July 08 - Fantastic weather - crumbly roads.

The weather during our stay in early July was great -didnt' want to go home but had fee-paying clients arriving so we went to Reims! The pool appears cool to the toe but on a hot day it's just right.

There's a couple of places on the road leading down towards Sauxillanges where the road is crumblign near the edge. It's all well signposted but please note where the problem areas are and remember NOT to try to squeeze over on the verge to let people pass at those points - there IS no verge and the first step is a big one.

May 08 - Summer warming up.

Looks like being a good summer this year. We still have spacs in June and a few in July for those not tied to the school holidays.

Please note that from 1st July 2008 it will be compulsory for drivers to carry in their cars both warning triangles (I thought these already were) and yellow "hi-vis" jackets, the latter to be worn by anyone getting out of the car at a break-down or accident. On the spot fines of €90 can be imposed simply for not having the appropriate equipment in your car. Suitable jackets along with triangles, beam deflectors, first aid kits, etc., and advice on what is compulsory in which country will be available at shops at ports, and also in your local Halfords.

Full story here.

February 08 - Summer nearly full - Early season lots of spaces.

We have now taken bookings for MOST of the High season (July / August) but as of 17th Feb both gites are still free for the week commencing August 23rd.

Unlike last year, this year we don't seem to have had much interest in the early season. If you are not tied to the school holiday period, then you should try the Auvergne in late spring and early summer. Before the really hot days, but still daytime temps are warm and nights are not too cool. And the air is very clear, the views of the mountains are best at this time of year. Usually great weather for walking or cycling.

December 07 - Busy!

We're already taking bookings for '08 folks so if you were hoping to leave thinking about it until February...

Someone likes us - These folks have ranked us in the TOP 400 GITES.

July 07 - Ryanair may return

There are early signs that RyanAir may resume thrice weekly flights from London to Clermont-Ferrand from April of 2008. Aulnhat airport at C-F is our nearest airport, so this will make visiting La Verrerie via air much more convenient - especially since RyanAir this year moved their "Lyon" traffic from St Eteinne to Lyon's main airport, which is 80 miles further away from us!

"This French Life" article posted July 4th 2007.

July 07 - The Pool Is Complete!

Well it took several weeks longer than it should but the pool is finally complete and full of water, pumps running, water getting warm, and it has been swum in - chilly, but it'll be warmer by the time any of our summer visitors arrive!

The pictures show the paving not finished - but that'll be done by the end of the first week in July. The earth to the side of the pool will be reseeded with grass in the autumn - sadly now the warm weather has finally arrived this year, it's too late for grass seed, which would just wither.

June 07 - The Weather Station

The weather station has been installed on the roof of the stable block. There is, so far, only measurement of wind speed, direction, and temperature, we plan to add pressure, humidity and possibly rainfall later in the year. You can look at our data on this website and see how warm it's been this summer!
 
(note - the wind direction data is not showing on this graph - the reason - the wind direction vane fell off the anemometer and can't go back on until I visit with a new nut in September.)

(Note 2 - we've now added a humditiy sensor to the station but that's currently inside the building so not 100% accurate. We also added a barometer - but sadly the barometer module added is not compatible with the software. Another stab at that, and locating the hygrometer outside somewhere, in September.)

June 07 - The Pool

The work has been delayed - it seems they finished someone else's pool back in March and it promptly collapsed into an underground hole they had not detected. It's taken them a month to dig it all out and start over, whislt trying not to fall TOO far behind on any one else's pool - result, everyone's a little delayed. But the structure is in place now, the concrete is booked for Monday, and we're assured that once the concrete has set, there's only four to six days work involved in the lining and plumbing, filling in the rest of the hole, and finishing off the tiles, etc. Oh well, it's all good clean fun.

May 07 - update

The hole for the pool has been dug. Sadly the rest of the building has been delayed by a week by a combination of weather and the effect three bank holidays within one week has on the average French pool installer.

The website has been updated, the floorplan for Gite 1 now shows the spiral stairs - and almost in the right place!

April 2007 - Update

The stairs are now varnished and in use. Gite 1 visitors this year will have the full facilities of the big lounge as part of the house instead of an afterthought!

Work started on the pool this week, it should be finished in three weeks. Then it'll be full of fresh mountain water and hopefully the hot mountain sun will waste no time in raising the water temperature to a welcoming 24 or 25 degrees.

December 2006 - Swimming Pool YAY!

We finally have the quote for building (digging?) a swimming pool. This will be in the area in front of the stable block. The bank and trees will be moved west about six feet to make the pool slightly wider than the current flat area. The pool equipment will be installed in the old hay store. There'll be a patio around, and a "roman end" which we find popular with kids of all ages, far easier to deal with than a vertical ladder. We've paid a deposit and signed an order and the pool should be built during the first two weeks in May. We'll fill it at once, it might be a tad chilly in April but should be nice and warm by June.  

November 2006 - Stairs

September 2006 - Road Signs

We note that someone has put up a new sign at the road leading to La Verrerie from the centre of Egliseneuve - only it points the wrong way. 9/10 for effort, folks, but 0/10 for getting the arrow on the right end of the stick. 

September 2006 - General notes.

Well at the end of our first summer, we've finally been able to find time to spend a few weeks here ourselves. We've taken the opportunity to fix a few problems, and look into some changes.

First up, the staircase between the upper part of Gite 1 and the lounge has been built, we're just waiting for the chippy to find time to come and install it. This will make Gite 1 a lot more sensible, no more going outside to get to the lounge! The stair will rise into the small hall off the dining room, where the entrance to the twin bedroom is now, the twin room will get a new doorway.

We've had a chap check out the roof. He found no fewer than ten cracked or smashed tiles, which explains why the rain was getting in. Actually, it doesn't explain why a lot MORE rain wasn't getting in! But these are now fixed and the roof declared good for the rigours of winter.

Several folk have asked if we could install a washing machine, so we have. This is in the workshop (next building down from Gite 2) and is shared. There's no dryer - didn't seem worth it with a climate this warm in summer. There's plenty of out-door drying space and also space undercover if it happens to be raining the day you do your socks!

We're taking quotes for a swimming pool to be built in the space in front of the stable block. If the hard quotes don't vary massively from the "finger in air" guestimates we'd already had, then we'll go ahead with that and the pool should be ready for next Spring.

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