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Initiation To The Vendee
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The first real trip in 2002 was not by me but some crazy neighbours Steve and Ann with their daughter who decided to take a holiday in the depth of winter. I said it might be cold over there but they wanted to go in the school half-term so off they went. On the day they were due I got a 'phone call at lunchtime from Steve who explained that they had found a burst pipe in the house and what could I do? I spoke to Rene one of our 'voisins' over there and he arranged for a local plumber to go the next day.
The other neighbour Joseph telephoned an english chap James who he used to live near and explained it to him, and he came over with his wife Stella and offered his assistance.
They coped overnight with the aid of a few degustations from the neighbours and the pipe was repaired the next day. The rest of their week went ok.
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My next time was for ten days a month later in March and I went with Keith who helped me last year and this time Keith's wife Ann came too for moral support. The idea was that they could have a holiday and help me when they had some spare time and find a few local restaurants to while away the evenings. We had a good time but I think there was more work than holiday!!
I ran a new power supply to the barn and another one to the caravan. We cleaned out the grenier, painted the walls and waxed the beams until we ran out of materials. We fitted curtians and rails to the bedrooms, painted the bedroom furniture, repainted the bathroom and fitted the shower screen. We even had time to go and buy a television from the little shop in La Chataigneraie.
The restaurants we found were excellent especially Le Stelvio next to Bricomani on the Fontenay road.
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The next visit was by my cousin Judy and her husband Richard in May. The idea again was for them to have a holiday but I had a cunning plan --------------- Judy asked if there was anything they could do while they were there? --------------- ah ha -- perhaps a little cutting back on the allotment I said -- it was like a forest so I christened it 'Toad Bois'. I don't know how far they got because at the time of writing they are making their weary way back to England -- looking for a holiday no doubt!!
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When I eventually met up with Judy and Richard they had had a fine old time cutting the grass outside the house and tidying the garden but the allotment was more overgrown than it was in March and as they couldn't decide which was mine and which was the neighbours they left it.
On the way to the allotment there is another project for another time:
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I don't know who owns the house but the lean-to on the right is mine and inside there is a great big apple or grape press that just needs putting back together. I remember my sister telling me about it but she didn't say that the roof was falling in!! I expect someone in the village owns the house and although it doesn't look very good it is quite sound. I think it could be purchased for very little money as it hasn't been lived in for many years.
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I went over for a week or so in July with Jan's brother Mike to sort out the garden and tidy the house as I was having six sets of friends or neighbours having holidays over the next couple of months and all I wanted them to do in return was to keep the place tidy and cut the grass.
At the end of the week Jan 'phoned and told me that the people buying our house in England wanted to move in two weeks and that we needed to pack PDQ.
Mike and me went back and for the next two weeks it was bedlam packing 15 years of collected things that might come in handy one day!! We had garage sales and boot sales and when the removal company couldn't move us at short notice I ended up hiring a Luton van and doing it myself ( with the aid of Mike and Keith).
We were only moving 8 miles down the road but it could have been any distance, the upheaval is the same.
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I am now writing this in February 2003, we have had six months in the new house and we have had a lot to do (good job I like it!). Evidently the web site got neglected so I am trying to get up-to-date now. I also had to go to France to winterise the house in October for a few days. I took another friend for the ride, we got everything done and even had time to put up a fence in front of the pig sties.
The next trip is scheduled for next month (March) so I will try to keep up after that.