Debs arrives today!!

Went into St Girons in the morning early and sorted out a load of photocopying for the Permis de Construit; checked up on internet stuff and got over to the market. What a fantastic market. Got to take the camera next time, it’s great all the local produce, plants, paella, …

Picked up Debs and went up to the grange. Called in at the bar to get some advice about paperwork and all the locals arrived. It went sort of large with everyone giving advice at the same time and drinking. Not a great recipe for success. And all on Debs’ first night. However we did make an arrangement for us to collect Patrick, a local, and go and meet the Mayor on Sunday to sort it all out.

Home for Roast Chicken, and visitors, and wine, and chat, and finally bed.

The sun was shining, contrary to the forecast which was a bonus. So we headed up with Debs to start another day… We had a morning of shifting the slate again…nearly there now and Debs and I graded it whilst catching up on the news. The bonfire was going and can hardly believe we have finally nearly got rid of it all. We then progressed with finishing the steps outside to make the entrance safer to get in and out of, very important for Sept when we are trying to get the roof on the building. Looks great. We left Debs in charge whilst we went in search of the elusive Mayor….unfortunately he was out lunching so a bit of a wasted trip but then all of a sudden a middle aged French man jumped out of the car and rushed over to kiss me….how much did I really drink last night I thought not to recognize him?!!! But it was Monsieur Torte who sold us the Bergerie (who we had not yet met) and obviously word had got around who we were and he was there with his friend Pierre to go through a few things… So poor Debs was left for another hour whilst we went around the land, the boundaries and picked up loads of fab tips from mushrooming to Wild Boar casserole recipes, to secret swimming spots. We were both exhausted though afterwards speaking French at 500 miles an hour non stop!!! Our French I am sure will improve!!! Spent the rest of the pm finishing the wall which looks great before we opened the chilled fizz from the river and sat for an hour just chatting etc. A lovely way to end the day. Fantastic to be able to share our plans with Debs and what a difference having an extra pair of hands to help out on how much more we got done and motivational levels too. Thanks Monti Bianco!!

Today the sun shone all day so we set about outdoor tasks. Having fished a bent metal girder out of the river a few days ago we finally managed to move it up to the bridge. A foot at a time we covered the 50m uphill. Once in place it has finally given us the chance to finish the bridge preparations to get it cemented ready for vehicular traffic. That’s easy to say but then we also need loads of large rocks for the bridge as well. Beyond that we carried a load of slate round the back and graded it. Also started some steps up to the main doorways. When it rained last it was like stepping out onto ice. Even the wheelbarrow (Walter) was struggling.

Started the day dry but overcast so lit a fire and got the chainsaw on a few logs from the pile of stuff to burn. Once the fire was going nicely we cut the rotten ends off the beams inside and stacked them against the wall giving us more room to dig out. The rain started mid morning and continued all day. By the time we left, apart from looking like drowned rats, we had dug out another sixth of the main building and the river had swollen to twice it’s normal level. We doused the fire and departed for a bath and a drink.

Woke up to rain so we spent the first hour or so sorting out more papers and Al doing a bit of work for Unique Solutions.

Then we headed up the road for a very productive day. It was still raining so we opted to start on the massive job of digging out the main building of years of straw, compost and everything else! Quite hard work uncovering some large stones as well which needed shifting as well as a few large old rafters. We had made a good indentation by lunch.

The bonfire was roaring today and the pile is going down rapidly, which is great, tidying the place up a little bit.

We also continued with the never ending process of shifting slate from the lower outhouse to the top terrace and then grading it. Hoping that if we do a bit a day it won’t become too much of a chore.

By the end of the day I think we had cleared about 1/6^th of the main area, halved the wood pile and over the half way mark with the slate so not a bad day.

Yesterday was a day in St Girons; photocopying, buying supplies. setting up accounts, etc.

Al worked hard in the morning sorting out the plans for the Marie. Then we headed up to the Bergerie for a few hours.

Managed to start a bonfire with the wet wood and slowly wading our way through it.

Shifted another stair of slate while Al sketched the bergerie roughly on how we intend it to look.

Then off to the Mayor with all the paperwork to find he is not there….he is getting a sit on lawn mower to cut his grass with!!! Great! Not open on Thurs as it is a holiday so it goes to next Tues before submitting documents.

Wine at Myrtille and more discussions about the source…

Started today by moving more slate around. Access to the roof is better from the back rather than the front so we are concentrating on getting all the slate we have graded up there. Plan is to do a bit each day.

Finished the door to the annex out of salvaged wood from inside the main building.

Sorted out a bit more slate and then got the chainsaw going. Seems to be using loads of chain oil and a little temperamental starting so gonna get it serviced in St Girons tomorrow. Hot today and blowing a whooley so bailed slightly early to plan what we need to do tomorrow (over a beer and a glass of wine at Les Myrtylle).

Finished Door

Woke up to the sun shining and seeing the snow capped peaks which was great. A quick spot of paperwork for the Marie and then up the hill we go again!

We started a bonfire to start getting rid of the woodpile. 26 degrees of heat and a bonfire going…very hot day! We have decided to shift a stair of slate a day from the lower outhouse up to the top terrace so that hopefully it will not be too much of a chore. 20 minutes of shifting slate compared to a whole day was bliss.

We had just begun to try and prop the ever over hanging roof when Freddy and Daniella from the Auberge Myrtille turned up for a gander. It was really nice to talk to some other folk about our plans while on the property. We then sat and drank wine and beer for an hour or so which was a great way to spend time. If anybody needs a place to stay while in Salau, they have a fab little Auberge and yummy food too.

We propped the roof as best we could with timber and rocks lets hope it holds until the autumn, fingers crossed.

One of our aims this month was to get the building secure so we set about making a door for the annex with the reclaimed wood. A good time for me to get used to using power tools and sawing etc. Al is of course a dab hand and I am sure he could have made the door quicker on his own. Anyway, I enjoyed it and we now have ¾ of a door for the annex, which compliments the style of the other doors, which remain.

I was roasted and so we chucked water on the fire and headed for a beer at the bar. The usual characters were there and the conversation always seemed to be concerning finding the source for us. We are hoping to have located it before we send in our plans.

Door Making

Spent an hour and a half reading through the application for the “Permis de Construit” and working out where we are deficient. Thanks to Andy (the architect) and Martin (structural engineer) we think we have it all covered. It is going to take a few hours to pull it all together and get it checked before we hand in 4 (yes FOUR) copies in to the Marie. Having addled our brains with paperwork we set about clearing out the second outbuilding. Considering it is only just over 2m x 2m inside we salvaged a couple of ton of old slate. Enough lifting and carrying rock for a while. Think we may do something a little more creative tomorrow.

Yesterday we started digging out old slates from the outhouses. It would appear that when a previous owner of the barn saw that the roof was caving in, they stripped the slate off and dumped it in the outhouses that had already lost their roofs. Then they put tin on the roof of the barn. It being lighter has just prolonged its life rather than sorted the problem. We were wondering where the old slate went? Now we know. Lord knows how long it has been there but we have dug up a couple of ton already and not finished yet.

We had to get to the Mayor’s (the Bear) office in the afternoon to go through some permissions and an inquisition. Just as we were going to leave one of our neighbours called by, an old Frenchman with an old dog, he kept us chatting for a while and gave us some very useful contacts and information.

Dashed back to the apartment, cleaned up, put on a shirt, drove to the Marie, via a skip to get shot of a stump, and wandered into the Bear’s office. Having planned the conversation the first thing he said was “ so what do you plan to do with the property?”

Now we have a bunch of forms to fill in to get permission to replace the roof. The Bear however mellowed and even cracked a couple of jokes that we recognised; we laughed in the right places; and now we appear to be friends. In the end he was also quite helpful.

Tomorrow more digging up slate. Yipee!!!