Geneva to La Souterraine via Paris

Well we eventually arrived safely in our new abode. As our train progressed towards Paris the skies got greyer, and as our connecting train left Paris (an hour late) the rain began. When we met Mandy at La Souterraine station the heavens well and truly opened and we got drenched trying to fit our bags into the little car.
The new farm is a little more rustic than the last – Brendan and Mandy have only been here since March, and as the farm is their only income that has been their priority. We’re sleeping in a section of the barn that has been closed off, it’s nice and cosy. They have two young daughters, Bronwyn who is 3 years old and Ailish who is 14 months. They’re both very sweet, and Ailish in particular is a real character. There is also a dog and two cats.
The land is quite big, although not all of it is in use yet. Brendan and Mandy sell at quite a few markets including two evening markets – we spent our first day preparing salad for that evening in La Dorat. At both of these markets a big barbecue is set up and you buy your meat and they cook it for you. There is entertainment and it’s a wonderful atmosphere.
Brendan and Mandy evidently work very hard. I think this is going to be a good insight into what we might be letting ourselves in for if we decided to run our own farm. It’s certainly interesting to hear about how things are in France, the red tape, rules and regulations. The quiet here is very striking – in the Alps there was a lot more background noise, traffic, airplanes.
Unfortunately there’s no broadband here, so we may not be able to get many pictures up while we’re here. I’ll try to keep you updated in text though!