Too busy (and internet-less) to blog!

Sorry about lack of blog. Lots to write about and loads of photos, but no time or internet connection. Will do big catch-up as soon as I can. All well, in house, very cold, using lots of logs in the wood-burners, and hot water bottles at night- but the sun is mostly shining!

One day to go.....

A very full car before leaving home!

 Well, we're here in France, having set off with a car full to overflowing!

A lovely crossing on Brittany ferry's Bretagne, superb meal and a good night's sleep, then ready for a long drive down to Aquitaine. A smooth journey, at the end of which we should have been meeting Nicole at Bergerac airport just after 3pm. Unfortunately, Ryanair had other plans, having cancelled the flight from Bristol just minutes before takeoff. Nicole, resourceful as ever, changed her flight to Easyjet Paris and caught a train to Bordeaux. All would have been well, except we expected her to arrive at Libourne, where we were waiting for her at 11pm. We eventually caught up with her at Bordeaux station (the sat nav having sent us to the bus station first!) at around half past mid-night.
We are staying in a very comfortable chalet on a campsite half-way between our new house and the town of Duras. We can see 'our' house from the window - so near, yet still so far!

Today we visited the chateau in Duras and took this lovely photo of our house from the top of the tower - so exciting to see it.  There it is, right in the middle of the picture, our little house on the hill!

Vue de Duras in the distance

Nicole and I at the top of the tower at the chateau.

 

The house with an almost sparkling pool!

We took a picnic lunch up to the house and ate it in the garden! The house looks beautiful in the sunshine today, rather better than it did when we arrived on Thursday, when the garden was overgrown and the pool had a bad case of algae.



 Tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for, at 3pm we will go to the Notaires office to sign for the house, pay over the money and pick up the keys. Fingers crossed!

Finally.......

....at last, we have a date, and as expected it's all going to happen in a hurry! We have a date to complete on the purchase on Monday 18th October. So...we are going to travel out on Wednesday, stay at a B & B for a few nights, and then pick up the keys and move in on  Monday - sounds simple doesn't it! Hopefully our furniture will arrive not long after.
The timing is great, because Nicole, youngest daughter, is arriving by Ryanair at Bergerac on Thursday afternoon - we should be there just in time to pick her up. Her ticket was booked months ago as a short visit, and has now turned into an open-ended stay.  No room in the car for her due to all the 'little things' I've picked up in charity shops/ebay/flea markets since all the rest of our belongings left for the continent. It will be great to have her there - our resident interiors/design professional!
Fingers crossed everyone, for the last bits to fall into place!

 As I've no pictures to show yet, I thought I'd add a photo of the patchwork I've started to keep me busy while we've been waiting.


My lovely friend, Denise gave me this old Singer sewing machine which sews like a dream. The fabric is ready to be turned into my first quilt.

Here's the fabric turned into blocks, waiting for borders to be added.

                                                                                     To be continued............