The House is Sold

 Completion on the sale of the Cambridge house happened on the 3rd July—a line finally drawn under what has not been an easy process. Finally, we are in position to purchase the apartment in Menton, but we still have to wait, because the first available appointment with the notaire is not until 12th July. That is three days before all our wordly belongings are due to arrive from England.  When the removal company was booked, that date seemed much too far ahead but in the end we were getting towards the possibility of the furniture arriving and no apartment to put it in.  Fortunately, very slowly, everything is falling into place.

Chalet des Rosiers

A meeting with the estate agent and current owner, at the apartment, reminded me why we had gone through all the palaver of selling the house in Cambridge.  The apartment felt as welcoming as ever and the garden was as wonderful as I remembered it. Meters were read, details explained although some may have been lost in translation.  The current Italian owner speaks little French and no English, I speak a little French and no Italian, fortunately Niciolas, the estate agent, is pretty fluent in all three.

We went from the apartment to visit Jean-Claude, Nicole and Nicolas who looked after me so well during my three month stay over Christmas. Their welcome was rapturous, reinforcing the feeling that everything will be all right.

It is a legal requirement to take out insurance on any property that you buy in France. Unexpectedly, the process was very straightforward. It happened in a way that I don't think is possible in England any longer (I'd be happy to be corrected). We went into an office, spoke to a person, discussed our options, signed pieces of paper and paid for the insurance in cash. It was a joy after spending weeks online, trying to change addresses, cancel contracts and generally organise things in the total absence of human contact.

In Menton we have been staying at the Hotel Palm Garavan. It's a comfortable, small hotel run by the same couple who had just taken it over when we first visited, eleven years ago. It sits on the main coast road from Italy and  on weekdays, the road outside the hotel is frantic with people, in cars and on scooters, pouring in from Italy to work in France. This can make conversation over breakfast on the terrace a challenge (not necessarily a bad thing).

Menton is currently busy with summer tourists, the majority, at the moment, seem to be Italian. I imagine it will get even busier in a week or so, when the schools break up.  For now though the beaches are not yet too crowded and the sea is a lovely temperature to swim in. I have decided that early morning will be the best time for a regular swim but I haven't yet managed it— recovering from the journey and the upheaval of the last few months is going to take a little while.

I am of course still walking and, strolling along the front at 8 am, the flowers are beautiful, the roads are being washed and swept, the beaches have already been raked. All ready for the new day.

I have acquired a few mosquito bites since arriving on the coast ( small price to pay). The Avon Skin So Soft works brilliantly for repelling mosquitoes, but I have found that it only works if you put it on! 

Villefranche sur mer

Le Cannot

With nine days to kick our heels we have travelled along the coast to Cannes for a bit of R&R, in preparation for the hard work that is to come—unpacking, and discovering I have brought to France and what I should have brought.