Our new home in France

While looking for a house to rent, somewhere to base ourselves while we hunt for the right property, we found the perfect house in the perfect spot -and with the help of the lovely people at Cle Rouge Immobilier in Duras it is ours! This blog is primarily for our friends and family to follow the ups and downs of the adventures. However if we don't know you, I hope you'll enjoy the story too, and that one day you may consider booking into our lovely home as a paying guest - you'll be made very welcome!

Sunday 30 October 2011

Eggs, logs and VIPs

Another month passes and things continue to change. The hens have started to lay! Just when I was beginning to think we were going to get no eggs - three all on the same day.

The first eggs
and since then, they've been laying thick and fast 
 Our winter heating has arrived....
Half the load - 5 cubic metres, to be unloaded
..unrolled, and then stacked and covered to keep it dry - a days work for yours truly!
We had VIP guests......Buckingham Palace one day....
Lynne and Les, collecting Les's OBE
.......Vue de Duras the next.......!
Lunch at Vue de Duras
We finally explored a couple of our local golf courses ...lovely weather and beautiful courses and the golf wasn't too bad either!

Chateau des Vigiers golf course, the 9th hole on Le Lac course
Another egg.......
How exciting is it to find a fresh laid egg?
We have had some beautiful weather lately, cold and misty mornings and warm afternoons, as well as a little rain (but not much!)



Our appearance on tv has been put back a week, due to the extra Coronation Street a couple of weeks ago. We may have a little 'taster' appearance tomorrow, and then in episode 8 which is now on 7th November, episodes 11 and 12  on 28th November and 5th December.

Friday 14 October 2011

A whole year at Vue de Duras

Well, here we are, a whole year later!
A year ago today, we arrived in Duras, to take a look at the house that was about to become ours.
What a year since then. Look back over the blog for details!
This week has just about seen the last of the builders with the re-roofing of the back of the house. We're hoping that the coming winter will be a bit warmer in that part of the house, now that it has new insulation and is water-tight.
We have re-used all the old tiles on the lower roof, so it looks just the same, but we know it's better. Clearing the ground beneath the overhang, where all the new tiles had been stored for months, I found the remains of the roof before the last one, but it looks so much better now.

We have had a good first year for our B & B business, with guests still arriving - mostly house hunters at the moment, but the year has also seen holiday-makers -English, French, Dutch, Australian, and guests at weddings at the chateau in Duras - mostly French. We've enjoyed meeting them all, they've been a lovely bunch of people, thank you to all of them. We've also enjoyed visits from friends - none of whom over-stayed their welcome and we look forward to seeing them all again!

Our newest venture is 'tea and cake on Sunday afternoons'. 
Earl Grey cup cakes, ginger cake and coffee fudge cake
Tea with a view
Tea with a view - and some shelter!
Join us if you're near-by. Ring first just to make sure (details on our web-site).
 3-5pm Sundays.
A few photos to sum up the last month.
A Sunday morning hot air balloon.
Autumn sunrise.
Newly planted vine next to the gite terrace - grapes for eating.
Newly planted birch trees, by the pond.
Weeping willow
Passion flower to grow over the fence
Geoff and Judith, enjoying a lovely September day with us.
I'd like to think that these are the collared doves hatched in our palm tree!
Autumn sun set.
Early morning alarm call!
A beautiful car belonging to some of our lovely guests.