rowland Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Just arrived at our house in France and after going through normal routine on arrival made me wonder what everyone else does.Firstly we both comment on how much everything has grown since last visit.Then I go around the house saying hello - OH thinks I am mad.Car unpacked and cuppa drunk before de-cobwebbing.Bed made up and surfaces wiped down.Glass of wine and sit down.What exciting lives we lead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I usually take of all my clothes, sink a bottle of wine and run round the garden singing the Marselleyes, until the ants reach the point of biting my cadestral! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I go round the garden to see what flowers are out, and exclaim at any changes that have occurred since last visit. Sometimes I do this even before I have unlocked the front door!Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I will soon be visiting my Cathar château after nearly 3 months in the Languedoc plains, but I have some inkling of the flower situation since a kind neighbour reports in...[URL=http://s253.photobucket.com/user/bfb_album/media/FOTBEBB_zpsd0xrtegu.jpg.html][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/bfb_album/FOTBEBB_zpsd0xrtegu.jpg[/IMG][/URL]Apart from that the first thing I do is to turn on the water heater... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Hug my neighbour.Look at the weeds.Cup of tea.De cobweb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 ...and I forgot, turn on the water in the meter hole. Then tip two sachets of Eparcyl down the loo to kick start the septic tank.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekJ Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Turn on the waterTurn on the electricityTurn on the water heaterUnload the carhave a cuppaQuick glance at the plants near the househave a fry upReconnect TV and internetcollapsego to bed [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeanS Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I think most of us do that same things. Read electric meters -then turn on electric, water and gas bottle.Un load carReconnect internet and TVA CuppaCheck house - de-cobweb, vacuum up dead flies.A CuppaOH checks the garden, I make the bed.Walk the dogAnother Cuppa while making a ' TO DO' list.Cook somethng to eat -open wine .Eat,drink, walk the dog then BED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Everyone else is too polite to say so. The first thing I do is go to the loo. After 10 hours in the car with only a couple of stops en route...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 But surely you have to turn the water on before that!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kong Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Why? It can sit there for a while without doing any harm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Have a good look around outside to see what has been stolen or "emprunté", remove dog turds from my doorstep and relocate them to the dog owners doorstep(s), sweep up thousands of cigarette butts from the frontage.Other than that the usual stuff, I'm usually arriving in the small hours of the morning so if in winter I switch on the electric blanket, that was such a good investment, nothing worse than getting into a bed that is frozen to the core when you are tired after travelling.I have one in the UK as well and go through the same procédures except the dog turds and theft.This afternoon I did my usual weekly cigarrette butt clean up, a couple of hundred which is a lot considering there is only one parking space on my frontage, I think while I am away people empty their ash trays as well.Oh I forgot, see what things have been dumped in my rubbish or recycling bins, this sort of stuff never happens while I am here and I long ago learnt never to tell anyone that I am going away, one time I returned to find 10 sacks of asbestos dumped beside the building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Loiseau, by the simple expedient of letting my kind and helpful neighbour know we're coming, I can avoid having to make a detour to the stopcock en route to the loo. And I don't even have to worry about finding my way in the gloom, as she will have opened the shutters for us, too!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Betty, what a very useful neighbour!Me - since I'm only returning ?? from a holiday, I go to the loo, change my clothes into something cooler or more comfortable, depending on the time of year or time of arrival, unpack, fill the washing basket, and have an apero.We have a rule, whoever returns from a trip does not cook that evening, so I enjoy (usually cod à la bordelaise, 'cos it comes - in a packet!! )- prepared by OH. Then - who cares!If it's too late for that, the unpacking can wait (and often does) till the morning and I go read in bed instead!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evianers Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 We live here - aren't we lucky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Unlock doorTurn on electricityTurn on waterTake a shower - but not in the shower.Turn off water - which is spraying everything in the entrance due to a burst.Turn off electricity - because the entrance light fitting is full of water.Make emergency visit to immobilier to ask about plumbers - he organises everything.Return to house and introduce ourselves to the Maire - well more accurately he came to see us and introduce himself (in his farmer's uniform not the official one) with offers to help and support if we have problems. [This is a very small commune and our arrival increased the population be nearly 1%.]Get burst repairedTurn on the 'lecky again, having drained the light fitting.Kettle on, Cuppa Tetleys.Perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 [quote user="andyh4"] Return to house and introduce ourselves to the Maire - well more accurately he came to see us and introduce himself (in his farmer's uniform not the official one)[/quote]Mon Dieu, I thought we had some perverts around here but your Maire makes them seem normal. [:D]For those who dont get the joke its about the faux ami, introduce / introduire, ever since I learnt that one whenever anyone talks about introducing themselves to someone else, explicit images appear in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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