Tony, the Boss, and his two Martins, or rather, Martyn and Martin, first came up here the day we got back; just as well, because if they hadn’t opened up for us and left the keys accessible, we’d not have been able to get in – our keys being in Harry, you know ….

The idea was to get the ‘messy stuff’ done before we were in residence. Well, in view of how much dust we’ve lived with since, thank goodness we weren’t here that day! The ‘messy stuff’ involved removing the wall round the bedroom to the right of the living room as you look in to the house from the garden and terraces ( the one under the tiled awning – more of that later!):

and also the fitted wardrobes in both bedrooms on that side of the house. This was to make a bigger, L-shaped lounge and room for an en-suite to the main guest room as well as a cloakroom for general use. That was done and that’s how we found it on our return from the UK on Wednesday 24th October after Sally’s super 2-day run south from Baldock.

Apart from the weekends and Friday 2nd November the MEN have been here everyday since.This is a view which will not be seen again:

looking through the former bedroom to the window of the guest room – to be known as ‘Patience’ because parents need it …. the other room will be ‘Pirates’ for young people; yes, there is a G & S theme there ….. What shall we call our room?

Tony places the ‘furniture’ in the cloakroom in the most practical way ….

Some digging was needed outside to find the outflow pipe from the bathroom, so as to link into it from the new ensuite and cloakroom. With a minimum of information to go on, an almost direct hit was achieved!:

Carol takes a break with the MEN.

You can see in the picture looking out across the terrace that the grass needed cutting. We thought at first the mower wouldn’t start (it’s called a ‘tracteur’ in French, though it doesn’t pull anything), but on careful reading of the manual left by the previous owners, I realised that I had to be sitting on it first! Turning the key standing beside it doesn’t work! So the grass got its first cut under new management: 

Well, at least I flattened it!

Sunday 4th November: After an English-style Sunday dinner of roast pork etc. we went for a walk up the lane beyond the field behind the house. This photo shows the back door, kitchen window (no shutters) and the two back bedrooms – ‘ours’ and ‘Pirates’.

and this one, taken from within Sunejo’s fence, shows the bit of road from where the first one was taken:

Colours are autumnal, and the field has just had a second ploughing and fertilising. We wait to see whether next year’s crop will be maize or sunflowers. Snow has fallen on the Pyrenees and we have distant views of it on our shopping trips. Photos should follow, but so far we’ve not had a camera with us on suitable occasions!

and in case anyone is wondering what we are going to do on hot days, we intend to get a large parasol and sun loungers, and place them as needed.

Another problem was the wiring …. the hunt for the feed to the cooker hood, which had failed, involved a lot of dismantling and grovelling, till it was traced to a light switch near the back door!:

However, today, Friday 9th November, we’ve been able to sit down beside our new fireplace,

have a drink from the bar without too much battling with dust and clutter:

and the living space is looking almost civilised:

The bathrooms aren’t quite finished, the ceiling lights still need fitting – you have to get new ones, you can’t just put lampshades on what’s there – you buy integrated units – and there’s decorating to do, and a carpet to choose and have laid in front of the fire, not to mention curtains to hang everywhere, but it’s possible that the worst of the disruption is over and the MEN will pay their last visit on Monday. We’ll see …