This last month has gone by in a flash. I am always amazed by the way French people react to different things. Their unique sense of timing and complete sense that they are always right !

My street has been disrupted totally recently. No warning either of when and how works on the road would start or finish. From pylons being taken down, cables put underground , new street lighting and the house opposite me which is being completely renovated.

Firstly the ancient pylons. A massive job but it all looks great now. Despite the noise ! The other thing is one company does one thing then another takes on the job.

When you ask what is happening next you are met with ” mais ce n’est pas moi ! Meaning it’s not my problem !

Each morning I am woken up by the noise and to open my curtains what will I encounter next ?

Huge cranes, cement mixers for the house opposite and the reconstruction of their roof and high electricity cables buried underground. It will get done, and it will be much nicer looking, but I want some sleep now !

The calm though is in the rest of the village. With the election of a new woman Mayor.She is originally from here and came back to Salignac about 5 years ago with her husband to live . Calm and very capable, she has her work cut out to repair the sometimes poor image this village has had in the last years.She has given her team specific areas to work on and for now there are no signs of disharmony within the Mairie. Good news for all of us.

Already another year has passed , but behind the scenes, life at the Chateau never stops. Renovations are ongoing and expensive . My young neighbour, Laura, is the onsite manager for the project and she explains to the public on a daily basis her hopes for the future. The owners wish to restore the building to its former glory of the 15th Century which involves meticulous planning and observation of that period of history. Collaborations with reputed organizations of restoration are put in months before the

season starts and this year a whole new floor on the second level was finished.

Huge wooden beams replacing the old ones in the ceiling and walls repainted in original colours of that period.

This last weekend was devoted to the theme of Chateaux en Fetes . Several neighbouring chateaux were open for the Festival allowing the public to wander around at their leisure and learn more how daily life was back in yesteryears. A troup of people, passionate about the subject, reside in the Chateau, sleep on the floor and cook basic needs on an open fire. These are professionals who live their passion going around the country to inform and talk about this. I certainly learn something each time I go.

What a subject. I will keep it short though for you.  I already knew it would be difficult when we first came, and that hasn’t changed really now. Even the French themselves say it isn’t easy either for them. I have double the work to do and I am Scottish !

I recently encountered a problem with the Tax office and new regulations for filling in the forms. Luckily we have a service at the local Mairie, called France Services, which is there to help with all these kinds of problems. Even she had difficulty with a few things on my forms and had to consult several colleagues. In short, they don’t seem to register my state pension from the UK, for nearly 5 years now. The form also has Barry’s name on it still. He died, sadly, four years ago now. I had to let them know all this  back then. I don’t really understand the way they work, or don’t. I wonder how we did it before the computer revolution ?Very upsetting and time consuming too.

The beautiful singer Olivia Dean was there recently at the O V O stadium. I first heard her music played here in my local bistro. I thought who is that ? I am a fan now. Couldn’t be there for the concert but was in spirit.  Glasgow gave her a fine welcome.

Fifi’s stories from rural France

30th April 2026