FRANCE - 6 to 16th July 2011

I took the early morning Fastcraft ferry in order to arrive during the afternoon. The Hindhead tunnel was not yet open, although they were in the process of road marking and putting up signs. By the afternoon I was shopping in Gorron, after calling in on Sara and Tone.

The roadworks on the hill had progressed quickly. I was most impressed with Eurovia, and the speed at which they carried out the final surfacing.

Apart from cutting the top grass and a bit of tidying up, the first job was to make the panel and shelf for the downstairs loo, leaving space for an eventual replacement of the washbasin, which will be undertaken when I make a new door with a window above.

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One evening I tried out the refurbished bar at the opposite end of the bridge to the Hotel de La Varenne. With a dining room overlooking the river and the Hotel, the Creperie Magal'ette was very good. It is owned by the same owner as the Hotel.

Fish and Chips at Le Chat Noir, Couesmes Vaucé, fell nicely for the first Wednesday.

In the garden the peaches were ripe, having swollen quickly after recent rain. The pears and grapes still looked fine.

Maybe due to the changeable weather, inhaled cement dust and a mouthful of petrol, or the pollen disturbed when I cut the lower grassed area, I went down with a sudden onset of severe hayfever/head cold.

The clear, cold night of the Gorron fireworks etc., did little to help the condition. Likewise the residual smoke of this, and of the 14th July celebrations and fireworks in Mayenne, did not aid my recovery !

On the last Friday, Le Chat Noir, at Couesmes Vaucé, had a BBQ to celebrate the re opening of the garden, complete with a new petanque area. A well attended event.

The weather turned wet again for the weekend, putting a dampener on the open air Sunday concert at the Château at Bagnoles de l'Orne. I decided not to go over, hence no videoclip.

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