posted on 11 September 2006 13:02
by
Christine Phillips
busy week
10/09/06 Busy week
It is so good to be able to update this again from our own computer! We have had a very busy time since I last wrote anything it is difficult to know where to start. We have continued with our integration attempts by inviting various neighbours for aperitifs and this has worked really well. We particularly enjoyed the company of Paul and Suzette before they decamped to their apartment in Issoire for the winter months. They were really kind and gave us lots of excellent advice about local services. Geoff has had his first French haircut, has joined a Pilates class in Issoire and I have enrolled for a water colour class which starts in October – all contacts given by Suzette. We have also been given several jars of jam, 8lbs of redcurrants and a basket of Mirabelle plums. These things just arrive on our table sometimes when we are out – people are really kind and welcoming.
The abundance of redcurrants, not to mention the plums and peaches from our own trees have meant that jam making has been taking up a lot of my time! I was a bit peeved to have to buy some jam jars though! We threw a lot of my carefully hoarded ones out when we moved – mistake! I still have to make some blackberry jam – there are so many fantastic bramble bushes here. I only hope that we get enough people to eat all this jam!
Hazel and her friend Hannah have been to visit for a week. They were our first visitors to stay in the gite and have given us a few tips regarding things they liked and some they didn’t! Overall though it got a pretty resounding “thumbs up” from them both. Hannah told us, when she arrived, that she found it difficult to sleep but she needed to be aroused every day at10-10 30!! The air here really knocks you out!
We went out and about whilst the girls were here and did some touristy stuff which was good fun and also allowed us to see some more of the area for ourselves. We went up the Puy de Sancy and the Puy de Dome ( both excellent trips) and visited several little places near here. We also had a good mooch around the shops in Clermont Ferrand which was great. Hazel made me speak lots of French too so that has done me a lot of good. My confidence is really improving when I speak, as you will see later in this post!
Our friends from Paris, Marc and Michelle, have also been to stay for a couple of days. Marc is a computer whiz and it is because of his hard work that we are now on line. They too thought the house and gite were lovely and enjoyed exploring the area with us.
Geoff has made an appointment to see the maire next week and has asked for some dustbins and for the name of someone who will sell us some wood for the fires – progress!
Business wise, now that we are on line I can make some headway with marketing the gite. I have been telling all and sundry that we are now open for visitors ( including an elderly lady who started to chat to me whilst I was waiting for the girls to return from the summit of Sancy. She took one of my English leaflets for the phone number and address! All of this was done in French – how`s that for improvement?) but we really need to get the website going now. Louise has sent me the proofs for the business cards and stationary and a copy of the holding page for the website all of which look terrific. We should also have a domain name fully registered soon which is good news.
At the moment I am all alone. The girls left this morning as did Geoff on his first trip to the UK to see his clients. It is very strange after having all the comings and goings of the last week to be suddenly very quiet again. I do have the arrival of the electrician/ plumber to look forward to tomorrow though. He is putting in more sockets and lights in the kitchen. He is an English guy who has lived here for 12+ years and again I think will be a good source of local information and contacts.
Enough for now – a bientot as we now say!