Sunday, January 20, 2008

Bedroom works to La Ferme




Works started late last year with the dormer window built and the ceilings plasterboarded out. Insulation, partition wall to bathroom and first fix plumbing were all installed just before Christmas.

Return to work in the NewYear allowed fitting of sanitaryware and board jointing to ceilings and walls.

Unfortunately, I have now moved on to an outside contract, so works have slowed to odd days. Still, Monsieur Peyridieu, our gifted joiner & carpenter, has built and installed the new staircase, all built from solid ash. Beautiful. Tiling to the shower has been started, so Mrs. C. is happy.

Things will have to keep moving forward as we have a group in the gites come April!!!




Photos should give an idea of progress.


Saturday, January 19, 2008

Last year's ramblings

This year has sped by, as they all do, each seeming to go more quickly than the last, so our personal theory is that it is not global warming but greater friction that is heating the atmosphere as the world spins faster and faster.
This higher velocity gave us strange weather this year: the French swear that it is because we had 13 moons but that only supports the spinning theory, room to pack more in.
We had fab weather in April, as you did in G.B., yes I know but ours was better! At the end of April we had a small late, late Xmas party and were swimming at midnight on 25th (some, no names etc. without clothes!!!) Then it went downhill and we had the majority of the first half of summer with two fine and sunny days, then 2 mediocre and 2 wet and miserable ones. It did pick up after a while but was never great until September. Now we have the normal high pressure with dry air, sunny days, beautiful sunsets then freezing overnight, -7° the lowest so far.
Time for Dave to get playing “In the bleak mid-winter” on his piano…..
Well, it only took 3 goes but this should give a taste of things.
Well, I've hopefully just uploaded the view of our lovely property as seen when you arrive from the car park. Let's hope it works.
Having spent the last couple of days completely rewriting Domaine de Fumel's web pages, I now have the onerous job of putting up all the happenings on site. The simplest will be Bunty's Xmas letter, which will give a good starting point. Just need to work out how!!!!!