I guess a centuries-old house is bound to spring the odd surprise on one.  And in a village like this, with houses jammed together to make the most of the land within the ramparts, proximity to neighbours is a fact of life.  A neighbour's garage and workshop runs round two sides of ours, and I suppose I've known for years that the rendering on our walls wasn't going to last a lot longer.  Well, the neighbour collared me the other day to show me the damage to the garage roof where some of our rendering had come down.  At the back, the situation is worse, and the rendering is falling into his gutter and blocking it, letting water into the workshop.  We had a builder round the other day, and he is going to give us an estimate.  Since we're inside the ramparts of a site historique, we'll need an autorisation, and of course no work is allowed from June to September, so it may be a while before we're out of it.  Good news is that the builder comes highly recommended, so I'll get him to estimate for a few other bits and pieces that need tackling.  Watch this space: there may be tears...

On another administrative errand, the Mairie couldn't help me this morning with a parking permit, but did confirm that the réglementation limiting parking to residents comes into force on Monday.  I guess it takes a few weeks to get the mind-set back in tune with the way of life down here - we've only been here a week.  I dropped in on the Post Office as well this morning to shuffle a bit of cash between the dwindling accounts.  And though one is on tu terms with the excellent counter clerk, Jean-Luc, he still had to ask me for proof of identity: I suppose that, until he enters my driving licence number, computer says 'Non'.  Can't blame the administration for the international money laundering laws.

The weather has been amazing - fine sunny days with no wind to speak of, and temperatures up to 25°.  We've seen a few swallows and house martins, plus the occasional yellowhammer and redstart.  The trees were barely in leaf a week ago, but are now looking quite spring-like.  Must take a ride up the hill and see if the dwarf irises have joined the tiny daffodils in flower.  The peach and almond blossom is out, the former generally grafted to root stocks of the latter.  The vines are still a bit reticent, but I expect we'll see some leaf before we head north.

Supper tonight with Kate and John, who are celebrating an administrative triumph.  It took a trip to the Préfecture, but they are finally en situation régulière with their hitherto unregistered mopeds, Bucephalus and Pegasus.  Until a couple of years ago, it wasn't necessary to register low-powered motor vehicles, and their drivers didn't - and still don't - require a driving licence.  So it's a fair bet that a  lot of such vehicles are driven by people who either haven't the wit to pass a driving text, or have lost their licences.  One neighbour had to give up his licence years ago because of a progressive deterioration of his eyesight.  Until a year ago, he was still terrorising us on a 49cc motorbike capable of a good 90 kph.  I hope I've the sense to give up if the time comes.