Foreign Perspectives

Yes, folks it is now one year since we arrived here. Well, one year and a bit as we arrived at 7pm local time.

A year ago, we’d no reservations in the book and didn’t know that our first customers would be turning up in a few days time. Now we’ve a smattering of reservations right through to September. A year ago we managed one nights occupancy over Easter; this year 38.

A year ago, we’d hardly any furniture for our own rooms. And we still haven’t!

A year ago, we’d just missed appearing on Living the Dream. Now we don’t know yet if we’ll be in the No Going Back series.

A year ago, I was getting into the shorts & sandles “uniform” that I’d keep up ’til November. Yup, just broke out the “uniform” a few days ago… 32C in the shade this afternoon and I’m a bit sunburnt.

A year ago, I was pretty sure that I’d fail the French diploma. Now I’ve got Dip French after my name and am making a respectable start on the Dip Spanish.

A year ago, ‘yall said you’d be here… and none of you have arrived yet! No, Dorothy, I haven’t forgotten your reservation in September.

A year ago, we didn’t know how quickly we could get to the clinic. We found out on August 29th when John decided that he’d had enough. Or was it Wendy?

A year ago, we thought we were crazy to have bought a hotel in France. Now we’re even crazier and have started looking for the next place!

A year ago, we were wondering if the French bureaucracy was as bad as everyone made it out to be. Now we know that it’s even worse than that.

A year ago, we didn’t know that we’d be having to make over 300 beds over the following 12 months. Now we’re looking forward to making over 500 in the next 12 months.

Just got our car back from the garage. It packed in on the way to Spain on Monday so we’ve been walking everywhere this week. All being well, we’ll be attempting the run to Spain again on Monday.

Now that we’ve hit the anniversary, we are getting going on selling the house in Holywood. So, if you want an immaculate, spacious two bedroom house with newly fitted luxury bathroom, cabled for BT, NTL and Sky, near to all local amenities and with excellent transport links, you know where to look.