I'ts been a very quiet week, but I suppose that's why we came here..

Set up a Skype account - we are now able to make free calls over the internet all over the world. I think that's a great idea.

The prices here are no longer cheaper than in UK - in fact some things are a fair bit dearer. However part of this is obviously the exchange rate, and as we came here when the rate was virtually parity, we hope that if it climbs we will be better off. The people to feel sorry for are those who came to France or Spain when the rate was 1.60, or have their money invested in funds paying hardly any interest. Fuel, especially diesel, is cheaper even now, and costs such as local taxes are lower too. We still keep an eye on the shopping bill, and there is even a Lidl nearby for when we are feeling particularly mean.

The weather has been pretty good for the last few days - mostly sunny and temperatures around 15c - rather better than UK we hear. We have had a few exploratory drives while going shopping, and the countryside and views around here are really wonderful - come and see!

I have discovered that there is a branch of the Franco-British Chamber of commerce in Brive, and they are happy, in fact very keen, to help me through the bureaucratic hurdles of setting up a small business. We have a meeting tomorrow week, and I am really looking forward to it.