Last week’s blog ended with a statement that we generally needed to take more time to relax. It also started saying how amazing the weather had been – and looked like it would continue to be. Thankfully, at least for the start of the week, the forecast was correct and the incredibly hot weather continued. In fact, it was so hot that I couldn’t work outside for a couple of afternoons during the week due to the excessive heat.
I only say that the forecast was accurate at the start of the week as, having got so hot, we were desperately in need of some rain which was initially forecast for yesterday but didn’t arrive.
I did manage to make some progress on the garage bay that I had levelled the previous week. As this is one of the bays that we intend to have garage doors fitted to, we want to keep it as dry as possible. To help, having levelled the floor I have laid a plastic sheet to minimise the amount of moisture rising from the ground and have used the final tonne of sand or so, which wasn’t needed on the pétanque pitch, to create a protective layer before we add gravel at some point.
I have also completed the final internal cladding in the last remaining garage bay, the one furthest from Hayloft. I had only managed a few planks of this before because it remained the most crowded bay of them all with minimal access to complete the cladding. Having taken a lot of rubbish to the tip in the last couple of week and shuffled some of the remaining items about, I could finish the cladding and use the planks which were taking up space on the driveway – or most of them at least.
This means that, with the small exception of the garage doors, all of the woodworking aspects of Grange is complete – a major achievement. It is only clearing the bays and laying gravel remaining. Soon!!
This was my only major achievement of the week with the rest being routine things like grass cutting and fun. With the very dry weather the grass has (almost) stopped growing but, with the forecast for rain I thought it sensible to cut although it is looking as parched as it ever has in our short time here.
Having said that we need to take more time to relax, with the weather staying unbearably hot, we took a day off and went to the beach. What we could (should?) have done was explore and find a beach we have never used before so we can recommend it to guests. What we actually did do was head back to the amazing white sand beach of Dossen on the north coast as we knew it is dog-friendly and, when the tide is out, has vast expanses of fantastic golden sand. This is used by large numbers of land yachties while the sheltered and calm waters are great for wind and kite surfing.
David packed an excellent picnic and we took our new beach shelter with us to provide the dogs with some shelter from the sun – although they didn’t seem to like it very much and didn’t venture in preferring to cool off in the sea.
Dossen is connected to the Ile de Siec which can be walked to at low tide and provides an interesting place to explore. There are 2 occupied cottages on the island which would be fantastic to live in – if not very practical – but I would love to know the history of the island as it was evidently a thriving little port at one point with the remains of a once impressive slipway and the and the ruins of a number of other buildings and dwellings.
A great day at the beach was followed by a fantastic BBQ at home with some excellent Breton seafood and movie night in the cinema.
Today has also been a day off and, with the promised rain and thunderstorms not materialising, a great day to go and watch the annual TriBreizh triathlon
which takes place in and around the Lac Du Drennec. As it turned out the weather was probably a little too hot for the athletes but the 290 participants seemed to appreciate the 23 degree water of the lake for the 2½ kilometre swim – as too did the dogs (again) who rarely pass by the opportunity for a dip to cool off.
We had a guest stay with us who was competing in the race as training for an IronMan later in the year, and, while spectating, David saw a couple of his gym members who compete with Morlaix Triathlon team.
The great weather we have been enjoying has meant that, while parts of the garden are looking particularly frazzled – sadly including a few of the new yews we have planted (why are the brambles, knot weed and other mauvais herbes not knocked back by the lack of water?!) the hanging baskets that David has been watering frequently are looking better than they ever have. I have managed to erect some additional wires for our wisteria and a lovely jasmine that we were kindly gifted so the front of the buildings are starting to look great.
For those of you who follow our Facebook page, you will have seen we had a lovely article written about us on a French magazine website so hopefully will all be good publicity for Kergudon.
As I write this blog however, the promised thunderstorm has arrived and we are finally getting the much needed downpour promised. This is at least as heavy as that which we drove through a couple of weeks ago in Morlaix but, thankfully, we are not at the bottom of a valley. The forecast, if to be believed, is for lots of rain in the next couple of days (must be Wimbledon next week) which will be a great relief to our plants and will allow me to continue rolling the pétanque pitch – will be tournament ready for the summer!
Next week’s project are a little open at the minute – and will depend a lot on weather, but there are always many things to do on the list ….
Salut.