Monday 11th August Sunday 17th August
Author: Jack
We arrive back on Wednesday 13th courtesy of Ryanair to Bergerac. I’m always nervous about doing anything much on the 13th of any month, especially if it’s a Friday, but we arrived safe and sound. We flew back because we had finally handed over the Picasso to Pat and Bert. Whilst we have been away the temperature here has once again been way over 40 degrees. In fact the weather in England was fantastic whilst we were there as well. So once again, luckily for us, we missed the second hottest spell of the year here.
Returning home it is immediately obvious that the weather has taken its toll on the vines, on the young vines in particular. Almost all have lost their lower leaves and the bunches of grapes are now very exposed to the sun. Many bunches have started to shrivel up in the heat, some grapes having gone way beyond the raisin stage. The more mature vines have managed to cope and still retain their healthy looking green leaves. That is except for the rows that I had de-leafed earlier in the year. Having de-leafed on the sunny side many of the bunches of grapes had just withered away! I should have de-leafed on the least sunny side, and especially so this year! The first of no doubt many many lessons that we will learn over time. Fortunately I was only experimenting and the overall impact of this will be minimal when it comes to the quantity harvested as we have huge amounts of grapes.
Tempting fate, remember it’s the 13th, I decide to go and collect our new car, a Nissan Pick Up. When we’d been to the garage to collect the loan car I’d been shown round the car. I hadn’t actually seen it in the flesh when I ordered it. I had seen a Mitsubishi Pick Up and had scared by the size of that. Our Pick Up is just as scary. It’s huge. You have to climb in to the seats. I could hardly see over the steering wheel. We were off to collect it this afternoon and I was very nervous about driving it. Before collecting it from the garage I had to go to Eymet to arrange the insurance. The agency there is very accommodating and in no time at all I had all the necessary paperwork so off to Marmande to pick up the Pick Up (sorry!). Well pick up makes it sound like a breeze. Seeing it in the flesh again just reinforced my fear of driving it. The paperwork complete I was handed the keys! And that was it – all ours – and mine to drive away. Fortunately the salesman manoeuvred it out of its parking space for me and positioned it for an easy and less embarrassing get away. After spending some time rearranging the seating position, mirrors and generally trying to relax, I started her up (my friend Rachel has decided that she should be called Daisy after the owner of the pick up in the Dukes of Hazard), and finally found first gear. Very very carefully I let out the clutch and started moving off and out onto the main road. Beck was fantastic and kept a vigilant eye on my road position, on all the other traffic and provided plenty of encouragement. Phew, we’re off, but only as far as Leclerc for supplies and some fuel. Needless to say I park as far away from everyone else as possible! Manage this and to fill up with not too much trouble and we’re off home. It feels very strange to drive, finding every little bump in the road. We literally bounce all the way back home. It takes a while for my legs to stop shaking when I finally get out. Still at least that’s the worst bit over.
Thursday is launderette day. As we no longer have a washing machine we have to find the launderette in St Foy. No problem, apart from a scary ten minutes trying to find somewhere to park. The pick up is bigger than any of the spaces in the narrow streets of St Foy. We park out of town and have to lug all the laundry, in two trips, to the launderette. But not before we have discovered how much change we need. After visiting four different shops to buy things we only sort of need we have enough change. So…washing in the machines….we wait. Back home we have no trouble filling every single space on the washing line.
Friday is mostly ironing day. Not only is there all the ironing from the previous day but also the linen from La Vitaille, from no less than 3 double beds and 8 single beds! Ironing is to be one of my main jobs for the summer! Can’t iron all day and am totally ashamed of the state of our back room which still contains half the stuff we had delivered from England some time ago. With Iain’s brother and family due to arrive on Sunday for a week I have decided to put it all away. And I do!
The weather has turned much cooler now; well it’s still over thirty generally, but in comparison much cooler. However it’s still difficult to sleep comfortably and the temperature in the lounge still lingers around thirty degrees most of the time!
Chris and family arrive late Saturday afternoon, hot and tired but happy to have finally arrived. Once everyone has settled down we eat and spend the remainder of the evening enjoying the warm summers evening on the veranda.
Sunday is changeover day again at La Vitaille. Leaving Chris and Kuldip in charge I’m off for the day to get the house ready for our next set of guests with the help of Jane, Anthony and one of their friends. We have six hours to make the house pristine again. By three we are almost finished and the others leave whilst I finish off. Chris and Kuldip arrive with the children to have a look round the house as they have never seen it before and are quickly roped in to helping me with the few remaining jobs. Job done I return feeling pretty tired. Whilst I’ve been out Chris has been having fun with the sit on mower and the grass is now looking suitably shorn again. All that remains now is to make the most of the swimming pool.
