Last Word When my last Last Word When my last book came out – Toujours la France – I had a little party in the garage. We were almost finished renovating the house and garden, but not quite, so the garage was the best place for more than a handful of people, less chance of falling over a paint pot. Claudette, my 90-year-old neighbour had insisted that we mark the occasion with a little get together. She arrived with her daughter Bernadette and son-in-law Jean- Claude, closely followed by Mr & Mrs Pepperpot (that’s not their real names, but they are a diminutive couple and that’s what we call them!). Thierry the farmer two houses along parked his tractor (thankfully without its usual load of dung) outside our gate and hopped in for a quick glass of beer and a slice of Claudette’s strawberry cake. Bread Man, the man who delivers our bread, parked his little van outside and brought in a box of Speculoos and salted crème éclairs. Madame Bernadette, who lives at the house at the bottom of our hill, arrived with Constance and Guillaume and they brought Opera and mille-feuille cakes and perfect little macarons. I’d expected just a few people to turn up but, in the end, there were 26 of us, as more neighbours stopped to say hello on their way from their way home from work, causing a queue of tractors lined up outside our little house. At the bottom of the garden, the chickens watched and clucked, keen to join in the fun. “Zut alors” said Bread Man as Barbara Streisand, a long feathered and rather belligerent bird, belted out her usual shriek, “that one sounds like it’s singing Je Suis Une Femme Amoreuse” (I am a woman in love), and he hummed happily. I ignored how many calories there were in all those cakes, and simply enjoyed the moment and being a part of this lovely community I now call home... Well I have a new book out this Autumn and it’s a bit different from my usual memoirs. It’s called How to be French: Eat, Drink, Dress, Travel, Love. It’s a celebration of the French lifestyle, cherishing food and culture, and a lesson in the joy of art de vivre, taking things slowly. We may well still be in the garage for a ‘launch party’ since the renovation is ongoing (I am starting to think it will never be entirely finished), but joie de vivre is assured – we are after all in France! Janine Marsh is Author of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream, and My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life, and Toujours la France: Living the Dream in Rural France. Janine Janine Marsh lives in France with her husband and around 60 animals. Her books My Good Life in France, My Four Seasons in France and Toujours la France are available at Amazon and all good book shops. Her new book How to be French will be published in October 2023 . Buying in France? Discover how to save time & money on your currency transfers. Excellent exchange rates No transfer fees Personal account manager Multiple transfer options Regular currency updates Award winning service Email: calum.h@currenciesdirect.com or register for free and request your free Buying in France digital guide, or call +44-207 847 9446 and quote “Good Life France” © Currencies Direct Ltd, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA, United Kingdom. Registered in England & Wales, No.: 03041197. Currencies Direct Ltd is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Electronic Money Institution under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. Our FCA Firm Reference number is 900669. Our EU services are provided by Currencies Direct Spain. © Currencies Direct Spain, E.D.E., S.L., Avenida del Mediterráneo, 341, 04638 Mojácar, Almería, Spain. Registered in the Commercial Registry of Almería under the Spanish tax ID number B04897930. Currencies Direct Spain, E.D.E., S.L. is authorised by the Bank of Spain as an Electronic Money Institution under Law 21/2011 of 26 July and Royal Decree 778/2012 of 4 May. Our registration number with the Bank of Spain is 6716. Register here UK18844EN 122 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 123
