If you have been wondering where we have been, we have been away chasing the winter sun. We have been on tour, with the cats, on the Iberian Peninsula. Notes will be forthcoming at Two Snails just as soon as I can remember my login details… We returned home last weekend, just one year exactly after first seeing our little Crooked House. I am happy to report that the weather this year is many times
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More from the Crooked House
No Running Water
Today’s dog walk was a little longer than usual, we stretched our legs a bit by going around Boucle No 9. It was a grand day for it, with sun shining in clear blue sky – just the migrating geese overhead. It has been looking a lot like Autumn for many weeks now, though the shedding of brown leaves was entirely due to the long, hot and dry summer. Now we have the real thing
Back in Business
This blog has now been moved to a new server. We should be up and posting again very soon now. For a few days things may look a little odd, perform strangely or generally not work very well. Please bear with me whilst I set things up. The main news of today is that we are seeking a new and better home for Chloé. Perhaps I should say a more Chloé-appropriate home. Chloé is the
A protracted absence
Things have been awkward on the blogging front. We were hacked and that took some sorting out and kind of took the heart out of it somehow. Then we went away for some weeks and whilst we were away the server picked up a nasty malware infection that took many hours of work and remains in an unwholesome state. At many points we were on the verge of taking down the server completely and so
Proper cooking
Since we moved into the Crooked House in mid-April, the hot weather has been relentless. We have lived mainly on salads and bread and cheese. Attempts to use the cooker have resulted in failed dishes (it’s a really rubbish oven!) or an overheated kitchen and a very hot and cross cook. It feels like a very long time since I have done any serious cooking. The weather is cooler now and we are more acclimated
A little shopping trip
We had to visit Limoges today to buy a spare part from a motorhome dealer. To make the journey worthwhile we did of course have to visit Grand Frais too but not before we called in at Gamm Vert. We were in search of a cat harness and in France it appears that the easiest way to find pet supplies is to visit a garden centre. Well, what a surprise – Gamm Vert is so
A little rubbish and a lot of walk
In common with much of France, Maison Celle does not have the luxury of a household rubbish collection. We have communal bins in the centre of the village, to which we walk our Poubelles in black bags and also our recycling bags. Glass is not permitted in the clear recycling bags and must be taken to a glass recycling point, the closest of which is in the centre of Saint-Rémy. A wide variety of items
Just a bit agley
Thursday has not gone to plan and we did not go to Poitiers. For some little while now, Mr L has been fuming at the car which was frequently telling us that a tyre needs air. This morning he found out why, there was a screw embedded in it. Unfortunately our car does not come with a spare tyre, so he had to take it into Norauto in Montmorillon. Norauto were ace and fixed it
About time too
My copy birth certificate has finally arrived. A trip to the CPAM in Poitiers is now in order. I should have my Carte Vitale in a few weeks now. Just as well, as Mr L needs mine to be processed before he is allowed to have his. A trip to the doctor last night cost him 25€ and a month’s medication was just over 49€. This would be refundable (70% of the GP and all
Down to the Gartempe
Our home is situated in an area that you might call the wider Gartempe Valley. It is actually almost 7 kilometres to the river, straight down the D10 in the Lathus direction, but close enough to pop the dog into the car and head off to look at a new territory for her walk today. Nell’s usual daily walk takes in part of Boucle no 9, one of the loops that makes up a chain