If you are reading this blog on our website you may have noticed some changes! In my last blog, which I can’t link to as it is on the old site, I mentioned that a project Dave had been working on for a number of weeks was about to come to fruition. This new website is that project.
To be honest, I was admonished by Dave for saying that he had been working on it for a number of weeks when it has been something that started back in February as an idea. We liked our old website and received lots of good comments about it. However, there were a number of things it didn’t do well and, as trends change with websites and how Google ranks them evolves so we thought it was a good time to change ours. We hope you like it.
Also in last week’s blog I mentioned there were a number of things that may become clearer in time with France being back in confinement. Some have. Some haven’t.
What isn’t totally clear is whether Dave will need to go to Brest during lockdown to give his classes. Last week he was able to give his class online from his own gym here and, hopefully, he will be able to continue to do that.
For me, I said that I needed to make progress in our utility room so that we could eventually get our lounge back and this has been my principal task. I am not finished as yet, you surely weren’t expecting that(!) but it is definitely moving forward and is looking bright and white. One visual illusion is the new ceiling gives the impression of much greater height in the room. I don’t know if that is because it is now just a plain, smooth ceiling without all the gaps between wooden planks or, possibly more, as a result of the room being almost totally empty. We should find out next week when I start putting cabinets back in next week.
We did have a tree surgeon come round in the week and had yet more of our boundary trees felled. I know it sounds like we are trying to eradicate every tree on site but I promise this isn’t the case. Most of the trees on the boundary talus were never planned or planted but were just allowed to grow having self-set. As a result they are not great specimens and there were far too many of them when we arrived.
This week we had 3 ash trees cut down. Two because they were just in the wrong place and too close together so had grown in a funny shape. The third may have been planted as it was right in the corner of the garden between Hent Gorreker and Stréat al Louarn. As it was in the corner on top of the talus, its roots could only grow in 2 directions. Last winter we saw that in strong winds the tree was starting to sway more than it had before and was beginning to break up the wall it was planted on. We were afraid there was a risk that it could blow down completely if it continued to weaken the wall and, as it was right next to the power lines, we thought it better to take it down before it blows down! Hopefully I will be able to log and shred them in the next week.
It has meant that we are a little more exposed on that side of the garden than we would like but, it should help the yews there grow a little quicker and allows us to plant other trees that are a little more interesting. We have a couple of varieties in mind that we may have to wait until the end of confinement to buy.
Finally, a date for your diaries for 2021 (assuming anyone is allowed to travel again!) One change that has had to be made as a result of the pandemic, is that the Grand Départ for the Tour de France 2021 has been moved from Copenhagen to Brest.
Le first stage, on 26 June, is then between Brest and Landerneau. While I cannot yet find an exact route, the tour’s Twitter announcement showed a photograph of the race when it last passed through our local town of Sizun only in 2018. The route will certainly pass through Quimper and Locronan but it will have to pass very close to us here in Kergudon so, if you are a cycling fan and want to either be at the Grand Départ or just watch the carnival pass by, book your holiday here for next June!
Next week progressing, hopefully finishing, the utility room if we can get a plumber, and some chain saw activity!
À beintôt.