Opened!!

In the grenier we had created a family suite of two bedrooms, one double and one twin with their own shared bathroom. On the ground floor, off a large hallway, I had created a double room with own bathroom and also a larger room with double and single bed and own bathroom. I had checked out how much the local hotels were charging per night and set my rate to compliment.

The rooms were now fully decorated and furnished to my satisfaction, I was now ready for our first clients.... and nervous, as I had never done anything quite like this before.

I had in my distant past worked for a few weeks in an Hotel in the deepest Kent countryside, as a receptionist/book-keeper and also some evening bar work. I knew how to greet people and show them their rooms, how to pour a pint or mix a champagne cocktail or gin and tonic. But I had never had to do this for me, let alone in another country!!!!

I did a couple of trial runs with friends from the UK and they were so much help, pointing out things that should or should not be done, letting me know if there was any problem with the plumbing, the lighting or the beds or if their were any weird noises in the house. As it was there were no problems and it seemed that all would be OK!!

I took the decision to only advertise the B&B in France, after all this is the country we have adopted and I did not want to be exclusively for English clientele but somehow English people seemed to find me! The majority of English visitors were couples coming out to France in search of either a holiday home or to look for a cheap ruin to 'do up' and maybe run a gite or two, live in clover and make a fortune! There was at the time in the UK more than one series of programmes showing how couples had moved out here and had created super properties and were enjoying the good life - Ha!

My first French couple arrived from Paris for a short weekend break in the countryside en route to their holiday destination at the coast further south. Madame did not like dogs, she was terrified of them! We had two dogs! Chut! but then she admitted that it never occurred to her that we might have dogs. Problem was easily solved - when she was out and about with her husband, the dogs were confined to the house. They spoke a little English and I spoke a little French and we got on absolutely fine. They adored the house, their room and ate everything on the table at breakfast. I had made jams and jellies for the table and sourced a really nice marmalade. I haven't been able to get Seville Oranges here to make marmalade but found a nice recipe for tangerine marmalade. Our local boulangerie has superb bread, brioche, croissants and choc au pain which are always appreciated.

So my first French clients came and went and I felt relieved! Another bridge crossed.

During my first summer I had clients every week with hardly a break. The washing machine, iron and dishwasher were working overtime. I also offered table d'hote and found it not too difficult to devise some easy yet tasteful menus. A gentleman in our local bank asked if I did Table d'hote, I said 'mai oui' his response was 'Ah ha! la cuisine Franglaise!' Yes, my cuisine was 'Franglaise' English cooking with French ingredients..