Saturday 30 March 2013

Nous sommes arrivés...

A picture paints a thousand words…






It was a nightmare time at the Shuttle terminal on Thursday evening, hard on the heels of another nightmare at the Dartford crossing. So by 1am we were ready for our bed, even if the best we could manage was  the Premiere Classe at Boulogne.
When we arrived at Le Pre Vert the first thing we did was to light the woodburner and fire up the oil-fired central heating boiler. Shortly after we put on the electric blanket! There hasn’t been any heating in the house since October, so as you can imagine it took an age to get anything approaching even luke-warm. In fact we spent the evening with the sofa moved so close to the woodburner that we could rest our feet on the hearth.
Today has been spent preparing for the arrival of our friends Robert and Erna from Holland. A text a few minutes ago said that they were stuck in a jam somewhere near Paris.
I’d come up with a cunning plan for the preparations. I would go to Loches to stock up on food, make a lasagne and a cake and Tim would do the cleaning. I feel refreshed and Tim is exhausted. Of course I would have swapped roles except Tim can’t make a lasagne…  :o)
The good news is that the repairs Tim did to the terrace at the end of last summer seem to have worked - cross your fingers! No sign of any damp patches in the under-terrace apartment, and, after the wet winter in the Touraine it has got to be a good sign...

HAPPY EASTER

20 comments:

  1. Yay! Welcome back! I approve of the cunning plan. Shame the weather is so uninspiring! Happy Easter.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks!
      The weather looks to improve tomorrow.:o)

      Delete
  2. Despite the rain, despite the cold... doesn't it feel wonderful to be back. My brief week back in Caunes last month did me so much good, and I know that even if it rains for the rest of your stay, you will just love being there. Anyway, it wont rain all the time, the sun will come out and you will have a wonderful time with your friends.I'm envious of you being there, but know its not not long before I will be back in the Languedoc for weeks at a time. Enjoy ! Janice xxxxx

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Janice.
      It is great to be back. The weather looks to improve tomorrow but I don't think it will be sunbathing weather!

      Hope you are feeling well and that it won't be long before you can return to Caunes, fit and healthy. x

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  3. Hello! Welcome back :-) Wish the weather was better for your arrival.
    It was snowing in Utrecht yesterday ....
    Good plan! ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. There was also some snow in Boulogne.

      I have developed a lot of 'cunning plans' in my time. How else can you stay one step ahead of a bunch of teenagers?

      Will email you.

      Delete
  4. Welcome to our yucky spring! Hopefully you will influence the weather and bring out the sunshine! :)

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    1. Hi Walt,
      We certainly hope so. We've been reading your and Ken's blogs and have a good idea about your winter and early spring.
      It can only get better.... can't it? :o)

      Delete
  5. RestlessinFrance30 March 2013 at 17:09

    It may be raining and cold but the sun is shining in your heart

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    Replies
    1. It is, and long may it continue!
      Perhaps we'll see you tomorrow?

      Delete
  6. Welcome home... we've just arrived back from shopping over Wizzers and Rich Posers way.... we are now sitting down with steaming mugs [large] of cocoa!!
    Wishing you a Happy Easter and a happy, and warmer, stay.
    T&P

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Tim and Pauline.
      We'll catch up with you soon, I hope.

      Delete
  7. It's just the same here in Braye but tomorrow is giving full sun so we are hoping to take our guests over to Loches. To the water fete!!!!!! Well! you have to keep these young ones entertained. Happy Easter. C

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    Replies
    1. Hi,
      We are going to head off to the brocante at Angles-sur-l'Anglin. We're hoping to find a Van Gogh...

      Delete
  8. Welcome back to the Loire. Our house has heated up after three days but the weather is disgusting isn't it? Sun for the next two days but minus 2 tonight and maximum 8 tomorrow. Happy Easter!

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    1. The same to you and your family, Aussie.

      We are just about warm but the central heating is on day and night.

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  9. We heard about the awful traffic jams on Thursday night and thought we would be fine on Friday morning.
    Little did we know........

    Even though the weather's more like November than Spring, it's so good to be here !!
    Hope to catch up with you this time !!

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    Replies
    1. It is good to be here and today the sun is shining!

      Some rfiends sent a text to say that their journey through the tunnel was disrupted on Saturday morning. They arrived at 6.15 and were syill there at 9! On Thursday night the organisation was chaotic. The carpark display boards were all noy working so listening to the tannoy it was really hard to tell whether they were calling B,C,D,E.G etc so it meant queues of cars driving round and round the car park all in a jam being sent back because their letter hadn't been called.

      The tunnel was extra busy because an early Easter means the ski season is still operating.

      Would love to catch up.

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    2. Typo gremlin is here again. Sorry!

      Delete
  10. Happy Easter !

    Bonne semaine!!

    xxx Maria xxx

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