Tuesday, 2 July 2019

Next stop, Puylaroque

We had a most enjoyable few days at Le Roc with Annie, meeting old friends Danielle, Pierre, Christine and Jacques for an enjoyable catch-up.  The canicule had largely dissipated, leaving us with grey damp mornings and more bearable temperatures.

Before we left yesterday, there was a spot of excitement.  As we were addressing our first cups of tea, a huge low loader came up the lane carrying a socking great logging tractor.  As it passed it caught the telephone wire, snapping it off the post at the foot of the lane, and trailing it up to the top.  The fellow didn’t stop, though it was clear when we went and taxed him that he knew he’d done it, and he went into defensive mode: ‘it should be at least 4,50 off the ground, and my truck’s only 4,20!’  We’ll, a kind neighbour reported it to Orange, who’ll no doubt come and fix it in their own good time.  This will leave Annie with pretty marginal communications, since the mobile signal at Le Roc is pretty weak.

Not a problem for the next couple of days, since we’ve driven in convoy to Puylaroque for a couple of nights’ stay with Martyn’s relatives Jan and Mark (not forgetting Nellie the labradoodle and Oscar the cat).  Mark has been busy since we were last here a couple of years ago.  He has had to rebuild the swimming pool because of heave in the clay substrata, and has made, as always, a super job of it.  He has added a dining room and a big terrace to the house, built a woodshed and a garage, and doubtless various other things that we haven’t spotted yet.  We’re here for one more night before Martyn and I head for Avignon via Millau, and Annie returns to Le Roc.  As usual I was the first to surface, so have been to the bakery, returning with warm bread and viennoiseries, so our basement gîte is smelling rather welcoming.

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