Ski Season is almost upon us....

The first snow of the year has fallen and the official ski season begins 17th December, through until April.

Click the link below and check out the Office de Tourisme website: you can click on all the ski slopes - Mont Dore, Sancy, SuperBesse

www.sancy.com

And now we do!

See the previous blog for the comparison.  Beginning, lintel falling down, interim - lintel now secured and repaired, end - door in place :-)

Wish we had a picture!

After all the delay's, we finally have a porte-fenetre in the barn entrance and so the barn is now totally enclosed....yeay!  After this part being the part which needed the most work in terms of preparation (the barn was full of years of discarded 'stuff'; be it old washing machine parts, broken cookers etc., etc., not to mention a good foot thick of broken tiles and what looked like a chimney bar. If that house could talk, I'm sure it would have a very interesting story to tell - well it would be interesting to me!)  As mentioned in a previous blog, Simon cleared the barn of all the timber (old oak roof beams, stair cases etc., as well as the 'stuff' and tiles) last September in preparation for the insulated floors being put in.  Which happened February time of this year and it was then that Simon thought the best thing would be to get the door in.  We got the quote and our visit in May came and no sign of the door....... The builder wanted our agreement to have it made to fit, so it was ordered at some time after that meeting, I cant say when.  When Simon and I returned in September, we hoped to see the door en-situ.  Mais non - because the factory had closed down for the whole of August, it was still not ready.....  Where's my Fairy Godmother in all this?  I do have a very solid porte-fenetre which does work but has no glass and doesnt fit any of the openings, perhaps she could bibbidy - bobbidy - boo it for us!

At our meeting with M. Mazeau during our September visit, he had told us that he expected a final part to arrive just after we were leaving France for the final time for this year (the house really not being habitable in colder months) and that he would fit it in the couple of weeks following that.

A month passed and we began to wonder what was happening.  Simon has suggested that if only we had a web cam out there to see what was going on.  I think it would be too worrying, at the moment we only worry about what we dont know.  If we had a web cam, we'd be worrying about what we do know and not able to do anything about it!  Anyway, I digress.  I called our friend Michel and he went to our house the next day to see if anything had happened.  Lo and behold the door was in the barn, waiting to be fitted. Michel said it looked very nice and of good quality, so that eased our minds.  Then last Wednesday, we received the facture.  Now bearing in mind that M. Mazeau has said to us quite vehemently, never pay until the job is finished and you are happy, this put us in a quandary.  We trust him, but was he testing us?  Would we offend his dignity by asking for a picture as evidence?  I decided to take a two pronged approach.  I emailed him back and thanked him for the facture and that we look forward to receiving the devis for the next phase of work which we had discussed; and could he forward a picture of the door en-situ?  We then called Michel and asked him if he had heard from M. Mazeau.  "Oh yes, he called at my house and picked up the keys last week and brought them back in the evening with another key on the key ring" - the key for the porte-fenetre.

barn wall when lintel was collapsing - had dropped a good 4 maybe 6 inches and wouldn't have lasted much longer before those bricks gave way and the whole things fell!

same wall now lintel repaired - would you believe that a 6' 3" man can walk under that lintel, not trouble.......gives you an idea of the size of that wall - you're only seeing about half of it!

I do look forward to seeing a picture of the porte-fenetre in place :-)

Yeay!  Door en-situ

Feels like we're turning a corner!

Every time we 'go home' we have the most amazing time - although we work hard, we get time to play in the evenings and meet up with existing friends or make new ones.

I've spoken before of Michel who helps us.  He never fails and always helps in what ever way he can, whether its acting as a translator for those meetings with the builder which have involved discussions with technical terms, or whether it be that he cuts the grass for us with his scythe to make our life easier.  It can take him up to two days to get the better of the grass and weeds!!  Now we have some more friends - Annie who owns the Chateau at Veauce, an amazing lady with so much vitality and Denis who is our newest friend - the bar man.  So much personality - he's perfect for the job.  You can learn a trade, but if you have no personality, its something you cannot be taught!

Another two week stint trying to achieve as much as possible in very little time and we feel very pleased with ourselves to have achieved the re-pointing of the front of the house and some of the side/Bread Oven.  What we decided to do was work on those bits which were most vulnerable to damage over the winter, so whilst Simon pointed up the front (having to re-bed many stones) I started work on a large crack at the side.  Where the existing render was still intact, we decided to leave it as it will protect the wall until next years trip when we will 'crack on' again.  After several days, we were doing well - especially when on Saturday 10th, a neighbour came to tell us that he had heard that we were in the hottest part of France that day at 34 degrees.  Simon and I knew it was hot and were struggling to move with any kind of speed - the mortar was drying really fast, including drying in the cement mixer!

The Bread Oven before and after the joint attention of Angela and Simon

             We have also now managed to acquire the land which we had been discussing with a neighbour for the last 12 months.  The deed was signed on Saturday morning of the 17th which was a feat in itself, as the Geometre and the Notaire had to do their work in double quick time, so that we could pay for the land before we left on the following Monday. 

M et Mme Benchereau were very happy to have finalised the sale and invited us to their home for an 'aperatif' or two, or three...... 

We had some lovely and impromptu meals out - One evening, Simon decided he was hungry and couldn't wait for me to cook, so we should get a pizza from Ebreuil.  When we arrived, we found that it was closed as it has been sold. 

Luckily a young girl had spoken to us as we walked towards the pizza shop and she asked if we were looking for somewhere to eat. She recommended somewhere that she had worked over the summer and had been under new Management.  Simon, George (he was on his third visit to France) and I went to the Restaurant and asking for a table for two, I mentioned that we had a dog with us.  The lovely thing about France I feel, is that animals are permitted (as long as they are behaving themselves, obviously!)

We had a lovely meal, and the waiter also brought an 'aperatif' for George, which was lovely of him.  George was definitely thirsty!

Our meal was lovely and we recommended the Hirondelle to Annie & Michel who visited a few nights later.

We then went to a lovely restaurant in Lalizolle who specialise in Moules frittes - unfortunately, I'm not a fan of Moules and the owners were good enough to prepare something especially for me.  It was a lovely evening, and it was really good to see Annie able to relax and just socialise. - Again, George was permitted.

The last occasion, was on the Sunday lunchtime, the day before we were due to return to UK.  I had packed up most of our things, but expecting to cook later in the day, I couldn't completely pack - Simon had been working all morning (by this time, I had wrecked my knee by twisting it on the ladder and so was sitting in the sun resting.  The first time either of us had stopped for two weeks) and he decided we should go out for lunch, so that we didnt have to cook later.

Brilliant idea, so we decided to go to Charroux, the Medievil Village only a few km from our house which is very pretty and has cobbled narrow streets in the centre.  Approaching the bar, we asked for a table for two pointing out that again, George was in attendance - pas de problem........ We had a lovely lunch surrounded by a room full of local families and French visitors to Charroux.  The meal was simple but delicious and the pudding was  amazing.....!  Well recommended. 

We're now just waiting to hear from M. Mazeau with the prices of some work which he will be carrying out for us and Simon and I are feeling much more comfortable with where we are now.  We are still behind on where we should be ( thanks to he who now will not be named - what goes around comes around and much good may our money do you  James!!) but we are at last going in the right direction and we have people around us in France who are trying to help us achieve our goal.

September 2011

We are so looking forward to this next trip.  Our aim is to finish to pointing and to arrange further work with M Mazeau.  Also to finalise the  purchase of the land.....    Exciting times :-) XX

Petit en Petit

Each little step is getting us closer to our goal.  We left for a working holiday on 5th May and I think we have achieved much in this visit.  We arrived to find that our second 'roofer' had also let us down and still not returned to finish the work!!  The walls having another winter without proper protection - it feels like a broken record.  On the positive note though, M Mazeau has done the works which he was contracted to do and you can tell, he is a serious builder.  Here are the latest pics

 Relaxing after the first days hard work......getting a fridge from someone in the village who had one to sell - Big thank you to Gareth and Ruth for making our stay so much more civilised......The funny thing was that we couldn't get the fridge in the car.  Not letting such a small problem get in the way, we managed to take off the door to the fridge and get it into our Peugeot 107.......Must have looked so funny!

But at least we now had a reasonably functioning kitchen - with water on tap too...... all be it that the tap was out side and in the ground still - we bought some flex hose and a tap and there we were - independent !

 After M, Mazeau's visit Simon and I could be found up the ladder putting on the last 4 rows of tiling which had not been put up and also finishing the guttering as you can see in this pic.  I think that this is the first time, possibly ever, that this part of the house has had guttering of any kind.  You can also see that we have started to point up the wall which will stabilise things.  After the leg pulling about my bad workmanship last year, I have the last laugh as the corner of the barn looks exactly as I left it.  Pointed up, with no cracks.  Cheeky b'**@rs - I pointed a house up over 30 years ago and that looks just as good today as it did when it was finished!  Maybe we need to believe in ourselves a little more!

 In this pick, you can see that we have managed to cover some of the front with pointing and are now moving on to one of the parts which has suffered the most.

This is a view of the village that you will only ever see from the fields and farm land - no road which is intended for regular use passes this way - but I think that it is just as lovely as any that you see....Village hanging on the hillside, with ruined 11th C chateau in the fore ground and 7th C Church towering over the village......  Our house can be found further right of this picture - didn't manage to line it up to get us in!!

Developments!!

It has been a long time coming, but we are now starting to see some real developments.

Barn Door, Enclosed



Still a long way to go, but it feels like its going in the right direction now.

The Snug



A weeks toil to dig it out - looking good now.





The last time we saw these rooms, the one on the below was so dark because of the exposed soil.  It absorbed all the light and I wondered what the house will be like to live in.  You can see from this picture though how the light is bouncing off the floor and reflecting on the back wall.  The builder has contacted us to say that we need to dig the ground behind the house out, as it will press on the walls.  I started to do this last May and Michel was helping, but when it began to rain at the end of May and pretty much for the next two weeks - the ground became too heavy and sticky as it is like clay.  If M. Mazeau can use a digger, he will have it sorted out in no time at all.  Shouldnt be too expensive, although it would be good excercise for Simon and I.  We have had the quote to put in the doors to the other side of the barn and that was in the region we expected, so it's all systems go.

Last year, we had a quote for Sheep Wool insulation which was rather expensive and whilst I would like to be as environmental as possible, as we don't live/work in France at the moment, we cannot get any of the grants which are available.  However, the supplier has been in touch again and we are looking at almost half the price now.  It needs some research on U's and R's (which I dont understand anyway).  Also, we have to pay 900 Euro for delivery.  This in its self is a little off putting, when the local Chez will deliver for only 33 Euro.  Every Little Helps, to quote a well known supermarket.

More Good News!!

Can we take all this good news?  A neighbour, Michel, who has been helping us with work on the house, called us on the 2nd February to tell us that M. Mazeau was starting work on the insulated floor slab.  It was such good news and we must have been glowing for the last two weeks nearly.  We are receiving almost daily reports, thanks to Michel, who I think is an Angel in disguise.  Without his help both practical, physical and linguistically, this process would be even more difficult than it has been.

Of course, many people who decide to buy a house and live in France have all the money up front.  We do things the hard way and last year, was definitely a hard year for us and the progress on the house. 

The latest information is that the concrete was being poured towards the end of last week and we have asked M. Mazeau to quote for putting in the patio door to the barn, on the side which had the collapsing lintel. It is amazing that the barn, which was the area which looked the worst from the day we bought it, with mess and rubbish and broken tiles, will be the first area to look almost habitable.  It is hard to contain the feeling of happiness.  Thank you also the Bernard de Paris, who spoke with his Architect to find us a good builder (M. Mazeau.)  We call him Bernard de Paris, as there are so many people we know who are called Bernard, that it makes differentiation easier.  Bernard grew up in Naves but lives in Paris, weekending in his family home in Naves.  (think I explained this in a previous blog.)

However, there is some more good news.  From 21st May 2011, there will be direct flights from UK (Southampton) to Clermont Ferrand, which is only 45 minutes from us. Ticket prices at the moment look like just over £100 return including taxes per person.  :-)  See link to Flybe at the top of the page.

My resolution for this year was to achieve a functioning bathroom in its proper situation eg the first floor and that we might be able to spend Christmas 2011 in France.  Lets keep every thing crossed !

First Post of 2011 - Some good News :-)

The SIVOM have written to say that they have installed the 'branchement' and so now.......We have drinking water onto our property now! Yeay......No More hassling the neighbours for water to drink.  Not that they have been anything other than gracious toward us.  When we were there in September, Camille told us to help ourselves to water from his cellar any time, the door was always open.......  It was lovely going in first thing in the morning - the sun would be streaming in the door and it was lovely and warm, with a smell of domesticity - Mrs Camille (I call her that as I havent learned her name yet) would have the washing on already and have left for Bellenaves for her shopping.

Looking forward to our next visit - once the floors are in and the fosse in, then I think that will be three big steps forward.  2011 will not (famous last words) be as fraute as 2010 - I hope.