The wind continued so high on Monday that I couldn't have a bonfire and the weather had definitely taken a turn for the colder so, after getting dressed under the duvet, I took myself off to the laundrette just to warm up because the cold is playing havoc with my arthritis.
Joy of joys - the builder turned up late in the morning so that he could do some measurements and he assures me that work in earnest will start tomorrow at around 8.30. I explained that I don't get up until 10 because I would die of hypothermia.
Then the gardener came in the afternoon to finish off the lawn. Two out of two. Yay!!
A beautiful sunny day but I did very little work in the garden as, even with my sheepskin jacket, it was too cold to stay out there for long. [By the way, not sure it was a real sheep that donated its skin, I didn't ask in Primark and the label's in Chinese]. It seemed a waste of a day but I pottered around the garden, tidying up a bit and moving a lot of wood into the house in the hope that we get the torrential downpour that is forecast. We need more really heavy rain before I can plant the 30 metres of laurel hedging in the trench I have prepared. All we've had recently is the sort of drizzle that seeps into your skin and bones but leaves the garden still gagging for water.
I decided to light a fire in the house, which is always fun because the house seems to enjoy each fire and melt a little into us. I know this sounds fanciful but it takes a while for a stone house to warm, even though the fire seems big enough to roast a suckling pig on [I don't know what a suckling pig is exactly but I am sure I could roast it over our fire]. It was probably the wrong decision because the wind died down later but, what the hell, I'm not a meteorologist!
Well!!! 3 out of 2 today because in the afternoon a [relatively young and gorgeous] Frenchman arrived driving a large vehicle with a skip on the back. The only drawback was that the skip was full of rubble. He insisted that Darren had ordered a skip full of rubble, I said that Darren had ordered a skip FOR rubble but a] I am not male and b] I couldn't get hold of Darren on any of the 3 numbers I have for him so I was on sandy soil when I insisted that I would not accept it. Eventually he left and I sat in front of the fire being a wise woman on my own [accompanied by a bottle of the finest local wine of course].
Chris had a worse day, in Angola, where the Delegation was flooded, particularly the IT room.
The forecast was for below zero temperatures overnight. For once it was right!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
One out of two ...
Saturday I was expecting the builder and the gardener. Well, one of them turned up and it wasn't the builder! Well, to be fair he did say Saturday or Monday.
The gardener is a small, ancient, weathered man with only 3 teeth. He speaks with such a strong accent that he is almost incomprehensible but he lives next door to an English woman and can say YES and OK so thinks that he's multilingual! He couldn't understand me very well either but we got by with a lot of head nodding and smiling. He did a good job of the lawn and the smell of newly-cut grass did its usual trick of lifting the spirits, temporarily at least.
Sunday it is forbidden to light bonfires, what a relief! I went for a wander around the garden centre and then tried to prepare the trench for the laurel hedge [30 metres] but we need a decent downpour instead of all this insipid constant drizzle.
I was feeling pretty tired, guess I'm not used to all this exercise, so I took the afternoon off. Listened to Radio 4 and read my kindle while the wind howled around the caravan. I must say it was a particularly forceful and bitterly cold wind. I felt quite protected although the caravan was definitely making lots of creaky noises.
I was only disturbed when Mme B battled against the wind from next door. Wearing her pyjamas and dressing gown, scarf knotted around her neck [stylish even in moments of stress!] and without even her cigarette holder, she tottered to the caravan. I was really worried that something serious was wrong because it was a horrendous day. But it transpired she had fought her way through the strong, cold winds to ask me if I had a blue tent as one was rolling around her grounds. Not guilty! I sent her back off to the warmth and safety of her house before we both froze to death.
I always knew that the cold would be an issue but I didn't realise how difficult I would find the solitude. Most of the time I am actually quite happy with my own company but it would be nice to sit and have a wind-down drink and a chat in the evenings. Chris did Skype but he was keen to get back to the football and I was in the middle of trying to assemble a brushcutter.
By mistake I put the fire and the kettle on at the same time and the electricity went off so I had to wrap up and make my miserable way through the biting wind, unlock the house, run back for the torch and try and remember everything Chris had told me about the fuses. Luckily it was just the trip switch and I ran happily back to the warm caravan, ready to crawl into bed early and hope that Monday would be a more productive day.
The wind howled around the caravan all night long, it was really creepy! And really really cold. And, if anyone's interested, my nails are totally buggered!
The gardener is a small, ancient, weathered man with only 3 teeth. He speaks with such a strong accent that he is almost incomprehensible but he lives next door to an English woman and can say YES and OK so thinks that he's multilingual! He couldn't understand me very well either but we got by with a lot of head nodding and smiling. He did a good job of the lawn and the smell of newly-cut grass did its usual trick of lifting the spirits, temporarily at least.
Sunday it is forbidden to light bonfires, what a relief! I went for a wander around the garden centre and then tried to prepare the trench for the laurel hedge [30 metres] but we need a decent downpour instead of all this insipid constant drizzle.
I was feeling pretty tired, guess I'm not used to all this exercise, so I took the afternoon off. Listened to Radio 4 and read my kindle while the wind howled around the caravan. I must say it was a particularly forceful and bitterly cold wind. I felt quite protected although the caravan was definitely making lots of creaky noises.
I was only disturbed when Mme B battled against the wind from next door. Wearing her pyjamas and dressing gown, scarf knotted around her neck [stylish even in moments of stress!] and without even her cigarette holder, she tottered to the caravan. I was really worried that something serious was wrong because it was a horrendous day. But it transpired she had fought her way through the strong, cold winds to ask me if I had a blue tent as one was rolling around her grounds. Not guilty! I sent her back off to the warmth and safety of her house before we both froze to death.
I always knew that the cold would be an issue but I didn't realise how difficult I would find the solitude. Most of the time I am actually quite happy with my own company but it would be nice to sit and have a wind-down drink and a chat in the evenings. Chris did Skype but he was keen to get back to the football and I was in the middle of trying to assemble a brushcutter.
By mistake I put the fire and the kettle on at the same time and the electricity went off so I had to wrap up and make my miserable way through the biting wind, unlock the house, run back for the torch and try and remember everything Chris had told me about the fuses. Luckily it was just the trip switch and I ran happily back to the warm caravan, ready to crawl into bed early and hope that Monday would be a more productive day.
The wind howled around the caravan all night long, it was really creepy! And really really cold. And, if anyone's interested, my nails are totally buggered!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Friday the 13th
Mme B, my neighbour told me that it was 3 degrees overnight. I knew it was cold because my face was so cold it woke me up and I had to hide under the duvet til 10 o'clock when it was warm enough to get up! Mme B is the first person I have had a real person conversation with for a couple of days but it wasn't a long conversation as she was off to her gym class, not bad for 82.
I went to buy some garden tools and didn't swap much more than the usual pleasantries so I decided to go out for lunch in the hope that I'd have a chat with someone. Unless you count a superscillious waiter questioning my decision not to have wine with lunch, then the expedition wasn't much of a success. Despite all weather forecasts, it was sunny when I got home so I did some more branch-burning until it got too cold. I remind myself that I am in a foreign country, living in a caravan and freezing cold for much of the time because I am doing this for my grandchildren, so that they have somewhere lovely to come and stay. I am not sure I believe myself.
Read the 14 day weather forecast, which is more rain and colder. Finished the day with a Skype fight with Chris.
Glad to get to bed
I went to buy some garden tools and didn't swap much more than the usual pleasantries so I decided to go out for lunch in the hope that I'd have a chat with someone. Unless you count a superscillious waiter questioning my decision not to have wine with lunch, then the expedition wasn't much of a success. Despite all weather forecasts, it was sunny when I got home so I did some more branch-burning until it got too cold. I remind myself that I am in a foreign country, living in a caravan and freezing cold for much of the time because I am doing this for my grandchildren, so that they have somewhere lovely to come and stay. I am not sure I believe myself.
Read the 14 day weather forecast, which is more rain and colder. Finished the day with a Skype fight with Chris.
Glad to get to bed
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Home Alone
I'm trying hard to settle into life alone here in the middle of nowhere. Doing a lot of sorting out, cleaning and I even tackled the laundrette run again. When I left my washing, it was deserted, but by the time I returned from a visit to the station to find out about a Seniors Railcard [too expensive and demeaning, I'm really not ready for it yet], the laundrette was full of people I did not wish to share a bank holiday afternoon with, nor did I wish them to watch my smalls rotate in the dryer. Why are laundrettes always so depressing?? Anyway, I lugged the laundry home and set it up in the middle of the lounge so I now have to skirt around it if I want to go anywhere or do anything.
Although the weather was OK I didn't dare light a bonfire as apparently it is a sin worse than most to light up on a Sunday or jour férié. It was nearly 9 o'clock before the sun went down, wow!
I found it hard to settle down in the caravan and kept making excuses not to go to bed [one more cup of tea etc] but eventually I had to give in!
Life has settled down to a routine of getting up late so that it's warmer, then housework, shopping, administration at the Mairie, gardening, visiting our newly-widowed neighbour to get smoked into incoherence, bonfire-making on the rare occasions it's not raining and firelighting in the lounge when it is. Food is as fast as it can get, at the moment I can't be bothered to cook for myself. I have put all my shoes in the car, it's a much better idea as I have to wear wellingtons to get to the car, or even to get to the house,as I gloop through the mud.
The builder has promised that he will be starting on Saturday.......................we'll see!
My intention to stay off alcohol for a while has hit a very sticky bit! Thank God for the internet, I can communicate with people, listen to Radio 4 and get a penis enlargement!!!!
Although the weather was OK I didn't dare light a bonfire as apparently it is a sin worse than most to light up on a Sunday or jour férié. It was nearly 9 o'clock before the sun went down, wow!
I found it hard to settle down in the caravan and kept making excuses not to go to bed [one more cup of tea etc] but eventually I had to give in!
Life has settled down to a routine of getting up late so that it's warmer, then housework, shopping, administration at the Mairie, gardening, visiting our newly-widowed neighbour to get smoked into incoherence, bonfire-making on the rare occasions it's not raining and firelighting in the lounge when it is. Food is as fast as it can get, at the moment I can't be bothered to cook for myself. I have put all my shoes in the car, it's a much better idea as I have to wear wellingtons to get to the car, or even to get to the house,as I gloop through the mud.
The neighbour is very kind and thoughtful but I find it difficult to understand what she's saying as she talks fast and moves her dentures around her mouth at the same time. She's not a woman who takes kindly to criticism or disagreement so I generally nod and agree and that seems to be OK all round.
I haven't gone back to the French dancing class as I have lost a bit of my spark at the moment. But I sometimes light a big fire in the house and have a dance there.
I have been listening a lot to Radio Nostalgie in the car. But I don't think I can take it any longer. They appear to have a portfolio of approximately 50 records which they play in whatever order they please. One is by Gilbert O'Sullivan! Today, with no hint of irony, he played 'Raindrops keep falling on my Head' and I almost crashed the car in fury!
My intention to stay off alcohol for a while has hit a very sticky bit! Thank God for the internet, I can communicate with people, listen to Radio 4 and get a penis enlargement!!!!
Monday, April 9, 2012
The sad thing about my life..........
is that I am always saying goodbye to people I love.
Playing Adele in the car on the way back from the airport might not have been a wise move.
Still only 41 days til I see my little Beth and 54 til I see Chris, and maybe I'll see Kate in the meantime too.
**** Got the dates wrong!! It was 46 til I see Chris and 34 til Beth. Chris told me, he must be counting too.
Playing Adele in the car on the way back from the airport might not have been a wise move.
Still only 41 days til I see my little Beth and 54 til I see Chris, and maybe I'll see Kate in the meantime too.
**** Got the dates wrong!! It was 46 til I see Chris and 34 til Beth. Chris told me, he must be counting too.
Chris's last weekend
Saturday it continued to rain and we valiantly tried to plant the laurels but gave up around lunchtime when Simon came to finally remove the radiators and boiler. He's pleased and we're pleased to get rid so definitely a win-win situation, especially as money changed hands and also as the demolition is supposed to start on Monday.
We had just retreated to the caravan absolutely soaking and really cold when the neighbour's daughter turned up with her daughter and her exchange student from England. They stayed until I started violently shivering and then they gave me a few odd looks and headed home for lunch. I had a shower to try and get warm. I spent some time trying to convince myself that gardening in the freezing rain is good for the skin and will give me a lovely glow. So far, the mirror seems to indicate otherwise.
Rain prevented much more work, although Chris had a go at making the raised beds because he'd like to get them finished before he leaves on Monday and we pottered around the house trying to convince ourselves that progress is being made.
The sun came out around 5pm but by then we didn't care, Chris was totally sodden and mudsplattered and fed up but still had chores to finish before he goes and he also had to give Simon a hand to move the enormously heavy boiler and radiators. Water had naturally leaked everywhere so the ground floor was about 2 inches deep everywhere. I just returned to the caravan!
We went out for dinner and returned to find Simon and Frederic still trying to load the last of the stuff. It was after 9.30, cold and dark. I began to wonder if perhaps money should have changed hands in the other direction before they took everything away!
Sunday dawned just as grey as miserable and we finished planting the laurels and then constructed the raised beds.
As we were so wet and cold and fed up again, we decided to go to a hotel in Bordeaux and spend hours in the bathroom. I packed an entire carrier bag of toiletries because I may not see a bath for some time in the future.
When we arrived the hotel was pretty average so we decided to go out for a few drinks. However something weird had happened to France between midday and 4pm. It had shut down. The
shoulder-shrugging, garlic-loving. Gaullois-smoking country was about as exciting and accessible as the Marie Celeste. At midday on Easter Sunday, it dies, with one remarkable exception. The boulangeries/pattisseries were all open and doing good business. Yes, you could buy a cake, pastry, bread and chocolate in almost any shape known to man but getting a drink and meal was completely out of the question. Well, almost...........we ended up eating at McDonalds, which served as a reminder of just how awful food can be, and we drove to the airport to drink overpriced beers.
However the anticipated bath more than lived up to expectations and it was wonderful to feel clean again.
We had just retreated to the caravan absolutely soaking and really cold when the neighbour's daughter turned up with her daughter and her exchange student from England. They stayed until I started violently shivering and then they gave me a few odd looks and headed home for lunch. I had a shower to try and get warm. I spent some time trying to convince myself that gardening in the freezing rain is good for the skin and will give me a lovely glow. So far, the mirror seems to indicate otherwise.
Rain prevented much more work, although Chris had a go at making the raised beds because he'd like to get them finished before he leaves on Monday and we pottered around the house trying to convince ourselves that progress is being made.
 |
| The man of the house having a coffee break before heading back out to the cold and damp |
We went out for dinner and returned to find Simon and Frederic still trying to load the last of the stuff. It was after 9.30, cold and dark. I began to wonder if perhaps money should have changed hands in the other direction before they took everything away!
Sunday dawned just as grey as miserable and we finished planting the laurels and then constructed the raised beds.
 |
| Raised beds starting to take shape. We are on our way to an organic garden! |
 |
| The sun came out for less than 5 minutes! |
As we were so wet and cold and fed up again, we decided to go to a hotel in Bordeaux and spend hours in the bathroom. I packed an entire carrier bag of toiletries because I may not see a bath for some time in the future.
When we arrived the hotel was pretty average so we decided to go out for a few drinks. However something weird had happened to France between midday and 4pm. It had shut down. The
shoulder-shrugging, garlic-loving. Gaullois-smoking country was about as exciting and accessible as the Marie Celeste. At midday on Easter Sunday, it dies, with one remarkable exception. The boulangeries/pattisseries were all open and doing good business. Yes, you could buy a cake, pastry, bread and chocolate in almost any shape known to man but getting a drink and meal was completely out of the question. Well, almost...........we ended up eating at McDonalds, which served as a reminder of just how awful food can be, and we drove to the airport to drink overpriced beers.
However the anticipated bath more than lived up to expectations and it was wonderful to feel clean again.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Something really nice happened on Wednesday but Friday not so good
The weather continues to be cold so on Wednesday we gave in and bought an oil-filled radiator for the bedroom. I've just got used to getting dressed under the duvets. The radiator in itself was nice enough but I also received a letter from a cousin of mine, Irish but lives in London, in which she enclosed some photos of some of my Irish relatives, cousins, aunts, grandparents. It was a lovely surprise - the biggest one being that I am a dead ringer for my Auntie Eileen, except she had thicker hair. I really liked her, she was generous and very, very funny. Of course, she was beautiful too.
Later on Wednesday we met with the architect who has all sorts of good ideas and I can see the price climbing by the minute. He has convinced us that the contractor should demolish 4 rooms instead of 2 when [if] he arrives on Monday as it will be more cost efficient. The other rooms would have to be demolished later anyway to make way for the extension. We'll wait and get an estimate and then decide. The man with the mini digger couldn't come as arranged as he had lost the keys to his trailer so we've booked him in for Friday. The laundrette was the usual horrible experience, once more I feel as if I've slipped back 35 years and it's not nice. Had a bonfire.
Thursday was spent with Henriette and Jackie, the parents of the lad that Chris did his school exchange with 40 years ago. We have kept in touch regularly with them and visit whenever we are in France. We had the usual 17 course meal accompanied by 5 wines. We tried to do some work when we got home but it was difficult....too tired by the midday excesses! We had yet another bonfire until it got rained off. Funny, we haven't even scratched the surface of all the cuttings we have to get rid of, and then we have to demolish and burn the sechoir, which may well keel over before we get round to it. We spent the evening on paperwork: Chris on a form for Permission de Demolir which takes 3 months to process [remember the demolition is due to happen on Monday] and me on trying to get a cheap flight back to the UK in May for some sanity time. Problems with that, oh well, there's a surprise. We also read a book on the French taxation system, just how exciting can life get? This DEFINITELY is a rhetorical question.
Well it got exciting on Friday, Good Friday it definitely wasn't. I woke, put on the heater and the kettle and - whoops - all the electricity went off, so no warmth and no internet. I had no choice but to get up and go to the shopping centre to access the email from the contractor that is doing the work next week [we hope]. On the way I stopped at the ATM but our Belgian bank card wouldn't let me have any money so I had to use the English card and I am so mean that I HATE having to change money that way and pay extortionate charges.
But Ian turned up with his digger and some work did actually get done for once. Chris went shopping for some fuses and returned half an hour later to get some money to pay for them. Slow progress!! The sound of the digger in the garden reassured me that some small progress was being made while I prepared the supper on the [thankfully, gas] cooker. Chris eventually returned with fuses which solved the first problem. Accessing the internet showed me that we had just paid a credit card bill which had taken us overdrawn so at least I knew why I couldn't get money out. Second mystery solved! Ian dug a big hole and buried a lot of crap. Yay!! He also went to the dechetterie and got loads of free compost and dug some trenches in the right place. I think Ian is a God among men in French artisan terms, he turns up when he says he will and does the job, charges a reasonable amount and then buggers off. Same can't be said for the electrician who turned up to remove the electrics from the rooms to be demolished. He didn't do that but he did move the earth thingy, which is apparently important. So only half a result there and he left everything where he dropped it, charged 50 euro for less than an hour's work.
We bought 18 trees. Had a bonfire. Today was very expensive.
The sun gave way to thunderstorms and rain so heavy we couldn't hear each other speak in the caravan. I guess it watered the new trees which are waiting patiently to be planted.
But compared to a week ago, we have a working toilet, a new radiator [that cannot be used in conjunction with the other radiator], 18 new trees [which have yet to be planted] and an intimate knowledge of bonfire law in France. This is progress of a sort.
Later on Wednesday we met with the architect who has all sorts of good ideas and I can see the price climbing by the minute. He has convinced us that the contractor should demolish 4 rooms instead of 2 when [if] he arrives on Monday as it will be more cost efficient. The other rooms would have to be demolished later anyway to make way for the extension. We'll wait and get an estimate and then decide. The man with the mini digger couldn't come as arranged as he had lost the keys to his trailer so we've booked him in for Friday. The laundrette was the usual horrible experience, once more I feel as if I've slipped back 35 years and it's not nice. Had a bonfire.
Thursday was spent with Henriette and Jackie, the parents of the lad that Chris did his school exchange with 40 years ago. We have kept in touch regularly with them and visit whenever we are in France. We had the usual 17 course meal accompanied by 5 wines. We tried to do some work when we got home but it was difficult....too tired by the midday excesses! We had yet another bonfire until it got rained off. Funny, we haven't even scratched the surface of all the cuttings we have to get rid of, and then we have to demolish and burn the sechoir, which may well keel over before we get round to it. We spent the evening on paperwork: Chris on a form for Permission de Demolir which takes 3 months to process [remember the demolition is due to happen on Monday] and me on trying to get a cheap flight back to the UK in May for some sanity time. Problems with that, oh well, there's a surprise. We also read a book on the French taxation system, just how exciting can life get? This DEFINITELY is a rhetorical question.
Well it got exciting on Friday, Good Friday it definitely wasn't. I woke, put on the heater and the kettle and - whoops - all the electricity went off, so no warmth and no internet. I had no choice but to get up and go to the shopping centre to access the email from the contractor that is doing the work next week [we hope]. On the way I stopped at the ATM but our Belgian bank card wouldn't let me have any money so I had to use the English card and I am so mean that I HATE having to change money that way and pay extortionate charges.
But Ian turned up with his digger and some work did actually get done for once. Chris went shopping for some fuses and returned half an hour later to get some money to pay for them. Slow progress!! The sound of the digger in the garden reassured me that some small progress was being made while I prepared the supper on the [thankfully, gas] cooker. Chris eventually returned with fuses which solved the first problem. Accessing the internet showed me that we had just paid a credit card bill which had taken us overdrawn so at least I knew why I couldn't get money out. Second mystery solved! Ian dug a big hole and buried a lot of crap. Yay!! He also went to the dechetterie and got loads of free compost and dug some trenches in the right place. I think Ian is a God among men in French artisan terms, he turns up when he says he will and does the job, charges a reasonable amount and then buggers off. Same can't be said for the electrician who turned up to remove the electrics from the rooms to be demolished. He didn't do that but he did move the earth thingy, which is apparently important. So only half a result there and he left everything where he dropped it, charged 50 euro for less than an hour's work.
We bought 18 trees. Had a bonfire. Today was very expensive.
The sun gave way to thunderstorms and rain so heavy we couldn't hear each other speak in the caravan. I guess it watered the new trees which are waiting patiently to be planted.
But compared to a week ago, we have a working toilet, a new radiator [that cannot be used in conjunction with the other radiator], 18 new trees [which have yet to be planted] and an intimate knowledge of bonfire law in France. This is progress of a sort.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)