Hallway update

Almost there with the hallway renovation.

Here's yesterday's work; first coat of the walls and door frames all of which are in the same colour. With seven door frames in the hallway, we decided not to use a separate colour for them as thought it would look too busy.

And today was final coat and starting on the entrance doors. Colour of the walls is a soft grey to match the tiles. Very pleased with the final shade - it was worth all the test pots! Entrance door painting meant having to put masking tape around all the windows - again. However, previous experience has taught us it really is the best way to paint these doors, even though it is time-consuming.

First spring flowers

Arriving back from a few days away on a snowshoe trip, discovered the first bulbs were in bloom - such a cheerful sight after the winter months. Many more bulbs yet to come plus the pear tree is on the verge of flowering and our forsythia is covered in yellow blossom too. Love the colour and new growth of this time of year.

Snowshoeing in the Pyrénées

Back from an energetic five-day snowshoe trip at Ax les Thermes in the Pyrénées. Had three days of fantastic snowshoeing with clients; two days of brilliant sunshine and one of light snow making for a lovely ethereal walk through the forest and over some cols. Everyone enjoyed it and the hotel, food etc was great, as was relaxing tired muscles in the superb thermal baths at Ax.

 

Spring's coming

Early signs of spring arriving with the daffodils, tulips and hyacinths coming up. The daffodils usually flower first and they're almost ready to brighten up the garden with their bright burst of yellow. 

Weekend work

We started, and finished, lining the walls of hallway in 'our' part of the house this weekend. Got into the groove and finished it without too much hassle ... or swearing. The no-straight-walls of our house does make this an interesting job to do but the finished effect is well worth it. The drop from ceiling to floor is almost 3m and the length of the hallway is 7m, with six doorways to get around too. The hallway is considerably lightened, making it seem even larger, although it is at the cost of covering the original vine painting. 

Next job is painting.

Saturday:

 Sunday:

Fête de Mimosa - Roquebrun

The past Sunday was the annual Fête de Mimosa in nearby Roquebrun. It celebrates the arrival of spring with the first flowering of the mimosa. This year it was warm and sunny so a drew in a lot of people. We met up with friends for coffee and a stroll along the market, which went the length of the main street. We did however, miss the parade of decorated floats later in the afternoon, when there was barely room to move with the crowds. It was a very successful day for the village.

Hallway renovation

We're almost ready to start painting the hallway. The ceiling is painted, have stripped most of the door frames and washed the walls. Next task is to put up the lining paper ...

Special lunch

A birthday lunch at Le Terminus restaurant between Cruzy and Quarante. It's in an old railway station; the rail line has long been disused. Fantastic food - including Bouzigues oysters from the Etang de Thau on the Mediterranean, baked camembert, shoulder of lamb slow-cooked for 12 hours and cod loin. To finish, tarte tatin (served in a glass with salted caramel ice-cream - delicious) and bread pudding!  Excellent service and a lovely ambience. A great place to return to in the summer, and to recommend to our Gite Magnolia guests. There's a large outdoor area overlooking the vineyards, where they have tastings of local wines on weekend evenings, and a good children's play area.

Continuing DIY

The bathroom floor is now re-grouted and looking much better, although other people most likely won't notice the difference! We have just got to put a sealant on the tiles to make them easier to keep clean. Ready to move the bath back in soon.

We've also started on the hallway. The ceiling has been painted and we're sanding down the door frames before putting up the lining paper and painting. With five door frames to do, it is another labour of love ...