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.
