Networking

The last few days were mostly about networking.

I used to really hate networking in my old life - talking to dull corporate people, who really did give a damn, about the latest accounting standard on acceptable depreciation practices, about the effect of the budget on corporate tax planning, about rights ownership of a squiggle somebody did somewhere, sometime that looks like one somebody else did somewhere at some other time ... Don't get me wrong, I was quite good at it in my own way - but really really interested? - well obviously I became less interested which is why I am now running a stylish and fabulous holiday escape destination in the South of France.

I constantly have to remind Debrah that when I am drinking wine, eating and generally having a lot of fun, that I am in fact networking. It is wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the benefit of my business and as such should be tax deductible.

So it was that last Thursday, International Cabernet Day, I was invited to O'Vineyards, based in Villemousstassou, to sample some local cabernet based wines including their own cabernet franc version. It was a chance to meet some local residents, growers and merchants, to taste some wines, to visit the cellars, to explain what an Englishman is doing in Carcassonne and to hand out a few cards.

Ryan O'Connell of O'Vineyards does a fantastic job of promoting Languedoc wines through his video blog, facebook and twitter and is a huge example to all vignerons (and everyone) of the power of promotion through social media. He and his parents also make some fabulous wines which are getting better with each year - the 09 cabernet tasted direct from the tank has masses of potential and could be their best yet. To see what Ryan gets up to go to http://love-that-languedoc.com.

Ryan was recording events and tweeting during the evening, which is when my car had it's five minutes of fame. I recently bought a new (15 year old) Audi cabriolet to replace my very tired, but faithful, old (18 year old) Audi. (Don't get me started on that - I know it's just a car but we have been through a lot together and I still feel bad about it.) The letters on the still British registration plate of the new car are CAB. I had obviously thought about it as representing cabriolet but it didn't occur to me until Ryan pointed it out that CAB meant CABernet on this day of all days - photo was taken, posting and tweeting ensued and my car became a star for a fleeting moment.

On Saturday we had a visit to 42rvh from Juliet and Sarah of Mr & Mrs Smith - we were added to the collection at the beginning of the year. They were in France for a couple of days looking at potential new listings and had wanted to stay but their enquiry came too late during this busy time of the season - happily we were able to offer them some supper, a chance for Sarah to see the apartments and for Debrah to meet them having missed out on Juliet's initial visit back in February.

Without going into the detail, they were not very enamoured with their overnight accommodation - and we were very happy to offer them a relaxed Sunday morning breakfast at 42rvh followed by a wander around the brocante at La Trivalle - one of the best brocantes of the year here in Carcassonne, always held on the first Sunday of September.

As always, we came away with a little something that we will put down somewhere until we know what we are going to do with it! Debrah picked up some pre-war copies of L'Illustration, a plate dating from the 50's, some big industrial type aluminium light fittings for a future project and Juliet carried off a yellow enamel coffee pot which needed to be stashed in her hand luggage before finding a home on a window sill in North London. I carried and Sarah paid and a good time was had by all. Please come back soon because you know you are always welcome.

Sunday felt like the last fling of high Summer before the slightly more relaxed heat of Autumn. There was a cloudless sky, no air movement and a baking sun. It was no hotter than many other days here this past month but the sun had an intensity that seemed to be saying 'goodbye to 35 degrees' (there were a couple of late afternoon ambulance calls to sufferers of heat exhaustion just to prove the point).

Today was cooler and cloudy and this evening full of rumbling and growling, flashing lightening and stormy rain - this is the Languedoc - dramatic and intense - not a dreary, limp-handshake, warm champagne, credit insurance moment to be had - thank God.

Nice to see Denis

There was no reply from my Spanish guests this morning when I first knocked on their door with their breakfast tray in hand - it was 9am - so not that early really. I was worried about the coffee going cold, so made a fresh pot and went back fifteen minutes later - they had finally surfaced.

That's all I have seen of them so far - just handing over the tray in the morning and then collecting from their room during the day when they are out. I hear their TV going (quite loud) during the evening but they haven't bothered me for anything at all. They are off tomorrow - I hope they have enjoyed their stay.

My other guests left today and they said they had had a marvellous time, despite the rain. I took them up to the airport late this afternoon and then immediately turned their room around ready for the new Friday guests - I wanted to get that out of the way before Debrah comes tomorrow.

That was my second trip to the airport today - I went up at lunchtime to collect Denis off the Dublin flight. He phoned me from Dublin airport this morning to say that he had forgotten the keys to his apartment and could I leave the spare set that I hold for him somewhere convenient - it was just much easier to collect him from the airport which I was always going to do anyway - key problem or not.

We went out for a bite to eat this evening at 'La Divine Comedie' - he had 'confit de canard' and I had 'escalope de veau a la creme' and we sank a bottle of La Tour Boisee 2006 red from the Minervois - good but a bit young still. We had arrived at exactly 7.30pm when they opened and were the first to take a table - ten minutes later and the whole restaurant was full - good for them I thought, at a time when many restaurants are still not opening all week because it is too early in the season !

The grey haired owner always makes a point of wandering around all the tables and saying hello, asking if everything is alright. I was impressed that he was handing out town maps and guides to anyone he thought was a visitor - very proactive - no wonder the place was full. I introduced myself and left my card and we agreed to talk about me sending him clients and him offering them something - excellent business all round.

After that Denis and I found our way to the Celt bar to watch the football and do some socialising - a good night out unless you were a Liverpool or Bayern fan.

Debrah arrives from London tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited about that than I am - I probably won't be able to sleep.

More new contacts

Everyday seems to bring new opportunities. Some arrive by pure chance and some are part of a momentum that, I hope, is building about the business.

This afternoon, I went down to see Pierre at his shop and give him some of our postcards to hand out to people if appropriate. I was stood chatting to him when the man in charge of regenerating the bastide town came along - and so I was introduced and now I have an appointment with him on Tuesday next so that he can view the apartments and tell me how he can help me and the benefits of being involved with the 'Mairie' and the association of businesses in the bastide. I am sure there must be benefits of being involved - not least there is a benefit of being seen to be involved and part of the system rather than trying to operate independently.

A few weeks ago I met a woman, Nathalie, who had sent me an email telling me how lovely our apartments were. I replied, she visited and subsequently invited us for an 'apero' at her house.

We really didn't know what to expect. What we had was a fabulous evening, in a beautifully designed and decorated house, with her very dishy (Debrah's words) husband, Fabien and her friends Xavier and Charlotte, who both work for the Hotel de la Cite. Nathalie is a cook who has had several cookbooks published in France, and is also a designer, which was evident from her lovely residence. She has two dogs called Ralph and Stella - both names after fashion designers - you can work it out for yourself.

Xavier was very interested in our apartments from a professional point of view - he is in charge of marketing up at the Hotel. It may prove to be a useful contact if he considers us a suitable venue for overflow guests when they are fully booked - let's hope so.

Debrah's i-phone proved to be a hit with Nathalie and her daughter - I feel an imminent purchase coming on round there. They were all really lovely and we had a fabulous time - so much so that we stayed longer than we intended and were too late for our restaurant booking at La Roulotte - when we got there they had closed and gone home, which made us feel very guilty and left us wondering where we were going to eat. We ended up having a run-of-the-mill steak and chips at La Magnac, which wasn't what we had been expecting at all.

When we got home I had an email exclaiming 'I met your wife on a plane!'. I wasn't quite sure what to think at first, but it turned out to be a lady lawyer who commutes to London on a regular basis who had exchanged details with Debrah and was just getting in touch - sounds a bit mad but that's ok. She seemed happy to push business our way too.

Please keep it coming everyone.