completion

Sometime on Wednesday afternoon, 10th December 2025, on a bright crisp day in Sablet I understand, 1rue FB passed from our possession back into French ownership. Our association with the house has come to an end.

We came to 1rue FB thirty-eight times in the thirteen and a half years we owned it. True, early visits were a bit fraught at times, as we strove to open up the terrace and refettle the northern aspect. And again, two rather bleak departures (q.v.) was our lot as we dismantled our interiors and disposed of, by a variety of means, most of the carefully collected items that contributed to make our rhomboidal three floor abode in France our very personal home in Vaucluse.

But now the first house on Rue Fortuné Bernard is sold. No celebration though for these sellers. Some relief that the machinations concerned with selling are largely at an end, much of which have necessarily fallen on Mme Melling’s shoulders through the combination of her consumate ability with the language, coupled with her keen attention to the labyrinthine procedures that buying and selling in France involves, further complicated at times by our non national status plus the tightening restrictions and costs that the nonsense called Brexit has thrown into the mix. I wasn’t much use. As is now widely appreciated, my French is close to non existant, IBMS (one last time: I Blame My School). So thank you Mary for your management of our affairs in this episode of our lives together, you done good.

We are pleased that our aspiration, after getting over the shock of putting 1rue FB on the market, to sell to French locals was achieved. Even better, citizens planning to live in the house at least for the medium term. We did not relish selling to ‘outsiders’ or as a holiday house, or a potential airbnb/rental. We are happy that the Parisians backed out, pleased that our buyers are who they are and confident they will take the house forward, improve it in ways we decided were beyond our needs, perhaps. We wish them success in their venture and that they get as much pleasure as we have had from and at 1rue FB.

The discomfiture of parting company with our dear and singular diamond shaped house will take a while to heal. I imagine the proceeds from the sale will help in this, as and when we get them, but just now, we feel bereft. We will see the views in and around Sablet again when we return as tourists to the Vaucluse next year, but we know we’ll not replicate the pleasure we felt at being Sabletonians in our angular habitation, the terrace views, the tree trunk roof timbers, resident martins, screaming swifts, chattering black redstarts …… and so on.

We left the clock hands on the wall in the middle floor sitting room

at 10 to 3… more or less, 

(they've been that way since I installed them, early on) 

‘and is there honey still for tea?’ 

Not for us, there, anymore. There are other things coming though, so on we go…