The sun is still shining and the days are hot so Al set too first thing with some strimming of the bracken. One more hour and that will all be clear again for this year.

I did a few chores after giving the work surfaces another scrape down and another oiling and then set too with a couple of hours of Ski Breezy work which seems to be taking a back seat at the moment.

After that we decided to crack on with sorting the kitchen. I coated the kitchen units with another lick of paint whilst Al set about making some skirting boards for below them.

A quick lunch and Al did a quick trip to the village for a few bits and pieces phonecalls, rubbish, Clive, water etc etc and then once he returned an assembly job in the afternoon, all looking good except the sink which although was free is hideous and makes fitting some what problematic so I think we are going to go shopping for a nicer new sink to fit in with the fab kitchen which is emerging. We are happy with the colour and we had to put the work surface in place even if it is not fixed just to see how it looked!!!

Olivier turned up to say donkeys are arriving tomorrow so that is good news.

Very hot showers, Bezique and steak and salad for supps perfecto.

Another hot day ahead of us so we prepped an area for the rocks which will come out of the wall before it got too hot. Just a few fence posts and tin as a quick fix for an easy place to where the window is going to be.

It was then full steam ahead with internet for Ski Breezy for a few hours as now enquiries seem to be getting better post Olympics I think so need to concentrate on winter as well as the barn.

Then we made a start to the kitchen. Firstly we gave the work surfaces a scrape down and another coat of Danish oil, they are going to look great. Next was to screw on some of the old doors to act as panelling for the sides of the units we are going to use. Hopefully hiding most of the white which we do not like. We also managed to salvage a double sink, not the prettiest of ones but functional enough so we just needed to tailor the units to accept it.

A bit of levelling out of 3 units we have put together and a few shelves to make and we were ready to start sanding and painting.

A good lunch in the sun. I had made some chilled mint and courgette soup in an attempt to lower the stocks of courgettes in the fridge! which was yummy.

It was then on to sanding and painting. More bright colours!

I just had time to do another coat of Danish oil on the work surfaces whilst Al fettled the water butts so that both are connected together and doubling our rainwater usage with easy access. Since we have had so little rain we will need both water butts I think.

We have chicken marinading with oregano and lemon ready for the BBQ later on. Rose awaits!

As we have fresh bacon in the fridge (courtesy of Laney) we just had to have a fry up.

Although the sky was overcast it was still hot and humid.

Not made time to work on the web while we had visitors so made up a couple of hours in the morning and gonna have to do the same for a few days. Winter is fast approaching and enquiries are coming in for the chalet in Chamonix following the Olympics. At the same time we need to step up the marketing as people are definitely starting to think of their next break.

Before lunch we cleared the area inside the barn where we shall create another window opening. Moving stuff to create space for stuff that had to move to get more stuff in a smaller space sort of scenario. Once organised Breezy started treating the new beech work tops for the kitchen with Danish oil before lunch while I protected the decking with tarps and sheets of wood. Having turned the corner from barn to abode we are now turning it back into a building site.

Simple sandwich for lunch and then chair making again.

Planned to stop about 3pm for another bash at the web but I just wanted to finish the chair. Done at 5.30pm, we watered plants showered and prepared food. No peace for the wicked. Banana cake, salsa verde, bulgar salad, veg to BBQ and baby squid to marinate.

BBQ lit and veg cooked for tomorrow the the squid get toasted.

It was an early start as we wanted to go to the market before Laney jumped on the bus to head home.

Up at 630am and it was a really hot wind blowing. Al and I got things sorted, washing up done, Vinnie loaded, internet, washed up from last night etc etc and then we all had brekky outside at 745am ish and it was hot already with no sun on us.

Off we trundled and Laney and I jumped out in St G for a visit of the market while Al went and got a load of sand for the window this week.

Salamis, sanglier sauccisson and tresses of garlic purchased and packed into Laney’s bag for her trip back. We had time for a coffee before getting Laney on the bus and on her trip back to London town. FAB FAB FAB to see you out here Laney looking forward to the Hoggster being in tow next time too.

Al and I did a quick food shop before up the road and unloaded the van. It was boiling hot well over 100 and neither of us were very hungry. I had a power kip for an hour after a bad night’s sleep and Al pottered on with his chair making. Prawns and garlic dip upstairs as too hot outside even under the parasol!!!!

Al cracked on with the rest of his chair after our late lunch and I started on the garden which was wilting like crazy. Planted new lettuces in which should see us through till we leave, weeded the raised bed, picked the ever growing mound of courgettes and lots of watering everything.

A little bit of a tidy up upstairs bedding away and moved the book shelves to where we want them so we can start getting rid of a few boxes before calling it a day.

Showers needed cold water adding to them. Now we are just catching up on Ski Breezy stuff, marinading sword fish for the BBQ for supper with a very simple green salad and that will be us in bed after that. Another hot week forecast ahead of us summer has come late but it really is summer like.

A day at the barn pottering about and it was HOT!!!

Another healthy breakfast before starting odd jobs about the place. Breezy and Laney set about repainting the decking while I found some suitable wood to make a frame for the relief map of the Pyrenees which Matt Rose gave us. The heat was relentless and I even moved the work bench indoors out of the sun.

Once the deck was done the ladies took a tour of the grounds before lunch while I beavered away making big bits of wood smaller. A bit like working in the chalet in the winter; take a vegetable and make it into several smaller bits.

After a salad lunch under the parasol to use up all the leftovers the ladies went up to Cirque D’Anglade and I finished the frame and started making a chair. When you are on a role …

Early evening drinks and nibbles on the deck in the trees and then I cooked a spicy sausage & potato salad for sups.

A gorgeous day with quite a wind blowing when we woke up. Brekky in the outbuilding, then Laney and I got our kit together for a trip up to Port de Salau on the Spanish border. Al had decided to have a knee rest day from walking so he can join us for the rest of the week.

So we trundled up, Al stopped after 10 minutes where we left him for a forage with sadly no luck and we continued up. it is a lovely walk, not too steep and a gradual 1000m ascent up to the border. We saw nobody always a bonus, plenty of cows and sheep, hundreds of gorgeous butterflies and a few folk at the col. Managed our picnic lunch at the top looking into Spain and a bit of a relax before descending back down with it gradually getting hotter the lower we got down. Fab day out Laney’s knee and foot held out well and she is now just sitting in the river as an alternative ice treatment!!!! before having a hot outdoor shower.

Al had pottered on and got lots of little jobs done at the barn, security bars on the shutter, strimming the bracken, wood chopped, parts of the floor cleaned etc etc and probably loved some peace and quiet……

We are now marinading some trout for the BBQ to make an Asian trout salad for supper should be good.

Laney is due in on the 2.30pm bus at St Girons. It is also shopping day so a delayed trip down the valley gives Breezy and I a chance to catch up on internet stuff and emails.

We set off just before noon with a packed lunch and a cunning plan. Food shop first at Carrefour, then building materials, then laundry in and Breezy walks across town to look at cookers while I drive to Mr Bricolage to get some more materials. Back to the laundrette just in time to pick up Breezy and Laney to head back up the valley. Small detour to drop off some supplies to Alison and Peter in Salau before exposing Laney to the new found comforts of the barn.

Drinks and nibbles on the terrace before Paella and salad super.

Woke up to rain in the morning so we cracked on with a bit of internet first before the huge clean up started. Lifting the plastic off the floor, moving furniture around, wood and anything we don’t want in the near future downstairs and then sweep and sweep and sweep and mop and mop and mop!!!!

Al hard wired in the invertor so we have lights working upstairs in the main barn and they look GREAT!

So this actually resmebles somewhere we could live!

Al went off to help Clive with the start of building a website for him. I did a final tidy up for Laney’s arrival and prepped some food for dinner. I was just about to start to read some books when Henri The Mayor turned up so gave him a progress tour and he seems to like what we have done. He left just as Al was coming back so time for celebrations.

First drinks and dinner up in the main barn. Some blanquette and nibbles before chicken and a  few hands of Bezique with lights!

We had a lot of just sitting and looking at what we have done and we are really pleased with the outcome and very relieved the plasterboarding and the ceiling is now over!!!

Happy Days.