Alun & Breezy’s Weblog

We woke up to hear the rain hooning it down outside not conducive to get up. 

Tackled the Ski Breezy internet catch up firstly and then we finished screwing and gluing the door. Fitted it, hung it and varnished it, looking good.

Then I battled with making the window beading as we were using quarter rounds…my brain was struggling with angles so Al came to the rescue!!! All ready now we just need to fit it in place.

Not really a salad day but we had falafel salad for lunch which was a nice change inside as it was pouring with rain.

All was going well in the afternoon, second varnish on the door, oak beam in place on the otherside of the window mainly for looks rather than structural.

Then it was just fitting the glass panes et voila…or maybe not. Sadly Al managed to touch one of the panes of glass with 2 tacks to go and the chu**ing thing broke. So near but so far. A bit of a shame but could have been worse…so we then had to get the glass out carefully without it dropping on the floor. Delicately done and we have it out. Now just need to buy another pane of glass and fit it in. The bottom pane looks great though. Should get it finished on Sat after shopping day.

Still raining so cups of tea and catch up time indoors before omlettes for supper. End of the week rations running low….

Sun is due to return tomorrow so that will be good.

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Another glorious sunny day.

Needed to get the stairs fixed to the floor. Al fettled that whilst I set to with finishing the floor.

I sanded the floor and gave it another varnish, whilst Al fettled the step into the bathroom.

We had an early lunch to let the floor dry before making a door for the bathroom.

Staurt had kindly given us a table which he had decided did not fit in his chalet in Chamonix but it looks great in the barn. I assembled that and it will be fab once we move into the main barn. Thanks a million Stuart.

We decided to use some of the floorboards to make the door as they are quite sturdy and hopefully will not warp. We cut all the pieces and made a Z for the back support before assembling it all together. Battery power faded so we did not quite get it finished a few more screws to keep it all in place.

I had what I think is my last dip in the river, it was freezing!!! Hot showers from now on.

Cards outside as it was such a lovely evening with some nibbles before beef casserole and dumplings for supps yummy.

Finished my book hoorah!!!! 

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Woke up to another glorious start to the day blue skies. Sun not hitting us till much later now so Al decided to do some strimming before brekky while I set to with some more Ski Breezy work.

After brekky we headed to the trees to see what the next stage is.

Since we had no more threaded bars we thought it would be best to make a bridge to get to the first platform.

Al had recycled some old ski cable from the lift station in Le Tour in Chamonix and we used this to gradually get the first part of a bridge from another tree to the platform. By lunchtime we had the foot cable in place. I think it will hold!!!

Chicken tortilla wraps for lunch inside as the sun had disappeared and it was quite chilly.

We then decided to finish the floor up to where we can go and varnish it to end the day. We now have the floor ¾ of the way down and one coat of varnish on. We need to just sand it and another coat of varnish and we are done. We don’t want to put the final bit of floor down until we sort out the leak properly. Looks good though.

We had a visit from Guillhem who is working on a place just above us. He said he had know the place for 40 odd years so was interested to see what we were doing.

I had a good Skype chat with Dad who was on great form and hugely busy.

We then had salmon pasta for supps which was a pleasant change. Must get back to the book!!! And then bed.

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Autumn is here, we had our first frost this am. So getting up this morning was a chilly affair!!! We made packed lunches and had some brekky before heading off to above Guzet which is the ski area closest to us.

Lee who is our fantastic source of local knowledge on where to go and what to do had come up trumps with this explore.

We drove above Guzet along a 4×4 track to Gerca which is at about 1800m so meant we had already gained a lot of height in Vinnie.

We then headed off to Col de Serron. Lee had given us an alternative way to get there which we missed some how and after scrambling/climbing for 30 mins decided to about turn and go up via Etang D’Aube to the Col de Serron. It was a lot of boulder hopping gradually climbing up to the lake and it was gorgeous. We sat by the lake and had some fruit and enjoyed the views. We had the place to ourselves fantastic. That is one of the huge differences between here and Chamonix. If this had been a walk in Chamonix we would have seen hundreds of people.

A steep 50 minute climb/boulder hop up to the col where we had amazing views towards the Spanish border and lots of the other valleys nearby which we have now explored. Gradually we are piecing bits and pieces together.

Lunch at the top in hot sunshine before s steep ish walk back down to the Turghilla Valley. A stop for some bilberries on the way and then we just enjoyed the walk down the valley seeing all the lakes. A few ladders and cables to get us over a section before heading back to the van. TOP day out. Thanks a million Lee.

Back to the barn, washing up showers etc before we tried to attach the stairs so we could access the toilet!!!

A bit fiddly and half in place the rest we will do tomorrow.

Delicious beef casserole and polenta for supps. Then reading. Nearly finished my book which will probably mean I get a lot more done!!!

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Another glorious day. Autumn feels like it is coming with the cooler mornings. Al set to with doing the strimming of the bracken before it got too hot while I sorted out Ski Breezy work and caught up with a few e mails.

We then had a later brekky when the sun hit the front terrace, boiledy eggs was a lovely change from all the fruit we have been eating!!!

We still had loads of stuff from the shopping day in Vinnie so while Al un loaded the van and brought it all up to the main barn. I set about opening solar kits etc so we could install the new solar panels for the main barn and give the battery a full charge.

Easier said than done. What we though would be an hour job took on the best part of 3 hours. Fiddly cables, badly designed and a total faff. By 2.30pm we decided lunch was needed.

Salmon salad in the sun no need for the parasol as there was quite a cool wind.

After lunch it was back to the problem with the how to get the battery up to the high shelf. Came to the conclusion I am not tall enough or strong enough to get the battery that high so we need to wait for an extra pair of hands or two. We set the battery up on the ground in the main barn and the solar panels seem to be happily charging the battery.

We decided to do a couple of hours of flooring which finished the bathroom side to the other side of the stairs.

We prepped the other side so we can finish it in half a day. Moved the blue door again which is so heavy!!! And lots of wood to create the space so we are all set to go.

It was a lovely evening so after showers I wrote a few PC’s. A delicious roast chicken supper before a hand of Bezique, Al thrashed me with flush after flush!!!

A few more chapters of my fab book The Labyrinth based around Carcassone well worth a read then to bed.

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Woke to up to a low cloud level but looked like it may well burn off.

After brekky we headed down to St Girons for the weekly shop.

A quick trip to collect some bits and pieces from La Forgue, chucked a load of washing in while we collected the generator which we now hope is fixed properly and then zoomed to Garcia to get some materials to let us fix the windows in the bathroom.

All seemed to work, collected the clean washing before filling up with petrol and doing a quick food shop for the week.

We stopped by Clive’s on the way back to reclaim some old glass he was going to put in the skip.

The sun was just coming out by the time we got back for a late lunch in the sun. Fresh prawns with a good garlic dip and salad yummy.

We planned an afternoon off hoorah. A wee siesta, reading of books, writing PC’s and just relaxing. WOW first time for everything!!!

After our late lunch we were not that hungry so we just had some terrine, cheese and green salad for supper and an early night.

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An early start as Lee had planned a walk over near Aulus Les Bains in the next valley for a 9am ish start. So we were up just before 7am to make lunch etc before the 40 minute drive.

A cracking choice of a walk with loads of variety. Lee and Ian turned up and also a lass called Emily. It was a steep walk and humid walk up to the Cascade which was very impressive. I can imagine in the Spring time it must be amazing with all the snow melt. We climbed to the top of the cascade and then it levelled out. Ian was in his element as we found amazing bilberries. He removed his comb which is an amazing gadget for picking bilberries and he was away. Several kilos were picked for jam. We got enough for a tart and some brekky fruit.

I think the plan was to head for the Spanish border but we only got as far as the lakes where we had lunch and enjoyed a swim in the lake somewhat chilly but refreshing before looping back around to the cars via Etang de Guzet.

We had a quick drink in a bar in Aulus before returning back to the barn.

It was Mum’s birthday so we had some fizz and Al lit the inside of the barn up with candles, oil lamps etc. We sat on the new floor in deck chairs in candle/lamp light and drank the fizz with some nibbles and talked about Mum and toasted to her which was a lovely way to end the day. I know she would have approved.

A light supper as we had very little left on the food front so it was lardon and cheese omelette and salad. To bed pleasantly pooped!!!

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After a couple of hours bashing away at keyboards first thing this morning sorting emails and Ski Breezy web stuff we set about more floorboards. A short break for a salad lunch and by the end of the day we are over the half way mark.

Before varnishing the floor Breezy scuttled off with a camera to take a picture of the finished platform in the trees.

The weather is great though very HOT. Hence we decided to stay in doors. Even then sawing wood made beads of perspiration appear.

Flooring was on our "nice to get done list" so it is a great tick in a box.Tomorrow off for another walk in the mountains.

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A bit later than anticipated as we had no alarm clock!!! We managed to get away from the barn about 8.30am for our explore into another area.

We had looked at maps and come up with a plan to do a circular loop up to Port de Materat and back via another couple of cabanes.

We arrived at the village of Ossese a 30 minute drive from us, literally just in the next valley.

Took a look at the sign post which said 4hrs 30 mins to the col…slightly longer than planned.

We set off nonetheless in the heat and not a cloud in the sky.

We had a steady pace and were at the top in under 3 hours phew!!!

Lunch at the top with a cool wind much appreciated. Great views into Spain before we ventured back for the return.

View into Spain 

All was going well until we reached the second cabane and the path and markers seemed to totally disappear. Maps being read, decisions being made, bilberry bushes growing large as we waded through them….strangely enough there were loads to pick for the tarte aux myrtilles…I winder why? Do you think we are not on any path at all???

Very true, anyway eventually we bush whacked through bilberries, bracken and trees and found our way to the river where we could cross and head back to the main track on the other side of the valley. Still another 45 minute steep descent but very happy to see the red and white markers on the rock to say we were heading the right way!!A good explore anyway. Great views of the ridges and putting names to peaks etc.

We popped in quickly to see Lee as planning a walk with him on Fri. He is coming up with a plan great. Then back up to the auberge to see Anuk for a couple fo drinks, rene busy at work in the kitchen and we also needed to collect the solar panels which had arrived.

Both quite tired it was a very quick chilli and rice before bed.

A good day out.

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It has been miserable weather today so having created some space the 1st floor is going down. Having managed to get hold of slightly wider planks (15cm) it is going down faster than either of the flooring efforts we have made in the past. In the absence of a generator all the cutting is being done by hand (me) and most of the nailing is being done by Breezy. All in all over one fith is complete and varnished and looks fab. All of a sudden the barn is starting to look like somewhere you could actually live???

Lunch was soup which was quite apt given the weather. :ast night we chucked a whole chicken in the pressure cooker with some onion, a can of tomatoes, some chickpeas, stock and harrissa. Lovely Morrocan chicken with cous cous and sweet corn. Breezy commented that she may be becoming a convert to this pressure cooking thing. Miraculous!!!

Anyway the sauce makes an excellent warning soup the next day.

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