I dont want the man who eats wild leaves dead anymore at all. Even though he elongates every 's' on the endsss of wordsss he is quite interesting. Apart from the fact that he beleives in BOILING tea alive, to release the flavours which we told him last night is WRONG.
Sam sat on a large stinging nettle today and stung his botty - it was too funny for words...he just got his little cheeks out there in the garden and frantically rubbed a doc leaf into it hahhaha
Yesterday we went to see the Bayeaux tapestry!! we went with a work awayer who is staying accross the road, called Romas? we weren't sure of his name all day, but he is a pretty interesting, if not mute most of the time, guy from Lithuania. The tapestry was amazing - so intricate. Then we went to the memorials for WWII - the British, with loads of personalised grave stones and not even a fraction of the men killed, all so young - it was so moving. I shed a tear. Then we went to the D day beaches, Point Du Hoc and Omaha, and it was so surreal and overwhelming. Then we visited the American memorial with all the thousands of white crosses, owned by Americans - it is all very big and American. LIBERTY! COMPETENCE! SACRIFICE! STRENGTH! Then we drove to Caen and had a desporados. Then we drove home.
Then we had a BBQ and Corey's daughter, 'Poppet' - the great pink - went back to the UK.
Today our lift fell through with the French man, Frederique, but it is ok, we think we have secured another lady to take us on the same day, and for cheaper at 16 euros each. Win
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Caravan and canoeing
After that little rant about the characters, I totally forgot to mention what we've been upto recently. On wednesday, we drove to a town near where Mont St Michel is situated and did some work on a chalet caravan type thing which is owned by a friend of Bobs. We painted the railings, washed down the actual thing and it didnt even feel like work. The weather was amazing, I saw a lizard, we went swimming in a super cool fun swimming pool with wave machine, rapids, slides and then went on some pedalos. Then we had a tasty bbq and all was good. The next day we drove home via Mont St Michel, took a quick touristy picture, because it costs loads to get in and there was a thousand people and it looks like st micheals mount anyway. Then drove home via a little town where we stopped for a casual drink. Nicey nicey.
Then on Friday our day off, we were driven to Clecy, which is meant to be the capital of Suisse Normande, although it has NOTHING in it except the river which we canooed on. It was so good, we got a 2hr 4km paddle down the river which was so relaxing, perfect weather too. We took a picnic and bought some desperados and it was just generally an amazing day off. We might go to see the Bayeux tapestry tomorrow.
I'm reading perfume at the moment which is coooooooooool
Sam is getting fat
We have heard back from a third farm in Bordeaux where we will be feeding sheep and gardening (WIN) and I want to buy a lemon plant. Sam bought me some chocolates from a chocolaterie yesterday which are SO rich, and our host gave us an easter egg today filled with little chocolates. Happy easter!
Then on Friday our day off, we were driven to Clecy, which is meant to be the capital of Suisse Normande, although it has NOTHING in it except the river which we canooed on. It was so good, we got a 2hr 4km paddle down the river which was so relaxing, perfect weather too. We took a picnic and bought some desperados and it was just generally an amazing day off. We might go to see the Bayeux tapestry tomorrow.
I'm reading perfume at the moment which is coooooooooool
Sam is getting fat
We have heard back from a third farm in Bordeaux where we will be feeding sheep and gardening (WIN) and I want to buy a lemon plant. Sam bought me some chocolates from a chocolaterie yesterday which are SO rich, and our host gave us an easter egg today filled with little chocolates. Happy easter!
Saturday, 23 April 2011
The Jokes God
Oh my god.
So first the jokes god delivers us a northern 50 yr old woman who is full of woe and provides us with quotes and jokes for days, but now we have two gypsies staying here. The man, is about 60 with a GREY BOB and a rat face with a bent nose and a voice like the paeodofile from family guy who wears a customised straw hat and tries to talk to ME and look at ME and I look away because I dont want to listen or hear him eat and he breathes through his nose when he eats and I want him dead.
The woman is 30 and has a northern accent and sounds stupid because she says things like 'it were nice' and thinks everything which comes with melted cheese on is lasagne and asks sam if he has tried cucumbers for his HAYFEVER.
They also EAT the weeds and they repeat the SAME joke twice to each person, by saying "I got me own back on the weeds" and "missed a bit" to us. HILARE.
Saw a place called St. Hilaire yesterday.
AND THEN,
our hosts daughter arrives, who is CLINICALLY OBESE and wearing a Pale pink pyjama set!!!! wtf
So now we have to sit at the table with these people each night and try not to die. Tonight we have to go for drinks accross the road at the place where the other English couple live, who are death as well, and ALL GET TOGETHER. Me and Sam are like kids who don't wanna go but have to because we were told to. HAHAAAA
So first the jokes god delivers us a northern 50 yr old woman who is full of woe and provides us with quotes and jokes for days, but now we have two gypsies staying here. The man, is about 60 with a GREY BOB and a rat face with a bent nose and a voice like the paeodofile from family guy who wears a customised straw hat and tries to talk to ME and look at ME and I look away because I dont want to listen or hear him eat and he breathes through his nose when he eats and I want him dead.
The woman is 30 and has a northern accent and sounds stupid because she says things like 'it were nice' and thinks everything which comes with melted cheese on is lasagne and asks sam if he has tried cucumbers for his HAYFEVER.
They also EAT the weeds and they repeat the SAME joke twice to each person, by saying "I got me own back on the weeds" and "missed a bit" to us. HILARE.
Saw a place called St. Hilaire yesterday.
AND THEN,
our hosts daughter arrives, who is CLINICALLY OBESE and wearing a Pale pink pyjama set!!!! wtf
So now we have to sit at the table with these people each night and try not to die. Tonight we have to go for drinks accross the road at the place where the other English couple live, who are death as well, and ALL GET TOGETHER. Me and Sam are like kids who don't wanna go but have to because we were told to. HAHAAAA
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
MUDFEST
SHITE MOP WILLY
is who Sam was yesterday, whilst we were up to our fuckin' knees in cow pat!! well pretty much. We were in charge of weeding the pond, which was just a mud pit, and then building the dam so that the stream would form a pond in the garden. It was proper jokes, and super warm - we were in swimming wear! but after loads of mud fights I think a bit was ingested because I have a stomach ache today! anyway it was so much fun! Also Corey bought us some wine down to celebrate the construction of the pond. The mud pit was oozing and gurgling as we stomped around in it and sometimes it felt like we were stepping on bodies but they were good because they were higher up then the bottom of the lake so acted like platforms, I wonder who they were though.
Have been taking it easy due to this stomach ache, weeding is a lot of leaning forward which is uncomfortable so have been preparing the hanging baskets around the cafe, seeing LOADS of spiders, eating roast pork, lemon sorbet, stir frys and listening to the ipod. Ordering some luggage as my bag is ripping and pretty moth eaten, and planning our next farm or two. Also been offered a job in Reus, which I have been informed is a pretty guarenteed job if I apply, but a friend from English Summer, and it would be a years work so me and Sam are thinking about getting a flat in the outskirts of Tarragonna or Barcelona and just jamming there for a bit. Very much excite!!!
Tomorrow, a Scouse couple of age 30 and 60 are coming, who will definitely provide us with another array of jokes, but we are going to go out to a campervan to do some work on it with Bob, and then visit Mont St Michel on the way back, a two day trip all round. Then it will be our final week at La Paix!!! the time here has gone so quickly. We have had amazing weather this week and are getting browner. We finished reading Brighton Rock aloud and are now reading Starter for Ten and Brave New World.
We need to spend a night in the gypsy caravan soon, before we leave.
Sam has covered me in tattoos with a biro, of a bubbling bird haha
is who Sam was yesterday, whilst we were up to our fuckin' knees in cow pat!! well pretty much. We were in charge of weeding the pond, which was just a mud pit, and then building the dam so that the stream would form a pond in the garden. It was proper jokes, and super warm - we were in swimming wear! but after loads of mud fights I think a bit was ingested because I have a stomach ache today! anyway it was so much fun! Also Corey bought us some wine down to celebrate the construction of the pond. The mud pit was oozing and gurgling as we stomped around in it and sometimes it felt like we were stepping on bodies but they were good because they were higher up then the bottom of the lake so acted like platforms, I wonder who they were though.
Have been taking it easy due to this stomach ache, weeding is a lot of leaning forward which is uncomfortable so have been preparing the hanging baskets around the cafe, seeing LOADS of spiders, eating roast pork, lemon sorbet, stir frys and listening to the ipod. Ordering some luggage as my bag is ripping and pretty moth eaten, and planning our next farm or two. Also been offered a job in Reus, which I have been informed is a pretty guarenteed job if I apply, but a friend from English Summer, and it would be a years work so me and Sam are thinking about getting a flat in the outskirts of Tarragonna or Barcelona and just jamming there for a bit. Very much excite!!!
Tomorrow, a Scouse couple of age 30 and 60 are coming, who will definitely provide us with another array of jokes, but we are going to go out to a campervan to do some work on it with Bob, and then visit Mont St Michel on the way back, a two day trip all round. Then it will be our final week at La Paix!!! the time here has gone so quickly. We have had amazing weather this week and are getting browner. We finished reading Brighton Rock aloud and are now reading Starter for Ten and Brave New World.
We need to spend a night in the gypsy caravan soon, before we leave.
Sam has covered me in tattoos with a biro, of a bubbling bird haha
Friday, 15 April 2011
HIKE
We like to use incorrect French in an ironic way. For example, if someone says, Bonjour! we will say oh, BON ANNIVERSAIRE! pretending that it's fully correct. hahaha its jokes.
Bonjour!
Aujourd Oui!
Come on TOUT APPEL! (works best in a northern accent)
Today we went on a NINE KILOMETER HIKE around Suisse-Normandy. It looks a lot like Cornwall, loads of up and down hill and we walked parallel to a river for a lot of it which was pretty. We went with the American couple who are really cool and inspirational. They are about 28 and are married and have been together ten years but are really happy and sweet, like a model couple and; as I said, are photographers so we've been subject to some really cool shots which I'll upload at some point later.
Yesterday we went to the market again, and bought some fresh strawberries and radishes and sweets and Sam bought his Crepe :D
We have been painting the garden furniture recently which is a welcome break from weeding but made the rookie error of not mixing the first pot of paint ("Gentle Lavender") properly, so the first chairs came out dark purple and the next lot were left with a WHITE coat, so we just used the remaining white to do an undercoat on all the rest of it.
After the hike we stopped at the start point and got a beer and then the cafe man bought us out a plate of LOADS of cheese and a glass of wine each for fifteen euros for four which was really nice. When we got back we were so tired, but had to go accross the road, to our host's friends Geoffe and Lynne who have been here in France for years too, and had drinks with them and their Lithuanian Wwoofer.
Last night we cooked for them, a vegetarian meal of bean chilli stuffed inside a yellow pepper, Sam made a Thai papaya salad for starter and then Paul made marinaded tofu and we picked some purple sprouting broccoli from the garden. (WIN x 10000 for me in terms of feed as i'm pretty cheesed and carbed out)
Bonjour!
Aujourd Oui!
Come on TOUT APPEL! (works best in a northern accent)
Today we went on a NINE KILOMETER HIKE around Suisse-Normandy. It looks a lot like Cornwall, loads of up and down hill and we walked parallel to a river for a lot of it which was pretty. We went with the American couple who are really cool and inspirational. They are about 28 and are married and have been together ten years but are really happy and sweet, like a model couple and; as I said, are photographers so we've been subject to some really cool shots which I'll upload at some point later.
Yesterday we went to the market again, and bought some fresh strawberries and radishes and sweets and Sam bought his Crepe :D
We have been painting the garden furniture recently which is a welcome break from weeding but made the rookie error of not mixing the first pot of paint ("Gentle Lavender") properly, so the first chairs came out dark purple and the next lot were left with a WHITE coat, so we just used the remaining white to do an undercoat on all the rest of it.
After the hike we stopped at the start point and got a beer and then the cafe man bought us out a plate of LOADS of cheese and a glass of wine each for fifteen euros for four which was really nice. When we got back we were so tired, but had to go accross the road, to our host's friends Geoffe and Lynne who have been here in France for years too, and had drinks with them and their Lithuanian Wwoofer.
Last night we cooked for them, a vegetarian meal of bean chilli stuffed inside a yellow pepper, Sam made a Thai papaya salad for starter and then Paul made marinaded tofu and we picked some purple sprouting broccoli from the garden. (WIN x 10000 for me in terms of feed as i'm pretty cheesed and carbed out)
Monday, 11 April 2011
New arrivals
Yesterday was another STEAMINGly hot day. We have been promoted to weed pullers in the vegetable patch because there has been an arrival of an American couple. Aged 28, married, photographers. They have taken over the lavender weeding, and it's a nice, well-earned break. They took a nice polaroid of us in our work gear looking standard, but we love it because it really captures the day. YAR YAR YAR MMM YAR
There is a bed and breakfast next to the farmhouse which is pretty constantly occupied (it's fresh inside) and recently there was a northern woman staying on a 'zen weekend' and she came to dinner with us one night. It was super jokes because at the first question anyone asked her, like "So what do you do" or something simililarly basic, she answered with the biggest tale of woe ever known to man.
"I have two twin daughters, and my partner doesnt love me and Ive been crying myself to sleep every night for the last two weeks and nothing can placate me" etc. HEAVY shit and we were like heh ok... and then our hosts, Cory and Bob kept a thousand litres of wine flowing into everyones glasses and we had a 4 course meal, including CHEESE course after mains. It was massive, and really tasty.
Me and Sam have consequently been having LOADS of jokes recently about her (its not harsh) and certain characters from eastenders. GUS the street cleaner, and Trevor, the scottish anger problem. We cant help but talk in an array of voices whilst we are weeding and we sort of think we are delerious and going a bit mad, but its fine haha I was in a proper state of uncontrollable giggles today. Sam was being mad as a hatter.
We painted some garden furniture also yesterday which was a really nice task to do, in the shade of the willow tree but Sam was not happy because we were using metal paint, which was a pale lavender colour, onto a white base, but he was getting well stressed because the paint strokes were really visible and looked shit and it had to be perfect (to him) and he was teasy and hungry anyway but it was hilare for me.
He eats for ten. The American photographers find this amazing and take photos of his massive helpings.
They are vegetarians so it's kind of cool for us because it was mainly a meat fest at dinner but last night we had a sick vegetarian curry selection made by Bob.
It's hard not to break into a silly American "My name's Rachel Zoe, and I'm a stylUST" voice forgetting that they are around!
We are nearly finished reading Brighton Rock - I'm reading to Sam and are still just totally loving it here.
Apparently there is a water RAT that lives in the stream here, cant wait to see that. Also there are mice that can be heard running around in the walls of where we sleep, but I like to think of them as hat wearing, waistcoat wearing, moustache bearing, pot bellied characters who are French and friendly so it helps when i shit myself when I hear them.
Also going to the toilet in the night is a joke because it is outside, and you have to climb over a fence and go around the corner with a torch. Sometimes I am scared of the murderers and hills have eyes people that live round here and ALWAYS need a wee in the night because of the fat intake of wine we have at dinner which is late, so I need to kind of man up and stop waking Sam up to come with me haha
(All sparked by a dream about a man named BILL CLAVA though, which is well scary it is like balaclava and meat CLEAVER so you can't blame me)
What sort of witches live in the dessert? SANDWICHES
we are looking into catching a lift with someone, via an online sharing scheme, to get to our next farm to save some money, not that we are spending a SINGLE penny which is well good.
There is a bed and breakfast next to the farmhouse which is pretty constantly occupied (it's fresh inside) and recently there was a northern woman staying on a 'zen weekend' and she came to dinner with us one night. It was super jokes because at the first question anyone asked her, like "So what do you do" or something simililarly basic, she answered with the biggest tale of woe ever known to man.
"I have two twin daughters, and my partner doesnt love me and Ive been crying myself to sleep every night for the last two weeks and nothing can placate me" etc. HEAVY shit and we were like heh ok... and then our hosts, Cory and Bob kept a thousand litres of wine flowing into everyones glasses and we had a 4 course meal, including CHEESE course after mains. It was massive, and really tasty.
Me and Sam have consequently been having LOADS of jokes recently about her (its not harsh) and certain characters from eastenders. GUS the street cleaner, and Trevor, the scottish anger problem. We cant help but talk in an array of voices whilst we are weeding and we sort of think we are delerious and going a bit mad, but its fine haha I was in a proper state of uncontrollable giggles today. Sam was being mad as a hatter.
We painted some garden furniture also yesterday which was a really nice task to do, in the shade of the willow tree but Sam was not happy because we were using metal paint, which was a pale lavender colour, onto a white base, but he was getting well stressed because the paint strokes were really visible and looked shit and it had to be perfect (to him) and he was teasy and hungry anyway but it was hilare for me.
He eats for ten. The American photographers find this amazing and take photos of his massive helpings.
They are vegetarians so it's kind of cool for us because it was mainly a meat fest at dinner but last night we had a sick vegetarian curry selection made by Bob.
It's hard not to break into a silly American "My name's Rachel Zoe, and I'm a stylUST" voice forgetting that they are around!
We are nearly finished reading Brighton Rock - I'm reading to Sam and are still just totally loving it here.
Apparently there is a water RAT that lives in the stream here, cant wait to see that. Also there are mice that can be heard running around in the walls of where we sleep, but I like to think of them as hat wearing, waistcoat wearing, moustache bearing, pot bellied characters who are French and friendly so it helps when i shit myself when I hear them.
Also going to the toilet in the night is a joke because it is outside, and you have to climb over a fence and go around the corner with a torch. Sometimes I am scared of the murderers and hills have eyes people that live round here and ALWAYS need a wee in the night because of the fat intake of wine we have at dinner which is late, so I need to kind of man up and stop waking Sam up to come with me haha
(All sparked by a dream about a man named BILL CLAVA though, which is well scary it is like balaclava and meat CLEAVER so you can't blame me)
What sort of witches live in the dessert? SANDWICHES
we are looking into catching a lift with someone, via an online sharing scheme, to get to our next farm to save some money, not that we are spending a SINGLE penny which is well good.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Samedi
Today we walked into town with the intention of going swimming at the pool in town which has a retractable roof between the hours of 12.30 and 1.30pm, but, being the wastemen we are, we didn't get there on time and so we walked around the town in the beating sun with no available shops to accomodate our needs as everything closes for lunch for two hours at midday!! of course.
So we eventually walked to an Aldi, bought a sweet picnic of cider, ham, carrot salad and bread, and of course Sam bought a fat from a local pattisserie and then we sat in a park, after asking for directions in French from a really French-looking old man with a sparkle in his eye and then walked home, buying Sangria (1.5 LITRES for ONE EURO) on the way. We sat in the hammock in the garden and drank it and the day was passed very easily indeed. The tan deepens...
Here is a joke from the book "My first joke book" -
Why shouldn't you walk bare foot in the grass??
Because it is full of blades.
hahaaaaa
talking of blades, at the market yesterday there was a SHANK stall. We were saying how well that would go down in London ha!
So we eventually walked to an Aldi, bought a sweet picnic of cider, ham, carrot salad and bread, and of course Sam bought a fat from a local pattisserie and then we sat in a park, after asking for directions in French from a really French-looking old man with a sparkle in his eye and then walked home, buying Sangria (1.5 LITRES for ONE EURO) on the way. We sat in the hammock in the garden and drank it and the day was passed very easily indeed. The tan deepens...
Here is a joke from the book "My first joke book" -
Why shouldn't you walk bare foot in the grass??
Because it is full of blades.
hahaaaaa
talking of blades, at the market yesterday there was a SHANK stall. We were saying how well that would go down in London ha!
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Bonjour!
Bonjour tout le monde!
So we made it, we got thet 2pm ferry from Portsmouth along with about 500 French school kids who all looked like they were out of a french textbook and were mad for life and loving the onboard entertainment (a man who was a terrible entertainer on the boat who kept tailing his words with a heeearYEEE sound which was appaling.)
We got in a bit of French practice at the bar by odering a few celebratory drinks in to set sail with. The weather on board was immediately lovely and we sailed off into a perfect sunset.
There we were collected from Caen by Bob, our first host who drove us home to La Paix and we were welcomed into an amaaaazing farmhouse (gangster) which smelt of oak were shown to our abode, which is an outhouse with a downstairs living space and an upstairs sleeping space which you get up to via ladder. It is so cool. There are loads of books and wine and lavender oil in our little outhouse and we have our own key etc so lots of privacy and space to make a mess in.
We had some cheese and wine on our first night which was so good and then had a well needed sleeep...
we awoke to the sound of a cockeral screaming at the top of it's lungs (in English - a proper cock a doodle DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO with perfect diction) haha Sam hates the fact that it does it ALL Day and not JUST in the morning and the evening like it SHOULD - and birds twittering in the nearby trees. Not a single car or bus or citizen around. The weather was shorts and tshirt weather from the morning and we had a breakfast of fruit, yoghurt and fresh bread and then were shown our work; the lavender. We were set to work weeding the lavender plants, which was back breaking at first and our arms were scratched into works of art and bleeding and burnt and crusty and we were super hungry by lunchtime but it felt SO good because it was a well earned meal instead of waiting at a screen to get a fake hunger and the cupboards and fridge here are free reign for us to make our own and stocked with every single cheese and ham under the sun. Dinner is cooked for us though, and on the first night we had a well fit chilli. It rained quite heavily on the first evening and we were cosy and read our books and chilled in our out house very happily.
The weather since the rain has been super sunshine, tan is already developing!!! and we have been working 6 hours a day, mostly weeding the plants and clearing all of the fallen leaves around them and we have discovered lots of insects: there is Mr. Stripes, a very keen bee who lives near our door who wants to come in but doesnt actually come in, i think he prefers the fantasy. There is also a 'Mosh' which is a GANGSTER looking beetle, pretty big and metallic looking, gold and purplish. We called it Mosh cos it looks so fly. There is also JUMPING SPIDERS - David you would HAAATE and several wormy wormingtons (mr. Mington).
There is a mad-for-it collie called Mia who is ten months old who lives here who constantly wants to play fetch, she is soo sweet. She has a selection of toys including Rat, chicken bone, stick and now frisbee and likes to drop it in front of you and then leg it really far away before you've even picked it up and stares from a distance at you until you throw it.
The people are so safe, A dutch lady who is multi lingual and a man from London who cooks well fit food for us in the evening and works a la Jardin tous les jours. we On the sunday had roast VEAL which was sooo fit, and just well good that we got a Roast!!
We took the bikes into the nearby village which is just up the road but has nothing but a church and a hotel and then a day or two later (losing track of what day is which) walked the very scenic route into the nearby town (4km) Conde-Sur-Noireau and Sam bought a fat from one of eight pattiseries!
We popped the bubbly that sam bought from his work with our hosts on the first night and it was niiice and there is wine that flows from the fridge non stop. After work (and at lunch sometimes) it is a question of red or white. When in France... :)
The acheyness wore off from the work after the first few days and our arms are healing but is just so nice to be outside working and not clock watching and just enjoying life, it really is ideal.
Tomorrow is our first day off so we are either going to go Kayaking in the nearby river or maybe a la piscine or just out on a big rambling adventure. There is a pregnant sheep next door who looks well gutted to be so fat and woolly in this weather and all it says is BAA and reminds me of the youtube video called goat screaming like a man and is hilare.
This morning we cycled to the nearby village to the French market and it was so authentic (with the French accordian music and everything) and bought some massive strawberrts and a crepe au chocolate and I got rinsed by the market man because I asked for une orange seulement when everyone else was buying in bulk haha i didnt understand the rinse tho so it was fine. The market men have well funny voices and all the women are elderly and look like Lynne from Alan Partridge and the market was full of 90s clothes that you would see on a Polish worker and it was hilare.
Sorry this post is kind of late, actually i'm not sorry, it's well good not giving a fuck about the internet! we havent even had a single desire to go online and it will probably stay with that. Well enjoying the absence of adverts and the dryness of London. We are reading Brighton Rock and Brave New World which are both really good but the books on the shelf are taking my fancy... in particular 'Secrets of the gnomes' and 'glorious Knitting' (NOT) but true about secrets of the gnomes (apparently the conical hats are to stop falling objects from hitting them) I think im going MAD. hahahahaaaaa
So we made it, we got thet 2pm ferry from Portsmouth along with about 500 French school kids who all looked like they were out of a french textbook and were mad for life and loving the onboard entertainment (a man who was a terrible entertainer on the boat who kept tailing his words with a heeearYEEE sound which was appaling.)
We got in a bit of French practice at the bar by odering a few celebratory drinks in to set sail with. The weather on board was immediately lovely and we sailed off into a perfect sunset.
There we were collected from Caen by Bob, our first host who drove us home to La Paix and we were welcomed into an amaaaazing farmhouse (gangster) which smelt of oak were shown to our abode, which is an outhouse with a downstairs living space and an upstairs sleeping space which you get up to via ladder. It is so cool. There are loads of books and wine and lavender oil in our little outhouse and we have our own key etc so lots of privacy and space to make a mess in.
We had some cheese and wine on our first night which was so good and then had a well needed sleeep...
we awoke to the sound of a cockeral screaming at the top of it's lungs (in English - a proper cock a doodle DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO with perfect diction) haha Sam hates the fact that it does it ALL Day and not JUST in the morning and the evening like it SHOULD - and birds twittering in the nearby trees. Not a single car or bus or citizen around. The weather was shorts and tshirt weather from the morning and we had a breakfast of fruit, yoghurt and fresh bread and then were shown our work; the lavender. We were set to work weeding the lavender plants, which was back breaking at first and our arms were scratched into works of art and bleeding and burnt and crusty and we were super hungry by lunchtime but it felt SO good because it was a well earned meal instead of waiting at a screen to get a fake hunger and the cupboards and fridge here are free reign for us to make our own and stocked with every single cheese and ham under the sun. Dinner is cooked for us though, and on the first night we had a well fit chilli. It rained quite heavily on the first evening and we were cosy and read our books and chilled in our out house very happily.
The weather since the rain has been super sunshine, tan is already developing!!! and we have been working 6 hours a day, mostly weeding the plants and clearing all of the fallen leaves around them and we have discovered lots of insects: there is Mr. Stripes, a very keen bee who lives near our door who wants to come in but doesnt actually come in, i think he prefers the fantasy. There is also a 'Mosh' which is a GANGSTER looking beetle, pretty big and metallic looking, gold and purplish. We called it Mosh cos it looks so fly. There is also JUMPING SPIDERS - David you would HAAATE and several wormy wormingtons (mr. Mington).
There is a mad-for-it collie called Mia who is ten months old who lives here who constantly wants to play fetch, she is soo sweet. She has a selection of toys including Rat, chicken bone, stick and now frisbee and likes to drop it in front of you and then leg it really far away before you've even picked it up and stares from a distance at you until you throw it.
The people are so safe, A dutch lady who is multi lingual and a man from London who cooks well fit food for us in the evening and works a la Jardin tous les jours. we On the sunday had roast VEAL which was sooo fit, and just well good that we got a Roast!!
We took the bikes into the nearby village which is just up the road but has nothing but a church and a hotel and then a day or two later (losing track of what day is which) walked the very scenic route into the nearby town (4km) Conde-Sur-Noireau and Sam bought a fat from one of eight pattiseries!
We popped the bubbly that sam bought from his work with our hosts on the first night and it was niiice and there is wine that flows from the fridge non stop. After work (and at lunch sometimes) it is a question of red or white. When in France... :)
The acheyness wore off from the work after the first few days and our arms are healing but is just so nice to be outside working and not clock watching and just enjoying life, it really is ideal.
Tomorrow is our first day off so we are either going to go Kayaking in the nearby river or maybe a la piscine or just out on a big rambling adventure. There is a pregnant sheep next door who looks well gutted to be so fat and woolly in this weather and all it says is BAA and reminds me of the youtube video called goat screaming like a man and is hilare.
This morning we cycled to the nearby village to the French market and it was so authentic (with the French accordian music and everything) and bought some massive strawberrts and a crepe au chocolate and I got rinsed by the market man because I asked for une orange seulement when everyone else was buying in bulk haha i didnt understand the rinse tho so it was fine. The market men have well funny voices and all the women are elderly and look like Lynne from Alan Partridge and the market was full of 90s clothes that you would see on a Polish worker and it was hilare.
Sorry this post is kind of late, actually i'm not sorry, it's well good not giving a fuck about the internet! we havent even had a single desire to go online and it will probably stay with that. Well enjoying the absence of adverts and the dryness of London. We are reading Brighton Rock and Brave New World which are both really good but the books on the shelf are taking my fancy... in particular 'Secrets of the gnomes' and 'glorious Knitting' (NOT) but true about secrets of the gnomes (apparently the conical hats are to stop falling objects from hitting them) I think im going MAD. hahahahaaaaa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)