After months on the road we have stopped.... finally. We are based in an old stone barn which has been transformed into a holiday cottage, or Gite, by it's English owners. The rent is free but it does come with tasks. We have to look after the chooks and tend to the vege garden and green house. On top of that we get to eat the eggs and vege's from the garden, so even those onerous tasks have a side benefit.

The house is near the town of Villedieu les Poeles and the locals are know as Sourdins, or the "deaf" due to it's long history of copper work and the constant hammering which made the inhabitants quite hard of hearing in days gone by. Most these days seem to hear us just fine, it's just that they don't understand us at first.

Our french lessons have been very handy already, even just to let the locals realise that we are not from these parts. Once they realise we are Australian and trying to speak French they are immediately helpful. I'm not sure what reception we would get if English, but being from the antipodes seems to help a bit.

The cottage is quite modern and warm inside although it is without a radio, without a phone and with out TV reception. Internet coverage is woeful and the mobile phone doesn't work.... we are just a little isolated but it doesn't seem to matter too much at the moment.

We do have very fuzzy TV reception from our caravan TV. That unit is able to pick up a signal from the channel Islands, so it's in english AND it has the World Cup Channels! 

This entry to the blog must remain short as it comes to you via the wireless internet of a well know family restaurant.... and I've finished my coffee and they are starting to mutter French obscenities about me behind the backs of their hands.....Oh well ... they aren't doing much better than us in the soccer so at least I'll have that as ammunition if it comes to an argument.