream, why did you wake up? I would need a very good reason to leave here. Maybe there is something further down south that equals it??

I didn't want to wake up I assure you...

My customer base was 80% expat an 20% local meaning I was heavily reliant on UK and Dutch clients. Despite being French speaking I was English and viewed with deep suspicion by the locals.

Any how, the reason for leaving was that after four years I could no longer afford to support my (predominantly) British clientele who couldn't understand why I wasn't 'living their dream' and actually wanted to be paid for the work I had done and that matched the devis they had accepted.

Typical scenario;

Excited email asking for quote for hand made solid oak stair case... Go measure, issue quote, quote accepted but no deposit. Forget quote.

3 months later, frantic call 'we are coming down next month, sorry about deposit, have transferred money yesterday, need staircase. Only there for two weeks'

So, get wood, make staircase, bugger up other job in process.

Confirm with client, balance on installation.

Day of install, have you got money ...'yes, of course'

Install stair, happy..'yes'...money...'err just got to go to bank'

...'problem at bank, will transfer money when we get home...'

And so when someone offered me a job in Dubai I decided I had no choice but to leave France.

I deeply love the country and will get back soon, and, I'm pretty sure we will retire there in 15 years.

[gus3049]

I didn't want to wake up I assure you...

My customer base was 80% expat an 20% local meaning I was heavily reliant on UK and Dutch clients. Despite being French speaking I was English and viewed with deep suspicion by the locals.

Any how, the reason for leaving was that after four years I could no longer afford to support my (predominantly) British clientele who couldn't understand why I wasn't 'living their dream' and actually wanted to be paid for the work I had done and that matched the devis they had accepted.



That sounds all too familiar. However, I have been lucky enough to be accepted by the French in spite of being deaf and hardly speaking any French!!! The Brits have, on average, been terrible, but there have been enough good ones to mean survival. Fortunately, my wife runs a Rose nursery so we haven't had to rely on my income alone.

Now I am getting a pension, the pressure is off a bit.

Hope you do make it back here.

[cadas]

Don't get me wrong, I was well accepted by the French, most of our good friends were local, generally farmers and being an artisan I was accepted by other trades. Plus, I could hold my own in the tabac.

It was when it came to business was the issue. One example was a lovely old lady from the town I had my workshop, wanted a new front door. My quote at 1000 euro was a little bit lower than the 2800 quoted by my French competitor in the next village. And he was only 27, not like he had been there years.

She went to him, and was kind enough to come and apologize, but she wasn't sure I really understood how to make French doors.

[gus3049]

Don't get me wrong, I was well accepted by the French, most of our good friends were local, generally farmers and being an artisan I was accepted by other trades. Plus, I could hold my own in the tabac.

It was when it came to business was the issue. One example was a lovely old lady from the town I had my workshop, wanted a new front door. My quote at 1000 euro was a little bit lower than the 2800 quoted by my French competitor in the next village. And he was only 27, not like he had been there years.

She went to him, and was kind enough to come and apologize, but she wasn't sure I really understood how to make French doors.

I had that problem with French Widows:U

Strange lot the French though, they actually expect to pay properly for stuff. I actually had one customer ask for a proper quote as mine was too cheap for what he knew I would produce. He thought I was doing him a favour and wouldn't accept it.

[pmcgee]

Hi all,

I have migrated here on the advice of a friend. The politics, bad vibes and general atmosphere in the UK forums have driven me both to distraction and finally - away. Hopefully, this will be a friendly, interesting and informative place.

The only training I have in woodwork is related to musical instruments, I have made guitars all my life but finally learnt how to do it properly fairly late in life. My main interest now is woodturning but I still get involved in antique repairs (er...and making:o)

Professionally, before I retired (in theory) I made and installed kitchens, doors, windows etc and made furniture. I now spend my days working on our rambling house here in France, enjoying the local product of the grape and making lots of woodshavings for the chickens and cats.

We grow most of our own food and enjoy our village community which feels a bit like the UK did when I was young. A sense of belonging, being responsible for each other and actually treating each other as human beings rather than statistics. Before I left the UK, it was beginning to feel like somewhere I no longer knew or wanted to be part of - perhaps the forums just reflect this.

Anyway, I look forward to some community here.


I very much like the impression I get of - maybe rural - France ... from Australia ... and I like their old tools :)

How did you choose your location?

Cheers,
Paul

[gus3049]

I very much like the impression I get of - maybe rural - France ... from Australia ... and I like their old tools :)

How did you choose your location?

Cheers,
Paul

Hi Paul,

We just followed the money!!

My wife used to live in this area before she very foolishly decided to meet this wierd bloke she 'met' on the internet. She knew an antique dealer who bought up the local wooden produce and flogged it on eBay. As we needed a) somewhere to live and b) some income, and the dealer needed someone to repair the furniture, it just all fitted together.

I still do some work for him although that is now a very small part of what I do.

I never thought I'd end up in France. That was my sister's thing. Sadly, she died shortly after she moved here.

I have never regretted the move though and we are very happy and settled here. I recommend it. I can't say that the wine is actually much better than what Oz produces (watch the response here from Jonzjob) but it keeps the throat clear of sawdust. Foods not bad either.

[Jonzjob]

Watch it you, or I'll set me dog on you :oo: In my one and only visit to Oz I had some very good wine thank you and went to the Sepelts winerie not far from Melborne and saw where the Prime Ministers wine was stored.. The biggest problem that the French wine producers have is the regulations they have, especially if they produce AOC wines. The grapes can't be mixed or matched from different areas. They have to be from specific vine fields. Some can't even be watered or fettilised.

We had been coming over here on holiday for over 20 years before we moved. It was something we had wanted to do for what seemed like ever. I took early retirement from IBM after screwing up my back at work. Bad reason, but good result because I was able to do exactly what I wanted to do, make wooden toys.

We chose here because it isn't particularly wet or damp. That helps the arthritis in my hands. It's also a lovely place to live.

As for the local wine. We are totally spoiled for choice and they are just so full of sunshine!:2tsup::2tsup:

[gus3049]

Watch it you, or I'll set me dog on you :oo: In my one and only visit to Oz I had some very good wine thank you and went to the Sepelts winerie not far from Melborne and saw where the Prime Ministers wine was stored.. The biggest problem that the French wine producers have is the regulations they have, especially if they produce AOC wines. The grapes can't be mixed or matched from different areas. They have to be from specific vine fields. Some can't even be watered or fettilised.

We had been coming over here on holiday for over 20 years before we moved. It was something we had wanted to do for what seemed like ever. I took early retirement from IBM after screwing up my back at work. Bad reason, but good result because I was able to do exactly what I wanted to do, make wooden toys.

We chose here because it isn't particularly wet or damp. That helps the arthritis in my hands. It's also a lovely place to live.

As for the local wine. We are totally spoiled for choice and they are just so full of sunshine!:2tsup::2tsup:

Have you been asleep?? That took you almost an hour:q

[Jonzjob]

Keeping you on yer toes!

[mattocks]

æ I can't say that the wine is actually much better than what Oz produces (watch the response here from Jonzjob) but it keeps the throat clear of sawdust. æ

This is a whole other argument (discussion) right there. Oz wine v. French wine.
I might need a drink to help me think
My one point is I can afford Very good Oz wine, whereas to get Very good French wine I'd nearly have to re mortgage

Cheers (no pun i. )

Frank

[Jonzjob]

This morning we stopped at a roundabout on the way home from Carcassonne market and bought 7 bottles of wine from a producer that's all of 2Km from us. One of the wines was entered for a concorse along with 270 or so other French wines and came first. It cost 7.50€. The other 6, 2 rosé and 4 red, single grape variety were 4€ for the rosé and 4.50€ for the reds. All VERY good wines too!

Very good French wines don't have to be very expensive ones just as very expensive ones aren't always very good. Just very fashionable..:U

I've also had some very nice Oz champagne, sorry not allowed to call it that anymore are we, as well. The real (?) champoo is only a copy of Blanquette de Limoux which has been produced about 25Km south of us for over a hundred years longer than the stuff they sell up north. About 1/3 or less in price for far better quality..

I am trying to sample as many of the wines around here, but as we live in the biggest vinyard in the world, the Languadoc, it's a demanding job, but I am trying very hard:wtg:

[JJF]

albi

[JJF]

carcassonne

[Jonzjob]

Both by the river too JJF. 2 lovely photos.

That one of Carcassonne is the view you get of landing at Carcassonne, Salvasa when the N/W Tramontane wind is blowing. So if you are coming here then check on the local wind direction and if it's a N/W wind, sit on the Port side and look out of the window as the aircraft as you do the final turn, quite low, and you will see the Cité. It's worth it!

This is what you see. I took this on one of our pre move visits

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/OldCitRyanair.jpg

That outer wall is just over 2 Km long. 52 towers with it all! Don't you just love Ryanair!!

[mattocks]

Very good French wines don't have to be very expensive ones just as very expensive ones aren't always very good. Just very fashionable..:U

Very good point Jonzjob and I was hoping it would be made by someone. I have found it a good way to get good wine, find the makers that aren't as well known, or fashionable as you say, and check their wines out. Some very good wines can be had this way.

The area where you live around Carcassone is a great location. I have managed to get there three times from Oz and it certainly is as beautiful as you say. I even managed to stay inside the Cite on one occasion. Very special.

Cheers again

Frank

[Jonzjob]

If you manage to get across this way yet again Frank then give me a yell and we may be able to meet up for a glass of red/white/rosé, or all 3:U

You must know the Canal du Midi? Well, you wouldn't like it so much at the moment. A few years back, the story goes, a couple of tree surgeons working on some fungal deseased trees up north came down here to do some work on the canals trees. The mongrels didn't disenfect their kit properly and the canal trees were infected. The infection was spread by holiday boaters tying up to and damaging the roots and trunks of the trees and they too were infected.

Now there are 40,000 platan (plane) trees that have to be felled and the wood burned to kill that infection! 40,000 trees because a couple of clowns were lazy! The theory is the fungus was bought into France from the US in some ammo boxes in WW2...

At the moment there are stretches of the canal that are looking very sorry for themselves, but they are replanting with resistant trees.

[cadas]

Dont get me started on wine.

I adore French wine. But then I drank more of that than water to be fair.

But I can't get on with Australian reds at all. Just about cope with a Shiraz.

They are just too strong and heavy. Now in France you have to be able to drink a bottle at elevenses, no way can you do a 15% syrupy cab sav.

No mornings are for light burgundy, lunch maybe a nice cheap vin de table, saving yourself for some claret in the way home before you open a real bottle with dinner.

At work our resident wine freak bought two cases of cote de Rhone for a works lunch...I took the second case home as the Aussies hated it...:-))))

[Jonzjob]

Cote de Rhone? No! Too far east to be any good :D

OK to wash grub down with tough :D:D

[mattocks]

Half planning a trip across in the new year jonzjob, possibly 2 weeks in new york and 2 weeks down your way maybe bordeaux / biarritz.
A glass or two sounds nice, will definitely keep it in mind.
The problems with the canal du midi sound bad, I haven't travelled on it but seen it in a few places and on telly. What a great thing and a great shame to hear the bad news about it.

Hi Cadas, there are plenty of great australian reds that aren't syrupy and 15% and some terrific rhone style reds around as well. And plenty of great white wines here as well. But ultimately you like what you like and after all we drink it for enjoyment.

Cheers

Frank

[cadas]

I'd love to hear some recommendations for French style reds here.

Been here a year now and have gone from really enjoying wine (in France and Spain) to take it or leave it here.

[mattocks]

Hi Cadas, not to hijack this thread to far I have sent a pm to you with some ideas on wine

Cheers Frank

[Jonzjob]

Good grief Frank, not advising importing French wine are you?? You'll be importing Marmite from England next :o:o:oo:

[mattocks]

Hi jonzjob did I send that pm to you?
Do I need to resend it to cadas?

We could argue the merits of marmite v vegemite for far to long i suspect. I'm not a fan of either although i do eat vegemite occasionally

There's already plenty of french wine in australia, i don't have to import any.
I'm a big fan of aussie wine but am quite partial to a bottle or two of champagne

cheers

frank

[gus3049]

Good grief Frank, not advising importing French wine are you?? You'll be importing Marmite from England next :o:o:oo:

And why not?? Have you tried Vegemite??:oo:

I have just had some Marmite XO brought out from the UK:o Haven't tried it yet, thought I might lay it down for a few years and then sell it for vast profit.

Seems as sensible as doing it for wine. No bottle that enters my house survives more than a week or two - its for drinking init?

[Jonzjob]

No PM so far mate? Last one was 3 weaks ago.

The last time I tried Vegimite was in 1988, Bulungarook, Victoria at my sisters place. Quite good, but not the same as the proper stuff :D

I had a jar of Pedigree Marmite given to me a year or so back by a friend coming over. Good stuff it were too!!