Just to let everyone know that we've finished the gite, and are taking bookings!!!
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Chapter 5 ( Miracle in France!)
A "miracle" has happened here in France.....
We were at the Saturday market yesterday in Mussidan and went to the Outillage ( HGV which travels from town to town selling DIY stuff, kind of like B+Q on wheels) .
They had some xmas stuff for sale and there was a poster for these Christmas teddies for sale at E29.99. On further inspection they looked rather familiar so we ordered one.......
For the bargain price of just 5 Euros one little 6 year old girl is now the proud owner of a shiny, new and VERY red, RED TED!!!!!!!!
Anyone who knows us well will appreciate the enormity of this event, and now the aforementioned 6 year old thinks that living in France is suddenly FANTASTIC! Hurrah, hurrah!
Even better, the parents of this enfant terrible have hatched a cunning plan that the child must "earn" this new Ted by being good.... Now we have an ANGEL!!!!! Now that truly is a MIRACLE!
xxxx
We were at the Saturday market yesterday in Mussidan and went to the Outillage ( HGV which travels from town to town selling DIY stuff, kind of like B+Q on wheels) .
They had some xmas stuff for sale and there was a poster for these Christmas teddies for sale at E29.99. On further inspection they looked rather familiar so we ordered one.......
For the bargain price of just 5 Euros one little 6 year old girl is now the proud owner of a shiny, new and VERY red, RED TED!!!!!!!!
Anyone who knows us well will appreciate the enormity of this event, and now the aforementioned 6 year old thinks that living in France is suddenly FANTASTIC! Hurrah, hurrah!
Even better, the parents of this enfant terrible have hatched a cunning plan that the child must "earn" this new Ted by being good.... Now we have an ANGEL!!!!! Now that truly is a MIRACLE!
xxxx
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Chapter 4 ( New Year 2006)
Dear All haven't done one for a while, been somewhat preoccupied but will attempt to provide relavent update. Some of you will know some of this news and maybe even had a piccie but tough you shouldn't have visited or gotten a personalised one.
Back in December Ellie had to provide the good people of Mussidan an exhibition of her Folkloric dancing. Cue the Salle De Gerbeau (massive modern gym like warehouse place), Saturday night. Place packed. They have nothing else they would rather do? Ellie and 5 of her 'little house on the prairie' dressed friends take centre stage and produce an incredible display which sends the place rocking (there maybe a little poetic licence there) as they step and trip and circle to the sound of two accordions. Could it get any better? Of course. Who should appear in his traditional french costume? None other than Kevin (just so french). Poor bugger doesn't know what hit him. One minute he's having a nice time and the next he has Ellie running after him asking him for a kiss. And then to cap it all he and his older mates have to join the little ones to do a combined display which involves sustained holding of hands. Ellie appreciates we have the camcorder and afterwards comes over to ensure we got it all on video.Available at a small fee.
Our first attempt to earn some cash was an almost unmitigated disaster. Xmas market. Sunday morning in Aubeterre (Surrey in France). Up early. Children harvested a bucket of Kiwis in the dark. Set off in minus 60 degrees celsius. Testicles were lost after half an hour. Sold very little except my Vin Chaud which I must say was rather tasty. Kids sold 2 Euros of Kiwis. Returned home feeling rather glum. They have no taste.
Decorating before Xmas. It's a girl thing. Must look nice for the inlaws. No yellow gingam allowed. So rip all of it off and then some of the hessian and battons underneath to reveal a plasterers nightmare. Concrete and plaster which free falls of the walls. Too much pour moi. Call for Serge the pasterer. Contray to popular myth he arrived to quote when he said he would. He came and did the job over the two days exactly on time AND he did it well!!!! I had a happy wife (well almost).
Xmas : Mum and Dad arrived eventually from Bristol. Too much fog at Bergerac so they visited Bordeaux and then got a coach up. All at no extra cost.Their arrival was greated with glee especially as they had a suitcase of pressies for littleys. A week of the obligatory too much food, sausage roll making, musical christmas crackers (don't ask) and an attempt at Disney monoploy. Cinderella costs 180 Euros. Quite cheap if you ask me.Dad and I continued my vigil against the accursed ivy which strangles my trees. We all visited Sharon and Anthony ( friends in Sourzac) who at last have an inhabitable space and had to drink cognac at 11.00am.Fortunately the fog had lifted enough so they could return to blighty from Bergerac.We forgot to go to the local Lotto. Social suicide.
The Brodies arrived the day after. They had driven. They were tired and a little frazzled at the edges. But were we glad to see them or rather the contents of their car? Poor old Roge and Karen had been our postal address in the UK for all our e-bay winnings and 200 meters of mypex weed suppressant fabric. Stick that in your boot and smoke it: But it was great to see them; This bloody co,puter keeps going French on itùs ozn qnd the letters get qll ,ixed up: I zill try to type properly: We had magical frosts where the trees shimmered as if dusted in icing sugar or even fairy dust: We feasted on freshly murdered crab which was absolutely delicious even batman thought so; They left us; all alone and sad but decidedly fatter,
Since Son and I have done our dining room; no more fabric on our walls thankyou; just off white distemper paint from Farrow and Ball which she cant change her mind about as it is so expensive: The dresser is decked in green glass and ze could almost be back in Wallington or even Streatham: As we now have a place to sit in nice surroundings ze decided to have the Fritchleys for lunch: Roy Karen Evelyn and Lily: I cooked Indian: Fresh coriander is prohibitively expensive but essential; As usual cooked far too much and have been having dhal and chicken pasanda for breakfast lunch and tea: At least I am regular:
Last Sunday ze zent to the cinema to see one of the most culturally relevant films of the century; Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit in down town Mussidan: An elegantly renovated church which was fab: In English with French subtitles incroiable: It brought in all the Inglish; average age 79; But we felt a certain resonance as our bunny problem persists: Fecking rabbits everywhere: More rabbits than you could shake a cassoulet pan at: They must be catholic as plainly contraception is not a considered option when it comes to bunny family planning: Bastards:And I bet most of them are:
That will do for now:
A Bientot Love Tone xx
Back in December Ellie had to provide the good people of Mussidan an exhibition of her Folkloric dancing. Cue the Salle De Gerbeau (massive modern gym like warehouse place), Saturday night. Place packed. They have nothing else they would rather do? Ellie and 5 of her 'little house on the prairie' dressed friends take centre stage and produce an incredible display which sends the place rocking (there maybe a little poetic licence there) as they step and trip and circle to the sound of two accordions. Could it get any better? Of course. Who should appear in his traditional french costume? None other than Kevin (just so french). Poor bugger doesn't know what hit him. One minute he's having a nice time and the next he has Ellie running after him asking him for a kiss. And then to cap it all he and his older mates have to join the little ones to do a combined display which involves sustained holding of hands. Ellie appreciates we have the camcorder and afterwards comes over to ensure we got it all on video.Available at a small fee.
Our first attempt to earn some cash was an almost unmitigated disaster. Xmas market. Sunday morning in Aubeterre (Surrey in France). Up early. Children harvested a bucket of Kiwis in the dark. Set off in minus 60 degrees celsius. Testicles were lost after half an hour. Sold very little except my Vin Chaud which I must say was rather tasty. Kids sold 2 Euros of Kiwis. Returned home feeling rather glum. They have no taste.
Decorating before Xmas. It's a girl thing. Must look nice for the inlaws. No yellow gingam allowed. So rip all of it off and then some of the hessian and battons underneath to reveal a plasterers nightmare. Concrete and plaster which free falls of the walls. Too much pour moi. Call for Serge the pasterer. Contray to popular myth he arrived to quote when he said he would. He came and did the job over the two days exactly on time AND he did it well!!!! I had a happy wife (well almost).
Xmas : Mum and Dad arrived eventually from Bristol. Too much fog at Bergerac so they visited Bordeaux and then got a coach up. All at no extra cost.Their arrival was greated with glee especially as they had a suitcase of pressies for littleys. A week of the obligatory too much food, sausage roll making, musical christmas crackers (don't ask) and an attempt at Disney monoploy. Cinderella costs 180 Euros. Quite cheap if you ask me.Dad and I continued my vigil against the accursed ivy which strangles my trees. We all visited Sharon and Anthony ( friends in Sourzac) who at last have an inhabitable space and had to drink cognac at 11.00am.Fortunately the fog had lifted enough so they could return to blighty from Bergerac.We forgot to go to the local Lotto. Social suicide.
The Brodies arrived the day after. They had driven. They were tired and a little frazzled at the edges. But were we glad to see them or rather the contents of their car? Poor old Roge and Karen had been our postal address in the UK for all our e-bay winnings and 200 meters of mypex weed suppressant fabric. Stick that in your boot and smoke it: But it was great to see them; This bloody co,puter keeps going French on itùs ozn qnd the letters get qll ,ixed up: I zill try to type properly: We had magical frosts where the trees shimmered as if dusted in icing sugar or even fairy dust: We feasted on freshly murdered crab which was absolutely delicious even batman thought so; They left us; all alone and sad but decidedly fatter,
Since Son and I have done our dining room; no more fabric on our walls thankyou; just off white distemper paint from Farrow and Ball which she cant change her mind about as it is so expensive: The dresser is decked in green glass and ze could almost be back in Wallington or even Streatham: As we now have a place to sit in nice surroundings ze decided to have the Fritchleys for lunch: Roy Karen Evelyn and Lily: I cooked Indian: Fresh coriander is prohibitively expensive but essential; As usual cooked far too much and have been having dhal and chicken pasanda for breakfast lunch and tea: At least I am regular:
Last Sunday ze zent to the cinema to see one of the most culturally relevant films of the century; Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit in down town Mussidan: An elegantly renovated church which was fab: In English with French subtitles incroiable: It brought in all the Inglish; average age 79; But we felt a certain resonance as our bunny problem persists: Fecking rabbits everywhere: More rabbits than you could shake a cassoulet pan at: They must be catholic as plainly contraception is not a considered option when it comes to bunny family planning: Bastards:And I bet most of them are:
That will do for now:
A Bientot Love Tone xx
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