For some reason we set an alarm for 6:45. It went off and we ignored it.

I stirred later and set off with the strimmer to clear the area infront of the barn where we have to build the retaining wall. Breezy followed shortly after and sorted the shower bags, laundry and breakfast.

Yesterday was over 12 hours of travelling and we were more tied than we anticipated.

After brecky we caught up on some internet before having a massive sort out down stairs which culminated in laying battens for the last bit of floorboarding. Showers in the rain before roasted chicken legs with lime and garlic.

The weekend was fantastic!

Flew up to Geneva from Toulouse and stayed in Keith & Lynn’s garage. Caught up with friends and were privileged enough to be invited to Brian & Elaine’s wedding at Montenvers overlooking the Mer de Glace.

Socialising continued all weekend until we flew back on the Monday. Shopped and picked fruit at Clive’s before getting back to the barn gone 7:30. Tired and hungry we installed ourselves in the main barn. Bliss!

This morning we gave Ken a choice of walking up high in the mountains or walking in the foothills around Seix. The fact that Seix has a number of bars swung the vote and so we headed off with a packed lunch.

Parked up by the Rafting centre on the Salat and joined the GR10 for a bit before doing a loop round to the town. Did manage a drink in a bar just as it started to spit with rain. The pace increased as we followed the river back upstream to the van which we regained just as the heavens opened.

Supper was whatever was left in the fridge as tomorrow we leave the barn at 0430hrs. Got to get Ken on a train to Carcasonne before we get a flight to Geneva for a wedding in Chamonix.

Good night!

Not so favourable weather today for walking up high in the mountains so the decision was made to have a chilled day at the barn and try and get a BBQ lunch in before the storms.

Breezy & Ken headed off down to the village to collect water and to print out some documents at the Auberge while I started bringing ballast up the hill from by the river. They both mucked in when the got back and by mid morning we had a couple of tons up.

As ken wanted a play with a chainsaw we thought we would get that done before tucking into wine over lunch.

We did manage the cooking bit of the BBQ before the rain arrived but not quite the eating. A mad dash indoors was called for.

An afternoon of watching “Saving Grace” and then a cheese platter for supper.

The French celebrations once again warrant our support, and this time we have volunteered Ken’s services as well.

Once again our local community are celebrating the day with a lunch at the Auberge in Salau and Renee & Anouk have asked us to help serve. After a fantastic fruit breakfast we took the van down the track for 10am. Shifting furniture about, laying tables and general preparations before a coffee on the terrace then I was into the kitchen helping Renee and Ken and Breezy were helping Anouk with the front of house stuff.

Melon and Parma ham to start; rabbit, red cabbage and pollenta followed by cheese from the local farm pannacotta.

Pictures here on the the Auberge facebook page

Got away by 3pm and headed up to Cirque D’Anglade for a short walk.

The thunder started rattling round the mountains and the heavens opened on the way back down the hill. Quick showers and leftover food for supper upstairs in the barn.

An early start this morning to get off to Carcassonne to collect Ken from the airport. Not as early as Ken had to get up to get the flight out here from the UK though.

Fairly uneventful drive over to find ken sat on his rucksack on the pavement. Stopped in Fanjeaux on the way back for a coffee. Managed to get back to St Girons in time for a quick sprint around the market and then Carrefour for the weekly food shop.

Got back to the barn in the sunshine before the evening storm built up which meant that I ended up cooking paella indoors again.

Another glorious sunny morning. This time it was my turn to pick up the strimmer.

We did our internet stint and had breakfast before I swapped the strimmer head for a brushcutter and set off to tackle the bracken. We have an annual bracken beating competition as part of trying to preserve the meadow land. This year we have left it a bit late and hence the brushcutter. Hopefully if we beat it enough it will die back and the grass will take back its hold. There is already so much more grass than bracken which hopefully means that we are winning.

In the meantime Breezy has started a bit of a clear up, sweep out and scrub down before Ken gets here tomorrow. A few chores were still left for me when I had finished bracken bashing then we started hanging bedroom doors. Both done before lunch of a salad with everything in that was left in the fridge which was taken on the terrace in the sun.

An afternoon of pottering on with little jobs and a bit more sorting out. The thunder has started so a quick shower and a shave with droplets of water falling out of the sky.

Dinner tonight is the left over chicken from last night, taken with, you guessed it, another salad. We did find some fresh pasta in the fridge with a use by date of the 3rd July. If it is still OK then that will go in the salad too.

If there are no more posts you will know why.

Tomorrow, up early to pick up Ken from Caracassonne. Maybe back to St Girons in time to catch the end of the market???

Breezy started off by grabbing the strimmer before breakfast and heading out into the field while I made a coffee and switched on the internet to catch up on some work.

After the usual fruit breakfast we set about the front wall of the first bedroom. After lots of measuring, marking, sawing and screwing we had the semblance of a frame ready to offer up. We had just got it vaguely into place when there was a knock at the door. I can’t say that we have ever heard a knock at the door before. Usually it is wide open (if we are at home) but at the moment we are keeping it shut in an effort to keep the fly population on the outside of the building. So before if the door has been shut, we were probably not there and thus would not have heard the knock.

This time it was Anouk who had been walking “Dim” (Adam’s dog) and called by for a cuppa tea. Having been overcast most of the morning it was warm enough to sit on the terrace and chat.

With the bit between our teeth; after leek & chickpea soup for lunch, we nailed, screwed and glued as many offcuts of wood and plasterboard to the new frame as possible to fill the gaps. By the end of the day it almost looks complete (from one side only) except the doors, which is over 50% of the surface area.

Plan was to BBQ some chicken but the clouds had come down by the evening and the midges were horrendous so the oven was a more comfortable option. Chicken thighs marinated in fresh oregano, garlic and lime with salad stuff from the garden and a yoghurt (sheeps) based dressing.

Relaxed infront of an episode of Silent Witness before going to bed to the sounds of rushing stream water and a fly desperately trying to escape the adhesive qualities of fly paper.