Gite

We have not stopped!

As soon as Dan finished plastering the upstairs of the gite:

I cleaned the beams:

And then painted the upstairs rooms:

What a massive change already!

Whilst I was painting away, Dan began his woodwork. After a few days of carving, routering, cutting, planing, sanding and fixing, Dan had taken 3 planks of wood and 6 chevrons and made the framework for the stairs:

These stairs are particularly difficult because they have to raise 3meters and there is only 1.5 meters width within which to do this. To avoid the stairs being too steep, Dan had to change their direction twice and put in 2 sets of winders.

Just at the right time, Dan's parents and Granny came to visit (click here for visitors):

Whilst I showed Dan's Mum and Granny, the sites, Dan's Dad and Dan set to work on the upstairs floors immediately. To keep a rustic feel to the gite, we decided to buy wood that was brut, which means, just cut from the tree.

Before the floors could be laid, Dan had to plane, straighten, and alter the thickness of each of the chestnut planks. Finally after all that, the chestnut planks could be laid and finally fixed:

To cover the fixings, we then made small plugs of chestnut and hammered them in on top of the screws.

Dan and Bob did one room and then, once Bob left, Dan and I did another. Rather labour intensive but a good effect and a real wood floor. Only the hall, second loo and another bedroom to do! Once done, we will hire a sander and then put a tinted varnish over it all but unfortunately that will have to wait till April as….we're going skiing tomorrow for a little while!!!!

Outside

The Wall between the house and the gite:

We started building this but then it rained for 6 days virtually non stop …so this is where we got too

The Wall by the Gite:

This was finished, except we will point it at some stage:

The porch Walls

Were finished, ready to take the porch:

2 Days Lost

(skip this section if you do not like a good poo story!)

Disaster struck! Brown Tuesday and Browner Wednesday dawned. The loo in the house was blocked! Oh no…..not now, we have nearly finished the gite, we nearly no longer need to use the house loo!

We tried everything. I shoved a hose pipe down it and blew into it….not sure what that was supposed to achieve but I read it somewhere that it might help (I gagged a lot - Dan laughed!)

We shoved caustic soda down it and a proper plumber's rod – but nothing was budging the blockage. Dan was getting irritated, accusing me of flushing stuff down it that I shouldn't – being a septic tank! I was vehemently denying everything (as taught at Law school when in a spot of bother)….

Dan decided to remove the loo (which entailed much cutting of tiles and mess).

Finally the decision was taken, that there was nothing for it, we had to dig for the septic tank. From the evidence collated from cross examination of the chief witness (me), Dan had now convinced himself that the septic tank was full and it wasn't a block in the pipes at all.

Just as a massive storm approached (typical):

Guiltily, I watched Dan dig for the tank

The stench was horrific, Dan was heaving. The rain started to spatter. Dan sawed the pipe into the tank:

Nothing. Well that was a relief, septic tank can't be full otherwise Dan would be paddling in a brown paddling pool by now (if it didn't go over his wellies! Eewww!)

Not so good for me though, as cross examination resumed more fervently than ever. Trying to evade the questions, I suggested that we (the royal “we” – obviously I mean Dan) cut the pipe in the cellar to see if that works. As the rain, was by now, teaming down, Dan agreed to saw the part of the pipe closer to the loo, in the cellar. This part of the pipe just happens to be above the entrance of the cellar, so in order to saw it, Dan had to get under it on a ladder. Dan sawed. Nothing came out. Dan ordered me to go out in the rain!, to throw more water down the now hole in the floor (where the loo used to be), and then give the pipe a good rodding! Sorry!! So I did and then it was brown Tuesday.

Good thing Dan's got brown hair already! No photos…too horrible!

Satisfied that the pipe was clear, we finally put it all back together…but I couldn't help thinking that we didn't really find the blockage, just a selection of browness. By this time though, it was 10pm , I was drenched from the rain and Dan was drenched from something else. Not really wanting to pursue this concern further, I suggested sleep.

Next morning, the loo was blocked! Dan was inordinately upset by this! He went down to the cellar and took the pipe apart again. I would have helped but I had some very important emailing and phoning to do! I did flush the loo when Dan requested which is when Browner Wednesday hit (literally). Dan said he could see the blockage, put his rubber - gloved hand in to remove it, dislodged lots of nasties, as I flushed the chain and the house of cards came tumbling down…..oooooohhhh …that was bad! Especially as the blockage was in fact my fault! Dan cleared it all up and disinfected everything.

Country Recipes

(no connection with the previous story)

Finally, I've been doing a spot of cooking out here over the last year, all in practice for the Chambre d'hote and Table d'hote which we are very much hoping will be opening in June 2007. As you may know, the Dordogne is a gastronomic region, so for all you foodies out there, I thought you might be interested in some of the country recipes that I have been making. This month:

Apple Chutney

Apples, onions, sultanas, lemon juice, demerara sugar and malt vinegar mixed together and left to simmer.. We've not tasted it yet, as it is to be left for 2 – 4 weeks to allow the flavour to mature but it will go very well with the plethora of French cheeses available here.