Strimming, Sauveterre de Rouergue & Limogues

Well this week starts much like the last one...hacking out! It must seem as if we're hacking out a building the size of the Empire State, although sometimes if feels like we are, it really is only a small French house. The weather had really hotted up at the beginning of the week and labouring away in the blazing sun meant we were building up a good old sweat and, hopefully, the pounds were dropping off us. Since the sand & lime were delivered last Friday we hadn't seen the builder and as the 15 days were up on Thursday we had decided to give him a call on Saturday. We'd needn't have panicked as on Friday afternoon he arrived with a large cement mixer and said he'd be starting work on Tuesday morning at 7:00. Don't think Barbara was too impressed with the time but the fact that it would be another job crossed off the list made up for the loss of beauty sleep.

On Tuesday we called in to the Maire's office, and what a nice office it is as you can see from the picture it, with our plans. We half expected to be quizzed about what we had in mind but as it turned out all the staff (and there are a lot of them for a village with a population of only 1,800) were having computer lessons. It's good to know that our tax d'habitation is being spent well. We left the plans with fingers crossed that they wouldn't get mislaid and we'd hear something before the office closed for the annual holidays at the end of July. We got back to the house just in time to see M. & Mme. Guilbert arrive with their daughter. They'd called by to explain why their son-in-law hadn't been able to cut the field. It didn't really need much explanation, it's not been dry enough! Their daughter's English was very good and she said that her own daughter was now learning English at school & she was really enjoying helping her with her homework. She went on to say that when she was at school she'd been on an English exchange to Blackpool. We told her that Barbara's mum lived in Blackpool and that it probably hadn't changed that much since she was there. It's still a sophisticated resort where visitors dress in kiss-me-quick hats & enjoy the best pleasure beach in the world. A world apart from rural France.

With the weather hotting up the grass has started to grow and once again it's time to get the strimmer out. Ever since I bought it it's been a little unreliable and as I don't seem to have much luck with second hand machinery I'm always slightly pessimistic. Things didn't improve when no sooner had I made a start than the dammed thing cut out & couldn't be restarted. Frustrated that it looked like I was going to have a wasted day I decided to take it back to the shop where I'd bought it and have a few words with them as it had already, according to them, been fully repaired. On arrival I have the wind taken out of my sails when the shop owner offers to lend me a new strimmer while he sorts mine out. Can't complain at that especially as the machine he lends me is much bigger than mine. Think it's time to return home and make the most of the loan machine & do a bit of intensive strimming. All goes well until I see something move very quickly, fortunately in the opposite direction, as I approach with the strimmer. I'm not sure who was the most scared me or the Couleuvre d’Esculape or Elaphe longissima snake. I had thought that the dead snake we'd seen on the road last week was the only local inhabitant of the species but I guess that was being a tad optimistic.

The week has flown by and it's Thursday again & time to take Beryl back to the airport. She's been really blessed with the weather & had a nice relaxing time with us. As I'm filling the car with petrol in preparation for the journey to Limogues a lorry driver beckons to me for help. The filling station we use is fully automated and there are no staff on site & the Greek driver must think I'll be able to translate the French instructions for him. I'm able to help him & walk away thinking 'at last, someone who speaks less French than me'. It's a good journey and we have time to call in to a motorway services for lunch. These are not to be confused with British ones where you can only buy litre cups of coffee & KFC's, these are French ones that serve a range of good quality meals at a fraction of British prices and are all offered with a choice of wine or beer! It's always a good idea to forgot the alcohol when you're concentrating on getting out of the way of your average French Autoroute driver who travels at speeds in excess of 150Km/H.

Saturday afternoon and time for a little R & R. We've been before but thought it was time to visit Sauveterre de Rouergue again. Click HERE for further information. It's one of nine of the '100 most beautiful villages in France' located in the Averyon, Najac is another. We were lucky as there was a medieval festival on with the village inhabitants dressed in period costume, although I suppose they could dress like that all the time. There were several arts & crafts stalls selling baskets, pottery & jewellery, there always seems to be lots of jewellery stalls at these type of events, wonder if it's because all their wares can be thrown in the back of the car for easy transportation. Lot easier than having to pack away dozens of wood carvings & baskets.