Wednesday 20 May 2009

One week In France

and I am still shifting boxes.

Admittedly I am shifting fewer boxes each day, and I am doing more stuff in between, but I AM still shifting boxes. It has to end soon, surely...

We now have rationalised the piles of stuff that was taking up all of the space in the granary into one neat and safely stacked pile of boxes and extra furniture. I commented the day after we arrived that the space I cleared for our stuff was nowhere near big enough, but we have had a reversal in that situation: now we have boxes in only one corner of the barn.

I am not really confused, it
must be a trick of the light
It is difficult to believe we have been here one week, the time has really flown. Although we have not yet made huge progress towards restoring the house we have made it more livable; our front room (and combined bedroom/dining room) has our bed from London, a 1930s oak extending table and a pair of antique Australian wardrobes in it and is comfortable if slightly cozy. We also have a pair of Ikea bookcases in there (that is pronounced Eekeeya, according to our local Sweedish expert, so we're all wrong!) and some of our favorite books to make it feel like home.

I have also erected our gazebo tent thing (as last shown here) as a dining room in the space I have cleared in the Granary. We used it for the first time yesterday evening, and if you disregard the scenery of workbench, tool storage, a pile of boxes and stuff waiting to go to the dechetterie, it's quite elegant.

Elegant dining, Preuilly style
This evening I am off to London again. I have hired a long wheelbase Ford Transit from SuperU and am driving to somewhere (probably an aire) the other side of Rouen for an night's sleep in the van. Tomorrow I drive to Boulogne for the 10.45 LD Lines ferry to Dover. While in London I am picking up the stuff that didn't make it last time, then on Sunday at Stupid o'clock I catch the ferry back from Dover.

When that trip is over I will be able to claim I am now living in France.

Simon

7 comments:

Vanessa said...

I didn't realize that "stupid o'clock" was a universal way of telling time!

The Beaver said...

Simon

That's a great dining area. Nice furniture under a mousseline pergola cum gazebo with crystals on the table :-)

Simon said...

Vanessa: I find that more and more things happen at stupid o'clock. The more relaxed I get, the greater period of time is included...

Beaver
Thanks. It's quite nice, really.

ladybird said...

I think your 'dining room' looks just fabulous ... like something out of a fairy tail. When's your next candelight dinner? Martine

Barbara said...

Hi Simon & Susan,

Yes, that photo of you says it all.
And there you go off to get more belongings.

Just take it easy; it will all come together in time.Safe driving to you.

P.S. Very elegant, the gazebo in Preuilly sur Claise style ;)

NickL said...

2 days truckin, now that's a man's holiday you lucky so and so!

The question n my mind is, do you draw the curtains while you eat or leave them open?

Susan said...

Martine: Next time you are in the Loire, make sure to get in touch so we can invite you to the dining experience here :-)

Barb: Thanks. I hope Simon will take it easy too, and that it all goes well.

Nick: Closed, and Simon has been known to laugh and point at the excluded insect life perched ever hopefully on the outside of the gauze. It's quite handy really, like a giant cake cover.

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