How The Sunshine Didn’t Last and the House-Viewing Grew Increasingly Frustrating.

Well, it wouldn’t, would it? After all, we are here in the longest spell of continuous bad weather within living memory! One man who met us to open up a neighbour’s house told me he’d never seen his barometer so low in all the years he’s lived here! So the rain started hammering on the roof again, everything outside got wet (so did some things inside, unfortunately, and that’s another story) and visits had to be made with waterproofs and umbrellas at the ready.

On Monday we saw two properties, both interesting, but neither a front runner, though the second was a lovely house with fine views, then on Tuesday we thought we would see up to five places, but, for various reasons, saw only two. The first was a splendid house with big rooms and a swimming pool (though this needed ‘refreshing’), but just TOO MUCH land with it. The amazing thing is that we could have paid the asking price and have had money over, given even a reasonable price for Garth View! The second was in a position to fulfil all dreams! Right on the river (which doesn’t flood) and a little canal at the side, I would have bought this little bungalow there and then, till I said “I suppose we should look inside”.

It was COMPLETELY ill-designed! We’d have wanted to take out almost every interior wall and start again; tiny little bathroom (no bath, just shower) very limited living space with kitchen, dining, lounge, all in one; an impossible little room adjacent; a small bedroom, then a totally wasted, large space which may once have been the garage, with a staircase going up to, again, a ridiculously small ‘mezzanine’! We could have wept! (We nearly did!)

** No prizes, but can anyone make out what I’m looking at in front of the house ? **

So, once more to our place in the wood ( over the plateau where they grow and sell fruit, down the steep hill to the lake, and up the equally steep hill on the other side ….), and Carol prepared one of her ‘specialites’ (I wish I could type the accents on this – or knew how to), Spaghetti Bolognaise, and we slept only to realise in the morning that it HADN’T been hammering the roof with rain during the night! In fact, there was another brief (oh, so brief!) period of sunshine. So I ran round the site again – twice! Then we packed up, coupled the vehicles, and at about 12.20 (it’s good to get an early start on travelling days!) we left Mervent, down the steep hill to the lake ….. But when we got to the plateau (where they grow fruit) – it was drizzlin’ again! 

However, as we travelled east past Niort and South of Poitiers towards Limoges, there were periods of pleasant, even warm sunshine. Joining a section of toll-free motorway after struggling with Limoge’s twilight traffic, we found an ‘aire’ which was just perfectly designed for caravans and motorhomes; diagonal sections of parking, allowing forwards in and forwards out, divided by trimmed hedges with picnic tables between. Only drawback – the toilets, though fairly newly built were all ‘old-style French ‘hole-in-the-ground’ type, so it was move on or use on board facilities … we stayed and had a classic 3-tin meal, followed by a VERY cold (outside) night.

  In fact, at a different time of year we would have had ‘our own’ breakfast table, because by parking in the end lane, no-one else would have had access from the other side.

BUT, once it got warmer, the drizzle started again (we’re using the word in the Cumbrian sense, of course), and it’s been relentless all day! Possibly the worst day so far, but the competition’s keen! Still, we’ve motored on in the belief that there will be sunshine in the South from Saturday, and we intend to be there! We left the motorway just south of Brive-La-Gaillarde and passed thru Cressignac where we saluted the hotel where we spent a night on our way south last year, came across country – increasingly hilly and beautiful country, crossing the Dordogne we’re not sure where and then following the Lot to the village of Penchot where, having bought an up-to-date Michelin Campsites Guide, we had reliable information that a suitable park was open. There’s even a wi-fi connection (pronounced wee-fee) – if I trek through the drizzle (Cumbrian usage) to the games’ room to get it. Well, I’ve paid 2e for it so here goes ….. Hope someone reads this!