Rent  A  Traditional  Country
Farmhouse  in  South-West  France

Week 62

Monday 13th June

With visitors here, don't expect too much work. John, Pete and I move the scaffold in preparation for some work on the roof. Most people paint their window frames to change the appearance of their houses. We just move the scaffold around.

Despite several attempts, we are unable to locate the leak that is letting water run down the kitchen chimney and the chimney breast in our bedroom. We'll just have to wait for rain.

Then off to the builders yard to get some plastic before buying more sand. However it's Monday, so the places we want are closed. One day I'll get the hang of this.

Tuesday 14th to Sunday 19th

This week is notable only by its lack of of progress. We sat in the sun and drank a few (not me you understand) bottles of sparkling wine which Sandra thought was champagne at €1.50 a bottle.

Pete and I went out on mountain bikes, of course up and down hills as there is no flat area around here. We went into Chalais via the main road which approaches the town down a long hill. To avoid riding back up it we took a different route out of town, after a coffee sitting in a pavement cafe in the sun.

The route out of town was less steep, but twice as long. "Well it doesn't seem that long in the car"!

The week ended with dinner at the chateaux in Chalais. The chateaux overlooks the town, and has a working draw-bridge. We took our aperitifs outside with swallows playing games over the courtyard and then ate the usual five courses in a beautiful stone built room.

And the best bit apart from the food and the company, was the Boss and I did not pay. We need more visits from friends like this.

And after Pete and Chris left on Saturday morning and John and Sandra in the evening, we were alone again, with a rest day to follow. I'm not sure I can stand the pace.