Shadow

We don't have many photos of Shadow as she is still a fairly elusive cat and is generally around only to be fed and brushed (which she adores). Here's this week's new napping spot.  

Laundry's done!

The tiling and painting are now finished in the laundry. We're just waiting for a couple of sockets to be fitted and this is another room completed. As guests in our gite have the use of the laundry, we needed it finished before the summer season starts - as the first guests are here next week, the timing is perfect.

Evening nap

Wellington enjoying (yet another) nap, in the shade, with the evening sun on one of the grapevines.

Water workouts

A trip to Montpellier last Friday - IKEA, of course, and Decathlon where we came out with some more aquafitness equipment to complement the aqua-jogging belt. Sessions now in progress!

Laundry and bath update

The tiling in the laundry is almost done, then we can move in and start painting the rest of the walls. A new 'Beer Fridge' is there too - it will contain other beverages as well! We're also going to keep outdoor crockery, cutlery etc here so we can easily make drinks, snacks etc for guests relaxing around the pool. And for Merv, it will mean he can make his daily quota of lots of cups of tea without having to go upstairs.

And on Tuesday we had the inside of the bath resurfaced. After quite an internet search Jane finally found a company in Languedoc which renovates old baths. It has been painted with three coats of paint used for boats so, hopefully, should last for quite some time. The 'technician' did a great job and it looks like new - except for the exterior, which we will do. It has already been sanded and a sealant put on it. Still deciding on the paint colour ...

Flowers

The wisteria has really taken off this year;

the magnolia has started to flower too;

and this is more like a really decent bunch of sweet pea.

Recce

Yesterday we went to Lac du Salagou, a man-made lake surrounded by very red, iron-rich dunes making the landscape seem very lunar. Merv went for a kayak and Jane a mountain-bike ride around part of the lake. On the way there we stopped at Villeneuvette, a model factory town founded in the 17th century to make high-quality wool, which they continued to do until the 1950s. It is really charming village, still with about 85 inhabitants. Just outside was this lovely field of poppies.

The car loaded with 'toys' for a day out ...

 Merv enjoying having his boat on the water again,

And of course the outing included a recce lunch by the lake.

Small, but big impact jobs

We had a horrible dirty-cream coloured plastic covering above the front door. We have finally got rid of it and replaced it with clear glass. It not only looks so much better but lets in much more light to the entrance hallway. Merv thought we'd left the front door open en route to get the bread this morning.

Clematis

The clematis, which was only planted two years ago, has reached the top of the stairwell this year. It is now in full bloom all down the wall and is looking really lovely.

Bathroom update

Our workmen have started putting plasterboard up - of course it was more complicated than expected! The toilet and radiator had to be removed, luckily we have another toilet to use while we wait for the work to be completed. We are on a 'fit you in when we can' basis, which does have its drawbacks, especially as they are in the midst of doing a complete-house renovation in Roquebrun. 

The bath has been moved to the cave. It took three men, with a lot of huffing and puffing, to carry it down the stairs. Don't want to think about how we'll get it back up and into place. But, it will be easier to finish the bathroom walls without it in the way as well as being much easier to renovate it out of the bathroom. We have started using the shower, sans walls, just using lots of old towels on the floor!