Project France on hold

As many if you may know we have had to put Project France on hold for now. I hope it's not too long before we can continue as we were having such a great time. I don't feel it's appropriate to give details here but if you want to email me please do.

A bientot mes amis. 

With much love xx

Flying geese

Just a quickie. I want to share with all of you 'the end of winter'.

The last couple of weeks thousands of geese have been flying North. We believe to Scandinavia and cooler climes. When the geese fly over this means it is Spring. It's an amazing sight. They come in their thousands and we are obviously on their flight path. You hear the noise long before you see them This happens a couple of times most days.
Incredible! Photos were the best I could do as I had to rush to get the camera. It doesn't quite capture the enormitude (if that isn't a word then it should be) of this event.

Sunny days

Somehow the text was left off this page, when I first published it.


Front door

We spent the weekend in the sunshine and really seem to have made a difference. Visually anyway. So much of the work has been behind there doesn't always seem to be  a lot to show for the hard work.



Phil painting window frame

Shutters in foreground

We have had meals outdoors - even in the evening and looking forward to much more of the same.

We are now back in the UK looking forward to spending time with family and friends and shopping for stuff we need. We have decided that most things we can get in France and it's good to support the local economy but some things are just so much cheaper over in the UK. Looking forward to catching up with some of you soon.
xx



 

This is why we came!

Big push to get Phase 1 towards the end

Let the tiling commence

This was Saturday and today we are here. Grouting finished, side panel on and just a few finishing touches left to do.

Also today the plastering has entered a serious phase. Phil is wearing a black paper number to keep him clean. Sadly the paper is stronger than the zip which broke and he has a very well plastered tummy.

 We are hoping to return to the UK for a visit either Sunday or Monday but will not book the ferry till we are a bit closer. We have to be back the following week because some very nice French chaps are coming to widen and heighten a doorway to open up the entrance. Just an idea I had to create a feeling of space when you come in. We'll see.

Yesterday Phil attended a French / English session where the French came along free of charge to meet les Anglais and help us with our French language skills.

Whilst a lot of it went by as a bit of a blur he has picked up and is recognising lots of words now. We can't all be good at everything and I am totally in awe of Phil's plumbing, electrical, plastering, woodwork and all skills construction related.

We also got a door bell yesterday. It seems we never hear the door being knocked upon as we are always working at the far end of the house. It was an interesting trip to Ruffec. The skies became black, the thunder rumbled and the lightning lit up  whole sky, whilst at the same time large hail stones fell and made the roads look as though someone had emptied thousands of big bean bags over them. We sat in the car outside a DIY shop and every crash of thunder made the car shudder. It was incredible. On returning to Villefagnan only 10 minutes away there was no evidence of this weather at all. 

So at the end of today we have walls plastered and a couple of strips of ceiling done. Another couple of days and we should be plastered and painted. Then the bedroom flooring can go down. This will be chipboard 12mm thick, followed by a green felt and then some laminate. Sadly the budget doesn't stretch to floorboards up here and I am saving the money for floorboards for the entrance which needs replacing.

Aching muscles now so a bath and then perhaps a glass of wine or two....

Feature wall finished!

After around 5 days work the feature wall was finished yesterday evening. 

Phil has put spotlights above so I think it will have been worth the hard work.

Here are some photos at various stages. 

  

Today we are embarking on laying a base for tiles and flooring. The first of three layers.

I am so looking forward to the dust settling down up here. The bedroom is starting to take shape.