Merry Christmas to all

There was a moment on Tuesday morning that we thought Christmas was going to be cancelled. Rebecca and Matthew were booked on the early flight from Gatwick to Toulouse on Tuesday and at 5:00 AM Matthew received a 'tweet' to advise him their flight had been cancelled! A very quick check on the Easyjet website informed them that there were no seats on any flights until after 25^th December. Time for us to get the bags packed and head back to the UK earlier than planned? Well not quite yet as the good old ferries are still sailing and it was back to Matthew's to pick the car up and head for Dover. So 24 hours later than planned and a little tired from the 900 kilometre drive they arrived safe and sound and settled in for their first Christmas in South West France. To get the Christmas festivities off to a flying start we'd booked a table for Christmas Eve lunch at a new restaurant in VDR called 'Cote Saveurs' and what a great decision that turned out to be. The food was fantastic and it's definitely in my top 5 restaurants, we'll definitely be heading back there when we get back from the UK in April.

The snow I mentioned in the last blog only hung around for a couple of hours but returned last Friday with a vengeance and with 12 guests arriving on Saturday night expecting to be fed thank goodness the Land Rover was back on the road. It may be low on high technology etc, but it did get us to the shops and Barbara was able to conjure up a wonderful meal that everyone enjoyed and I'm sure had our French guests doubting all those horror stories they've heard about British cuisine. What, with the excellent meal we had last week at P & P's they must be thinking 'sacré bleu what ever happened to mint sauce and jelly?'

Christmas shopping French style lacks that little something that has become all too familiar in the UK, crowds. This picture was taken on the Tuesday before Christmas (we should have been in Toulouse picking R & M up) and as you can see there's no mad rush to pick up tonnes of food that won't be eaten. I suppose the French are used to shops not being open 24/7 and don't go into panic mode at the thought of not being able to pick up essential items on Christmas Day.

That's it for 2009. Have a good Christmas and all the best for 2010. Hopefully the next blog will be from that hotspot of the North West of England, Blackpool.

Bonnes fetes!

Let it snow

The global warming theory has gone right out of the window this week. It's now snowing here and I'm wondering weather there is anything in the Climegate scandal of the last few weeks. It's now fingers crossed for a white Christmas, although I think Rebecca was hoping to be able to catch a few rays of sun when she and Matthew arrive on the 22nd. With snow on the ground it's proving very difficult to get on with the garden so Barbara has turned her attention to snagging and painting. It's amazing how many 'little' jobs get overlooked when the sun is shinning and it's only when the weather takes a turn for the worse that it becomes apparent that there is always something that needs a little tweaking and so it was out with the varnish, paint, plaster, sandpaper and mastic again. The change in weather has also meant that the job T and I were about to start has had to be put on hold which is a shame as time is fast slipping past and it'll soon be time for us to head back to the UK for a few months. It has however given me some time to explore the delights of my new MacBook and all the goodies it came with. I've been experimenting with iWeb and have been working, or should that be playing, with a website. Fingers crossed that the next blog post will be on the new website but in the meantime if you click here you can see 'a work in progress'.

The drop in temperature has also meant that the vache that caused so much damage to

Barbara's lovely lawn last week have moved on and she was more than happy to wave them goodbye. It was only when the farmer turned up with a large piece of veal as a thank you for having the cows that there was a slight pang of guilt for the thoughts she'd had about what should have happened to them after they'd trampled their way over all her hard work. Anyway must get on and prepare some horseradish sauce and open a bottle of this delightful red wine which is easy on the palette and has such a delicate bouquet.

With Christmas fast approaching there's been plenty of activity on t'internet. I know it's pretty sad but with delivery to France being only £5.00 there were one or two items that just 'had' to be ordered from M & S. The order was placed on Tuesday and it was quite surreal to see La Poste lady walk to the door on Friday with a box labelled 'Your delivery from Your M & S'. Whilst on the subject of Christmas it looks like these six have heard rumours about the fate that awaits them and are making a break for it!

Fore!!!!

Global warming is obviously having an effect all over Europe. While the poor inhabitants of Whitehaven struggle to cope with record rainfall and horrendous floods the Averyon has been blessed with temperatures of 20°C plus which is just as well as we've been working hard with the continued renovation of a nearby house. As the problems mount with trees growing out of walls, roofs leaking, walls crumbling and delayed planning permission it makes me think 'never ever renovate a French farmhouse and barn again' and I'm fairly confident that Barbara would not disagree. Back at Lagarrigue the garden makeover has continued with new steps being laid and Barbara loosing her cool with a 600 kilo trespasser.

We called over to the local wood yard to select something for steps and after finding some 'offcuts' of oak headed to the 'office' to pay, a mark II VW Golf complete with radio and sunroof but only three wheels! “If only everything in life was as reliable (or as versatile) as a Volkswagen”. To say Barbara has slaved away preparing the ground in readiness for seeding is a bit of an understatement and when on Saturday morning she noticed 'tiny' holes in her beautifully flat lawn she was less than impressed. One of the cows in our field had escaped and decided to take a stroll across the very new lawn and up our newly laid steps and path. That evening we were attending the local duck festival and when the cows owner arrived at our table full of apologies and two bottles of wine Barbara mellowed a little.

At a recent party, and after a couple of Ricards, I somewhat foolishly accepted an invite to play golf at the local par 3 golf course. It must be nearly fifteen years since I picked up a golf club and I wasn't looking forward to making a bigger ass of myself than I normally do on a golf course (some would say I don't leave it too just the golf course) but as it turned out there was nothing to worry about. The French are relatively new to golf and don't have the same concerns over etiquette as the more established game in the UK does. T shirts are not allowed but it's OK to wear jeans and gentlemen and ladies play in the same competitions. I was teamed up with fellow Brit, Philip, who had not played golf for over 40 years so expectations were not high but as it turned out we didn't let the side down, six pars and 16^th out of 36. Perhaps it was the fact we were playing in the Beaujolais Nouveau cup that made the golf go with a swing and with plenty of free samples available along with cheese, sausage, duck, bread and pâté the day was a great success.

At long last the Land Rover is back on the road. It's been in the garage for over two months being 'prepared' for it's CT (the French equivalent of the MOT). I thought there were a couple of things needed attention to get it through the test, the handbrake didn't work and the speedo cable has snapped. Turned out I needn't have worried about the cable as it passed with flying colours despite not having a speedo that worked which was just as well as fitting the replacement cable is proving to be a bit of a sod. I'll keep you posted but in the meantime if anyone is looking for a low mileage land Rover Lightweight I know where there is one.

It's raining again and again and again...

What an experience the last couple of weeks have been and it's taught me a couple of very important lessons. Never agree to work outdoors in Le Havre, Normandy in November and, although I already knew food was important to the French, nothing else

matters. Le Havre is a mixture of rain from Manchester (although to be honest even Manchester isn't that wet), wind from Newcastle and the numerous petrochemical plants and heavy engineering of Middlesbrough. What a picture that must conjure up? There is, however, an abundance of excellent seafood and fish restaurants one of which we were lucky enough to eat at for Sunday lunch. The choice of seafood was extensive but being the ever unadventurous Brit I chose the chevre chaud salad followed by moules and frites, boring I know.The restaurant was also famous for its beer and after a couple of 'small ones' it was time to visit the little boys room. French toilets can be 'different' but this had something I'd not witnessed before, a latrine half way up the wall with silver handles on either side. Obviously the inhabitants of Le Havre were either very tall or good shots. Had I had the camera with me at the time there would have been a picture here but I suppose being caught in a mens toilet taking photographs would have been difficult to explain, 'well you see officer I write a blog that no one reads and wanted a reminder of my visit to Le Havre'. Anyway it turns out the 'toilet on the wall' is for those patrons who have had a couple too many Ricard's and want to make space for their dessert. It's either that or I'm going to wish I'd kept off the mussels.

Despite the appalling weather we managed to get the job finished and enjoyed some excellent food. I find it's always a good idea at times like this to take a retired chef with you who has worked in some of the best London restaurants and been the development chef at M & S, so 'not just any chef'. Although you would not believe the incredulous reaction there was when coq au vin was made with chicken and not cock. Everyone in Normandy was made aware of this and I'm sure I saw a piece on 'Look Normandy'. As always the hospitality has been exceptional with one exception, the house where we've been working. Despite the horrendous weather and record rainfall there wasn't one offer of coffee, something I've not experienced in France before. I've been told that the citizens of Normandy are well known for their deep pockets and short arms and the residents certainly lived up to the Normans reputation.

The trip 'up north' has also given me the opportunity to watch a bit of French telly. Hearing Homer sound like Homer but in French and CSI New York dubbed in French and renamed 'Les Experts Manhattan' mixed with Agatha Cristie's Poirot the only thing that was missing was Allo Allo.

Whilst I've been toiling away in a wet Le Havre Barbara has been enjoying herself in the North west Rivera. Much progress has been made in the painting of our house there and carpets and blinds have been fitted. From the pic's I've seen it's all looking good and I'm looking forward to seeing it in late December.

Car troubles

Having enjoyed getting out on the bike over the last few weeks I thought I'd perhaps watch for a second hand bike (hopefully Barbara won't read this) and I can't believe my luck. A couple of weeks ago we went with P & C to the annual Tractormania event in nearby Caussade. Not normally something I have a great interest in but it was a glorious day and I'll do anything to avoid gardening. Among the hundreds of ancient tractors & other rusting agricultural machinery I spotted this bargain. The owner said he'd not been out on it for a while and it had done no more than a few kilometres in the last 50 years. Think it'll be a while before it's ready for the Tour de France.

It's been a busy couple of weeks work wise as we continue to renovate a small house in a nearby hamlet ready for conversion in to a gite. I'm now an expert at mixing concrete and can offer an excellent service at competitive rates. Whilst I've been beavering away Barbara has not been idle. She's worked hard getting the garden ready for spreading grass seed (yes we know it's not the best time of year to plant) and, having picked up what we thought was a bargain in Aldi, was looking forward to getting the seed sowed. It was only when she opened the boxes of 'grass seed' that she thought she better check the English/French dictionary. Turns out our bargain engrais is in fact grass fertiliser. So if you know of anyone who's looking for 10 boxes of high quality fertiliser email me now and I'll arrange prompt delivery!

It's also been a frustrating week in the car department. The Land Rover has been in the local garage for over a month now waiting for them to prepare it for it's CT, the French MOT. Fortunately this runs for two years so we should get more than a couple of months use out of it. To be without one car is irritating but manageable but to be without both is bl***y frustrating. Last week the Focus broke down and spent 4 days in the garage waiting for parts, all €1,960.00 of them. Fortunately the fault was under warranty an Henry forked out for them. Which is just as well. Barbara was heading back to the UK on Sunday night from Toulouse and you can no doubt guess what happened. We'd travelled about 50 kms when the engine died and the car came to a stop on the hard shoulder of the A20 motorway. Oh dear!!!!! I won't bore you with the details but after making a phone call to Ford assistance and being told we'd need to get off the motorway to receive free recovery I had another go at starting the car and it worked, well at least long enough to drop Barbara off in time for her flight. On the journey back home, avoiding motorways, it cut out four times. Needless to say it's booked to go back in the garage.

Next week I'm off on a business trip, something I didn't think I'd be doing again, to Normandy. We're working on T's wife's house in Le Havre & I'll give you a full update on the next blog.

On your bike

I had thought there wasn't going to be much to blog about this week (yippee I hear you say) other than laying concrete floors and digging up old floors in 500 year old French barns but it hasn't been all work and no play. I've been lucky enough to get out on the bike recently, I say lucky but that's probably not the right word when you consider the number of hills there are around here. When you're driving round in the car they're not a problem it's when you've been out for three hours and you know that which ever way you turn it's going to be a climb to get home. It's just as well that whichever route we've taken there's always a welcoming cafe half way round. And no I haven't managed to get Barbara out on one of our 40 mile rides, I've been getting out with a chap who's spent the summer at his house in Najac but unfortunately he's now headed back to 'winter' in the UK and I'll have to motivate myself to 'get out and ride'.

The warm dry weather has continued and everyone (it's not just the British that are obsessed with the weather) has been commenting on the fact that we're still experiencing temperatures in the upper 20's in mid October and this week we had our first significant rainfall in what seems months. In fact I think the last time we had a really dismal day was back in August when we had our party! Speaking of parties we were invited to a meal at the house where T and I have been working. I've mentioned before how meals at lunch time go so you can imagine what an evening at Jo's would be like. There was the normal 7:30 start with lots of Ricard & amuse bouche, which gives me the opportunity to tell this little story. T's daughter has spent the summer working at a French restaurant in the

UK and on her first day she was given plates of appetisers to pass around to guests and told to say 'here are some nibbles' which she did and couldn't understand why everyone burst our laughing. She returned to the kitchen with the empty plates and told the chef what had happened, 'I said here are some nipples and everyone laughed at me, why?' A definite case of the English policeman in Allo Allo but in reverse. Back at Jo's fish soup was followed by two of the biggest plates of seafood I've ever seen, not the best offering for Barbara and her seafood allergy but after a quick explanation and many désolés a mushroom omelette was rustled up. With Jo playing his guitar between courses and the other guests singing along the night flew past and before we realised it was three o'clock and time to head home. Poor old Babs, no fruits de mer or wine all night.

Happy birthday

After all the partying last month I had thought that we'd have time for a little R & R in September. What I hadn't taken into account was that Barbara had a very special birthday on the 21^st. It had been a real struggle to keep our plans a secret from the birthday girl and apart from telling her we were booked on a flight from Rodez on Friday 18^th (it wasn't hard to guess we were off to London as that's the only flight from Rodez) everything else was a big surprise. I'd booked into the Travelodge in Covent Garden (no expense spared) and had arranged to meet Rebecca and Matthew at one of the hundreds of pizza restaurants in the West End. Fortunately R & M had chosen well and the birthday weekend got off to a great start especially as it was two pizzas for a tenner. Saturday morning and it was time to hit Regent Street which, despite there being a 'credit crunch', was heaving with people, most of them with bags full of purchases. I took the opportunity to don my anorak and headed for the Apple store and watched a very interesting presentation on Snow Leopard!! After a very nice lunch at Princi it was time to reveal the first major surprise of the weekend, tickets for Les Misérables. I didn't think it was going to be my sort of musical, not that it mattered as it was Barbara's birthday treat, but I thoroughly enjoyed despite Susan Boyle and found “I Dreamed A Dream” amazing live. After a quick dash back to the hotel for a wash and brush up we headed for the Oxo tower and cocktails and a

fantastic view of London. Sunday and it was off to Greenwich and the final surprise of the weekend, a visit to the planetarium at the National Maritime Museum, a great finish to a very busy weekend. There was one thing that was missing from what other was otherwise was a fantastic weekend, a pint of good old English bitter. There was certainly no sign of a pint of Boddies at the Oxo Tower, no surprise there, but at one of the pubs we visited they only had Belgian beers on offer! With over 30 brews to choose from you'd have thought they could have at least managed a pint of London Pride.

Back at Lagarrigue it was time to get the work clothes back on (not a suit and tie) and earn a few Euros. I'd been asked to help renovate a couple of barns with a friend and it looks like it'll keep us out of mischief until at least the end of the year which will do nothing for my waistline. The barns belong to Jo who, some of you may remember from previous posts, is very hospitable and insists on an aperitif before lunch and another one before we clock off for the day. Ah well taping away on a laptop creating Powerpoint presentations seems a long long time ago.

We're now the proud owners of a fully completed balcony. The carpenter arrived with the banister last week and after a couple of coats of varnish it was time to enjoy a gin and tonic in the last few days of summer sun. Makes all that crawling about in years of merde de vache worth it.

All fêted out

A month since the last blog, bet you can't believe it! The sun continued to shine throughout August and as I write this it's still beaming down which is just as well as we now have Barbara's mum and aunt staying with us. It looks like they'll be the last in a long list of visitors we've had this year and hopefully they'll enjoy a spell of hot & sunny weather.

Traditionally August is the peak month for fêtes and parties and this year was certainly no exception. As I mentioned in the last posting we had a 'little' get together and that was followed by a birthday party on the Thursday where the meal was sun dried salted cod with sea snails and langoustine, not the ideal menu for Barbara and her seafood allergy. Rebecca arrived in Rodez on Saturday afternoon and had to quickly get her party dress on as we off to a party at P & P's, our next door neighbours. I offered to drive as Barbara always ends up behind the wheel at these events and I thought if I made the offer I'd done my bit for another 12 months! We had a great time and with several guests, including Matthew, deciding that with the temperature still in the upper 20's at midnight it would be a great time for a dip, the night went swimmingly! The night markets in Najac continued with one of them culminating in an evening of Irish music and dancing in one of the local bars. We also attended the fête in Les Mazières, another late night of eating, drinking, music and dancing all for €15.00. As I mentioned Rebecca had flown out to join her brother, there's no show without punch, and they certainly had a good week and amidst all the partying she did manage to get a bit of a sun tan.

The partying continued when we headed back to the UK for the wedding of P & C's daughter in Newcastle. The day went without a hitch (apart from the obvious one) and it was great to see the wet and windy north east again. The reception was held at the Baltic and with amazing views down the Tyne it's difficult to think of a better venue. Never being ones to miss an opportunity we also gave the house we'd bought in Blackpool a first coat of paint, organised some wall tiles and I had a haircut. Not that there's anything wrong with French barbers, it's just that they are so expensive and always want to give you a rouge tint!

It's not been all partying, although it feels like it, we have had a couple of trials and tribulations at the barn. Despite not having seen any major rainfall for nearly two months and with all the local streams having dried up we were concerned to see we were still getting water in the corner of the cave and had also noticed damp patches in the earth at the side of the barn. Upon removing the manhole cover from the water main stopcock we noticed a lot of water and decided it was time to contact the local water company. Their local surveyor was here within a couple of hours and after a very quick look he decided that the water main was leaking and he'd have to get a team out to repair it. At 9:00 the day after two vans arrive with a

mini

digger in tow and the within an hour there's a great big hole in the parking area full of water (sorry no pictures as we didn't want to give the impression we were recording their work!). It turns out that when they connected our new supply the joint wasn't sealed as well as it should have been and 22,000 litres of water had been escaping, not sure whether this was in total or per day, week or hour! Anyway after wading through a metre of mud and water the leak was plugged and the cave is now as dry as bone.

Not many new pictures this blog but will try harder for the next one.

French entertainment at it's best

Sorry to disappoint you all but the move to the Mac has gone very well and the blog's back sooner that I'd anticipated. I guess you'll not be able to tell the difference, the spelling and grammar will still be as bad as ever, but it's a fantastic machine!

Well that's the last of the crepeing done and what a difference it makes. It's been a long time coming but it's been worth the wait and the outside of the barn finally looks complete. That is apart from the cave doors! The cave walls are made from concrete blocks and hanging the two heavy doors on to them proved to be a little difficult. Having tried conventional plugs and screws and epoxy resin filler without success it was time to visit the local hardware shop and seek out some advise. Attempting to explain what we needed proved a bit of a challenge and it was only when another customer grasped what we were after that things fell into place. He offered to follow us back to the house measure up what was needed and fabricate the parts that afternoon. He was as good as his word and we called at his house at 7:00 there were the parts all nicely painted and waiting for us.

Stop press; The joiner rang yesterday to say he was on his way with part of the balcony. Think it'll be a good idea to wait for the banister to be fitted before sampling a G & T on it.

Whilst I've been busy labouring away on the outside of the house Barbara and Matthew, who arrived last week, have been working hard preparing for our big thank you party on Sunday 9^th. Since moving to Lagarrigue we've enjoyed the hospitality of lots of people and when you're living on one floor of a converted barn it's difficult to reciprocate. Now with the house nearly complete it was time to say a very big thank you and a Sunday lunchtime in early August seemed to be a great time to do it, sun guaranteed! So with tables and chairs borrowed, bottles of Ricard and several bottles of wine purchased we were ready for the big day. Problem was, yes you've guessed it, the weather forecast said rain, lots of it. For once the French met' office had it right and we woke to a grey overcast sky and rain falling. Ah well good job we'd decided to keep the upstairs of the barn open plan and big enough to seat 22 people. The day went well with our French & English friends enjoying traditional British cuisine of baked beans on toast. Just kidding. The Coronation Chicken was a great talking point with the French and despite it's mild curry flavour it was very quickly devoured.

Matthew had driven down with a couple of friends and had spent a few days exploring the local villages and bars. They were blessed with great weather and on the Wednesday night were able to enjoy the delights of Najac night market and some very exciting street theatre. Watching someone juggle a baguette was, I'm sure, the highlight of their holiday.

I hate manure

I'm sure the last thing anyone in the UK wants to read about is the glorious weather we're having here in south west France. 37ºc again today with a light breeze and not a cloud in the sky, just the weather for sitting by the pool and sipping gin and tonics. We haven't got the pool so we'll just have to make do with the G & T. With so little rain over the past few weeks the ground has become as hard as stone and the landscaping that desperately needs to be done is having to wait. It sounds like a good excuse I know but getting motivated to do any strenuous jobs in this weather is a real struggle. Fitting a gutter to the cave in preparation for crepeing is about the height of my exertions recently. Just need a little rain now to see if it works. I'm also hoping for a drop in the temperature next week as pushing wheelbarrows of mortar about is not what I want to be doing in the upper 30's. Having said that there are worse things you can put in your barrow and last week Sidney rang to ask if he could have the services of a man and his trailer. 'Course you can, what do you want to move?' was, as it turned out, my far too hasty reply. 'There's some very mature horse manure going free at a local farm and I could do with a bit for my rhubarb'. Amazingly I managed to resist cracking the old 'custard on mine joke' and arranged to meet on Sunday morning on the understanding I wasn't going to start shoveling s#*t on the Sabbath and that Sidney would be able to eat his dinner off the trailer when we'd finished. As it turned out having lunch on the terrace when we'd finished was a lot more civilised even though the trailer was left spotless.

We were off back to Rodez again last week to collect Rebecca. She was over for a few days of chilling out and relaxing and hadn't thought to bring any work clothes with her! Let's hope her brother is a bit more organised as he plans to spend most of August with us and I'm sure will be more than happy to move a few rocks about. We also had a quick dash down to Toulouse to collect my aunt who has been staying with us for few days and never wanting to miss an opportunity we headed to Ikea to stock up on few essentials. I know I've said it before but you really could be anywhere in the world once you've gone beyond those blue & yellow doors.

The 'fête' season is back in full swing and we've had two good nights out recently. The local football club in Najac hosts a Bastille Day meal where for €14.00 per head you get melon & ham, veau & aligot, a Cornetto and as much wine as you can drink but if you thought that was a bargain the following week in Lunac we attended the local pétanque club meal & tucked in to 4 courses with free wine all for €5.00. You'd think by now I'd have sussed what goes on at these meals but when we'd received the invite I'd been told that there would be just a bowl of country cheese soup and bread so I made sure that when seconds of soup was offered I took a good spoonful. When the next 3 courses arrived it was real struggle to get them down but you have to do your best as it would be impolite to refuse anything. I've also managed to get a few miles in on the bike this week which is jus as well with all this eating. Had an early start along the local railway track, nice and flat, and ended up at just before 12:00 climbing what felt like the longest hill I've every ridden up in a 30c temperature. Made me think perhaps a wet & windy UK wasn't all that bad.

You'll probably be delighted to hear that this could be my last blog for a while as I'm about to cross over to the other side and take delivery of a Mac computer. Who's knows when I'll have mastered it and be able to get blogging again.

Y Viva Espana

Well that's been a busy couple of weeks and things don't look like slowing down any time soon. Barbara arrived back at Toulouse airport on Sunday and being the ever considerate, romantic and spontaneous chap that I am I'd booked three nights in sunny Spain as a surprise (bit of poetic licence there)! We headed down to Tossa de Mar, about three hours drive from Toulouse. I suppose it's being a Brit' and not being used to crossing borders but I'm always surprised at the lack of controls when crossing from one country to another. At the France/Spain border security is a little less formal than getting back into the UK. There we were honest law abiding British Citizens, passports at the ready and no one gives us a second look. Not sure Mr Griffin would be happy with that arrangement!

We'd picked the hotel from the TripAdvisor website and being located 300 metres from the beach and an easy walk to all the local restaurants and bars the Hotel Reymar proved to be great choice. Having the pool to ourselves for most of the afternoon and the obvious low level of business in the numerous restaurants made us think that perhaps the credit crunch was having an effect on most of Europe. It's a long time since we've been on a Spanish beach holiday and apart from the lack of tourists the other big change was that along with Spanish, French, English and German the menus were now printed in Russian. There were several Russian families staying at the hotel and the only Bentley Continental we saw, apart from our own, had Russian number plates. Must be the prices they get for their gas.

The three days relaxing by the Med soon passed and it was time to head North and get back to work. Jane & Derek, Barbara's sister and brother in law, were due to arrive on Wednesday to spend a few days with us and there were a number of items on the snagging list that had to be sorted so it was out with the plaster and paint. The main job was to repair and paint the plasterboard around the stove chimney and despite Barbara having thought she'd retired from plastering it was out with the scraper and on with the plaster and a vow never to touch the bl**dy stuff again. So with the remaining skirting boards fitted and painted, terrace tiles grouted in 28ºc, beams and windows given another coat of varnish and white walls touched up with magnolia emulsion in error (glad it wasn't me) we were ready for Jane & Derek to arrive. Thursday is market day in Villefranche and with Derek wanting to return our hospitality and cook a meal we spent the morning sourcing ingredients for a delicious 'casserole d' Lancashire' along with some sardines & mackerel for a barbecue. They were also invited to a neighbour's barbecue and were pleased that they'd had a substantial lunch as although we arrived for 'nibbles' at 8:00 we didn't start eating until about 11:00. We had a great night and Jane & Derek certainly witnessed French hospitality at it's best.

Food glorious food

I think everyone must be feeling sorry for me with Barbara being back in UK 'cause I've been out wining & dining a few times over the last couple of weeks. Last week G's daughter & son-in-law were over & I was invited to a barbecue last Sunday. The weather had been lovely for the previous few days but as is always the case when you plan a barbecue it always takes a turn for the worse. The rain held off but the temperature dropped dramatically and we ended up eating inside which was no great hardship and the food, prepared by G's son-in-law and cooked by S was excellent. I really must ask how he managed not to burn everything. I've been helping T out and we were asked to join one of his friends for lunch. A couple of ham salad sandwiches or similar is my usual diet so a typical French lunch came as a bit of a shock to the system. We started with one or two large Ricards, fresh radishes from their garden & saucisson, the first of several items that would do nothing for my cholesterol levels. The entrée was a tomato and egg salad with a olive oil and garlic dressing and was followed by roast chicken and potatoes sautéed in goose fat all washed down with a few glasses of vin rouge. I managed to avoid the cheese but felt it would have been bad form to refuse the home made apple pie. There was time for a quick coffee and after our two hour lunch it was time to return to work. Fortunately T and I were working at ground level but Jo, who's hospitality we'd just enjoyed, is a roofer and was heading back to work on the roof of a local church! Hopefully someone was watching out for him.

It wasn't only Jo who served up home grown produce. Many people in the area have a plot in their garden where they grow a few vegetables and have some ducks and chickens and the house we were working at was one of them. One morning when we arrived the owners of the house were up and about early and working hard in the garden preparing lunch and they weren't just picking potatoes. I don't know how many people they were entertaining but the 6 ducks they killed and set about plucking looked big enough to feed the whole of South West France. Anyway I'm sure they were delicious and no doubt washed down with a few glasses of wine. The days of drinking at lunchtime continue here in France and the thought of having just a glass of water or a soft drink are very much frowned on.

I was also lucky enough to be invited to Bruno's birthday celebrations last Sunday which meant that I haven't had to cook since. He'd organised a mini bus to take 18 of us to 'Auberge Beauville' in Espédaillac, a small village an hour away in the Lot. The food was typical cuisine familale et traditionnelle,and there was lots of it. Chicken noodle soup, omelette with wild mushrooms and shaved truffles, coq au vin or chicken with farce, roast lamb and potatoes sautéed in goose fat (again), a selection of cheeses and tarte tartin all of course served with lots and lots of local wine. By anybody standards that would have been enough food to keep you going for the rest of the week but I was also invited to the evening barbecue. I won't bore you with details of the evening's menu but needless to say the food was excellent and the wine flowed and flowed. I've really enjoyed the hospitality of all my hosts, including P & P who invited me in for supper last night, but I'm looking forward to a little of Barbara's home cooking next week.

It does seem to be all about eating and drinking on this weeks blog but I have managed to get several items crossed off my 'to-do' list. All the cut tiles are in place, holes have been filled in the oil and wood store walls, paint has been applied & carpets glued down. I've even found time to do a bit of cleaning & washing. Only problem is I think Barbara has taken the iron with her, well that's my excuse for creased shirts! I'm sure when she gets back on Sunday she'll be point out where it's kept.

Another flying visit

Has it really been two weeks since I last sat down and did a bit of blogging? Tempus fugit, as they say, especially when you've dashed back to the UK for a few days and knocked the odd wall down. When we were back in the UK at the beginning of the year we'd put an offer in on a house near Barbara's mum in Blackpool and had completed on it in late April. It needs a fair amount of work; a bathroom, a central heating system, a kitchen, new windows & doors, decorating (all sounds very familiar) and plastering. With Barbara and her mum heading back to the UK it seemed like an ideal opportunity to return with them and make a start on the next project. It turned out to be a flying visit but I did manage to demolish a wall in what will be the kitchen/dining room, strip the walls of paper that must have been there 30 years, organise the plumber and electrician (no we're not flying Stephané Regourd over), sort the doors & windows and order a kitchen from Wickes. With Barbara off 'country cousining' and everything done that could be done for now I booked my ferry and hotel and headed back to France on Thursday. This time the best laid plans of mice and Chris didn't quite work out. As I hit the road the gentleman Barbara was looking after was taken in to hospital, not sure that'll look too good on her references, and she was able to take a few days off and returned to Blackpool. Well at least the plastering will get done!

It was a pretty uneventful journey back apart from turning up at the wrong Premiere Classe hotel in Rouen. They really all do look the same, both inside and out, but fortunately the two hotels were only two kilometres apart and on this occasion I can't blame it on the satnav. If you put the wrong address in it's your own stupid fault! It always surprises me how many 'GB' plated cars you see as you travel up and down the autoroute. This time was no exception and despite the press coverage that says everyone's holidaying in the UK this year there were still plenty of Brits heading south and at both the hotels I visited there were several cars with GB plates on parked up for the night. Perhaps there are a few green shoots out there.

Meanwhile back in Lagarrigue the tiling had gone well and I'd finished putting all the full tiles in place before leaving for the UK. Now I'm back it's out with the tile cutter and adhesive and time to lay the last few cut tiles but as the temperature on the terrace at 8:15 this morning was 25°C I think it's going to mean a couple of early starts. Still there's plenty to do and I'm sure there'll be a few items on my to-do list that are in the shade. When the carpenter had been here fitting the staircase we'd asked him to prepare a devi for the fitting of a balcony off the living area and he'd dropped it in whilst we'd been away. For once the devi was near enough what we'd budgeted for so on Monday I'll be tracking him down and asking him to get started with it at soon as possible. I want to be sipping my G & T on it before the summer is over.

We're getting there

I love it when a plan comes together and things have certainly come together this week. Barbara and her mum arrived back late on Sunday 24th after three and half weeks back in the UK. I think she was impressed with all the work that had been completed in her absence. The pointing of the barn was finished and the scaffold has finally been dismantled and given back to T with a very grateful and appreciative merci. It feels like the scaffold has been hanging about for a lifetime and to see it finally loaded on to the back of T's trailer gave me a real lift. I'm just hoping that we'll not need it back any time soon. Now the barn's fully pointed it seems so much bigger and looking at it from across the field it's no wonder my hacking out pick was pleading for retirement. It's not just the scaffold we've finished with, Stephané Regourd has also completed his residency in Lagarrigue. With the mega size radiators in place and the essential outside tap installed we could bid him farewell and look forward, not sure that's the right wording, to receiving his final facture. Life just won't be the same without Stephané popping in creating havoc and doing a little plumbing, heating and electrical work. He's called when we've asked and has always been prepared to fit in with our work schedule so I guess we shouldn't complain about the odd oil spill or damaged plasterboard.

Monday and it was back to it for Babs. Before we could make the barn feel completely like home we needed to get the carpet fitted. So with trailer attached it was off to VDR to collect the carpet and by 5:00 Monday it was fitted and looking good. It's typical but just as we'd finished the company we'd ordered the wood burning stove off called to say it had arrived and they would be out on Thursday to install it. They better not make a mess! As it turned out they were really professional and did a fantastic job, it's just a pity that the temperature has been constantly in the mid twenties during the day and with so much insulation in the barn we haven't needed to fire it up (this didn't stop Barbara lighting it on the first night 'just to check it works'). With the stove in place it was time to decamp from the downstairs and finally make the most of the upstairs. Boxes were opened that have been in store for nearly three years (yes I know we've managed without the contents but there are certain things you just can't throw away) and the sofas were brought out of T's barn and manoeuvred in to place. More importantly I was able to get my 'study' sorted and the Hi-Fi in place and working so I can now sit and write the blog in comfort, music playing and with a beautiful view.

Unfortunately I can't spend too much time admiring the view as there is still a fair bit of work to be done. The majority of it's outside so at last we'll have a nice clean and tidy house and I'll have to take my boots off before I'm allowed in! With the temperature reaching 28ºC (yes I've watched the UK weather forecast and know it's lovely there) what better job to start than tiling the terrace in the full blaze of the sun. These are the first floor tiles I've laid unsupervised and even though I say it myself I'm pleased with the way things are going and it won't be long before we can bask in the sun on our beautifully tiled terrace.

Water, water everywhere

As I mentioned in the last blog I'd decided that it would be a good idea to ask the carpenter to fit the banister to the new staircase and on Monday last week he returned to complete the task. It wasn't long before he discovered that there were a couple of parts missing and we had a left hand instead of a right hand newel post. So it was off to the stair manufacturer in Montauban and an attempt to explain we had wrong and missing parts. It went remarkably well and, amazingly, I managed to get across what the problem was and even more amazingly there was no argument only an apology! After what Id said about the French never admitting they're wrong in my last blog it looks like I also need to apologise. The story doesn't end there however as the 'lost' parts turned out to be 'misplaced' parts.

On the night we'd been attempting to fit the staircase it rained heavily, nothing new there, and some water had come in to the ground floor of the barn. In our panic to keep things dry we'd moved everything to dry land and the newel posts had got placed in the back bedroom en-suite. It was only when I came to grout the splashback in the en-suite several days later that I discovered them. Whoops! With the posts found I was able to get the carpenter back to complete the fitting of the banister and staircase.

Finding the posts was about the only bit of good luck we had last week. In our haste to get the barn completed we'd not thought things through fully and not listened to advise proffered by P and the water coming in proved to be a costly mistake. We'd laid an external concrete floor above the internal floor level and not left anywhere for water to go. You live and learn and I'll not be making the same mistake again (that's not listening to P and building concrete floors that keep water in!) As I write this it's raining again & we're nice and dry inside. Whoopee! The work that was necessary to rectify our error involved demolishing steps that had taken over a week to lay and watching them disappear in less than an hour with the help of a JCB was a little frustrating to say the least. It hasn't been all doom & gloom as we took the opportunity to use the contractor's time to do a little landscaping and laying of gravel paths. Just need to sort out a few plants and spread some grass seeds here and there.

We've also had Stephané Regourd here fitting central heating radiators in the upstairs of the barn. With such a big area to heat the radiators were always going to be big but I didn't expect it to take two of us to lift them in to place. Just hope the walls are strong enough to hold them. Now they're in place we'll get the carpet laid and finally be able to inhabit both of the barns two floors.

All goes well with Barbara and she's obviously doing a good job of 'Country Cousining' . The people are so impressed with her that they've asked her to return for a further couple of weeks during June. Think I' m going to have forgotten what she looks like. Just seen this on YouTube and having just bought a house in Blackpool to renovate it looks like it's going to be a real home from home. Can't wait to track down the French café featured in the clip, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed they won't be using one of these to produce some fine French cuisine. Who said the French only appreciate good food?

Stairway to heaven

There I was already to blog at the weekend when we had a minor (I'm hoping it is) crisis. We'd ordered a ready-made staircase and had been all excited on Friday when the shop rang to say it was now in stock and we could collect it on Saturday. We headed off to Montauban, trailer in tow, early on Saturday morning with a shopping list of bits & pieces we required to move the barn nearer to completion. The rain abated as we loaded the staircase on to the trailer and headed home. P arrived early Sunday morning and within a couple of hours the first part of the staircase was assembled & things were looking good. It was when we came to put it in to place that we realised things weren't going according to plan (a French plan that is, that we'd been very pleased with ourselves for being able to follow). Despite having supplied a detailed plan to the shop when we'd placed the order it was obvious that no matter what juggling we did the staircase was not going to fit. Oh dear! (or similar words). There was no taking it back as the assistant had made it clear that the item couldn't be returned and the chances of convincing a Frenchman that he was wrong were zero. Those who doubt this should read chapter one, 'Thou shalt be wrong (if you’re not French) – Why every Frenchman is Monsieur Right, of Stephen Clarke's book 'Talk to the Snail'. So having worked through plans A to Y we resorted to plan Z and made contact with a local carpenter first thing on Monday. He agreed to look at our 'problem' and having taken a few sharp intakes of breath said he could get the staircase to fit and would return later in the week. Fingers crossed he's as good as his word and I'll keep you posted.

In between the trials and tribulations of converting the barn we've had a couple of important visitors. Rebecca arrived for a nice long break on Friday 10 followed by Matthew on the 15. Bit of a hairy flight for Matthew with the plane having to circle above Rodez for 40 minutes waiting for a severe storm to move away from the airport. What a lovely welcome to sunny France. It was great to have them here at the same time and we had a really good time with an excellent belated birthday meal for Matthew at the L'Oustal del Barry in Najac and an even better home cooked wild mushroom risotto on Saturday night. Obviously the good food & not so good wine did the trick and it made twisting arms to give a hand painting and moving plasterboards that much easier.

We've been able to move things along well since we got back and had we not had the staircase fiasco I think we'd now be cooking & eating in our luxury Ikea kitchen. There's one thing for certain, when Barbara gets back from the UK with her mum she won't recognise the place. She headed back to the UK on Wednesday for three weeks to do some more work with 'Country Cousins'. With her working so hard I'll have to make sure I do my bit and have all the items on my extensive to-do list crossed off and completed by the time she gets back.

UPDATE – The carpenter was as good as his word and yesterday he arrived at 8:00, took part of the stairs away to cut down to size. He returned just after lunch to fit a new step he'd made and put the staircase in place. To say I was relieved when it slotted in to place perfectly is an understatement. It looks great and although originally I wasn't going to get him to fit the bannister I think a phone call to him on Monday next week is probably a good idea. The phrase 'spoiling the ship for a hapeth of tar' springs to mind.

It's Back To The UK again.

It's been back to work with a vengeance this last two weeks and it's been a bit of a shock to the system after three months off. As I mentioned in my last posting I'd left Barbara back in the UK and headed back to Lagarrigue on Monday 23^rd March with a car & trailer full of items that are either considerably cheaper in the UK or, like Branston pickle and bath panels, difficult to source in France. The days of 'rip off Britain' certainly seem to be long gone. Prior to leaving for the UK at the end of last year we'd done some price comparison checks on the fridge, cooker & extractor fan and decided it would be cheaper to buy them in the UK, along with a trailer, and transport them back. As it turned out with the fall in value of the pound & the extremely competitive market there is in the UK for white goods we were able to buy all the items we needed for less than the fridge would have cost in France. So with all the items safely loaded on the trailer it was off to the ferry and a rendezvous with P & C on the opposite side of the English Channel. There was a moment of slight panic when security in Dover pulled me to one side and asked what I had in the trailer. It would appear there are quite a few items heading over the channel as my cargo was accepted without further comment.

We'd decided that with trailer & caravan in tow, P & C were taking their bait cabin with them, that Paris would best be avoided and so it was satnav's set for Rouen and an overnight stay. As we had the main part of our journey still ahead it was an early start, or it would have been if someone hadn't left the fridge on in the caravan. With no chance of bump starting a large 4x4 with caravan attached it fell to the satnav to locate the nearest garage. I headed off for a set of jump leads and returned in less than 10 minutes praising the wonders of satellite navigation. The convoy left the hotel 5 minutes later, coordinates set & synchronised, and headed south on the A28 toll road. All went well until the first toll plaza when the two identical satnav systems sent us off on different routes, beginning to think they're not all they are cracked up to be. The rest of the trip went well & we arrived in Najac about 18:00 and headed for the Pizzeria.

P & C are here to work on their house and all the training I had with Thierry doing our tiling came in handy as we spent the next couple of days cutting & laying floor tiles. They're now grouted and look great and well worth the effort C put in hand selecting each tile! Back at the barn and fired up with enthusiasm for tiling I finished off the last of our tiling in preparation for the return of the Regourds. They've promised to come on Friday 10^th (not a holiday here) and work on the upstairs plumbing & electrics so it's on with a little more plaster boarding in the WC & utility room. With P & C's help and more than a few thoughts of the classic Only Fools & Horses episode we also managed to fit our new chandelier and it's definitely given the room the wow factor. I'm confident that Bab's will be more than impressed when she sees it in place.

With the Regourds heading our way it was time for a visit to Ikea in Toulouse to pick up the kitchen but surprise surprise they only had one of the four units we required in stock. Disappointing but after a quick check on the internet I discovered that the items were in stock back in the UK and were £371.00 cheaper! And so it was that after only two weeks back in France I was on the road and off to experience the delights of Ikea in both Lakeside and Wembley. The plus side was that I was able to fit in an overnight stay with Matthew, have a well deserved curry in Blackheath and collect Barbara. Despite checking stock on the internet when I arrived at Lakeside, 15 minutes from Matthew's, I was told that stock on the computer didn't always match physical stock and they hadn't got one of the units and the only stock was across London at their Wembley store. Great! Three and half hours later I collected a very fed up Barbara from Dartford and headed to the tunnel only to be told our train had been cancelled and there was an hour delay. Ah well I don't suppose you can grab a bargain without any pain.

We had a great journey back to Lagarrigue and I think Barbara was happy with the work that had been done in her absence. Unfortunately the chandelier couldn't been illuminated for her arrival but it looked great and lighting it will be something to look forward to.