Travel

Sounds simple doesn't it, picking a hotel in France. I mean its obvious really, you select the cheapest, or the one with the highest star, or the one the person at the Information Office recommends, knowing they'll be getting a commission for the recommendation.

We found when travelling through France that the best hotel we stayed in was actually just off the motorway north of Paris. It was new, clean, and with no pretensions of grandeur. Read More

Finally got back to Germany after a week driving around France looking for property, would you believe we managed to do over 4,000km in 5 days. My arms and legs are aching, I'd swear a French tractor ran me over.

We started our trip down to Aachen, into Belguim and down to the French border near Lille before driving down to Paris, then onwards to the Limousin, and Poitou-Charente regions. Gee its beautiful countryside down there.
the previous week we had been to see a couple of properties in the Champagne region but not as nice as further south.

On our travels we took some time out to see La Rochelle, then on our way back came up through the Loire valley and Nord Pas de Calais.

Ceejay finally gets why I've been saying France is well worth a visit, she thinks she totally gets why so many Germans, Dutch and Brits are buying holiday homes in France. And if you're like us sitting in Germany moaning about the cold snap that seems to have suddenly hit, do yourself a favour and wander on down past Paris into sunshine every day.

As for property, yes we did see something we like, but I won't say where in case we get gazzumped, but if it all goes to plan we'll moving to France sometime between November and January. Just in time for the worst of winter in Duesseldorf.

Oh, and as for learning French, yeah, it seems we'll be actively learning German, Italian and now French! Wish me lluck...