We're Back! - 28 - 30 July

 

Rather unexpectedly, we’re back in France.

When I say unexpectedly, we had planned to come out a week or two ago, but the Foreign & Commonwealth Office changed their advice to ‘Essential Travel Only’, which means we’d have no travel insurance. They did this 2 days before we’d hoped to travel ☹.

Then last Wednesday I had an email from an insurance company offering an ‘FCO extension’ to the cover they offered. Long story short, this meant we a policy from them would be valid except for the specific reason for the FCO advice – in this case Covid-19. So, we’d have general medical cover which was enough for us to take the C-19 gamble. And the extension only cost £3.15 (I would probably have paid even if they had doubled the £70 standard premium.)

So Wednesday afternoon we purchased the cover and noon on Thursday saw us travelling to Natasha’s for an overnight stay before a midnight departure that saw us arrive in Uzerche 12-hours later.

After a snooze, I tried to do some office work that afternoon, but struggled and I was too shattered really.

We had a downpour on Thursday afternoon and evening – which appears to have shown that the last visit’s felting of the garage roof has succeeded in waterproofing it. Mind you, we did discover that the new shower cabinet has a leak – but we tracked that down and hopefully a little sealant around the shower tray will do the job.

Friday saw me working from home during the day and Sally doing some general cleaning and tidying. In the evening, as well as our usual French lesson via Skype and a visit to the local social gathering – the last of the season.

Saturday was a steady day, doing some tidying, applying British weedkiller (has to be better than the next to useless French stuff we tried last visit) and a bit of planning for the next day – including a call with Tim to get some advice on the rewiring. It was a slow and steady day for me. Sally, on the other hand, got stuck into prepping a cupboard for a major overhaul. Removing shelves, rubbing down (in an improvised 'tent'!) and filling.





On Sunday we really both worked really hard. Sally finished the prep on the cupboard, including taking some wood off the doors to make them fit better, and started painting it. I made myself a list of tasks for the day. I wanted to work on the front door lock that had caused a key to break at the start of the year. I chiselled a little extra wood from around it and applied some filler. I’ll get back to that in a day or two when the filler has set. I applied some sealant to the leaky shower tray. It's better, but still leaking a little.

The big job of the day was the electrics. Sally and I measured out and marked the 2nd floor floorboards that needed lifting to put in the wiring for the 1st floor lights. We even took a look in the small attic space; it is tiny but should be accessible – just. I then got to work lifting floorboards and drilling channel through the roof joists. Handwork that went well until the last hurdle when I got a drill bit stuck in a joist. I tried and tried to get it out and, a day later it is still there – I will try again but I need to psyche myself up first; it a bu**er of a task.

Monday, today, is a bank holiday. I had decided not to work on the electrics today. Partly because I’m awaiting an order of saw blades to allow me to chop out more floorboards, partly because I need cable and conduit to lay, but mainly because I can’t face wrestling with that damned, jammed, drill bit.

The plan for today was a trip to Leroy Merlin for cable, conduit, shelves for the cupboard Sally is working on, a standing lamp with triple spots for the kitchen, and other various other supplies. In the afternoon I was going to start rubbing down the garage door – which is a bit of a tatty disgrace at the minute.

Well the first half of the day went to plan – sort of – but we didn’t get home until about 2:30. After lunch, a snooze and a trip to the post office, the rest of the day was pretty well written off – other than for writing this blog and relaxing.

The shopping trip was fruitful though. We actually went to Carrefour, Brico Depot, Electro Depot, Go Sport and Leroy Merlin. We spent over €500 euros but, as well as the electrical goods, shelves and general items, we did end up getting:

  •        A hair trimmer
  •             3 vinyl albums
  •            2 lightweight waterproof jackets
  •            An Actifry fryer
  •            A rechargeable torch
  •            A set of spotlights for the kitchen (ceiling lights rather than the planned standing light)
  • ·          A fondue set

Add a cuddly toy and it would have been as though we were on the Generation Game.

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