La Sixieme Semaine

Another week and a few developments in our life in the "Lot".  We now have the telephone and more importantly the net on in our barn.  We had the man from France Telecom return last Wednesday and after a few slight misunderstandings about where we could put the connection he finally got stuck into it.  With some help from Paul he pulled the cables through the conduit down to the road and put in the outlet in the cellar - but then promptly told us "un probleme avec le ligne" - and something about he would try to fix it "aujourd'hui " (today) - and then left.  I had immediate visions of several more weeks without communications and more painful telephone conversations for my friend and french translator Aileen, but no - within an hour or so we plugged in the phone and voila - it worked - fantastic!
Also on the Monday we had a nice young lad turn up with a digger and a truck to say he was dropping the machine off and would be back the next day to begin work on the fosse septic.  It pretty much rained for the whole time he was here which was probably quite good as it kept the dust down to pretty much nothing.  What a big job it turned out to be - here is a pic of the pipes leading from the house and barn to the covered septic tank - you can see the large area of drainage to the left. 

The highlight of this adventure was probably getting the couple of visits from the "Spanc" inspector - who is rather handsome and has a reputation around the area for being a bit of alright ahahaa - I really actually think it is because he speaks English in a very nice French accent that gets everyone going! (or is it his Levi's Aileen?? hehe)  The second highlight is we now have a flushing loo - although it is still in the corner of a very open barn so not sure any visitors will be that keen on using it mid dinner party hehe - but I am pretty happy about not having to visit the 'cabine' anymore!
As far as what we have been doing all week we have actually been getting stuck into the house for most of it.  I have chipped all of the old clay plaster from the downstairs living room - done a little bit on the first floor before tackling the attic and now have about two thirds of that done.  We have decided that I should concentrate on the attic for the time being as we are thinking we need to get out of the barn before winter (this week it has been pretty chilly here so have realised how cold it will get in winter with the wind hooting through!).  The attic just needs the ceiling gyprocking - a new timber floor and the smallish walls repointing - JUST ha - then Paul can install a bathroom and then we can move in whilst doing the rest of the house.  Paul is still working on the lower floor though as we would like to get the concreting done in the next few months too. He is pretty happy to finally be rid of all the concrete that needs to go in the house.  The entry hall has been taken out by Paul here is a pic;

  Here are some photos of the plaster chipping and the attic as is;

Before chipped on the right - after on the left.  We now will have to pressure clean the walls then repoint with a lime render.

The attic - the roof has already been done by the last owner - would like to have keeped the very thick old floorboards but a heap of them are quite rotten so we think we will have to just start with a new lot of boards.

I saved the writing - but not sure what to do with it now - will have to try get it off in one piece somehow perhaps!

Whilst chipping the walls on the first floor we found some writing on one of them - turns out it was written by one of our neighbors (easily spotted and hard to deny as it begins with his name in full haha) when he was 10 (or so he says - pretty well written for a 10 year old ha) - but it is about how he and a girl have been up there kissing and smoking a cigarette and that they are two hearts entwined etc etc - all sounds very french like.  He is now over 70 so this house really hasn't been lived in for some time.  Still have to find out more info about it but this neighbor was saying the person who owned it during that time didn't live there but lived and had a shop in Degagnac, but he would come up to work at the house on his bicycle.  I suppose it was him who was making the wine in the house - who knows?

Paul proving to us he does actually fit in - sorry but I don't fit in as well - bad luck for me I guess!

Well Paul has finally taken delivery of his new toys today.  A Piaggio P350 Vespa Car or Ape and an old Peugeot scooter are now in our barn.  His is playing with them this very minute.. Above is a great pic of the Piaggio getting pushed by Paul and some neighbors up to our house from it's spot down in Jouanicou hamlet.

And a scooter! 

Well I think that is about all the developments for now - has been a good day for Australia - big win for Cadel Evans in the Tour de France - a big win for the Eagles too - would have loved to have been at that game but never mind.  Someone said here that Gillard has declared a public holiday for the whole of Aus tomorrow - any excuse I say - I guess she is thinking ahead to the next election, she might need all the help she can get I would say! A bientot!