I've had a hectic few days and it's going to be continuing tomorrow too. Yesterday morning I woke up to a typical Combraille-type hanging cloud (isn't it good to be home?) and after a somewhat late start I emptied Caliburn of everything that I had taken down to the farm. It's all stacked in the barn now, Following a doze for an hour or so, I went to this meeting at St Gervais.
I met a new English couple there and their daughter. They haven't long been in the Auverne, having moved from near Haltwhistle. What attracted them to the area was that it looked "just like home" and I can echo that. "I wanted a stone house" said the wife. "I'm a true border reiver and stone doesn't burn". That of course brought back memories of my former connections with the border and Archie Fisher's album Windward Away
- "every time I think of you I see a border reiver". That of course leads on to the story of the 9 year-old boy who knew how to make a marriage work - "you tell your wife that she is beautiful, even if she looks like a truck". And of course from there we have "every time I think of you I see a Leyland Reiver".On the way back I made it as far as St Florentin which is between Auxerre and Troyes, where I crashed out for 5 hours, and then came back here in time for lunch.
This afternoon we carried on working but we have hit a logistics issue. Our tile cutter isn't good enough to cut the tiles for the terraces. We need a professional one and to hire one for three days, it's €250!!! Exactly the same machine is on offer at Screwfix for £199.99 and the Eurotunnel have day trips for €90 just at the moment.
Hence yours truly is up at 07:00 tomorrow and he's booked on the 10:45 crossing to Folkestone, where there is a Screwfix depot.
I'm not half getting about these days. Rather like the sailor who joined the navy to see the world. Except that in my case< I joined the navy to let the world see me.
But won't that actually end up costing you a fair bit more? Sorry, not really up on £ vs. Euro. But you've got your petrol to add in and on that subject, a word of warning. It's bl**dy expensive over here! Still, at least you'd own the cutter and could rent it out when you get back home.
ReplyDeleteI think he's figured that, looking at the rental price. 199GBP is about 300EUR I think. Add fuel and it's another hundred or so but he should get all that back on the first rental. Of course, it has to last more than 3 rentals to pay for all the bother.
ReplyDeleteNow you've both got the idea ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd as well as that, Terry does a fair bit of DiY for other people too.
Ah I see, it's all part of a master plan! Well, I hope it works out for you.
ReplyDelete