Dear Woody, Carolyn, Moonglow, Rainy Day and Falcon,
Thank you sooo much for your respons. It's so much fun to receive messages like this. It has nothing to do with quilting but as we all are women with the same interest it is very interesting to read about your lifes.
I have been living in France for 6 years now(my husband was in the dutch army and was retired) and I don't regret one second! I am officially dutch but my parents were born and raised in Indonesia. The Netherlands or Holland is a very small country, very flat, a lot of rain and wind and my children and grandchildren live there. They visit us (8 hrs drive) very often because the weather here is much more pleasant and we have a lot of space.No need to tell it's famous for its tulips!
In Holland they have bread, saucise, cerials, coffee, cheese for breakfast, the same for lunch and a warm meal in the evening. Here they start with a big bowl of coffee where they dunk in their bread from yesterday or put some confiture on it, at noon they have a hot meal and in the evening some meat or soup and salade. Potatoes are a vegetable here. I think the french eat very healthy but the meals are often "bien arrosés" very well sprayed with wine!
I live in an old chicken farm in a small village that has its own castle. If you want me to, I could tell you more about my house which is very very old. I have to drive almost one hour to get to a castle which is a quiltshop and that sells american fabrics. Nothing else. So I buy all my fabric by internet from the States and some stitchery and patterns from Australia.
I can walk to the market on monday and to the few shops we have. For the mall I have to drive to Dijon (1 hr)
Falcon, I have a relative living in Perth but don't have any contact with her. I wish I was your neighbour for a few months!!A small house near the beach sounds wonderfull to me during wintermonths. Winter is cold and humid here and the summers warm. I have seen the flood in Queensland on tv. Horrible! And it will have its influence on your economy I think.
Rainy Day, I have a typical dutch bike so I could join you to the LQS! Oh how I would love that!! I have nobody here to talk about quilting etc etc but do have a few ladies that I teach a bit of quilting once in a while. But I miss a good quiltingfriend. Fortunatly I have this board!!!!! Thanks everybody, bisou, Pinot