Daughter off to India, me to France

We are into the last couple of days before Daughter is off to India.  Today was the last shopping trip to Oxford followed by packing and this seemed to go surprisingly well.  Daughter is now an experienced traveller it would seem and can pack three months stuff into one rucksac (including a laptop for blogging purposes)

I meanwhile, am getting ready for a four day trip to France to push forward the French property purchase.  All the paperwork for the mortgage has been sent and Wife and I have signed the Compromis and supporting documentation - all 65 pages of it. 

This is a tense moment for the French project.  Though we don't anticipate that the mortgage will be a problem, there is always the odd chance that it will be.  But the brokers are very confident.  My experience in Treasury leads me to believe that it is only when the transaction is finally completed and the money has moved, that you can finally relax.  Until then, anything can happen.

Two French language courses have arrived.  I am tempted to start on one but feel that might cast our deal into bad luck.  Also a French-English dictionary and a cook book.

Current reading also has a French feel

Ronald Hayman's biography of Sartre, and Sander's excellent book about Cahor winemakers