Thursday

Today we are up early and off to the caterer. It’s a 2 hour drive so we have to leave around 9:45 to get there on time. It was a beautiful drive through the country up to Gers (W of Toulouse) but unfortunately I was actually working on the way up so didn’t manage to take much of it in.

They have a lovely house and beautiful barn, but the dogs were even better. Jean-Marc made them stay outside while he finished prepping however which was sad. I just spent my time looking out the window at them with longing desire for my own lab.

To the food. It was incredible.

Is it time for a nap?! Oh no, it’s time to head home. Wait, I can play with the dogs now. I love them. One disappeared but the other is so beautiful, he’s a yellow lab/retreiver, I loved him. Matt wouldn’t let me have him but he was so beautiful. Fine, I’ll go home. It was a very pretty drive, as it often is when you head towards our beautiful mountains.

Quick stop in a Weldom for building bits and then at Lidl where I got couple of clematis before we had to get home for meetings.

Back upstairs and Steve has taken the other window out so I need to get that prepped, sanded, base coated and ready to put back in looking perfect and resilient for the next 20 years. That means doing it properly.

Once prepped the first layer is on, I went up later to do the second but it was still wet so it’s going to have to wait till tomorrow. Matt’s not going to get to electrifying the shutter till Saturday but I want to ensure that it is ready as soon as he is, and if I can also get the inside prepped that would be great but we’ll see how far we get.

Dinner time and we picked up some steaks so naturally being a french food day it’s a pretty simple steak frites.

[9 March 2023]

Friday

I was hoping to get some work done on the house today however the day appeared to conspire against me. While my first meeting was cancelled – well it wasn’t really, I just read the wrong day – I had a lot to prepare for my second meeting. I then had another meeting immediately after. A French number seems to keep trying to call but I had to keep ignoring it. Eventually once I was off my calls it rang again. It turns out that it’s the ticket office at Peyrasudes – they have found my phone that I dropped off the ski lift! Well that’s bloody amazing and super pleased as it clearly still works too which is a huge result. I’ve already bought a new one but will be good to upgrade the French phone from an iphone 8 to 10 and the UK phone from a 10 to a 12. Plus we then have a spare one which is always handy. I will try to work out if I can get a spare sim that I could transfer to should I lose a phone again.

As I was telling Cressida that they’d found my phone I heard that there was a fire at their place. The neighbour’s shed went up from fire embers being put into the compost but not fully out, it not only took the neighbours shed but due to the wind set fire to their boot room and was threatening the house. It really is one thing after another in the Huxtable’s drama at the moment, they can’t catch a break. Matt is still busy with work so I’m heading over to provide cuddles and comfort. I don’t know why I thought I’d go through Chaum, I got stuck and turned back as the sapeurs and pompiers were still there blocking the road above their house so no way through. Back round through Ore and the gendarme were just leaving and Jonny is being checked over by the paramedics.

What a mess. I just wish that there was more that I could do. Back at home and investigating the shower unit that we bought. It’s all looking good so another job for Matt/Steve at some point. Time for dinner, chicken wrapped in bacon with dauphinoise potatoes and cheesy potatoes.

[10 March 2023]

Saturday

Matt is busy with some plastering so it’s time for me to crack on with that second window. Eventually however I roped him in to help as he’s much better with the power tools and trying to do it manually wasn’t getting me anywhere fast. New panes in and it’s time to get the outside painted. Just so glad it’s done and ready to go back up.

Meow still loves a hot stinky shoe and a warm work boot with laces is even better. She also gets rather possessive…

[11 March 2023]

Sunday

Matt has started by renewing the putty to keep the glass in the window of the pink SdB. Then we’re off up to Peyragudes to go and collect my phone, yay!

Back at home and I’m picking up more rocks, it’s a thankless task but there are so many and if we want to make a nice games lawn then I have to keep at it to make it the best it can be. It’ll never be perfect and certainly not in the first year but hopefully it will all be worth it. Matt meanwhile is working on the electric motors for the window shutters in Room 1.

It started to get a bit dark to be messing about in the garden so I’m off inside to get some more sanding done before we relax for the evening. I suspect however that I might need a shower.

[12 March 2023]

Monday

Off to London and I was meant to be on the 11:13 train but it seems that all the trains have been cancelled so we’re going to have to drive to the airport. Matt has calls so I’m going to have to drive while he does his work in the car. It’s not ideal as I’d also planned to do a load of work on the way but not much we can do about that.

It was all pretty smooth and the lounge was open which was relief since I had a conference call I need to be on. Eventually the gate number came up however when I got to passport control I was greeted by the longest queue I’ve ever seen at Toulouse airpot. Eventually I gave up and became one of ‘those people’ who push through as their flight is leaving in 20 mins and was terrified that I’d miss it. Turns out I’m even worse than ‘those people’, once I got through I found that my flight had been delayed by an hour and a half, and then 2 hours. I could have died.

Thankfully I had a couple of beers from the lounge and managed to finally get hold of some proper food, well a decent sandwich and a double chocolate muffin, the Toulouse lounge food is basically crisps and madelines. What this didn’t however cure was the fact that I was meant to be at the atelier’s for my dress fitting as soon as I got home. Thank heavens she was lovely about it and she’s fine for me to still come this evening.

Two hours is a long time to sit around but at least I got a bit more work done and we were finally on the plane. I was near the front so off super quickly and through passport control without anyone in front of me. I quickly found mum and we were on our way to the fitting. Good news – it still fits, and there’s a little room for more wine and cheese so I don’t need to go on a diet.

Back at mum’s and I couldn’t be more happy that she collect me and the wonderful dinner and company of course. Yummy, thank you mummy!

[13 March 2023]

Tuesday

It’s a quick turnaround today as I have to get up to London, however it seems that I have left my shoes at the atelier and since she isn’t back till after I leave so mum is going to have to get them and I will have to borrow her shoes.

Joelle dropped in though to come and see which was great as she seems to be a genius at finding stuff on Amazon. There was a lot of constructive criticism which I have taken on board.

Finally it was time to head up to London for my meeting and then to meet Peter. We’re meeting at Somerset House for a back stage tour and learn more about it and its history. There are some cool things there and some interesting history to the building. I’d thoroughly recommend it if you have a spare couple of hours.

Drinks in the bar afterwards were very much appreciated however I had to take a work call half way through, sorry Peter. Still Pete needs to get back to work and I should probably crack on too so time to get back to the flat.

First dinner back in London so doing what we always do, Chinese take-out. Damn I love London! After beers and a catch up it’s time for bed, we’re both busy tomorrow.

[14 March 2023]

Wednesday

Work first scooting about town, having meetings, all the usual stuff. Finally finished and it’s off down to the old Laing hang out at Ye Olde White Horse to meet up with Vicky and Tonia before Peter and I head off out.

No, I bet you didn’t guess where Peter and I were going off afterwards.

We were off to a salsa class. Katie was apparently quite jealous as she’d always wanted Pete to her to one but never had yet here we were. Quite frankly, we were rubbish. Everyone else there was much better than us, and clearly much more experienced. We tried our best though and quite a wonderful time. I doubt that we’ll remember any of this by the time of the wedding but it was very funny and much enjoyed. You never quite know what’s going to happen on a night out with Peter!

Ok, some of it’s predictable as we did pop into the pub for a well deserved pint afterwards before heading back to the flat.

[15 March 2023]

Thursday

It was such a fun night last night and another wonderful reminder of all the incredible things on your doorstep in London, that all too often we overlook when we actually live there. Today however is home time, back to rural France and renovations. But not before a bit more work of course, something has to pay for this jet set life style 😉 Oh, well that and a quick pop into meet the jeweller in Hatton Garden to look at diamonds for my engagement ring..

Meanwhile Matt has been making the most of the trip to Toulouse to pop into Castorama (I hate that place) so I’m grateful I missed it.

Finally home, thank you for picking me up!

[16 March 2023]