Holiday plans

Do many of you go back to your country of birth?


Do you travel around France?


Prefer to go camping or treat yourselves to a few days at a Mr and Mrs Smith?

Thanks Stuart ;-)

Brave man; good luck Andrew. You deserve it.

Thanks Sheila, if all goes well we'll be just across the border from the Aveyron into the Tarn, 20 minutes from where OH's went to school and still has friends and 35 minutes from all her family (except sister and brother in law in carcassonne)

hope you get your hot water sorted soon, been there and know it isn't fun ;-)

Very best of luck Andrew. FIngers crossed it all works out for you. What departement will you hopefully be moving to?

regards

Unwashed of Aude

au fait, not a boulangerie - hours are even worse with baking and all that! - but a tabac, clocked up thousands of km visiting since christmas and things are finally coming together plus good to have professional advice from brother in law who knows all about it!

Hope your venture works out too, it's so difficult trying to balance work and kids. the place we've found has a house with it so we can have the kids behind scenes before and after school although we'll rent somewhere else to live while we build capital back up before having a house built nearby.

Yes Tracey, and profitability costs a lot! we're currently looking at a total investment of 500.000€ with an ebe of 150.000€ take out charges sociales of 20 to 30k and that leaves enough to pay the bank, pay us and leave some over. OH's sister and brother in law did just the same 15 years ago, now have a second shop, just had a hotel built, finished paying off the house they had built...! could have bought another place the same size for only 50.000€ but that only produces 16k a year - location is everything and if the accounts aren't there, the place isn't worth anything! What's more we think we've finally found something just down the road from familly and where OH went to school etc. fingers crossed as we'll be starting negotiations tomorrow ;-)

Is it really profitable? Having that kind of business just seems to demand so much of a family, always being on call!

Boulangeries also seem to be a nightmare lifestyle. We are aiming for a long working week in summer - 7 days a week but being able to take more time of in the winter and to spend holiday times together.

Thanks Barbara

good luck...

Yes, 6.5 days a week is a lot! Exciting? - unfortunately no, but profitable which is the most important thing, especially in these times and with a young family to feed! WIll say more if and when things happen as there have been quite a few false starts due to accounts not quite adding up and various other problems on other projects...!

Sounds good ...a visit to family IN uk.

Is the new buisness exciting?

6.5 days sounds like too much work.

Went to the UK two years ago and would like to go back this summer but not sure if we'll have the time. Want to go back mostly for my kids otherwise they never get to see English family (2 years between visits isn't brilliant, they see their grandpa every now and then but haven't seen cousins, granny etc for 2 years/since the last visit!). Travel round France - not a great deal as I've already been round most of it working/studying/travelling and OH is French and has travelled too although she admits that I know far more of France than her! As for a break - we usually go for a day on the boat down near Sète/Agde. Escaped the heat here 3 years ago and stayed in a mobile home, rented at the last minute, near Royan. So much cooler near the Atlantic and meant the kids could sleep properly for a week ;-)

On the verge of launching ourselves into a new business venture where we'll be working 6.5 days a week which is why a trip to the UK before things get underway in August/Sept could be a good idea as I don't think we're going to have much spare time once the takeover takes place ={:-O