Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Wednesday 1 March 2006
It was an eventful journey back to Paris last Wednesday afternoon; the bus which was due at 16.59 arrived early, and when I explained to the driver that my train was at 18.06 he said that would be fine as we already had some time in hand. On coming out of La Vieille-Lyre we were told by a motorist that the road was blocked by an accident, and I had visions of missing the train and waiting 2 hours for the next! I didn’t know the route well enough to know whether we were on schedule or not, but as we arrived at Evreux station a train direct for Paris pulled in. I was surprised but got in, and on consulting my timetable found that I was on the 17.56, a train I had totally discounted as the bus was due to arrive at 17.59! So the driver had made up the time really well. This meant I arrived at Saint-Denis some 20 minutes earlier than expected, surprising N who had not quite got dinner ready.
On Thursday afternoon we went to the local branch of Leroy Merlin and bought a chandelier for the salon; one we had noticed and admired before. We didn’t think there was much else we needed, but as always came away with lots of other bits and pieces. In the evening I met Madeleine the Gare du Nord as planned and we all sat up late watching Olympic skating, and on Friday she and I set off for our day in Paris.
We took the RER train to Châtelet and spent some time in the Forum des Halles shopping centre there, and then walked along the Rue de Rivoli to BHV where we bought several things including a frying pan (M) and some red thread for curtains (me) and had an early lunch at the almost empty restaurant on the top floor with a wonderful view. We walked back to the Etam department store which M was anxious to see, and were there a long time - I found various things I liked which she insisted on buying for me as early Mother’s Day presents: a string of beads, an elegant T-shirt vest and a little tea tray on which was written My Hotel. We had tea in the store, again in a top floor café.
Madeleine had said she wanted to see Parisian icons, not necessarily visit them; by this time we had seen the Hôtel de Ville and Notre Dame; and then went on to the Avenue de l’Opéra so that was added to the list, and we looked round Monoprix. We then went on to the Grands Magasins at Haussmann, where M bought a Longchamp bag and I sat and watched the well-heeled (and well-bagged) customers. It was then almost 6 o’clock and we had run out of steam, so caught the RER back to Saint-Denis.
On Saturday morning she and I went to the local Carrefour to get weekend food shopping before setting off for Normandy, and also so that she could have a look at it. It was difficult to tell whether we would leave after lunch at Saint-Denis or in time for lunch at La Neuve-Lyre; as it was we were ready to leave at 11.30, as I had suspected. The car was so full there was barely room for the three of us - lights and a chandelier, my and M’s bags, the food shopping, N’s viola and the inevitable bags of leftovers and things to take from one house to another.
N suggested - and we readily agreed to - stopping for lunch at our favourite restaurant opposite Evreux station, where we arrived at about 1 o’clock. It was only the third time we had been there, but it already felt familiar, warm and cosy with such good food. This meant that once we arrived at the house there was time to look round without having to rush to unpack food or get lunch, a good thing as with the newly regulated heating the place took some time to warm up. We hung the new chandelier from its hook on the beam in the salon, and N decorated it with all its jewels, rather like a Christmas tree. In fact, it’s like having an all-year-round Christmas tree, as you can sit and admire it in the firelight. The temperature had dropped, both since Paris and since I was here before - by Sunday afternoon we were all sitting round the fire, M under a blanket. She and I only went as far as the supermarket on Sunday morning; it was a pity the boulangerie was shut for its annual holiday. We had Sunday lunch - poule au pot, very good when you don’t have a proper oven - on the new large Italian dining table, with the blue dinner service, and tea round the fire using the blue tea set. The tour of the house and outbuildings took a long time, especially as we included our « secret room » - a Narnia-like first floor attic reachable only through the back of the landing cupboard, which even we weren’t fully aware of until after we had bought the house.
As I had feared, M found the constant journeys from floor to floor between bedroom, shower room and loo rather long and needing forward planning; and I am glad that we will eventually have the extra loo put in the shower room. The attic bedroom was very cosy with its heaters on, and once she had unpacked looked nicely lived-in. It was pleasant too to have someone with me helping in my new kitchen, and she showed us how to print envelopes on the computer, and - having had the DVD player problems explained in detail by N - suggested I play exercise DVDs on the computer in the study. N rang FNAC about the DVD player and decided it would be easier to take it to the branch in Rouen rather than back to Paris.
On Monday we planned to take Madeleine to Evreux station in time for the 1.30 train to Paris to catch her Eurostar, which meant lunch at about 11.45; in the event we had an extremely short and busy morning. We were just awake at about 8.00 when we had a phone call from Monsieur A asking if the electricians could come in 15 minutes, I said we could be ready in 30, and quickly got dressed and opened the garage; unlike when they first came it is now light at 8.30.
N had not met them before - Emanuel brought his apprentice again - but was able to explain the new tasks which needed doing: the chandelier and the ceiling light in the grande pièce as well as the bedroom wall light and extra point, and the replacing of the kitchen light switch. He had forgotten about the electricity needed in the shower room ready for the loo with its broyeur, so I explained this and as I thought it will be no problem, but there was no time that day. We had breakfast while all this was going on, then M and I went to have a look at the market, which took all of five minutes. The fish man - very apologetically - did not have any salmon, but we bought bread from the supermarket and M got cards from the paper shop, and we visited the post office and bought stamps.
As soon as we got home the new lights were ready and needed bulbs, so M and I went back out again to get them and to post her cards; I was glad to give her the opportunity of visiting the Quincaillerie (and showing that it really did look like the Four Candles sketch) I also introduced her to Monsieur A whom we met going in. As we passed the market this time I noticed a chair caning stall, different from the one I had seen before and somehow found myself in conversation with a young man who said of course he could do my chair, so went home to fetch it and back out again for the third time that morning. (He claimed the man who had told me it was the wrong season just didn’t want any work) Anyway, I opted for the real caning « à l’ancienne » rather than the cheap stuff on a roll, and he said it should be done by Thursday and he will call and deliver. He said it was an Italian chair, and that the marks on the arms and back were due to water damage, which didn’t surprise me as it had been found abandoned in the garage, and I had planned to re-stain it anyway once the seat had been re-done.
We had a quick and early soup, bread and cheese lunch and set off for Evreux station, arriving well in advance with time to get M’s ticket as well as tasteful local postcards showing cider and camembert and the latest edition of the magazine Maisons Normandes. We waved her off on a two-tier train quite different from the one I had taken, and went straight back home to see how the electricians were doing. By the time they left at 5.30 the chandelier and bedroom light were looking marvellous; it is wonderful to have light in that dark corner near the wardrobe and chest of drawers at last, and to be able to distinguish my black socks from my brown ones! Sometimes I look at all my jackets hanging in the smaller section of the wardrobe and wonder what kind of life it was when I wore them so often. With the light in position on the wall there was no room for a picture, but it looked rather bare so I brought in some colourful artificial flowers which had arrived from Italy complete with vase; and decided what was needed was an arrangement of white flowers. With the extra electric point we can have a radio/CD player on top of the chest of drawers too.
It was rather strange to be just the two of us in the house for the first time for some weeks, and although there were - as always - lots of things which needed doing at home, we decided to go to Rouen the next day to take the DVD player to FNAC, as well as having a nice day out.
I had only ever been to Rouen once before, with N from Paris a few years ago, despite having wanted to visit it for some time, not - as suggested by a French friend to glory in the spot where the English burned Joan of Arc - but to identify with Emma Bovary and her ride round the cathedral in a closed carriage. However, no sign of either Emma or Joan today, apart from an car park called Pucelle, which amused me.
It took a little longer to get there than N had planned but this was rectified on the way back. It was a much larger place than I remembered, and it was difficult to find our way into the centre, but suddenly we were in the right street and drove into the underground car park below the shopping centre where FNAC was situated. They took the DVD player in and said they would contact us by letter in 15-20 days.
We looked round and I managed to find some white and cream artificial flowers for the bedroom and N found a book he wanted in FNAC. The cathedral was closed, so we decide to have lunch first; a small crowded cosy restaurant in the cathedral square where they served huge portions - N had duck with a vast jacket potato and I had an enormous salmon salad. While we were attacking these it began to snow; we weren’t surprised as it had been so cold when we were walking round. Afterwards we looked in Printemps for a lighting department as we just had one light left to get - for the study - but no luck. The cathedral was still closed and it was very cold, so we decided to go back to the car.
On the way back we stopped at a supermarket which usefully had a garden centre and DIY shop on the same site. As well as some large and bulky items from the supermarket, N bought a hoe, several heavy bags of earth and compost, and vegetable plants; and I found an excellent light for the study. N also found two thin battens of wood to finish off the bookshelves on the condemned door.
Pancake Day had caught us unawares just like St Valentine’s Day; it was only during the afternoon that we discovered it was that day, and fortunately had all the ingredients to hand, plus some left-over chicken for the filling. They went very well, and I only realised afterwards this was because for the first time in seven years I was cooking them on gas and not electricity!
Friday 3 March 2006
On Wednesday morning we awoke to brilliant blue skies and a light covering of snow everywhere, so different from all the grisaille of recent weeks. We drew the curtains and lay in bed looking at the great fir tree with its branches covered in snow, and tried pretending we were in Switzerland. We managed to do washing and gardening until lunchtime when it got very dark and there was more snow while we ate, and at the end of the afternoon a real snowstorm - N had been pruning shrubs at the front and had to abandon the wheelbarrow full of cuttings; it got more and more covered in snow and was a measure of just how much had fallen in the afternoon.
There was still snow about on Thursday, when I went to the Quincaillerie to get more acetone for N - the nasty lino is now all off the back hall floor but there are still patches of glue to be removed - and met Monsieur A. I said the electrical work was going well, but that we were still hoping he would come and look at the oil heater and sweep both chimneys, and he said how about Friday morning at 8.15? And I said that would be fine. We had planned to go to Bernay on Friday, but decided we could go later on in the day.
Monsieur A’s heating expert/sweep (we never found out his name) and his assistant arrived on time on Friday morning, by which time the snow had melted and it was pouring with rain. They began cleaning in the boiler room with lots of noise, and then announced that they were unable to sweep that chimney as it was not legal. Monsieur A was summoned to take a look at the situation; N was surprised as he had not seen him since the first day he came to the house, and thought he looked much younger then he had remembered.
Anyway, it appeared that the chimney from the oil heater had been fitted in a way which was now illegal, and that if they swept it and there were repercussions they would be held responsible, which obviously they didn’t want. Monsieur A said there were several solutions, and then proceeded to tell us all two of them: either we had a new stainless steel chimney conforming to regulations built above the height of the house, or we had a new oil fuel heater, plus new ground level outlet instead of chimney, which would be much more efficient and economical to run.
He obviously preferred the latter solution, and so did we once we got used to the idea of the enormous cost; the other heater had been there 10 years, and like everything had now been superseded by better and more efficient models. We were surprised as we had understood that it was a good make, but I felt - as with the kitchen - that if it was renewed now it would not need doing again later. Monsieur A left - later ringing to ask if he could bring an agent from the heating company to see us and house on Monday afternoon. Somewhat reeling, we supervised the sweeping of the chimney in the salon (I had only just cleaned it after the electricians’ visit) and covered the sofa and chairs with dustsheets. The sweep/heating technician amused me as he said there were pieces of chimney falling down, but that we were not to worry, it was an old house, and it was quite normal. Later he asked if we had a bucket to put under the boiler as it was leaking a little after the cleaning, but we were not to worry, it was all right. I told him he sounded like a doctor. We then asked him to look at the stone cold radiator in the grande pièce; he said it had been forced and was now blocked and would need a new piece fitting and the whole thing draining. This seemed a very minor thing after all we had heard that morning.
Some time in the middle of all this I had a phone call from the man who was re-caning my chair, it was ready and could he come this afternoon? I said we were planning to go to Bernay and he agreed to come at 1.00 which he duly did; the chair looks (and feels) marvellous but was very expensive; perhaps if I had known about the heater I would have been less reckless. Anyway, I have put it by the phone table in the back hall, and it gives me great pleasure. Will be even better once I have found time to re-stain it. Ever since we arrived last Saturday I have been trying to find time to start on my study curtains, but they just seem to get further and further away. I don’t know where all the time goes, although I found myself thinking this in bed this morning, and then discovered it was ten to nine……
The main reason for going to Bernay was something we should have done before; a visit to the Assurance Maladie offices to get me into the French Health system, about which I have heard a lot, from N and elsewhere. It was not worth doing before Christmas in Saint-Denis as that was not my permanent address and we kept saying we would go once I was settled in La Neuve-Lyre and it has taken this long.
It was not quite as bureaucratic as N had threatened or I had feared; a very fierce lady who refused to return my smile said that everything was in order but she needed to see my birth certificate, and then they would compile me a dossier and I would get the famous Carte Vitale. (This is so important that you needed to insert it into a machine at the door just to get a numbered ticket for your turn; fortunately N used his or we would still be there now in some kind of eternal bureaucratic vicious circle…) I had taken along forms from the UK, EHIC health card, passport, bank details and copy of a letter from water board proving where I live, but although my passport obviously includes my date of birth we have to go back with the birth certificate next week. I hope she is as impressed by it as my notaire Carine, who had never seen such a large British birth certificate before.
While at Bernay we made our regular visit to Monsieur Bricolage to get wood for our latest project - shelves in the landing cupboard ready for linen. (My clothes, which were hanging there having now been promoted to the Italian wardrobe in the bedroom) It was quite a relief, and a sign of progress, I think, that we did not have to buy any curtain poles or light fittings, although there will be more curtain poles to come. We had all the wood cut while we were there, and then with some difficulty got it and us back into the car and set off for the supermarket, to get - amongst other things - some steak to fortify ourselves after such a stressful day.
Sunday 5 March 2006
Yesterday morning I received a letter from Lapeyre telling us that the kitchen & bathroom fitting would start on Monday 20 March at 8.30 am, with delivery of materials on the Friday before, the 17th. Although very welcome this was a little earlier than I had expected; it gives me just one day to get back here from Paris after my trip to Britain. It also meant we suddenly had to paint the kitchen which we always said we would do before the fitting - and realised we had better do it this weekend. N said he had rather forgotten about painting the kitchen and had somehow hoped it would paint itself; I quite thought it would be April or May.
On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning N put up the supports for the shelves in the linen cupboard while I cleared the kitchen and then he painted the kitchen walls and ceiling while I covered the shelves with some leftover wallpaper we found in a cupboard. This was rather like wrapping a parcel, only with drawing pins, and much better and quicker than painting. If only it had matched the wallpaper on the walls inside the cupboard it would have been perfect! There is a space at the bottom for the upstairs hoover, and other cleaning things.
Filling the cupboard with the linen took ages and quite a lot of thought and organisation. Apart from all the stuff I had brought from Ainsworth Street, there were fine white sheets from N’s Italian « inheritance » - many hand-embroidered, and other John Lewis bedding he had bought for the first Italian house, the new IKEA sets I had bought for our bed, plus all sorts of other bedcovers, lots from both Italian houses. I counted 19 bedspreads not including ones currently on beds; there are lots of blankets and dozens of pillowcases. All the pillows went in a grey trunk in N’s attic, and I know from the first sort-out when we moved in that I somehow brought five single duvets from Ainsworth Street; I think they must have been breeding while in store. I did think as I was carrying it load by load past the beams on the landing how lucky I was to have all these beautiful old sheets in such a wonderful house. My other consolation was that it ever there were a houseful at Christmas (which we certainly hope) then nobody need be cold, as there would be plenty of extra layers for all.
Most of this bedding had been temporarily stored in a small built-in wardrobe in the front first floor guest bedroom; emptying it meant that it could be restored to being a guest wardrobe, so N took out the extra shelves and moved up the hanging rail which had been at child level.
Today N has done a second coat on the kitchen walls, and I have painted the window frames and skirting boards. The walls are brilliant white and the woodwork a matt « blanc cassé » (off white), the same as the panelling in the salon, like most of the woodwork in the house. I especially enjoyed painting the big traditionally French window with its central rod and large ornate handle in the middle, and visualising my tomato print curtains hanging up at it. These may be not so far off now as I had thought!
In between times it has snowed again on and off, and we have had some rather thrown-together meals in a dining room full of kitchen paraphernalia. Being taken by surprise meant we had little time to plan, but when the kitchen fitting starts even more will have to be taken out - contents of cupboards and drawers too. We will take the oven and kettle into the dining room, and probably resort to picnic meals from the traiteur again, like when we first came here. N has finally been able to go out in the garden and get on with various unfinished tasks; in between the snow showers it sometimes feels quite spring-like, especially now the mornings are so much lighter. The only sign of spring in the garden is the snowdrops around two of the bushes; they were barely visible a few weeks ago, but now look very confident. There are daffodil and tulip leaves poking through in places, too.
The other thing going on in the background has been planning for my trip to Britain, how to fit in time to see all the family, and where to stay when: I still haven’t found anywhere to stay in Cambridge for Friday and Saturday, the evening of the College dinner. I have a long list of things to do before we leave here for Saint-Denis on Wednesday, and I travel to London on Thursday. While I am there N will be in Italy for three days, for the final signature for the sale of the apartment at Soliera. This has involved many phone calls and e-mails in Italian over the last few days; problems caused by the purchasers wanting first of all to pay the deposit with a cheque in dollars, then the remainder with some kind of postal order, and now in cash. N has terrible visions of the Mafia and laundered money or counterfeit notes, or being hit over the head once he has the money in his bag. So all the communications are with the agent to protest and say that he finds all this « molto irregulare ».
Monday 6 March 2006
There are now two yellow crocuses in the garden too! And I now have somewhere to stay in Cambridge, and am crossing things off my « to do before UK » list, starting with « find gown » which I managed to do this morning. I have also managed to track down the Boots and Marks & Spencer vouchers I received for Christmas and had put in a Safe Place, and find my purse with £45 in it; the notes and coins look very odd indeed.
Tuesday 7 March 2006
Yesterday afternoon Monsieur A duly arrived with the man from the oil heater company, and we all had a look at the situation and it was decided it would be OK and Monsieur A will send us two estimates, one for the heater alone and one to include an electric water heating system, which we could use in the summer only and turn the main system off; more economical in the long run but obviously more expensive to install.
We then set off for Bernay in beautiful sunshine, so much more spring-like than last Friday when there was still a fair amount of snow lying about. The horses and cows we always pass in the fields looked much happier than usual. We parked at Monsieur Bricolage as always and this time looked at wallpaper, as this might be the quickest option for brightening up the walls of the back hall. At present they are covered in golden yellow wallpaper, and N had been thinking of repairing them with some spare paper we found in a cupboard, or painting them all over. There are so many golden yellow walls in this house, but much as I like them, it might be nice - and brighter - to have cream walls instead. We also bought some stuff called « crépi » a stiff paint which leaves a bumpy surface, which is all over the veranda walls, as there are big gaps which need redoing; together with an interesting roller with holes in with which to apply it.
We then went back to the Assurance Maladie offices with my birth certificate; a different woman - who I hope will be able to tie up the copy of this with my other papers - said I should contact them if I had heard nothing in two or three weeks. I then went shopping for things prior to my visit to Britain while N went to the garden centre, having finally decided the time had come to buy and plant roses and rhododendrons, to put in various gaps in the garden. They have been planted this morning, and look very fine indeed.
It was an eventful journey back to Paris last Wednesday afternoon; the bus which was due at 16.59 arrived early, and when I explained to the driver that my train was at 18.06 he said that would be fine as we already had some time in hand. On coming out of La Vieille-Lyre we were told by a motorist that the road was blocked by an accident, and I had visions of missing the train and waiting 2 hours for the next! I didn’t know the route well enough to know whether we were on schedule or not, but as we arrived at Evreux station a train direct for Paris pulled in. I was surprised but got in, and on consulting my timetable found that I was on the 17.56, a train I had totally discounted as the bus was due to arrive at 17.59! So the driver had made up the time really well. This meant I arrived at Saint-Denis some 20 minutes earlier than expected, surprising N who had not quite got dinner ready.
On Thursday afternoon we went to the local branch of Leroy Merlin and bought a chandelier for the salon; one we had noticed and admired before. We didn’t think there was much else we needed, but as always came away with lots of other bits and pieces. In the evening I met Madeleine the Gare du Nord as planned and we all sat up late watching Olympic skating, and on Friday she and I set off for our day in Paris.
We took the RER train to Châtelet and spent some time in the Forum des Halles shopping centre there, and then walked along the Rue de Rivoli to BHV where we bought several things including a frying pan (M) and some red thread for curtains (me) and had an early lunch at the almost empty restaurant on the top floor with a wonderful view. We walked back to the Etam department store which M was anxious to see, and were there a long time - I found various things I liked which she insisted on buying for me as early Mother’s Day presents: a string of beads, an elegant T-shirt vest and a little tea tray on which was written My Hotel. We had tea in the store, again in a top floor café.
Madeleine had said she wanted to see Parisian icons, not necessarily visit them; by this time we had seen the Hôtel de Ville and Notre Dame; and then went on to the Avenue de l’Opéra so that was added to the list, and we looked round Monoprix. We then went on to the Grands Magasins at Haussmann, where M bought a Longchamp bag and I sat and watched the well-heeled (and well-bagged) customers. It was then almost 6 o’clock and we had run out of steam, so caught the RER back to Saint-Denis.
On Saturday morning she and I went to the local Carrefour to get weekend food shopping before setting off for Normandy, and also so that she could have a look at it. It was difficult to tell whether we would leave after lunch at Saint-Denis or in time for lunch at La Neuve-Lyre; as it was we were ready to leave at 11.30, as I had suspected. The car was so full there was barely room for the three of us - lights and a chandelier, my and M’s bags, the food shopping, N’s viola and the inevitable bags of leftovers and things to take from one house to another.
N suggested - and we readily agreed to - stopping for lunch at our favourite restaurant opposite Evreux station, where we arrived at about 1 o’clock. It was only the third time we had been there, but it already felt familiar, warm and cosy with such good food. This meant that once we arrived at the house there was time to look round without having to rush to unpack food or get lunch, a good thing as with the newly regulated heating the place took some time to warm up. We hung the new chandelier from its hook on the beam in the salon, and N decorated it with all its jewels, rather like a Christmas tree. In fact, it’s like having an all-year-round Christmas tree, as you can sit and admire it in the firelight. The temperature had dropped, both since Paris and since I was here before - by Sunday afternoon we were all sitting round the fire, M under a blanket. She and I only went as far as the supermarket on Sunday morning; it was a pity the boulangerie was shut for its annual holiday. We had Sunday lunch - poule au pot, very good when you don’t have a proper oven - on the new large Italian dining table, with the blue dinner service, and tea round the fire using the blue tea set. The tour of the house and outbuildings took a long time, especially as we included our « secret room » - a Narnia-like first floor attic reachable only through the back of the landing cupboard, which even we weren’t fully aware of until after we had bought the house.
As I had feared, M found the constant journeys from floor to floor between bedroom, shower room and loo rather long and needing forward planning; and I am glad that we will eventually have the extra loo put in the shower room. The attic bedroom was very cosy with its heaters on, and once she had unpacked looked nicely lived-in. It was pleasant too to have someone with me helping in my new kitchen, and she showed us how to print envelopes on the computer, and - having had the DVD player problems explained in detail by N - suggested I play exercise DVDs on the computer in the study. N rang FNAC about the DVD player and decided it would be easier to take it to the branch in Rouen rather than back to Paris.
On Monday we planned to take Madeleine to Evreux station in time for the 1.30 train to Paris to catch her Eurostar, which meant lunch at about 11.45; in the event we had an extremely short and busy morning. We were just awake at about 8.00 when we had a phone call from Monsieur A asking if the electricians could come in 15 minutes, I said we could be ready in 30, and quickly got dressed and opened the garage; unlike when they first came it is now light at 8.30.
N had not met them before - Emanuel brought his apprentice again - but was able to explain the new tasks which needed doing: the chandelier and the ceiling light in the grande pièce as well as the bedroom wall light and extra point, and the replacing of the kitchen light switch. He had forgotten about the electricity needed in the shower room ready for the loo with its broyeur, so I explained this and as I thought it will be no problem, but there was no time that day. We had breakfast while all this was going on, then M and I went to have a look at the market, which took all of five minutes. The fish man - very apologetically - did not have any salmon, but we bought bread from the supermarket and M got cards from the paper shop, and we visited the post office and bought stamps.
As soon as we got home the new lights were ready and needed bulbs, so M and I went back out again to get them and to post her cards; I was glad to give her the opportunity of visiting the Quincaillerie (and showing that it really did look like the Four Candles sketch) I also introduced her to Monsieur A whom we met going in. As we passed the market this time I noticed a chair caning stall, different from the one I had seen before and somehow found myself in conversation with a young man who said of course he could do my chair, so went home to fetch it and back out again for the third time that morning. (He claimed the man who had told me it was the wrong season just didn’t want any work) Anyway, I opted for the real caning « à l’ancienne » rather than the cheap stuff on a roll, and he said it should be done by Thursday and he will call and deliver. He said it was an Italian chair, and that the marks on the arms and back were due to water damage, which didn’t surprise me as it had been found abandoned in the garage, and I had planned to re-stain it anyway once the seat had been re-done.
We had a quick and early soup, bread and cheese lunch and set off for Evreux station, arriving well in advance with time to get M’s ticket as well as tasteful local postcards showing cider and camembert and the latest edition of the magazine Maisons Normandes. We waved her off on a two-tier train quite different from the one I had taken, and went straight back home to see how the electricians were doing. By the time they left at 5.30 the chandelier and bedroom light were looking marvellous; it is wonderful to have light in that dark corner near the wardrobe and chest of drawers at last, and to be able to distinguish my black socks from my brown ones! Sometimes I look at all my jackets hanging in the smaller section of the wardrobe and wonder what kind of life it was when I wore them so often. With the light in position on the wall there was no room for a picture, but it looked rather bare so I brought in some colourful artificial flowers which had arrived from Italy complete with vase; and decided what was needed was an arrangement of white flowers. With the extra electric point we can have a radio/CD player on top of the chest of drawers too.
It was rather strange to be just the two of us in the house for the first time for some weeks, and although there were - as always - lots of things which needed doing at home, we decided to go to Rouen the next day to take the DVD player to FNAC, as well as having a nice day out.
I had only ever been to Rouen once before, with N from Paris a few years ago, despite having wanted to visit it for some time, not - as suggested by a French friend to glory in the spot where the English burned Joan of Arc - but to identify with Emma Bovary and her ride round the cathedral in a closed carriage. However, no sign of either Emma or Joan today, apart from an car park called Pucelle, which amused me.
It took a little longer to get there than N had planned but this was rectified on the way back. It was a much larger place than I remembered, and it was difficult to find our way into the centre, but suddenly we were in the right street and drove into the underground car park below the shopping centre where FNAC was situated. They took the DVD player in and said they would contact us by letter in 15-20 days.
We looked round and I managed to find some white and cream artificial flowers for the bedroom and N found a book he wanted in FNAC. The cathedral was closed, so we decide to have lunch first; a small crowded cosy restaurant in the cathedral square where they served huge portions - N had duck with a vast jacket potato and I had an enormous salmon salad. While we were attacking these it began to snow; we weren’t surprised as it had been so cold when we were walking round. Afterwards we looked in Printemps for a lighting department as we just had one light left to get - for the study - but no luck. The cathedral was still closed and it was very cold, so we decided to go back to the car.
On the way back we stopped at a supermarket which usefully had a garden centre and DIY shop on the same site. As well as some large and bulky items from the supermarket, N bought a hoe, several heavy bags of earth and compost, and vegetable plants; and I found an excellent light for the study. N also found two thin battens of wood to finish off the bookshelves on the condemned door.
Pancake Day had caught us unawares just like St Valentine’s Day; it was only during the afternoon that we discovered it was that day, and fortunately had all the ingredients to hand, plus some left-over chicken for the filling. They went very well, and I only realised afterwards this was because for the first time in seven years I was cooking them on gas and not electricity!
Friday 3 March 2006
On Wednesday morning we awoke to brilliant blue skies and a light covering of snow everywhere, so different from all the grisaille of recent weeks. We drew the curtains and lay in bed looking at the great fir tree with its branches covered in snow, and tried pretending we were in Switzerland. We managed to do washing and gardening until lunchtime when it got very dark and there was more snow while we ate, and at the end of the afternoon a real snowstorm - N had been pruning shrubs at the front and had to abandon the wheelbarrow full of cuttings; it got more and more covered in snow and was a measure of just how much had fallen in the afternoon.
There was still snow about on Thursday, when I went to the Quincaillerie to get more acetone for N - the nasty lino is now all off the back hall floor but there are still patches of glue to be removed - and met Monsieur A. I said the electrical work was going well, but that we were still hoping he would come and look at the oil heater and sweep both chimneys, and he said how about Friday morning at 8.15? And I said that would be fine. We had planned to go to Bernay on Friday, but decided we could go later on in the day.
Monsieur A’s heating expert/sweep (we never found out his name) and his assistant arrived on time on Friday morning, by which time the snow had melted and it was pouring with rain. They began cleaning in the boiler room with lots of noise, and then announced that they were unable to sweep that chimney as it was not legal. Monsieur A was summoned to take a look at the situation; N was surprised as he had not seen him since the first day he came to the house, and thought he looked much younger then he had remembered.
Anyway, it appeared that the chimney from the oil heater had been fitted in a way which was now illegal, and that if they swept it and there were repercussions they would be held responsible, which obviously they didn’t want. Monsieur A said there were several solutions, and then proceeded to tell us all two of them: either we had a new stainless steel chimney conforming to regulations built above the height of the house, or we had a new oil fuel heater, plus new ground level outlet instead of chimney, which would be much more efficient and economical to run.
He obviously preferred the latter solution, and so did we once we got used to the idea of the enormous cost; the other heater had been there 10 years, and like everything had now been superseded by better and more efficient models. We were surprised as we had understood that it was a good make, but I felt - as with the kitchen - that if it was renewed now it would not need doing again later. Monsieur A left - later ringing to ask if he could bring an agent from the heating company to see us and house on Monday afternoon. Somewhat reeling, we supervised the sweeping of the chimney in the salon (I had only just cleaned it after the electricians’ visit) and covered the sofa and chairs with dustsheets. The sweep/heating technician amused me as he said there were pieces of chimney falling down, but that we were not to worry, it was an old house, and it was quite normal. Later he asked if we had a bucket to put under the boiler as it was leaking a little after the cleaning, but we were not to worry, it was all right. I told him he sounded like a doctor. We then asked him to look at the stone cold radiator in the grande pièce; he said it had been forced and was now blocked and would need a new piece fitting and the whole thing draining. This seemed a very minor thing after all we had heard that morning.
Some time in the middle of all this I had a phone call from the man who was re-caning my chair, it was ready and could he come this afternoon? I said we were planning to go to Bernay and he agreed to come at 1.00 which he duly did; the chair looks (and feels) marvellous but was very expensive; perhaps if I had known about the heater I would have been less reckless. Anyway, I have put it by the phone table in the back hall, and it gives me great pleasure. Will be even better once I have found time to re-stain it. Ever since we arrived last Saturday I have been trying to find time to start on my study curtains, but they just seem to get further and further away. I don’t know where all the time goes, although I found myself thinking this in bed this morning, and then discovered it was ten to nine……
The main reason for going to Bernay was something we should have done before; a visit to the Assurance Maladie offices to get me into the French Health system, about which I have heard a lot, from N and elsewhere. It was not worth doing before Christmas in Saint-Denis as that was not my permanent address and we kept saying we would go once I was settled in La Neuve-Lyre and it has taken this long.
It was not quite as bureaucratic as N had threatened or I had feared; a very fierce lady who refused to return my smile said that everything was in order but she needed to see my birth certificate, and then they would compile me a dossier and I would get the famous Carte Vitale. (This is so important that you needed to insert it into a machine at the door just to get a numbered ticket for your turn; fortunately N used his or we would still be there now in some kind of eternal bureaucratic vicious circle…) I had taken along forms from the UK, EHIC health card, passport, bank details and copy of a letter from water board proving where I live, but although my passport obviously includes my date of birth we have to go back with the birth certificate next week. I hope she is as impressed by it as my notaire Carine, who had never seen such a large British birth certificate before.
While at Bernay we made our regular visit to Monsieur Bricolage to get wood for our latest project - shelves in the landing cupboard ready for linen. (My clothes, which were hanging there having now been promoted to the Italian wardrobe in the bedroom) It was quite a relief, and a sign of progress, I think, that we did not have to buy any curtain poles or light fittings, although there will be more curtain poles to come. We had all the wood cut while we were there, and then with some difficulty got it and us back into the car and set off for the supermarket, to get - amongst other things - some steak to fortify ourselves after such a stressful day.
Sunday 5 March 2006
Yesterday morning I received a letter from Lapeyre telling us that the kitchen & bathroom fitting would start on Monday 20 March at 8.30 am, with delivery of materials on the Friday before, the 17th. Although very welcome this was a little earlier than I had expected; it gives me just one day to get back here from Paris after my trip to Britain. It also meant we suddenly had to paint the kitchen which we always said we would do before the fitting - and realised we had better do it this weekend. N said he had rather forgotten about painting the kitchen and had somehow hoped it would paint itself; I quite thought it would be April or May.
On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning N put up the supports for the shelves in the linen cupboard while I cleared the kitchen and then he painted the kitchen walls and ceiling while I covered the shelves with some leftover wallpaper we found in a cupboard. This was rather like wrapping a parcel, only with drawing pins, and much better and quicker than painting. If only it had matched the wallpaper on the walls inside the cupboard it would have been perfect! There is a space at the bottom for the upstairs hoover, and other cleaning things.
Filling the cupboard with the linen took ages and quite a lot of thought and organisation. Apart from all the stuff I had brought from Ainsworth Street, there were fine white sheets from N’s Italian « inheritance » - many hand-embroidered, and other John Lewis bedding he had bought for the first Italian house, the new IKEA sets I had bought for our bed, plus all sorts of other bedcovers, lots from both Italian houses. I counted 19 bedspreads not including ones currently on beds; there are lots of blankets and dozens of pillowcases. All the pillows went in a grey trunk in N’s attic, and I know from the first sort-out when we moved in that I somehow brought five single duvets from Ainsworth Street; I think they must have been breeding while in store. I did think as I was carrying it load by load past the beams on the landing how lucky I was to have all these beautiful old sheets in such a wonderful house. My other consolation was that it ever there were a houseful at Christmas (which we certainly hope) then nobody need be cold, as there would be plenty of extra layers for all.
Most of this bedding had been temporarily stored in a small built-in wardrobe in the front first floor guest bedroom; emptying it meant that it could be restored to being a guest wardrobe, so N took out the extra shelves and moved up the hanging rail which had been at child level.
Today N has done a second coat on the kitchen walls, and I have painted the window frames and skirting boards. The walls are brilliant white and the woodwork a matt « blanc cassé » (off white), the same as the panelling in the salon, like most of the woodwork in the house. I especially enjoyed painting the big traditionally French window with its central rod and large ornate handle in the middle, and visualising my tomato print curtains hanging up at it. These may be not so far off now as I had thought!
In between times it has snowed again on and off, and we have had some rather thrown-together meals in a dining room full of kitchen paraphernalia. Being taken by surprise meant we had little time to plan, but when the kitchen fitting starts even more will have to be taken out - contents of cupboards and drawers too. We will take the oven and kettle into the dining room, and probably resort to picnic meals from the traiteur again, like when we first came here. N has finally been able to go out in the garden and get on with various unfinished tasks; in between the snow showers it sometimes feels quite spring-like, especially now the mornings are so much lighter. The only sign of spring in the garden is the snowdrops around two of the bushes; they were barely visible a few weeks ago, but now look very confident. There are daffodil and tulip leaves poking through in places, too.
The other thing going on in the background has been planning for my trip to Britain, how to fit in time to see all the family, and where to stay when: I still haven’t found anywhere to stay in Cambridge for Friday and Saturday, the evening of the College dinner. I have a long list of things to do before we leave here for Saint-Denis on Wednesday, and I travel to London on Thursday. While I am there N will be in Italy for three days, for the final signature for the sale of the apartment at Soliera. This has involved many phone calls and e-mails in Italian over the last few days; problems caused by the purchasers wanting first of all to pay the deposit with a cheque in dollars, then the remainder with some kind of postal order, and now in cash. N has terrible visions of the Mafia and laundered money or counterfeit notes, or being hit over the head once he has the money in his bag. So all the communications are with the agent to protest and say that he finds all this « molto irregulare ».
Monday 6 March 2006
There are now two yellow crocuses in the garden too! And I now have somewhere to stay in Cambridge, and am crossing things off my « to do before UK » list, starting with « find gown » which I managed to do this morning. I have also managed to track down the Boots and Marks & Spencer vouchers I received for Christmas and had put in a Safe Place, and find my purse with £45 in it; the notes and coins look very odd indeed.
Tuesday 7 March 2006
Yesterday afternoon Monsieur A duly arrived with the man from the oil heater company, and we all had a look at the situation and it was decided it would be OK and Monsieur A will send us two estimates, one for the heater alone and one to include an electric water heating system, which we could use in the summer only and turn the main system off; more economical in the long run but obviously more expensive to install.
We then set off for Bernay in beautiful sunshine, so much more spring-like than last Friday when there was still a fair amount of snow lying about. The horses and cows we always pass in the fields looked much happier than usual. We parked at Monsieur Bricolage as always and this time looked at wallpaper, as this might be the quickest option for brightening up the walls of the back hall. At present they are covered in golden yellow wallpaper, and N had been thinking of repairing them with some spare paper we found in a cupboard, or painting them all over. There are so many golden yellow walls in this house, but much as I like them, it might be nice - and brighter - to have cream walls instead. We also bought some stuff called « crépi » a stiff paint which leaves a bumpy surface, which is all over the veranda walls, as there are big gaps which need redoing; together with an interesting roller with holes in with which to apply it.
We then went back to the Assurance Maladie offices with my birth certificate; a different woman - who I hope will be able to tie up the copy of this with my other papers - said I should contact them if I had heard nothing in two or three weeks. I then went shopping for things prior to my visit to Britain while N went to the garden centre, having finally decided the time had come to buy and plant roses and rhododendrons, to put in various gaps in the garden. They have been planted this morning, and look very fine indeed.
# posted by Chez Katherine @ 5:54 AM 
