I'm new to SFN and this website and I'm not very tech minded, so it came as no surprise to me mucking up my first attempt to communicate! - Firstly, I couldn't upload a profile photo (which was quickly solved by a very nice member's suggestion to try Google Chrome, which I then downloaded) - then, secondly, after spending ages writing a little introductory piece, I managed to load it in general discussions and the only response (a very nice one) was from Catherine! So third time lucky for me - here (hopefully) is my introduction:-
Hubby and I moved here, to live permanently in 2010, having bought our 'pile of rubble with a field of dreams' (read that as an almost fallen down Basque barn with a field full of maize) shortly after the 911 incident, which changed our thinking and then our lives. We managed to get out of the rat race just over three years ago and are currently living in, and renovating two buildings - an 18th century Basque farm building with a smaller 100 year old attached cottage. This is known as our 'Big Renovation on a Little Budget'.... consequently we are doing the majority of the work ourselves as and when, as well as creating a garden .... We love the Basque Region - to us it is completely different from the rest of France and we have worked hard to integrate and learn the language (French and some Basque!). Three years on, life is getting easier - When we're not renovating, volunteering at the local Maison de Retraite (great for language practice and meeting people who lived in our village and can tell us how life was for them) or socialising with our neighbours, we still try to find time for our other creative interests - arts and crafts, cycling, photography, gardening, our dog Sooty (who adopted us here 18 months ago, and must have recognised we'd never owned a dog before; now every day is a joy with him) , walking, travel, fly fishing (OH) and this weekend I plucked up courage and took my facepaints to the village fete (the 'pupils and parents' night', and they went down a storm!, and it looks like I'll be doing more..... (Happily lack of language skills didn't seem to matter). It would be nice to know if there are other members who live in the French Basque Region? Survive France is going to be a lifeline - whenever we have a problem/query, SF is going to be our first port of call :-) Its a font of knowledge and information, looking forward to being part of it.