First day back off hols and it is a bit of an odd job day. I started by disconnecting the solar panel and battery in the outhouse and redoing the circuitsto incorporate a buzz bar off a boat. Essentially it is like an elaborate choccy block but it just makes adding things in easier without having to have shed loads of wires all connected to the battery terminals. Also put in a 3 port cigarette lighter extension so that we can charge up phones & cameras plus plug in the fridge that Breezy's father bought us. Breezy got the strimmer going around the main barn before weeding the vegie patch and sowing some more rocket. Think we may be eating lettuce for a while.

We have decided to build a low false wall in the outhouse against the wall that is underground so that we don't have to be careful about leaning stuff against it to save it getting damp. The plan is to use "patch panelling" so we had a measure up to check we have enough.

Another plan is to lay another concrete floor in outbuilding 3. Currently it has no roof and, low walls and is dug into the hill. At the moment we could mix concrete and just pour it straight in rather than having to barrow it through a door. There was a certain amount of beech growth around it so we cut it all dow. This then lead to the realisation that the forest is encroaching quite fast on the meadow so we carried on creating several huge piles of stuff to burn.

Roat chicken supper!

Arrived back at the barn late afternoon after a great roadtrip into Italy. Started off driving over to Provence and staying just outside Gordes to see Stephano & Reikke (Danish friends we know through Winters in Chamonix). Camped there for 3 nights with them and Reikke's daughter, with a bit of exploring by car, on foot and even managed a climb at Cavaillon (Breezy got attacked by bees).

Left Provence on Monday and drove through to Finale on the Italian coast to find some more climbing. Fanatastic area and well thought out guide book. It even shows you when a particular crag is in the sun.

2 nights camping in Finale before heading over to Tuscany for the wedding. Laney and Rich had booked a fantastic villa in the middle of olive groves on a hillside – Padrignone. A couple of days build up to an amazing wedding in Sienna which could not have happened without Simon's help from the villa.

A couple of days road trip back to the barn, staying in Bezier (don't stay there – it's not nice). Tried to pick up some saolar stuff on route but it had not been delivered. Tried to collect the generator from St Girons but it had not been fixed, and we are still on blow-up beds as we still have not found a mattress to fit the mezzanine.