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FRANCE - July / August 2007
After stopping off for lunch at Ceaucé, with a couple of friends who were leaving the next day for England, I arrived mid afternoon. The grass was cut and general tidying up done in the garden, before heading off for a meal in the evening.
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One of the
first jobs was to finish off the kitchen area and sort
out the electrics behind a removable panel ( to allow
access to the shower water connections ). An extractor
fan, which will also vent the shower room, is yet to be
fitted. The stairs were clear varnished, and will be finished off later with a dark trim. |
The next job was to replace the small window in the bedroom. The double glazed unit had been finished at home before returning to France.
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| Making good,
plastering, tiling and decoration completed the
installation. Encouraged by the success of this replacement I have decided to tackle the main window. Before leaving I measured and cut the casement woodwork, to bring home to be finished and glazed before my next visit. Suitable window furniture is now needed. |
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Meanwhile progress had been made on the pizza oven at La Petite Reigniere.
| A start was made on
finishing off the upstairs washroom facility. Some more
storage will also be created here. Provision needed to be made for access to the hot water cylinder and the plumbing. Part of the wall was left exposed and the joints tradifarged. The pale blue tiles were obtained at a local boot sale. |
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| The timber for the
casements of the main window for the bedroom was cut, to
take home for finishing and glazing. As with the small window, this will be double glazed. |
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Most of the pears were picked before the various " thieves ", mainly wasps and insects, and birds, took them. But other visitors included lizards and a red squirrel. The latter calmly sat and pulled off a pear, took one bite - then dropped it... and reached for another! Unfortunately, my camera was not to hand.
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Not all the time was work. In the hotter weather the swimming pool at La Petite Reigniere was a big attraction. In addition to the Mayenne shopping trips, visits were made to a vide grenier at Brecé( where those pale blue tiles round the toilet came from - 50 eurocents for 36 tiles ! ), the Marché d'été ( Ambrières ), local restaurants and bars !
One Sunday lunchtime there was a méchoui ( lamb roast ) at a local village. Like most of such events, it was well attended. ... this was the 29th year of this function.
