The copropriété

A copropriété is when several people all own a building together. So this morning we were convoked for the first Assemblée Générale of the copropriété at the offices of our syndic - the company who is employed to manage the building.

We spent two happy hours, the five of us who showed up, together with three employees of the syndic and the property developer who built the building. We chose companies to service the lift, clean that place and put the bins out, service the boilers, all sorts of things. And we met our downstairs neighbours as well as a couple from the top floor.

This afternoon was the delivery of the communal areas, so I got to visit the corridors, parking spaces, lift and rooftop. The roof garden has been planted with edible  shrubs, so I saw a hazel tree, a bay tree, some redcurrants, gooseberries and blueberries, a grape vine, all sorts of things. There's also two picnic tables and the property developer bought an immense lawnmower for when the grass has been planted and eventually grows. There's also some picnic tables up there. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A bit about music exams in UK and France

They're really different. I think I have already mentioned that while in the UK people generally find a private teacher for their instrument, or do it through a school scheme, here there are municipal music school, conservatoires and so on. The situation is a little more complex than I had first understood, because the schools vary in the rigidity of their organisation: the most, the conservatoires, next the municipals, then the associations. Our music school is an association, but it tends to apply the standards of the municipal schools with its programme of cycles, etc. Britain - grade 1 to 8, grade 8 being roughly equivalent to A-level, pre university/conservatoire. France - 3 cycles, each taking about 4 years, with 3ème cycle being roughly equivalent to grade 8. Theory of music - UK to take grade 8 you need theory grade 5. In France you study theory alongside your instrumental studies, very slowly. Catrin's flute music is MUCH more difficult than the stuff she does in theor
Read more

The Kitchen

 Our new apartment will be equipped with toilet and bathroom etc. but not with anything at all in the kitchen. Not even a sink. So we need to purchase a kitchen and engage a kitchen fitter. A friend who knows how to fit kitchens suggested buying an Ikea kitchen. "They're guaranteed twenty years and they honour their guarantee", he said. "I've proved it". Well I don't know any other kitchen laces in France, and I can't imagine there's much that's cheaper than Ikea, so I was happy to accept his advice. So it was that on Monday I booked an appointment with the Ikea Kitchen Planning Service in the centre of Bordeaux. The woman was friendly. "You've already started the process", she said, (have we?) "so that will save us lots of time". "What are you aiming for?" Something not too country, something discreet, something that can adapt to whatever colours we put in the rest of the room. She understood our dislike of
Read more