Getting on

It was a Monday chores day today. I cleaned out both apartments and made them ready for Wednesday's new guests and ran two sets of laundry through the washing machine (oh goody - ironing tomorrow) and went to the supermarket to re-stock on cleaning and kitchen essentials.

There is nothing like the same amount of hard marketing going on here in the supermarkets as there is in the UK, where every aisle has, so called, massive discounts and two for one offers. There are special offers to be had but they are the same as they were last year and the year before - nothing appears to have changed - whereas in the UK all the stores are falling over themselves to try and keep you spending in a much more exaggerated way than I have ever seen before.

Things have changed though. It is now much more expensive to shop in France, even for basics, than it was four years ago when we first moved here. I notice it particularly in 'Les Halles' and in the weekly market - it's very easy these days to burn through €100 on meat, fruit and vegetables. So, sadly, the fancy olives and the 'fritons' and the expensive serrano ham are no longer everyday or even weekly purchases.

Part of the change is obviously due to the collapse of sterling against the euro but it can't all be explained by that. Petrol for example is now more expensive in France than the UK, when for years it was the other way round, even allowing for the exchange rate.

Makes you wonder if the French dream is dying for us Brits - the Sunday Times would certainly have you believe so with weekly articles about people selling up and moving back. I don't think so - just as the UK supermarket offers aren't all they claim to be, so the journalistic doom about the end of opportunity abroad is also overly dramaticised.

If you are ready for the change of pace and looking forward to a better quality of life then the dream is still there - if your income is the same and the cost of living is the same then the weather is definitely better.

It was a lovely day today again - cold but bright blue skies - I even had the roof down on the car as I went to the supermarket this afternoon.

Driving was no problem but walking has been a bit awkward this afternoon. I have done something to my right knee whilst on all fours this morning cleaning bathroom and kitchen floors - god, it hurts. I'm sure it will sort itself out but frankly, it's no fun getting older is it?