Phew !

[L Austin France]

Just got our life back again,
Some old 'friends' from the UK mailed us a few weeks ago & said that as they were going to be touring Britany in their new camper, could they pass by to say hello & maybe stay a night.
No problems we thought as the last time they visited they stayed one night with their old 'van' parked in front of the house. Not this time though.
After looking around the garden they asked if they could park up in the orchard part of the lawn so, being nice folk, we cut off some branches to get their £100,000 plus vehicle into the only flat spot available.
Problem with that was that they loved the 'pitch' & the fact that their dog could wander free in the fenced off lawn so much they asked if they could stay another night.
The original one night led to three with us cooking & waiting on providing hotel services with them only using their 'all singing & dancing van' to sleep in. Good job chez LAF's had excellent on site facilities.
Nice folk & good to catch up on old times but why is it that some people have no idea how they're imposing on others good will.
Any road, a few gentle hints this morning followed by a long leisurely breakfast by folk who were in no hurry to depart saw them finally on their way.
Peace now reigns, our cat is relaxing having seen the back of their gentle but large & fluffy Old English Sheepdog & I'm sat here thinking "well, I think that was nice"

[Lori]

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

Benjamin Franklin

[Hotrodder]

I've heard many stories in the same vein about once someone buys a home in France, family and friends expect free fully catered holidays.

[Blaze]

The line was always "We'd love to come and see you ...."
When we first came to France, we were inundated by people wanting to come and see us. When they realised that we had no swimming pool and were still in a building site, some just disappeared out of sight ....

We heard so many stories of people being imposed upon and forewarned is forearmed. After all, we wouldn't dream of doing it to others ....
However, for parents and siblings, it was always open house

The funny thing is that since we moved to Brittany, by the sea, we haven't been invaded. Perhaps the sea is too cold .... and then there are jellyfish .... and this year, Portuguese men o'war !!!

[Polarengineer]

My neighbour is also from Paris, brilliant people. Helped me from day one with bricolanguage, we borrow each others machines (cement mixer, digger), advises on wines, uses my biodump to get rid of his garden waste, which adds to the land, I have plans to use his Kubota front loader to lay a road. Symbiosis, and why not.

[Polarengineer]

We get lots of friends just dropping in unannounced, last lot turned up just before a planned lunch with three others, they did not stop even when invited as there was food enough. We are a long way off the the beaten track, so they really go out of their way to turn up. We take it in our stride and there are enough rooms if they want to stay. I am so busy, I cannot take time out to entertain them, so they have to take it or leave. Luckily, the visitors are mostly interesting people and meals get noisy with all the tales. The rest of the year is ours.

[Hotrodder]

As opposed to the friend of mine who has long since returned to UK who used to be glad to see the end of the summer so he & his mrs. could get some rest. Most of the high season the guests were back to back, hardly giving them time to muck out and do the laundry before the next lot arrived.

[Blaze]

Most of the high season the guests were back to back, hardly giving them time to muck out and do the laundry before the next lot arrived.

That's what we used to do at our old place : a very long farmhouse with our bit at one end, various workshops converted from stables, dairy etc and a gite at the other. We made a good living out of it despite it having no frills or swimming pool, but I wasn't sorry when we decided to stop.

[Hotrodder]

A lot of newbies with big ideas just don't realise how much work it can be.

[Sparkle]

@L Austin France "but why is it that some people have no idea how they're imposing on others good will." I have the same problem with our english neighbours when they come to visit their holiday home - can you put the blinds up, can you turn the water on, can you put the fridge & hot water (and can I turn them all off when they leave). OK if we come in for a coffee then they stayed just that little bit longer and it turned into a glass or two of wine (my fault I know for starting something years ago). They used to come in at 10am for coffee but on their last visit it became 11am. So when they arrived a few weeks back I said politely to them I'm not being rude but you are on holiday we live here and have things to do especially working around the two hours lunch break when all the local shops close if you want coffee it has to be 10am no later. They arrive again next week so 10am coffee and then they're out before apero hour!