Another difference between Him Outdoors and me which made me smile.
He doesn't get the comfort factor of watching old episodes of Friends. Saying 'I've seen this one' is daft. Of course you've seen it, that's the whole point. It's spending time with old friends. That you know what's coming and even the next line is what makes it good.
It also gains hugely here by being in English. Major comfort factor.
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
A cool afternoon in the car
Decided that a good plan would be to spend the hottest part of the day in the air conditioned car.
We have heard of a wardrobe shop that is about 3/4 of an hour away so if we left here straight after lunch and went to the huge supermarket that is open over lunchtime first, then by the time we got there it would be open. It's no good appearing at any of these shops before 2.30 or even 3.00 to be on the safe side.
Well, the plan worked. Went to Leclerc and had a shop with just a few English people because no self respecting french person goes shopping at lunch time. Forgot the list which never helps but got nearly everything and an extra electric fan which wasn't on any list but may make our visitors more comfortable. Then found the shop and was disappointed to find that most of the wardrobes were either enormous or very expensive or both. Had a very ancient lady serving. After we had explained that they were not right she thought there might be one upstairs - we hadn't even noticed there was an upstairs. While we were upstairs she rang her son in the workshop next door and he had one that we could look at.
We ended up saying that if he did it up we would come back and look at it and if we liked it and he delivered it we would buy it. He said 'quinze jours' and when we laughed he insisted that it would be 2 or 3 weeks and he would ring when it was ready. We live in hope. It's a dark oak one with very pretty locks and hinges and not too huge. (Forgot to check that it was wide enough for a coat hanger - oops.)
Came back to a swim in a lovely warm pool, a read and then supper and watching Wimbledon on the telly. OK by me.
We have heard of a wardrobe shop that is about 3/4 of an hour away so if we left here straight after lunch and went to the huge supermarket that is open over lunchtime first, then by the time we got there it would be open. It's no good appearing at any of these shops before 2.30 or even 3.00 to be on the safe side.
Well, the plan worked. Went to Leclerc and had a shop with just a few English people because no self respecting french person goes shopping at lunch time. Forgot the list which never helps but got nearly everything and an extra electric fan which wasn't on any list but may make our visitors more comfortable. Then found the shop and was disappointed to find that most of the wardrobes were either enormous or very expensive or both. Had a very ancient lady serving. After we had explained that they were not right she thought there might be one upstairs - we hadn't even noticed there was an upstairs. While we were upstairs she rang her son in the workshop next door and he had one that we could look at.
We ended up saying that if he did it up we would come back and look at it and if we liked it and he delivered it we would buy it. He said 'quinze jours' and when we laughed he insisted that it would be 2 or 3 weeks and he would ring when it was ready. We live in hope. It's a dark oak one with very pretty locks and hinges and not too huge. (Forgot to check that it was wide enough for a coat hanger - oops.)
Came back to a swim in a lovely warm pool, a read and then supper and watching Wimbledon on the telly. OK by me.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Too hot
Have realised that if I want to comment on other peoples' blogs I had better update my own.
Today is super hot for the third day running. The grass is crunchy and the veg are beginning to wilt before I am really about in the morning. Have just read something on totalfrance.com that was discussing whether you should water your veg every day. I am firmly in the 'not unless they need it' school. But since I am also in the 'idle' school maybe that is the reason. I did water the Bramley apple tree this morning because that is really not used to this heat any more than I am having been brought from England.
We have at last moved into the barn and it is glorious. A wonderful space which delights. It's still not finished of course but we've given up worrying about that.
The stairs would be good. Last week, the man said that he would be finishing them today and might deliver them tomorrow but even from the Happy Corner that is way too optimistic. The door man came to refit the windows that they had done wrong and, guess what, they'd done them wrong again so they will now be ready at the end of July. (Which is good because everything closes for August.) We have managed to jam one of the new wrong windows and the man should be coming today to fix it. It's now 12 so I guess he won't be her euntil this afternoon which means that we could have gone to the market. Ce n'est pas grave.
The shower would be good to. We are awaiting delivery of a bit that has taken 6 weeks so far. Since the other shower is down a glorified ladder, through the main living room and up another set of stairs, and what you need is always in the other space, this gets a bit tedious. But the bath is great, with a stunning view. We decided to have a glass basin which is placed on top of an old chest of drawers which has turned out brilliantly but I can't get used to cleaning my teeth into the chest of drawers :)
Must be time for lunch soon. Went to the supermarket and bought lots of tomatoes so a tomato and basil salad is in order. I was hoping for flats of peaches or nectarines but it's obviously not quite the season yet. The supermarket is full of tourists and what they sell has changed hugely. Lots of bbq stuff, inflatable things for pools, summer clothes, picnic things. Love it.
Today is super hot for the third day running. The grass is crunchy and the veg are beginning to wilt before I am really about in the morning. Have just read something on totalfrance.com that was discussing whether you should water your veg every day. I am firmly in the 'not unless they need it' school. But since I am also in the 'idle' school maybe that is the reason. I did water the Bramley apple tree this morning because that is really not used to this heat any more than I am having been brought from England.
We have at last moved into the barn and it is glorious. A wonderful space which delights. It's still not finished of course but we've given up worrying about that.
The stairs would be good. Last week, the man said that he would be finishing them today and might deliver them tomorrow but even from the Happy Corner that is way too optimistic. The door man came to refit the windows that they had done wrong and, guess what, they'd done them wrong again so they will now be ready at the end of July. (Which is good because everything closes for August.) We have managed to jam one of the new wrong windows and the man should be coming today to fix it. It's now 12 so I guess he won't be her euntil this afternoon which means that we could have gone to the market. Ce n'est pas grave.
The shower would be good to. We are awaiting delivery of a bit that has taken 6 weeks so far. Since the other shower is down a glorified ladder, through the main living room and up another set of stairs, and what you need is always in the other space, this gets a bit tedious. But the bath is great, with a stunning view. We decided to have a glass basin which is placed on top of an old chest of drawers which has turned out brilliantly but I can't get used to cleaning my teeth into the chest of drawers :)
Must be time for lunch soon. Went to the supermarket and bought lots of tomatoes so a tomato and basil salad is in order. I was hoping for flats of peaches or nectarines but it's obviously not quite the season yet. The supermarket is full of tourists and what they sell has changed hugely. Lots of bbq stuff, inflatable things for pools, summer clothes, picnic things. Love it.
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
The Happy Corner
Always put hope over experience, it's a fundamental requirement of being in the happy corner. The expectation is that everything will go well, people will try their best and keep you informed.
Today the electricians and plumbers were supposed to come. We are now waiting for the electrican to come and finish and connect up the electricity, the plumber to come and finish and connect up the water, the window man to come and finish so that we can have windows in the utility room and the downstairs shower room and locked doors, the woodburner man to come, and the stair man to come.
Him outdoors is in the utility room fixing plinths and handles to the units. This is a very fiddly job with a lot of swearing involved. It has taken the best part of two days to do these but it looks lovely. (Not my sort of thing at all, I'm way too impatient.) One day we will have the washing machine in there, the freezer, microwave and large fridge and all sorts of kitchen stuff from the attic so that I can lay my hands on it rather than it being in that box under that box behind that..........I think. Can't wait.
The woodburner team are supposed to be coming tomorrow. Last time they were very prompt and very good. We live in hope. (Happy corner.)
Today the electricians and plumbers were supposed to come. We are now waiting for the electrican to come and finish and connect up the electricity, the plumber to come and finish and connect up the water, the window man to come and finish so that we can have windows in the utility room and the downstairs shower room and locked doors, the woodburner man to come, and the stair man to come.
Him outdoors is in the utility room fixing plinths and handles to the units. This is a very fiddly job with a lot of swearing involved. It has taken the best part of two days to do these but it looks lovely. (Not my sort of thing at all, I'm way too impatient.) One day we will have the washing machine in there, the freezer, microwave and large fridge and all sorts of kitchen stuff from the attic so that I can lay my hands on it rather than it being in that box under that box behind that..........I think. Can't wait.
The woodburner team are supposed to be coming tomorrow. Last time they were very prompt and very good. We live in hope. (Happy corner.)
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Orchids
I shall add to this as I manage to take pictures of orchids close up that aren't blurry.
Here goes with trying to show pictures of the orchids in the field. This was the first sort, it's a green winged orchid. There are loads of these all over the field.
After that I found the lady orchids.
There are very few of these and mostly around the edges of the field. These are man orchids over by the wood pile I think because they have bits in the middle of the flowers that look like people.
And then when we were taking the lid off the swimming poolI found a patch of spider orchids. I went this evening to inspect the man orchids and there was a bee orchid there.
At the bottom of the scrubby wood bit there are lots of pyramid orchids in fact they are coming up all over the place.
It's a delight. Every week there is another sort. Brilliant. More pictures to follow.
Sunday, 3 May 2009
An early visit to St Cyprien market this morning. Well, early for us, we got there about 1/4 to 9. It is a glorious day and everything looks fresh and green and shiney. The morning sun shows off the ancient town at its best. Meet ladies already coming away with beautifully boxed patisserie and baskets full of vegetables. Still lots of setting up and loads more stalls now that the tourists are coming. Lots of clothes stalls that must have been hiding somewhere for the winter. Because we are so early everyone is still in good humour and the stall holders are all chatting to each other or disappearing off to get a coffee before they start up properly. Less black clothes today on the locals although still lots of coats and hats.
I wanted some artichoke plants but we had a lovely walk down the street chosing the lovely stuff that we would buy on the way back - if we had fifty quid to spend on lunch!
I think oysters to start. The asparagus looks lovely and the strawberries look and smell gorgeous. A nice bit of cheese perhaps and some bread. Not for lunch, but the soap stall smelled lovely too. A beautiful desert. Lovely flowers for the table......................
We bought duck breast and eggs from the same stall which are all double yolks - must remember to ask her what brand of chickens they are. (In the back of my mind I have it that these may well be duck eggs because they are from the duck stall and quite large, but maybe not large enough for ducks? - ignorant again.)
Asparagus and strawberries because we now know that the strawberries won't get any cheaper and they are always gorgeous. In the whole of last year only had 3 or 4 soft ones in the punnet. And my artichoke plants. Left meeting a steady stream of ladies with their wheelie shopping baskets ready to load up. Got bread, and pain au raisin for late breakfast, on the way home.
Came home to sit in the shade and 'love it'. Another wow we live here day.
I wanted some artichoke plants but we had a lovely walk down the street chosing the lovely stuff that we would buy on the way back - if we had fifty quid to spend on lunch!
I think oysters to start. The asparagus looks lovely and the strawberries look and smell gorgeous. A nice bit of cheese perhaps and some bread. Not for lunch, but the soap stall smelled lovely too. A beautiful desert. Lovely flowers for the table......................
We bought duck breast and eggs from the same stall which are all double yolks - must remember to ask her what brand of chickens they are. (In the back of my mind I have it that these may well be duck eggs because they are from the duck stall and quite large, but maybe not large enough for ducks? - ignorant again.)
Asparagus and strawberries because we now know that the strawberries won't get any cheaper and they are always gorgeous. In the whole of last year only had 3 or 4 soft ones in the punnet. And my artichoke plants. Left meeting a steady stream of ladies with their wheelie shopping baskets ready to load up. Got bread, and pain au raisin for late breakfast, on the way home.
Came home to sit in the shade and 'love it'. Another wow we live here day.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
Saturday
Have been in conversation with our chicken adviser about how french housewives afford these huge prices for meat. The vast majority of her customers are french and she says that they have a big 5 course blow out on a Sunday when the family come and apart from that eat pasta/charcuterie/omelettes. But I still think 25 euros for the meat for a meal is a lot. She says that the french are lead by their stomachs not their wallets and they have acquired a taste for farm raised meat and even though most of the young people no longer grow it they want to eat it.
+++
Uneventful supermarket visit and small DIY shop visit this morning. Went to the bigger DIY shop forgetting that we will get 10% off on Monday so just looked. They still have the worktop I want which is a surprise.
Came back to decide that Hamish had sticky eyes as well as having been sick and generally even more pathetic than usual and we really ought to do something. Had an immediate appointment at the vets and she gave him drops. Having been sick and pathetic here, he munched down some of her cheese. He then threw it up when he got back but as usual he was full of life in the vet's surgery. Found him yowling and sitting on my shoes which is not good and he's now sitting on my lap breathing very oddly. The vet seems to think he's on his last legs and he certainly looks odd.
In between times we opened the pool and Arnie the hoover is busy doing his stuff . Of course the sun immediately went in but the forecast is good for the next few days. Him outdoors managed to reconnect the pump and is now sorting out the pump for the well so that we can have some more water in the pool and start the filtering system. Water is not green but looks like it's full of amoeba. Add lots more chemicals and it's be fine! The swimming pool shop is of course shut on a Saturday!
+++
Uneventful supermarket visit and small DIY shop visit this morning. Went to the bigger DIY shop forgetting that we will get 10% off on Monday so just looked. They still have the worktop I want which is a surprise.
Came back to decide that Hamish had sticky eyes as well as having been sick and generally even more pathetic than usual and we really ought to do something. Had an immediate appointment at the vets and she gave him drops. Having been sick and pathetic here, he munched down some of her cheese. He then threw it up when he got back but as usual he was full of life in the vet's surgery. Found him yowling and sitting on my shoes which is not good and he's now sitting on my lap breathing very oddly. The vet seems to think he's on his last legs and he certainly looks odd.
In between times we opened the pool and Arnie the hoover is busy doing his stuff . Of course the sun immediately went in but the forecast is good for the next few days. Him outdoors managed to reconnect the pump and is now sorting out the pump for the well so that we can have some more water in the pool and start the filtering system. Water is not green but looks like it's full of amoeba. Add lots more chemicals and it's be fine! The swimming pool shop is of course shut on a Saturday!
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