Painting, plaster boarding and plumbing...

Also electrics but that didn't behind with a p so didn't sound so good.

After a lovely break we have been busy. 

Phil has been bringing plumbing in to the en suite shower room in Bedroom 2 and also electric cables.

Plasterboard has gone up and after a vent has been fitted we will be ready to begin tiling. 

I have been painting Bedroom 2 walls (still not finished) ceiling and beams. We bought a clever tool back in the UK for making grain on a painted surface. I had bought a chocolate emulsion as undercoat and the idea was to paint a liquorice (not suite black) over the top and use this training tool. It looked awful! So as the beams are painted wood anyway and I wanted them to be a very dark brown I mixed some chocolate and some liquorice together and this is the result. The window has also been undercoated and given the white silk treatment so everything is looking brighter. I really like this room and can envisage how it will look when it's finished.

Beams and window - Bedroom 2

Plasterboarding and plumbing Ensuite 2

We did several days work then last Wednesday headed up country to visit Paul and Di near La Lude. We intended visiting them in March when they were over in France but Phil's antics put paid to that. It was great to see them. They have a beautiful house and the work they have done is amazing. Such attention to detail and plastering skills unbeknownst to DIY man. The decor is gorgeous and they have again given us some great ideas. We were looked after beautifully and didn't Iift a finger. They took us to a nearby town called La Flèche which was stunning. There is a military academy there so several young military types around the town. It was lively with pretty buildings and a lovely river and weir. Shops were great and to cap it all they have a lake with man made beach where people go for list of activities including a swim.
A couple of pix here

We came back on Thursday afternoon via Ikea. Phil's was trembling in horror but agree to keep an open mind. He won't admit it but I think he is pleased with our purchases. Three of which are furniture for bedroom 2. A chest of drawers and 2 bedside cabinets.

Since coming back there has been more painting and we have even tried some paint named Ton Pierre which blends well with the stonework and is a local 'colour' on some bits outside. For some reason our house and many others that we have noticed have had external gaps filled in with horrendous grey concrete. Ugly as sin and not good for the stonework. A lime based product is supposed to be used as the concrete can crack the stones.

We are starting to plan for our trip back to the UK next weekend. A shopping list of stuff we can't find here. Would you believe plywood is being illusion even though there is some old stuff that has obviously been purchased here as privacy on our front gates. This is what we need to replace.

A hospital appointment has also been made as they want to check Phil's ICD at the BRI after the shock he had a couple of weeks ago.

We have put the pressure on Plisson, our local builder as to when he will come and knock down a couple for walls and level our stable (to be kitchen) floor. He reckons 15th July for 2-3 days, we'll see. Especially as 14th is Bastille Day and there may be some sore heads on 15th. He will also be depositing a large amount of blonde gravel on the courtyard to pretty it up a bit. Hopefully if this is done they will have departed before Rich arrives on 19th. I am so looking forward to seeing him here and for him to see it for real rather than on Skype or FaceTime.
So until the next time mes amis - we are off to Le Canton for a small beer in the sunshine.
Much love xx

Fun and friends

We have had a lot of fun recently.

Whilst our friends were here we visited Nanteuil-en-Vallee, a beautiful village nearby and also had a little play by the Charente at Ruffec. We wanted to eat at Le Rejullant which is where we took Kim on his last night with us but the French army had turned up and we didn't stand a chance of getting in. Strange to see a load of soldiers in uniform drinking beer outside quite a classy restaurant. So we came back here and started work on the cheeses and pates. That evening we were treated to a meal at L'Etoile D'Or where we were well looked after.

Work out time

Nanteuil

Friends in our courtyard

We also got a look at the loft In the second house. We hadn't been up before but James and Phil decided to explore. The opening is in the end part of the house but there is plenty of standing room across what will be 2 gites. There are a few interesting items up there but I'll save that for when we go up properly to do the work.

House 2 entrance to 'upstairs'

Some interesting stuff

We have been exploring the area a bit more and have found a lovely restaurant at Longre called Le Canton. The food is great and it's inexpensive. The wine is local and service is friendly. Would definitely recommend.
http://www.optimumparis.com/canton.html

We had thunderstorms several nights on the trot. On Sunday we visited some new friends in the Dordogne and had a fabulous time. Hopefully the first of many with Simon and Meg and not forgetting Murphy their adorable dog. 

They made us so welcome and we had a lovely lunch with them and Simon's parents. Great fun! Whilst we were there a chap from the Prefecture came round warning them not to go out that night as a dangerous storm was on its way. We left about half past six as I wanted to get back before heavy rains. Just as well. That night we were woken by thunder and continuous lightning and hail the size of marbles bouncing in the roof. The rain was so hard it came pouring through. We really have to give the roof some attention. The channels are blocked with plants and desperately need clearing out as the rain can't run down and comes over the edge of the tiles and through the ceiling. We heard a few days later that there were hailstones the size of golf balls being shown in TV. In fact we drove to visit some other friends on the day after the big storm and saw ice at the sides of the roads, even at 4pm in temperatures in excess of 34 degrees.

That was another great day. This couple have taken on a huge project and it is looking wonderful. Their property was once the 'big house' in their small village and Pineau de Charentes was made three. The vats are still in situ and it is a beautiful place brimming over with history.

The weather has been great and it was hard to get going again. It was my birthday on the Tuesday but we were going to head to La Rochelle on Thursday to meet up with the same friends and stay overnight. On my birthday this all changed as Phil's ICD decided to give him a shock. He wasn't even working at the time. Just standing looking at some clothes thinking he should really fold them up and put them away. We telephoned the Bristol Heart Institute and they said we should get it checked. So started an afternoon of phone calls which led to the discovery that the phone number we have given everyone is incorrect. Will be emailing everyone soon to correct it.

Whilst I can order a meal and ask the time of day and have a small discussion about the weather and other general stuff my French language skills in the field of medicine left a lot to be desired. The net result of many phone calls was that we had to get to La Rochelle hospital by 9am in Wednesday. I hasten to add that Phil felt absolutely fine both before and after his shock. We got up and left at 6.30am. It was quite a stressful journey as we came across a 'route barre' and had to find another route. Time was ticking and wer were concerned the hospital wouldn't see us. We seemed to join all the rush hour traffic as we went into the town but luckily the parking was easy and we were told not to worry when we got there.

The doctor was incredibly efficient and spoke good English. He set our minds at rest. Us seems that Phil's heart went to fast and the defibrillator recognised this and kicked in.

Since the shock he says Phil's heartbeat is normal, which is more than it was before so a good thing! Slight adjustment to medication is required when we come back to the UK.

So by lunchtime we were parked up and strolling around La Rochelle. I had a lovely lunch of Moules Mariniere by the harbour. Such a pretty place. No concrete monstrosities builds in the sixties just lots of beautiful architecture and great shops too. We had booked into a little family run hotel a whole minute from the beach and a whole minute from the old town. Perfect location. Very friendly man ran it and told us it was his family's home and that in 1930 it was converted to a hotel. Very French and quirky, the rooms weren't large but there was everything we needed and the showers were great. Really blasted you with water! 
http://www.hoteltrianon.com/

La Rochelle

The following day we met up with our friends who had been in the Dordogne camping. Fortunately they didn't have the hail along with the storms the previous Sunday.

We had drinks by the harbour and heard their news. That night we had a great meal in the old town preceded by cocktails. Wendy has gone home with a couple of souvenirs from said cocktails. We al stayed at our hotel which was lovely. The following morning following breakfast and a walk around the old town and shops we said our goodbyes. Only for a few weeks though as we are back in the UK at the end of the month. 

Is that a burm (old Peter Sellars joke - sorry)

Friends say Au Revoir at Hotel Trianon et de la Plage

On our way home on Saturday we stopped at Coulon the heart of Marais Poitevin and Venise Vert. We shall certainly be returning to discover this area strewn with canals and walks, canoeing and cycling.

Very pretty and we had a wonderful lunch by the canal.

Coulon

And so - a lovely break and back to work....

And how are your waterworks?

It has been a while since I have posted. Mostly because we had our very good friends coming and we were on a bit of a deadline to try and get toilets in for both rooms.

I have loads to show you.

The doorway we made in the upstairs as an entrance to the bedroom having walked through a little entrance hall was made. I stared at it for a while and said to Phil - why don't we just knock it all open to create one huge room. So we did. Photo 1 shows doorway on right as entrance and photo 2 shows the whole space opened up. This one also has the stud partition up and behind it will be the ensuite shower room for this bedroom. 

Phil did it - he managed to get a working toilet to each bedroom. The work was incredible. I was taking huge rubble sacks out and Phil was doing the plumbing. The pipes had to come through a wall about 2 feet thick, which he did by chipping away and taking stones out bit by bit.

Pipes come through the huge wall

Whilst he was doing this I was cleaning up, scrubbing floors, getting polish on all the wooden bits as they were in a real state. 

I had done some painting, although not all, just enough to brighten up a bit and after Phil had finished the plumbing he started painting too.

Then we had to bring beds in and make up. A modesty curtain was added to the entrance to each toilet (green curtain in photos). No door frames so friends had to be a bit careful entering. Then we had to make sure there was power to each room as old stuff had been removed.

Of course our friends had seen the work in progress and felt they really knew the property when they got here. I had pulled the commode that we found out of the second house and we told our friends we didn't manage to get the toilette plumbed in and they could use the hole of an outside loo or the commode. Not one if them flinched would you believe. A sign of true friendship.

Sadly we have had to lose the diamond internal window downstairs which has now been filled in but found 2 more layers of wallpaper below when stripping what will be the downstairs en suite.

The blue stuff left dye in my hands for days and the little pomegranate paper underneath must have been quite old as the wiring was on top of it.

In addition we also pulled out 4 layers of lino from what will be the kitchen and scrubbed the concrete and cobble floor before returning one small layer of lino. 

Phil screwed in a wine rack to the wall which was sprayed black back in March and was a find in the second house. It will take 100 bottles of wine and is depleted so if you're passing.......

Some more photos here so you can see our progress.

 
And whilst it has looked like all work we had a fantastic couple of days with our wonderful friends.

We explored Nanteuil and had a walk to the windmill and visited Chez David, whom they had heard so much about and also had a great evening at L'Etoile D'Or. More of the environs very soon.