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An extra-special Copper Lantern
I’ve found a great lantern to put above the front door. I dont want the gite to look too posh, but I wanted to have a nice enough light fitting so that people dont think I haven’t spent some money on the place! First impressions count. A little undecided, I narrowed the choice between wrought iron in a black…
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Some bad news
A few weeks ago, I was doing one of my evening visits to the house, and happened on the son of the old lady across the courtyard. He’s a nice chap, always a bit over talkative, but interesting nonetheless. I’d already explained my plans about doing a gite for the old place which he seemed…
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Some house history, 1900-2016
I’ve been meaning to at least jot down some of the history of the house, or at least some of the facts and indeed, some of the fiction. This is just a draft really, jotting down some of the things I’ve heard, so that I can put everything together in a timeline later on. I’ll…
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Teary eyed, she slid over the key..
So, the Pilgrim’s House finally has a new owner. I signed as planned on 18th July, no hiccups. The actual keys and locks for the house have been changed over the years on the rear door to the property (although the door is original), so today there is a Yale lock and a simple set…
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Exchange Date fixed
Its been a pretty complicated couple of months. Work pressure, setting up a new company in France, and the general apathy of the French system makes a simple task last months. If you’ve been reading my posts, you’ll know I’ve been waiting on a set of responses from various bodies – more pointedly, the notaire…
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STOP PRESS: LIVE UPDATE!
The cogs are turning, albeit very slowly. No help from the solicitors, bad information from the town hall, and a land surveyor that we can’t tie down. The pressure is beginning to build now – the vendors want some movement as I do, but more red tape is intertwining all my efforts. This small piece…
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Live Termite Infestation
As soon as you hear the words ‘Termite Infestation‘ when buying a house, a sense of foreboding overtakes you. How bad is it? Has the structure already been compromised? I had these feelings, wondering whether such a great find would be spoilt by the smallest of creatures. It’s certainly not a thing to be brushed aside or taken…
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Nesting kestrels
I’ve recently discovered from the neighbour that there are a pair of nesting kestrels on the north side of the house. They’ve made their home and nested above a damaged window for the last few years. My aim will be to somehow incorporate an area that they can continue to nest in for years to come.…
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The Scallop Shell – a potted history
So as explained, the village where the house lies is on one of the routes that leads to Compostela. Three main routes start in France, but there are many minor ones, (after all your pilgrimage starts from where you start) – you simply join a more arterial one the closer you get. Our one…
