It has been about 2.5 months since we moved from Bordeaux downtown to the small village of Lantheuil in Normandy’s countryside. Now that we are finally experiencing some warm and sunny days, I am constantly comparing my life here vs in Bordeaux.
Here are the 5 things I love most about life in the countryside:
- Fresh air. Bordeaux is not the most polluted city in France, but it can still take a lot out of you when you are walking around all day. The larger roads you breathe in gas and the smaller roads tend to smell of urine. Since there are not many grassy areas, dogs go to the bathroom along the smaller roads and sidewalks… plus men tend to pee on the buildings. And this brings me to the next item on my list…
- No peeing on buildings. I no longer have to feel that awkwardness of walking by a man while he is peeing on the side of a building. Granted, last week when my husband took the garbage out he caught our landlord relieving himself on the side of our house. Oh well, at least it does not happen as often here.
- Greenery and wildlife. There was not much greenery in Bordeaux besides along the water at the quai or in the Jardin Publique – just grey stones everywhere. It is wonderful to see farmland, flowers and forests. The flowers here are remarkably bright and cheerful, with fragrant scents following the breezes up to our balcony. We have a cherry and plum tree in our backyard, plus flowers at each window and surrounding the house. The neighbors also all keep their gardens and yards flush with bright flowers, vegetable gardens and fruit trees. It is also nice to wake up to the bird chirping cheerfully, instead of those pigeons cooing out of tune. We have bird nests all along the roof of the house, so we also have little baby birds chirping away whenever it is feeding time.
- Friendly neighbors. Our neighbors waive when they see us and enjoy a long conversation whenever they get the chance. You will see neighbors chatting along their fences or riding bikes to visit each other. Our landlord lives downstairs in the converted basement, bringing us fresh vegetables and fruits whenever a friend or neighbor brings over too much for him. In fact, we were getting lettuce and radishes almost every day! We had to tell him that it was going to waste because we could not eat it all that fast. My dogs’ ball always rolls under the fence into my neighbor’s yard, so he gave me several balls that his dog does not use and told me to sneak into his yard at any time to retrieve any that I lose. The only time I talked with my neighbors in Bordeaux was to tell them to turn down their music in the middle of the night!
- Peaceful evenings. I no longer have to deal with my neighbor downstairs throwing parties until 5am! I do not mind some music until 1 or 2am, but it gets ridiculous when on a weeknight they last until the sun is about to rise. I love the peace and quiet here in the evenings. We do not hear fighting, singing and loud music. Even though, I have to admit I do miss hearing drunk teenagers singing songs in english as they walk home.
I miss a few things about Bordeaux though. I loved having a café or boulangerie always within a 2 min walking distance and shops closeby. The public transportation system was amazing, so we never had to drive anywhere. The city was beautiful, even if it was lacking nature. The peope were also very nice in the cafés and shops – my dogs were even allowed within the cafés!
In the countryside, we must drive to get anywhere and there are no cafés or boulangeries within walking distance. Since it gets so cold here, I guess I would not walk much anyways. Living in Lantheuil is much more relaxing and a better environment for us to start our live when our baby is born. It is also nice that I will not have to dodge dog piles when taking the stroller out for walks in the neighborhood!
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