SO – I’ve been busy – do you mind?

THE CLEVER PLAN FOR THE TOWNHOUSE AND BIKE SHOP

The only connection from the townhouse to the rear yard is via a tiny door at the rear of the bike shop.  I think the townhouse needs an internal stair from the main floor to the rear yard. Lets carve out a piece of the concrete floor.....don’t forget to ask a French engineer if that‘s OK!

The new spot for the stair to the second floor- let’s hope you’re allowed to use 5 or 6 winders in a row.

Let’s take out the non-load bearing wall and put the kitchen and dining room in the new large room.  All we need now is a door between the new kitchen and the old living room.  Hey, don’t forget to put in a steel lintel when you chip out the 17” thick stone wall!

The French House

 
The front of the house (the small house on the far left) faces a beautiful chateau in a park setting (good) and a busy road (bad).

Mr Bean Goes to Normandy

I have never driven in Europe – I can’t drive a standard. I was going to take the train to St. Sauveur de Vicomte. My sister rented a car. I would learn to drive in Europe.

We picked up a Mercedes B200 - with an automatic transmission and a GPS - YE HAH! Getting out of Paris was, of course, hair-raising. Once that was done, the rest of the drive was a breeze...great roads (no pot holes), trucks that stay in the right lane, roadside service centres that have all kinds of neat French stuff.
It turns out that Normandy is quite a long way from Paris and the closer we get to St. Sauveur, the more it looks like Quebec – rolling hills, apple trees, stone gables and steep roof pitches. And Normandy has the curious distinction of being the only region in France that doesn’t produce wine. They make lot’s of cider, Calvados and camembert, but no wine.

Paris in the Spring…

 An overnight flight to Paris in steerage....video screen on the back of the seat makes anything possible. (you know, “Morning Glory” was way better than I expected).

The first week of April and Paris was in full bloom – wisteria, lilacs, cherry blossoms. It was 20 degrees – North America is for suckers. I stayed with my sister in her apartment in the 12^th – upstairs from the D’Aligre market, about 5 minutes from the Gare de Lyon, 10 minutes to the Bastille and 20 minutes to Notre Dame. 

Elevation Goes International!

I’m flying to Paris tonight.  Clients with a house in Normandy have asked us to help them renovate their 16^th century stone pile.  It’s about a 3 hour drive north west from Paris to the picturesque town of Saint Sauveur le Vicomte.