When we arrived to live in the small village of Montbrun des Corbieres in 2009 we were envisaging a simple rustic lifestyle. We didn't know anyone and the population of the village is only just over 300 people...on a good day!
We left behind the social life involved with friends from work and from more than a decade of living in the same place.
So amongst our belongings we packed hundreds of books and dvds to help fill the quiet winter evenings. Manuals of all the local walks and places of interest, puzzle books and lots of ideas for crafts and hobbies we would have endless time to pursue.
The calm quiet life away from the hustle and bustle of town living.
HOW WRONG COULD WE BE..........
Today I was looking at the calender from last year....and being a bit of a list freak...decided I would note down all the social events/meals etc we had attended in the last year. It was a bit of an eye opener......the list is as follows.......
Aperos (pre dinner snacks and drinks usually for a couple of hours from about 5 or 6pm) 14
Meals prepared for invited guests ...1 guest = 1 meal (not including us) 41
Meals at friends 17
Meals at restaurants with friends 14
Coffee mornings 12
Organised fetes and functions 12
Visitors coming to stay...1 person =1 day 121
The above does not include the times we have just had an impromptu lunch out..or invited neighbours to help us eat produce from the garden......and definitely not the coffees out (of which we are particularly fond ,,sitting in street cafes are what french life is all about). It also doesn't includes neighbours and friends "just calling in".. It also doesn't include the the fete quartier ( street party) which our french neighbours organise once a month in the summer!!!!
It is certainly a social life we were not expecting.....
Summer is particularly busy with the influx of British expats to their holiday homes and well as our Dutch neighbours. I am shamed to admit there have been times we have pulled down the blinds and hidden to avoid the possibility of being invited anywhere!!!!!!!
So if you are genuinely looking for a quiet life watch out when you buy in a house in a village where it looks like everyone is hiding behind closed shutters.
THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS HOW THEY SEEM!
We are not moaning.......we love everyone that we have met and we are learning to cope with our new found hectic social life. We have such a variety of friends and acquaintances...french, english, dutch, swiss, danish, german.......bringing their variety of ways of life and interests.
It perhaps hasn't been the way of life we were expecting but it has been a fantastic experience.
So...signing off ...as once again we are out tonight for an "apero dinatoire" (oh yes I didn't mention that one....that's a meal between an apero and the full dining experience)
Happy socialising!!!!!
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