Bert,

My French WAS reasonably [ conversational ] good - when in constant use [ 15 years ago ]. I lived in France for a while - first as a Hippy Youth [ 17/18 ] around the Sorbonne in Paris busking around for a living . - and later in Britanny for a year.

Now - est ce n'est pas bonne ..........................

Yes, my German is limited to conversations about beer, food and motorbikes - actually, what else do I need !!!!!!!!

Were where you in Britanny?

I lived there for a couple of years too. Last summer, I went back for a short visit and got the opportunity to party with old friends.
It was 30 years since I had been there and other than the old downtown core, I couldn't recognize the cities.

Bert,

Just outside the holiday resort of Benodet. We started with 4 mobile caravan homes on the premier site there - Pte. St. Gilles and then bought a small cottage - £2,500 [ 1973 ]. Sold that and moved to Normandy - again small 4 bedroomed cottage [£4,000], but this time as a holiday home [ Blainville sur Mer].

My plan was to retire in France - but when the property market went pear shaped in the UK [ 1990 ] - AND at the same time properties in France went through the roof we had to rethink.

Then I discovered Saxony !!