I returned alone in late April to entertain “Les Girls”, as Peter would have it. Window and door replacement had been going on since the beginning of the month, to improve insulation. My concerns about replacing the entrance door proved to be well founded. It should have awaited my arrival, but got “ripped out” when Nick’s back was turned, and as a new door meant a new lock, neither I, nor Dominique, our femme de menage, could now get in to the house! So poor Nick, lead contractor for the project, spent a weekend chasing Dominique down, and then an afternoon sitting on the doorstep awaiting my arrival.

This first guest visit from my school friends set a pattern which was to last all year. Lovely weather in the run up to the visit, cold and wet during, and then blazing sunshine when they were gone.  We visited Sarlat and Perigueux, the local bastides and the Maison Forte, but passed on the pool, although Peter and I enjoyed it towards the end of the month.

The end of the month also brought a welcome delivery of dalles for the terrace, still a sea of mud, and when we returned in May the concrete was down.

The On Course team visited in May, John, unfortunately minus his luggage, so the gentleman’s outfitter in town had some unexpected trade! We dined on the terrace the first evening, then cold again until the last day when the sun came out for lunch in the garden of the Vieux Logis.

True to form the weather warmed up as soon as they were gone. We had imported a load of calcaire and barrowed it in baking sunshine to cover wisteria terrace and the bed under the hornbeam hereafter known as “The Beach”.

By high summer the terrace was tiled, although minus a balustrade. Happily only Max was tempted to leap over the edge, to greet us on our return from market, and came to no harm

 

 

We visited Arcachon in July for Peter’s birthday

and Monbazillac in August for Fiona’s.

Our final summer task was the replacement of the plastic volet on the kitchen window in preparation for the painter’s visit in September.