The roof comes off!

The roofers arrived Wednesday, on time and with all their gear.  After the preliminary greetings [ie, I was in the shower, he said bonjour to Lynne and she replied 'un minute, Madame is just getting dressed'] I went out to meet the boss whose first question, after the usual shoulder shrugging nicotine-fuelled grunting, was 'When does your husband arrive?'.  I told him and then he said that they would be here today but would be spending Thursday and Friday au chantier [at the workshop] and would return Monday.

OK, I thought!

But the two workers carried on all day, despite horrendously hot weather with temperatures in the high 30s, until 5.30

For Chris's info, they took off the tiles, they took off the next layer of wooden struts, they replaced any planks that needed it, they attached new wooden struts and then covered it with tarpaulin - and they managed to do about a quarter of the roof.

So for Chris's benefit, here are some photos

Grand Opening of the Boules Court

Well, we didn't hang around. We'd been working on it in fits and starts but once we knew that the roofers were on their way we decided to push ahead and get the boules court finished.  We roped off the areas that now contain the cuves, so that the roofers don't drive all over them.

Polly grabbed the rake and I got the glasses and the champagne from the fridge.

Polly did the final few rakeovers

I was busy on the phone

Selwyn was obviously busy carrying those enormous gloves!

Then I was busy organising the refreshments......

... while Polly was still slaving away putting the final touches

 

The ribbon was finally cut

 So now all we have to do is get the pea shingle for the seating area and it will all be ready to use!!  A big thank you to Lynne and Polly and Selwyn for all your help and advice.

Holiday time!

A welcome visit from the Prices, with Lynne arriving 2 days later, so I had a houseful [and a caravanful].  Polly and Selwyn spent a couple of days knocking down the sechoir [previously used to dry tobacco leaves]. Selwyn particularly seemed to enjoy it!!  Strange but true.

All gone and then Rachael demolished the rabbit hutches!

We spent 3 nights at the coast and had a wonderful, calm, peaceful time in the pine forests.  A real holiday with lovely seafood!

Good accommodation

Lovely beaches

Then Lynne and I went back home to await arrival of the gravel for the boules court.  Two new supermarkets have just opened so now we have a total of 3 - yay!!  Consequently price wars have started, so at least the housekeeping is a lot easier than last year.

Anyway, back at the boules court...

It took a few days to get everything sorted  but it was worth it - it's looking good and waiting for Chris's arrival.

There were Fetes de Music,markets and Brocantes and all sorts at the weekend.  In the meantime, Kate continued decorating her new flat and finally moved in on Sunday.

Monday morning dawned grey and drizzly and on my way to one of the supermarkets I noticed that every third car or so was towing a caravan - the roads were pretty well jammed with holiday traffic.  I guess the schools have broken up.  But altogether a good day - a visit to the architect revealed that the roofers will be arriving in 2 days and Darren turned up to clear up stuff and will be returning on Friday to finish off most of the outstanding jobs - inshallah.

Last evening for the Prices and the official opening of the Boules Court, but that deserves a blog of its own

Better get some animals in two by two!

Yep, the rain is back with a vengeance and it's certainly made the temperature a lot colder.  There was nothing to do for several days but to stay in,put the fire on and read.  I guess that's why Noah got the animals in, for the company.

I punctuated the time with doing my chores and a jolly little jaunt to the laundrette. Unfortunately the caravan was full of damp washing - a lovely odour to accompany my meals.  The kitchen in the house hasn't had a chance to dry out for weeks, everytime the floor starts to dry we have another downpour.  Roll on the arrival of the roofer!

After 3 days it cleared up a bit but by then I had lost the will to live, let alone to work in the garden!  The rain started again anyway.  Another wasted day.  Good job I've got the Kindle. The rain poured down at nights on the caravan roof but at least I was dry and warm.

Then heavy storms continued to alternate with weak sunshine and the temperature went up and down all day but at least I could take the chance do some stuff in the garden. The caravan carpet is now beyond repair!  I have a big bag full of muddy, smelly clothes.  My sanity is hanging by a thread.

Thursday - at last - started bright and sunny so I decided to rake over the coals of my many bonfires and get rid of the slag heap it has now become.  Unfortunately the rain has turned it into a claggy, clayey dollop so by 10.30 I was covered in mud but I persevered as much as I could.  The weather finally seems to have changed, just in time for Polly, Selwyn and Rachael's visit.

Back at the caravan - again

Back 'home' at the caravan.  The weather is sunny, windy and rainy but warm, there is masses to do and I have not even made a start. It's just too overwhelming.  I'm prevaricating like never before!

Everywhere is such a mess, so many half completed jobs and nothing cleared up.  It's getting me down.  The game birds have returned but they run back across the neighbour's garden whenever I get the camera out, obviously they're not the Kim Kardashian of the bird world!

On Friday I nearly killed myself at the car wash by putting the pressure hose on the wrong setting, I was almost lifted into the air before I sorted it out but it was still a scarey experience.  I had a chat at the Mairie about lighting bonfires.  It's illegal after 1 June but the woman at the Town Hall told me that she lights them anyway and then finished with 'I didn't tell you that'.  So I came home and lit an illegal fire and then stepped on a nail, hopped around the garden a bit and swore a lot.  The architect, due at 10, arrived at 11.40 just to do some measuring up.  I spent the rest of the day making a start on tidying up the crap which is taking over the garden.  The cool weather confused me into thinking I'd be all right but I managed to get pretty sunburnt in just a couple of hours.

A glowing pink!

I tidied myself up and went to an exposition by local producers.  Lots of cows and horses and stuff.

Lovely sheepdogs!!

Clever sculpture from an old barrel

1. 

   

   The river looked lovely

I didn't stay for the food and drink bit as I felt a bit of a Nobby No Mates on my own so went home to sort out the dustbins.

Saturday morning I set out to find a quarry, which I did, although unsurprisingly it was closed.  Then I visited the Ste Foy market and popped in for a chat with Mme B. The atmosphere with the other neighbour is distinctly frosty because [according to Mme B, who gets in from her gardener] I have upset him by doing 2 things.  One, cutting the grass near his boundary which sends grass cuttings onto his garden (?????) and two, letting Darren have a bonfire on a windy day, the odour of which upset them.  Great!  I'm just in the mood for a fight!!  Honestly, we moved to the country to get away from this sort of crap and it's pretty upsetting.

Spent a couple of hours tidying up a bit of the garden and moving subsoil onto the area which will be the boules court one day.  Then sulked in the caravan, brooding on the problem of the neighbour.  It's like living next door to my father, bloody miserable!

Still, in the scale of human suffering, it's not important, Wales is underwater, Scotland has legionnaires disease, France has French people.   Luckily I had investigated Le Terroir earlier. That's the shop at the end of our road which sells wine and all related stuff [i.e. glasses, corkscrews and food to eat with wine] and discovered an exquisite rosé - not cheap, but who cares?  I ate biltong, drank the rosé and decided I just don't care about the neighbours.  Actually after the bottle of rosé, I wasn't too bothered about Wales or Scotland either! 

The good news is that the rosé is fabulous, the bad news is that Le Terroir is closed til Tuesday.

The good news is that I have the Internet [ie Skype etc], the bad news is that there's no-one on the othe end...............

Good news about my life this week is that nothing has burnt down, none of my family nor friends [all of whom are a constant source of support to me] are ill or in difficulties.  The bad news is that all of aforementioned friends and family are scattered throughout the world and I miss them so much.

Next week will be better [I am not sure whether this is a question, a statement or a plea to a higher order].

Time in Aix with Kate

Aix en Provence was hot, hot, hot, 28 degrees or higher. We stayed with Kate and Nico as one of their flatmates had obligingly moved out for the weekend.  I took a bag of washing with me, talk about role reversal!!  It was pretty exciting because Friday evening they found out they had finally got the apartment to rent that they wanted - right in the town centre.  They now have to rent a garage because parking is a total nightmare there.

Saturday Chris and Nico went to the estate agent to pay the deposit and did a bit of shopping, then we celebrated Chris's birthday 3 weeks early as he'll be back in SA on the actual day.  And we met up with some old friends from Malawi!! 

Hasn't Michaela grown up??

A lovely evening at Kate's, a braai and a few drinks with Andy, Juanita and Mikki and some early Birthday Cake, made by Kate.

Sunday was cloudy although still .  Fete des Meres today and so I got breakfast in bed.  FAB!!  Chris and I wandered around the market before having lunch at Kate's and then a bit of patriotic snoozing in front of the Diamond Jubilee.  Then Chris was off to the airport.  Another five weeks til he gets back.

Monday evening Kate and Nico took me to see their new appartment, which is lovely, terribly French and romantic and I am sure they'll both be very happy there.

Their appartment is on the 4th [top] floor.  Lots of stairs!

The view from their bedroom and the lounge

I just spent time with them and hung around the Irish pub while Kate worked - tough but someone had to do it! 

Kate at work

Then I headed home very early on Wednesday, I was dreading the drive but it was fine.  It was helped by the fact that, thanks to Lew, Chris and Kate I have more than tripled my CD collection for the car.  I seem to have gone a bit of a personality transplant, worrying about everything, but it was OK.  I have also had a foot transplant I think.  My own feet have disappeared and been replaced by those belonging to an old French peasant woman - swollen, dirty, with cracked and missing nails.  Horrible!!

Got home to find the electricity, water and phone were all working, the micro-station etc all still in place but the soil pipe disconnected so, guess what, no toilet!

There have obviously been storms and the garden looks a mess.  Don't care!  Going to find a bucket to soak these feet which I am temporarily wearing and then have a drink.

Chris's visit - all too short

Sunday we did a bit of work in the garden but it was all a bit half-hearted so we went to the Garden Centre to get a few things, then skived off work [feeling slightly guilty] and went for a drink or two in the lovely village of Monbazillac.  It was hot and sunny so afterwards we had a couple of hours dozing in the shade of a tree in the garden and did some gentle work in the evening.

The weather continued good all week and we pottered in the garden when it wasn't too hot and did lots of planning and talking.  We met the architect, which was quite exciting, although I'm starting to worry about money now.

I had bought an electric socket back from England [the caravan has English ones] and Chris has replaced the one in the bedroom so we have the bliss of a fan in there now. We revved up the work.  More bonfires, delays, gardening and filling the 'above ground pool' aka posh paddling pool.  Another  TWO 'peckers', more digging, more demolition.  More sunshine and strimming and, above all, spending!

It took hours to fill it - luckily we don't have a hosepipe ban!

 By Thursday night the micro-station was finally buried - I could hardly believe it!! 

Almost finished - after 2 months!

We celebrated by going to a restaurant and eating a meal without the company of mosquitos and early Friday we left Darren to tidy up the site and went to Aix en Provence to spend a couple of days with Kate.