17 days in our house in France – and we weren't ready to go home 🇫🇷

Then we head back home to Denmark – and we have to admit that we would have liked to stay a little longer !

17 days in our house have flown by. The weather has been fantastic – maybe a little too fantastic. For the first time, we have experienced the house with around 40 degrees of heat, and the pool has therefore been used extensively. We have also concluded that one more air conditioner would probably be a really good investment . 😅

When buying a house abroad, you quickly learn that a ready-made to-do list is an illusion.

We had actually reached the list – but then the house itself started making a new one:

The remote control for the gate stopped working. The pool attendant hadn't quite done his job well enough. The pool cleaner went on strike. And after a few hours of rain, we discovered that rain apparently also comes with free mosquitoes .

So now the bedrooms have mosquito nets.

But that's also part of what we love about owning a house. While as a renter you might just accept things as they are, we can make our own decisions. We can repair, change and improve the house to suit us and the way we want to use it.

And then there's the thing about French 🇫🇷

I have now learned French for half an hour every day for four months , and this vacation was actually the big test.

And it works!

I can now have real conversations in French – not just order a café au lait and say bonjour . 😄

I've been able to talk to the gate technician, the pool company, and the olive press, among other things. It's a bit of a victory when you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a conversation and discover that you actually understand each other .

It really makes you want to learn even more.

After the first week of practical tasks, week two was fortunately more relaxing. We enjoyed the pool and life, visiting a local winery and an olive press, among other things.

And the olive press was extra exciting, because in November we will be handing over olives from our own trees and having them made into oil. It will be pretty amazing to come home with our very own olive oil. 🫒

So yes – we are still far from finished with the house.

But maybe you'll never be completely finished.

And that's probably also part of the charm of having our house in France .

Now Denmark awaits – but we are looking forward to the next trip to France