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 man of the house having a coffee break before heading back out to the cold and damp

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.

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.