w/c 12 February 2007

Monday 12th and it's raining chats & chiens and it's not that fine rain that soaks you through it's great big buckets of it. We planned to finish the rest of the wall off whilst we waited for the La Poste lady who we hoped would be delivering some documents that needed our urgent attention & would require prompt return to the UK. As we sat down for lunch at 12:30 she arrived with an armful of special offer leaflets and the recorded delivery envelope from England. By this time we'd not only finished the wall but Barbara had also finished rebuilding a window sill. She really seems (spelt it right this time) to have found her forte & is turning out to be a really proficient stone mason. So, rain still falling, it's back to I & V's to ask if they'll witness our signatures on the documents. 'No problem' and they're back in the post by 2:30. We hadn't received the devis from M. Regourd for the electrical & plumbing work, and looking for any excuse not to return to the site and the 15 cms of mud that would greet us, we popped in to see if he had the devis ready. It was and we had a taxing 30 minutes discussing it with his wife who doesn't speak a word of English (why should she). At one point she rang the local architect, who speaks very good English, and asked him to translate. The devis comes as quite a pleasant surprise so we arrange for the work to commence in mid March, the earliest he can start. Mme. Regourd suggests we visit a specific magasin in VDR where they will offer us a good deal on the bathroom fixtures & fittings we need. Still looking for any excuse not to wade in mud it's off to VDR we go. By now it's 3:30 so no need to worry about the 2 hour lunch, however, what we had forgotten is that it's Monday. Most shops don't open on Mondays and, you've guessed it, the one we want was closed. Ah well there's another excuse to bunk off if the weather doesn't improve. Never being ones to waste an opportunity we visit a store that is open and pick up a pair of Wellington boots for me and a pair of rubber slip-ons for Barbara. Wonder who's going to be doing the outside work?
Tuesday 13th and what a change for the better in the weather. Sun's out and it reached a balmy 12ºC so it was lunch on the 'veranda'! Did a little more stonework this morning with the intention of trialling the correct mix & shade of mortar. We'd picked up some blanc ciment (white cement) & chaux (lime) on the way in to work this morning and Barbara was keen to get on. After a couple of experimental mixes we decide on a 4:1:1 mix (Mac; I know you'll find that mix very interesting and it's a little spooky that you guessed the correct mix in your email last week). Just as we're admiring our pointing skills Pierre Seconds , the 'artisan' we'd asked for a devis to crĕpe the walls turned up. 'Quick don't let him come here & see this' says Barbara & sends me down to meet him. He's come to discuss the couple of changes we want to make and after 10 minutes (remember he speaks very good English) we agree that he can start work w/c 26th February. The Mercs been making a bit more noise recently so that now it's dried up, it's back under the car to apply another layer of Mastic Époxy. What fun. We also need another load of sand so it's back to the local builders supply yard for a tonne of sable. Rather than risk getting the car and trailer stuck in the mud, which is still 10 cms thick, it's several trips back & forth with the barrow to unload it. More fun. On the way back to Najac we call at the carpenter that's been recommended to do the windows & doors. It's 17:40 and he's gone home. How dare he?
Wednesday 14th and whoops, I'd forgotten it was Valentines day. Think it's OK though, Barbara forgot as well. Called to see a local carpenter on the way to the house this morning and arranged for him to visit this PM to give us a price for new French (naturally) windows and a couple of ordinary ones. He's bang on time at 14:00; it's funny how all the artisans that we've asked to visit always want to come at 14:00. Must be something to do with the 2 hour lunch and not wanting to go near their tools until the effect of the wine has worn off. He tells us we have a choice of bois (wood); local chêne & chátaigne & imported exotique (oak, chestnut and not sure what the last one is, but Barbara thought as it was 'exotic' the price would be 'exotic' as well. Turns out that was the cheapest option). As he can manufacture either the oak or chestnut in less than a week we go for those. He's very amused at our attempt at French and virtually falls about laughing at the English word 'chestnut' and repeats several times with a distinct French Mancunian accent. His devis will follow early next week, that's if he's stopped laughing. The good thing about a devis is that the price quoted is the price you pay, unless of course you make any changes, and once you accept & sign it becomes a binding contract on both parties. Barbara is back hacking out & I patch up a hole in the floorboards in what, one day, will be the master bedroom.
Thursday 15th and it's off to VDR for some more floorboards, double check the bathroom fittings & pop into the bank to change our address. We need to patch the floor at the top of the stairs we've fitted and we visit several suppliers before we find the ones we need. He only has 1 pack in stock so we order another 2 packs which will be available for collection on Friday 23rd. We then call at the bathroom fitting supplier make a couple of changes to the spec' that saves us approx. €600 which, as he doesn't speak a word of English, is a major achievement. Offer to Hyper U for the inevitable food shop and an interesting conversation with a member of staff who bids us 'have a nice day'. Turns out she spent 3 years in California. She misses the weather but not the restrictive lifestyle the US offered. She's 19 and not being able to visit bars and cafés is something any 19 year old European would struggle with. Into the bank to change the address on account to Lagarrigue and, as seems to be the norm there's an English speaking clerk waiting to help us. We'd a couple of questions about the hole in the wall cash dispenser (it doesn't offer an English version when you insert your French bank card!). 'I will come out to the machine and go through the options with you' is the response. Don't ever remember anyone at the NatWest doing that. We've had a productive morning and head back to Lagarrigue to unload the wood and discuss, for what seems like the hundredth time, what we're going to do with the stairs. As I'm unloading the car I notice the floorboards have a groove down the centre. Sod it, we've got the wrong ones so it's back to VDR tomorrow to try and locate the nearest match. Not the best of days after all. After a very quiet & reflective lunch we head to Gilly's to do a bit more work there.
Friday 16th and as we leave for work it's -2ºC & a frost on the ground but by the time we reach Lagarrigue, 7 kms away and 200 mts higher, it's 6ºC. We make a good start with Barbara hacking out the inside gable end & I'm on with the floorboards at the top of the stairs. By lunch time the sun is blazing down and the temperature has reached a very pleasant 19ºC. What's the weather like there? By 3:00 I've used all the wood so it's back to VDR with the 'grooved' floorboards. We manage to locate some similar boards and load the car up with the new floorboards and a some 27x38 (they don't do 2 x 1 in France) timber for the batons we're going to use to secure the insulation in the roof.
Saturday 17th and not much to report really. Worked at the house all day until 18:00, Barbara pointing the gable end she'd hacked out yesterday & I continued to patch up the floorboards. Pleasant morning rained heavy in the afternoon.
Sunday 18th and work continued on the gable end pointing with Barbara doing a grand job despite me. The second batch of mortar had a 'little' too much water and I was sent away to try again and told to get the mix right! I'd finished patching the floorboards by lunchtime so it was my turn to have a go at pointing. With Barbara's expert eye & advise I was able to contribute to the effort. The wall Barbara did yesterday looks really good so I didn't want to let the side down. Just along the lane from our house is a property that was renovated late last year & is now up for sale. Sunday's in France are similar to those in the UK and there was a trail of people giving the property the once over. Let's hope one of them is interested enough to offer the asking price and that would make working Sundays worth it. 18:00 finish again & it's still raining. End of a good week and looking forward to this time next week when I'm off skiing!