From SW19 to 59260

Next Tuesday morning is Jour J as the French put it, the day we finally take possession of our new house in Hellemmes-Lille. The house is in rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, cheek by jowl with the city of Lille, capital of Flanders as the tourist sites have it. It will be just over seven months since we had a place to call our own though we won't be rushing to move in. We are hoping to have gas central heating installed and solar panels too. There is so much to arrange apart from shifting everything we own from Rumaucourt. The new sofas arrive sometime late April or maybe May, appropriately from Cuir Center (sic) and another corner seating unit has been bought from Ikea with "integrated bed system". I am almost 100% decided that the cypress which currently gives the garden an air of mystery ie it blocks the view to the rest of the garden, will need to go. I have discovered a large magnolia which is in danged of being completely unenjoyed as it stands directly behind said fir. And that stone-cladding in the sitting room; no, I don't think I can live with it after all. Bring out the hammer and chisel thing!

Staying with the in-laws has been a delight and now we are ready to be back in the city where there is a Fnac, a Furet du Nord, a Carrefour, a railway station with Eurostar! All this and only a 20 minute walk to work for Max. Bring it on!!