The last mile to London
Saturday
Big start to the morning, we’re off to the lab at Montrejeau to get our PCR tests done. Of course I’m running a bit late so Matt’s in a bit of a panic. We’re in France though and they are late for everything so I am sure it will be fine. We arrived only a couple of minutes late and they were absolutely fine. Super polite, very nice and the woman doing the swabs was excellent. It was a little uncomfortable but nothing more, she was an absolute pro, remembering to breathe was actually the hardest bit. Matt was up second so I quickly explained what she’d said to me and apparently she had a few words of English. Results will be emailed to us within the day and if we haven’t received them we should call first thing Monday and they can chase them up or do it again before our flights. Can’t ask for more!
Another quick stop by Rural Master and Super U to get a few bits to finish off the automatic watering system which was the next job when we got home. Matt has dug the trenches to the beds so that we can mow over them and I’ve helped lay out the hoses in the right places. He then did a quick tidy up of the paths while I planted out the ‘last’ nasturtiums, well apart from the four that I forgot about. I think it’s looking pretty good!
That was all quite a lot of work so time to test the new pool vacuum, it was pretty cheap so we’re not expecting a lot, and we were right. But it seems to work.
Playtime over, it’s time to get back to work. We need to get the network cables that we made up during the week through the wall to the outside of the building. Notably this means moving the million tonne ladder. Finally in place Matt managed to poke a hole through the foam around where the new toilet pipe has been installed so that we can feed them through which was handy. While feeding them from the inside however I saw the note we left before and was somewhat depressing to see that we had started this back in early February and the ceiling still isn’t done.
Eventually however, the first of the new security cameras was up and thankfully the view of the door and driveway is reasonable. As always though it had taken longer than planned.
While Matt went to work in the basement to connect it up I took the chance to have another swim. It wasn’t quite so warm as time had been marching on and the weather was on the turn. After about 25 laps I saw lightning behind one of the mountains, a few minutes later it was starting to close in so finished my 30 laps, got out and started to clear everything in as Matt came out.
Just as we finished the heavens opened for a great thunderstorm, the lightning pretty much struck the garden with the thunder within a second. It was pretty cool. Inside however there is always work to be done and the ‘kitchen’ was definitely one of those jobs. If Jonny and Cressida do spend any time here while we are away they might be in the house for more than 2 minutes and realise how bad it is. Done properly it took a lot more work than you might imagine, but at least it is finally respectable.
I’m exhausted so it’s time to relax. Meow has definitely found her spot for the evening but it has hampered my cuddle potential. I’m too tired anyway so quite happy not to have her on me so I can curl up on my end of the sofa. Tomorrow is another big day.
[26 June 2021]
Sunday
Matt’s been doing the temporary fitting for the camera by the back door and looks as though he’s been doing fine without my help. [I was busy catching up on some Casualty.] I did however get up and give the shower a well needed deep clean and started to prepare lunch.
Today is another big day though, we are back off to Tarbes for our second vaccine. We arrived pretty early (nearly half an hour), there was a massive queue so thought that was probably a good thing, why so busy today? Of course, we’re in France and they had just reopened after their two hour lunch break. Eventually we were through the queue and the vaccine was as simple and easy as the first. Again some interesting posters and managed to get a couple of photos.
[Matt to add the one he has]
After the obligatory 15 mins wait we were able to get our EU Covid Passport Certificates printed for us at the centre as I don’t have my Carte Vitale (government health card) so can’t access the site to download the certificate myself.
Back at the house, Matt has looked it up and it seems that hydrangeas come in different colours based on the soil they are in, essentially like a reverse litmus paper. So ours must be tapping into both acid and alkaline soils.
Next house job is to get the network cables run across the front of the house for the final camera to cover the veranda, while he was up there he also put the extra wifi access in. As always it took an incredibly long time to do a simple job. So much so that Jonny had arrived to collect the house keys before we were finished. Thankfully he is very patient and was duly rewarded with a beer and then chicken wings and salad for dinner.
Also took some more photos of pretty things in the garden.
The weather had closed in again with another thunderstorm. Time to get on with the washing so that it’s clean for us to start packing tomorrow. I am seriously starting to question how we are going to travel with just our backpacks but we do have a lot of stuff back in London. Bedding also changed in the spare room so ready for guests should the new Guardien choose to stay at any point.
Time to see if the 2016 version of Ghostbusters is any good. [It was ok]. Matt’s off to bed and I’m updating the blog. All the text is now written but I need to go back and add all the images from the last couple of weeks so probably still a little while till you actually read this.
All the best and hope you had a good weekend.
[27 June 2021]
Monday
Today is the day. I thought I would be more excited, to be honest I’m more worried about leaving something behind or something going wrong. I’m far more stressed than excited, but I guess they feel pretty similar.
I have absolutely no idea where Matt is taking us, it feels as though we passed the airport months ago. Ok, so Google must have been going wonky, we’re in the middle of some fields now.
Nope, seems it’s just a bit of French crazy. 15mins past the airport we found the ‘long stay car park’. It’s literally a big paved bit at the side of a farm. There’s already a French family there waiting for us, I’d failed to answer their calls the previous day but they knew when we were coming and our flight details but nothing is ever easy in France. Anyway, we arrived pretty much bang on time so no worries there. When the chap arrived from his last drop off however we were curious. Definitely what you would call a ‘little run around’ and certainly doesn’t have capacity for the 2 ‘young adults’ and mother plus us. The boy must have been 18 and with the 4 of us (literally) piled into the back I can’t recommend them for their Covid credentials. But it was cheap and we were on our way ‘home’.
Matt’s infinite wisdom had us at the airport many hours before take off. We had around an hour before check in opened. Once it did and we queued up for a short while we spotted the next mistake, we didn’t have bags to check in. Time to head through security.
Super quiet, almost nobody there.
Once into the airport the lounges are closed and very few people around. Matt is keen to get through to the gate area so we pass by Pret and a newsagent and are soon at the gate. Problem is, nothing at all is open there and the vending machines are rubbish. Seeing a guy with a Kronenbourg (that he must have got at Pret) didn’t help things for Matt, I was grumpy – 2 hours to wait till our flight and literally nothing to do. Covid airports suck!
The woman comes round to check that we have our 2&8 test receipts, entry forms and something else I think. Afterwards Matt realises we’ve put in the wrong flight details so have to redo the forms, just in case (he is so much more prepared than I am, I had no idea I just follow him and show my passport when asked with no idea where I am going or when, I just hope they never question me alone. Before you think, or say it, no of course I don’t hold onto my passport, I am allowed it to go through the gates then straight back to Matt – Jeff has already supported me through the alternative and I don’t fancy trying it again).
There was however an outside smoking area that was deserted so I spent most of my time out there with my vape and making the most of being outside. The French penchant for smoking it seems does have a small benefit. At least it wasn’t one of those awful rooms in the middle of an airport that would give you lung cancer by opening the door, or (just as bad) the completely open ones in the middle of the airport – seriously, what is that about?!
I was really looking forward to some kind of face off about what people had and didn’t have, being turned away and a fracas ensuing. Sadly it never happened. There was an interesting lady when we were boarding who apparently had an Italian passport and husband but when the translator came over she and her young son didn’t speak a word of Italian… I wasn’t allowed to keep gawping and listening in though so I’m afraid I don’t know what happened.
Plane took off, wine was extortionate (and not French), food was beyond deeply average and also extortionate. Despite the rest of the plane all being seated with a gap between them I was back around row 23 and Matt up at 7ish. To make things worse a woman was sat right beside me – the plane was more than half empty. Since Matt didn’t have anyone in his row I asked in my best French if I could go to sit with him. It really was my best French. Immediately the guy turns round in the most British accent (some sort of Brummie maybe with normal English mixed in) ‘I have no idea what you are saying’. I duly ask again in English, with a very soft French lilt, before he accepted and said it was fine. Well at least the lady next to me thinks I am French and is now not offended by my request.
At Stansted and it was super quiet, it was 10pm. We seemed to be the only ones there so was time for the London walk. [For you Kiwis, it’s not the one that you may have heard of with pearly kings and queens, but more a speed walking competition] At the gate however I can’t find the confirmation of my revised landing certification so after much faffing we were asked to stand aside while at least two people went through. ugh.
Finally found it and we are through to the scanners and finally to the train. At least they were still running and we didn’t have too long to wait. Eventually we were back in London. The familiarity of the station and being so close to our end point was massively reassuring, I know that most of you will know Liverpool St station well but I was so glad to be there I finally took a photo for you.
Ah to be back in a city. Sod waiting for a bus, it’s late and we have been travelling for long enough so eventually remember how Uber works and we are at Pete’s in seconds. The joys of central London, an Uber is never more than 5 minutes away here and that’s on a bad day. Peter, in his infinite wisdom and kindness had left some beers in the fridge, wine and a bottle of Prosecco. It was too late even for me to start trying to convince Matt to have Prosecco so a glass of wine to relax and off to bed.
[28 June 2021]
