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- Last spring we started a little project to clean up some fallen trees that had been overgrown with blackberry and blackthorn thickets. We were hoping to clear what we thought to be a flat area about 8x8m to use as a storage area for gravel and tile. As we cleared we found that the flat […]
- Big storms and downed trees last week. The wind came in from the north, which is totally unheard of here. It took out a bunch of lovely old trees, mostly the ones with unhealthy or diseased root systems. So sad.
- Spring springing.
- In the process of creating a new gite above the chapel, we have taken down the old (structurally unsafe) beams and will be redoing the floor both upstairs and downstairs. This mid way stage though gives us an opportunity to see the lovely old 9thC chapel as it would originally have looked, before it was […]
- Building a new toilet block for the event space at the old orangery.
- The chapel is getting a new life. Built 1400 years ago this Romanesque chapel used to be the village church, until the village outgrew it. It has had many incarnations over the centuries. a chapel, a forge, a store room. In its new life it will be meditation, yoga and dance studio. ✨🪈🧘🏼♂️🪩✨
- I picked up these nice old chairs on marketplace. Here they are drying after a couple of coats of anti rust treatment.
- Lovely visit from the kind of old family friend that feels like family 🤗✨Please come back soon dear Liz and family.
- After part of our dining room ceiling collapsed, we decided to seize the opportunity and insulate the ceiling and therefore the bedroom floor above it. We got to see the amazing wattle and daube of its 16thC construction (twigs, horse hair and clay, and beautiful old beams beneath), but decided to rebuild with modern materials […]
- I love the French canal system. Do you know that it takes 7 days and dozens of locks to go from our local river port on the Baise, Valance sur Baise, up to the canal system at Buzet sur Baise and the Garonne river. From there you can go all the way to Holland by […]
- After several months of digging ditches, running power and visits from our electrician, our new pond aerator finally has lift off! It doesn’t look like much, but it’s a very necessary first step to a healthy pond.
- Tis the season 🌻
- The best way to handle a heat wave.
- A little trip into Bascous. The heat is keeping everyone indoors, so these sleepy little villages are even quieter than usual.
- After a year off, I’m back on micro blog. Here are some of this springs projects. Mostly still in progress as you can see. The stream and new overflow pond. The new chicken house and run The new collombage for the relocation of the pool tech room New planting beds in the gite courtyard
- Good one!
- I’m finally getting around to the pressed flower project I planned last spring 😆 I guess that there are advantages to running out of funds for big projects.
- Looking forward to lots more renovation and development work at the chateau, we are inviting donations in exchange for country Christmas gift baskets, pampered vacations and retreats, estate tours, herb walks, oil paintings and more. Please consider buying your Christmas presents from us, and support the château at the same time. With thanks and holiday […]
- A lot of work and a lot of progress. We will have to pause this project for a while now, until we either get 60tonnes of gravel for the road and terrace, (and a little digger to spread it), or wait until it dries out in June or July. 🙈
- Chop and stack