Well there was a distinct lack of fireworks here on Monday. Don't know why but the French don't seem to make much fuss about Guy Fawkes. They are catching on to the Halloween craze and there were plenty of witch related goodies in the shops although I'm delighted to say we didn't have any trick or treats. We've been greeted this week with some really keen frosts followed by some sunny & bright autumnal mornings. It's a shame we've not been able to get out & enjoy them!
It's been another week of fitting placo and adjusting the metal framework we installed last week. Despite working out all the corners & angles there always appears to be one plasterboard that needs an extra bit of support, fortunately the self-tapping screws make minor adjustments easy. We've been back & forth to the builders merchants for the different types of placo we need, vapour-proof vert for the en-suites, fireproof rouge for round the chimney & plain old buff for the rest of the walls. Using the trailer and backing it into the barn has made life a little easier, it's just a pity there's no easy way to get the plasterboards up the stairs. M. Regourd, our electrician & plumber, had called last week to say he'd be with us on Friday to start the first fix for the bedrooms & en-suites. Not wanting to get in his way I made a start on fitting the insulation to the ceiling of the cellar & by the time M. Regourd arrived at 11:30 (on his way home for lunch no doubt) I'd finished. With an armful of conduit & a crayon he was full of apologies. An emergency had arisen and he now only had time to mark out where we wanted the sockets, lights & switches but promised to return next Wednesday with the bathroom fittings that he'd had in store for us since early May. I think the thought of being able to have a relaxing bath at long last made Barbara feel quite excited.
Friday afternoon we headed into VDR for some vital supplies, food & wine, and whilst wandering round the supermarket we bumped into a lady we'd met a couple of times earlier in the year. She'd moved to France a couple of years ago with her husband and three children. When last we'd spoken to her they'd been waiting for the roofer to turn up, sounds familiar. Turns out he fitted the new roof and then gone bust and as they now had more leaks than before he'd done the work she was feeling pretty low. Added to this the fact that the French authorities are no longer renewing Carte Vitales to foreigners she was feeling pretty down. She was off for an interview as a cleaner, a big change as she'd been a senior manager for Vodafone back in the UK, & hoped that this would solve the health care problem. Having sold up lock, stock & barrel in the UK and as she obviously loves the life here it would not be easy to return to England.
Short one again, hopefully there'll be something more interesting to report on next week.
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