Visit in November

Just come back from a weekend - it is good to be over there.  We did have a few problems, though.  Going over in November, you really need to have the heating working ok.  However, when we got there, we had difficulty getting the boiler to work.  We finally worked out that the boiler had been on since the 22 of September, when the last people were there, and the shower upstairs had not been fully turned off.  As a result, it had been using up hot water continuously until the tank ran out of oil!

We had bought about 500 litres earlier this year - the previous 500 litres had lasted 2 years.  All gone!  Also no way of getting the tanker over to fill up.  There was a solution - we had a couple of 25 litre jerry cans which we took to the petrol station in Pellegrue.  We filled them up, and, not easily, transferred the contents into the tank.  A couple of attempts and the boiler started up.  After a while, we realised the heating wasn't working.......  A couple of blows to the pump with an Irish screwdriver, and we had hot radiators!

Ok - that was ok Saturday afternoon, but, Friday afternoon and evening, we were freeeeeezing!  The small electric radiators just aren't up to heating a big space - they're fine for the bedrooms we bought them for, but not the master bedroom or the downstairs living area.

On the way to the house from Bordeaux, we stopped at Leroy Merlin to decide on bathroom stuff, and we bought a grate for the fireplace.  That did make a difference, and both nights we were able to have a roaring fire, which made up for it a bit.

Bathroom planning is now well advanced - we are assured it will be ready by the time I go out at the end of March.  I have a list of improvements for when I'm out there - shutters for the bunk bedroom, skirting board and general tidying up around the landing, decorating in the bathroom...