Posted: 21/03/2013 at 08:41
But GG, I love England. Why do you think I do this forum, apart from love of gardening? Homesickness. We moved here in 1985 against my will. My husband had a stressful job and had always loved France and wanted to live here. We had 4 young children, then he started waking at night with chest pains, so I agreed to move. He loved it here and the chest pains disappeared for years. Then he died of a heart attack in 1998. I was 47, 3 children at university in Bordeaux the 4th still at school. The French have been friendly, but although I speak French fluently there is always a sort of hold back. English people are easier tomake friends with - more open and welcoming. This country is beautiful, but not as pretty as England. I'm really lucky as I live in a lovely old farmhouse in the countryside, but somehow, it's not home.
In winter it can be just as wet and grey as England, even colder. In summer it is often in the early 30s, but I'm an English rose and I find it uncomfortable. We get years of summer drought and the grass goes brown and the garden suffers. At the moment it's waterlogged.
As for food, I way prefer English sausages and cheddar cheese. French restaurants hardly serve vegetables. English food is much better than the English give themselves credit for. I like nearly everthing (except egg whites!) so long as it's correctly cooked.
I am stuck here (but it is a lovely place to be stuck in) as the children and grandchildren live here and , under French law, my husband's share of the house belongs to them too and they don't want to sell it. But my heart is in England.
