It has been a lovely week, especially weather wise, hot, dry & Sunny, and also very satisfying as we have been working in the garden which is a full time job! It has also been quite a thought provoking week with lots of Summer events going on in the UK ie Ascot, which I would normally attend courtesy of a client and usually end up eating & drinking far too much! So what a difference a couple of years makes, I have spent the week in a pair of shorts ( heaven forbids I hear you say), been in and out of the pool, worked in the garden, got filthy dirty and its great!

My sister Gillian and her Fiancee Neil arrive tomorrow ( Saturday) so we are looking forward to a week off being hosts and tourists! Oh - yes the Lavender is just coming out more pics to follow.

We have just returned from a weekend in Blighty.The first this year. We arrived in cool temperatures last Thursday and stayed with Martin - (known to many of you!) we went for a great meal at the Gurkha Kitchen in Reigate - serving lovely Curries something we do miss in France;

Friday it was up to London where we stayed in Canary Wharf, we lunched at Gordon Ramsey's pub ' the Narrow' then walked our socks off!! Met Richard for his 22nd birthday - Yes 22! went to one of his haunts 'Jewell' in Leicester Square then dinner at No 1 Leicester Square where these picture were taken - its on the 7th floor.






Wow how London is buzzing - its an extraordinary contrast to where we now live!
Saturday after exploring Canary Wharf we headed down to Surrey for a little retail therapy! of course a beer and then out to a 50th Birthday party.

Sunday after further retail experiences we took in the a good British Pint by the River then a BBQ with Friends Sunday evening rounding off a very pleasant weekend.

We returned home to Provence to be greeted by rain - hence this picture of the rainbow that was shining ! seems it was a good weekend to be away!





Like many places our weather is far from normal but thankfully the last two days have been fabulous, hot, sunny and abt 33 degrees - that is one of the many reasons we moved here!

Boule Court Les Cyprès

Les Cyprès Terrace

Les Cyprès Pool


Les Cypres Garden

Well what a week it has been since I last blogged. Last week saw some very turbulant weather in Provence, one minute we were bathed in sunshine and temperatures in the mid 80's , the next rain like you have rarely seen, torrential!

Thankfully the sunshine returned for my birthday, Friday 8th. We went out for a superb meal sitting outside under the plane trees enjoying a pleasant balmy evening.

On Saturday we dealt with the formalities of closing the sale on our village house, which involves the purchasers, us and the one Notaire reading out the contract, we all sign and away we go - very simple and uncomplecated. Of course we had to go have a drink to celebrate so we visited the market in Apt which was heaving with tourists!




In the evening we went out with 4 friends for dinner and once again dined 'al fresco'.This rather stressful weekend continued on Sunday when we went with 3 other couples for a picnic in the park with live jazz.I grant you the music was not quite the Isle of Wight festival stuff but it was a very pleasnt way to pass an afternoon and complete a lovely weekend.


And today I have finally been able to photograph the villa almost finished, the rendering is complete, the shutters are done, just one or two more little jobs (I think we have decided to paint the windows in the Autumn)to finish off leaving us to concentrate on the new houses which fingers crossed will start in about 10 days.

One thing you have to get used to in Provence is that there are seasons for everything. Produce in the market and shops and certain times of the year when you do things!
In May strawberries are in abundance, in June the Cherries follow, these are the second 'batch' used for Jam & Yogurts etc.



These are the darker red ones for eating, these are from the tree in our garden- they are delicious!


June is also the 'Vide Grenier' season. Vide is to empty - Grenier is the loft or Attic - like a UK car boot but rather more sociable usualy set around the village square and close to a bar. The similarity is that the junk they sell is the same if not worse than in the UK!

Friday the 1st June - 19 months after seeing the land our dreams are starting to come true! The first real day of work - the Olive trees we learnt are potentially over 100 years old. Dominique arrived at 8.30am and proceeded to reduce them to 'stumps' before up rooting them, and then transporting them to a temporary 'ditch' where they will stay until we can position them next year after construction.


The most important part of a French mans tool kit is shown here - they arrived with 2 large vans on the back of which were the diggers,chipper, chainsaws,etc but it is none of these that are important! The Cool/lunch box is the most important tool of the day!

And this is all that's left of 21 Olive Trees - worth abt 11 Thousand Euros! Some how I don't think we will be picking many Olives from these this year!

Although this is not quite the before and after it is progress since we moved in last year. This is before in case you wondered!


and today




A number of trees have been cut on the plot this week in readiness for the Olive trees being relocated on Friday. The big diggers arrive the week after to commence clearing the land and prepare for digging foundations.

This is roughly the view from where our lounge will be.

We have been away hence no blogs for the past week!

And next week is the end of May - so much to do before then!

Last Friday we headed to the Cote D'Azur with friends Geoff & Wendy. We stayed in Bormes Les Mimosas, a delightful perched village with views of the Mediterranean.


We also visited St Tropez where we had cocktails at La Quai, one of the trendiest bars on the strip.
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On Saturday we spent the afternoon on the beach at Six four plage, a really unspolit part of the Cote D'Azur before dining at our 'very French Hotel'- pictured.






On Sunday we stopped for lunch at a lovely seafood restaurant in Bandol, quite a lively resort where there was a huge exhibition of English sports cars. Of course most of the exhibitors were more interested in there picnics and wine than the cars but thats the French for you!(note the man in the picture)





The eating and drinking continued Monday with wine tasting followed by a bbq and the opportunity to consume our tested wines!





In an effort to walk off some of the excesses we walked 'up the to chateau' in our village on Tuesday morning, and after a stroll around the market had to retreat from the heat to the bar, followed by lunch by the pool and of course a cooling swim - although not so cool - the water is now at 28 degrees!







Well after Geoff & Wendy departed its back to work for us before our next visitor in a fortnight.We are trying to complete the painting of the shutters as Simon endeavors to complete the rendering, despite temperatures now in the early 30's.

The Olive trees are due to be removed and replanted on Friday so work will soon commence on the land. Watch this space!

I would not normally post a picture of Karen in bed but could not resist this! I am not sure who is more contented!Her or Matisse?



Last Tuesday was a holiday here,the second in the month,this time for Armistice, the problem in France is that they have what is known as a bridge day, ie Monday , bridging the weekend in to the holiday,so the first holiday, May Day , becomes a two day holiday, then this one and then next week Thursday is Ascension so no one works Friday - try getting anything done in May - its not easy!

We need water on our land, for building of course, but before this we need to transport about 12 Olive trees which need water. SDEI ( the state owned water company) have not yet appointed this years contractors to do the work so we have to wait or find an alternative way of getting water.



We have been working outside all week, in the garden, planting and finally refurbishing the boule court. We have been removing all the brown shutters, rubbing down,undercoating and then two top coats. Our driveway is a cross between Steptoe's yard and an Indian Shanti town, pity our neighbours!

Of course Karen is on prep and I am on top coats!




But it is coming together and we hope all will be completed by the end of May.

The heat has been causing quite a headache for Simon, our Macon,as he endeavors to complete the rendering. We shall be on shutter duty from Wednesday, hopefully completing the re painting within 10 days.

Well we have a new President - it will be interesting to see how the French accept change under Sarkozy.



Thankfully our weather depression has departed ( north I think) and we are back under blue skies and warm sunshine , so exterior work can recommence in earnest.

It's still raining, our water tank is over flowing and the pool is close to the top - hopefully the sun is coming back Sunday. Not a lot of work going on outside! Brigadoon!

After 4 glorious weeks our weather has well and truly broken, since Monday we have had thunder storms and heavy, much needed rain.The temperatures have plunged so rain has stopped the rendering and outside activities! make the best of your sunshine blighty!
What a difference a few days makes

this was last week


And today!


there, now I have come out and admitted - it does rain in Provence - thank fully not often though!

We received our first visitor of the 'season'over the weekend, Martin. Well he is quite a regular actually, fresh from his Trek up Kilimanjaro we thought it only right he keep active so we put him to work on the garden where he did a sterling job weeding and planting amongst other things.






His reward (over and above being fed and watered - well wined actually) was a trip to Cassis on Friday where we lunched and then drove the route de Crete where this picture was taken.



On Saturday I spent the day with Eric, our Portugese gardener, felling trees on one of the plots. I have not done so much physical work in ages! In the evening we went to a restaurant in L'Isle Sur La Sorgue, known as the Venice of Provence. The river runs through the centre of the town and is lined with restaurants. After this we went to see Raoule Petite, A local french Rock band who are a cross between the Stones and Madness- real entertainment, the concert was out doors - 'in the park' and started at 10.30 finishing just after midnight.

We currently have an interesting dilemma - word has spread of our House hunting activities- and we are being increasingly contacted by people, both French and English asking us to sell their properties! We could quite easily list half a dozen or more but it it not quite what we had planned. The agents service is poor and there could be a tremendous opportunity to expand what we are already doing - it's something to put into the melting pot with everything else! One of the problems is unlike in the UK where I would spend abt an hour listing a house here it is a far longer job! Last night we had a rendevous at 6pm and found our selves returning home at 9pm after consuming a little more wine than we should have! It is more of a social role than job! not a bad way to earn a living though!

I took this picture on 2nd November 2005 - Yes 2005 when we viewed the land - tonight we finally completed the purchase - we have overcome the access problems and overcame the drainage problems, we got our planning so now we have almost 1.7 Acres ready to build two houses and we start work tomorrow with the land survey to check soil conditions for foundations - and so begins a whole new chapter!

Seeing as today the country has been voting for a new President I should not let the day pass without comment!It is surprising how every French person we come across talks openly about politics and there concerns for the future whilst recognising the need to change and move forward.The 84% turn out demonstrates the passion the French have for their country.For our part in our french class this week we had to play the part of various party leaders, reading there econimic statements and voting for President - Sarkozy won!

On Friday we were invited to lunch with a couple who have lived here over 12 years. It was an idylic afternoon, they have a very pretty, restored farmhouse in 17 Acres, we sat in the garden and enjoyed a lovely lunch and three bottles of wine! We left at 5.30 - that's what I call lunch! Of course we felt very guilty not working on the house but hey ho!



On Saturday we were invited to 'after lunch tea' joining friends for coffee and gateau. Another couple,from the Alsace were there, amusingly they are call 'Alsaciennes' or as we call them, alsations. We conversed in French and it was nice to feel that we had advanced in our language skills to get by!

In the evening we had 2 couples around for dinner and as ever Karen created a lovely meal. I confess I had a slightly Saint Emilion head this the morning! But it did not stop us working almost all day in the garden at the end of which, I had the years first swim in the pool - the water was lovely - 22degrees already.

Its been a crazy week! We are trying to get the exterior rendering done however several factors are handicapping our progress! the fist is the sun & heat! It has been over 30 degrees since Sunday - not good drying conditions! This is me pressure washing the old facade before it receives its new coat!


The second delaying factor is house buyers - a high class problem but I had new client arrive yesterday and received an e mail today saying some others are arriving Thursday for just two days, needless to say they want to meet and view, so its a case of juggling time and prioritising!

Karen has been grappling with the forever and fast growing weeds in the garden, so for some relaxation she took to filling the garage doors in readiness for painting - when am i going to get that done!!

The last few days have been like riding a roller coaster! We had been so looking forward after 18 months, to signing for the land Saturday afternoon. Then on Thursday we had a call to say there was a problem with the drainage agreement. So we saw the Notaire Friday, who clarified matters and we were all set for Saturday again. I had the cheques from the bank and we were ready to start work on site Monday. In anticipation we were going out with friends for supper Friday night to celebrate and taking our architect and his wife out Saturday night as a thank you.

Well, before we had even arrived home we had a call to say the sellers Notaire was not ready and wanted to delay the signing until Tuesday week at 18.00. It was not negotiable so as you can imagine we felt pretty fed up!

On top of this our village Boulangerie, which has a fantastic reputation let alone the best bread and cakes in the area has changed hands due to the proprietors eating all the croissants and getting ill!




most disappointing - to cap it all it has been raining over the last couple of days - we would appreciate having our weather back blighty! still we need it I guess;

Today though has been a lovely day so we decided to comfort ourselves by going to the wine, cheese and bread festival in Menerbes, a very pretty village near us, surrounded by vineyards.

This is the view from the village across the valley with Mont Ventoux in the distance.


For 5€ you receive 2 wine glasses to keep and then go from stall to stall tasting wine and cheese, the rice thing abote it is that u can drinc as much as you vant!!



And to finish the day, the pool is almost clean, not bad 19 degrees already and the decking is finished. Tomorrow the re rendering starts - Joy!

Spring is here!





The Poolside deck is almost finished - watch this space!