The Holidays are coming

Summer break in the sun

It’s that exciting time of year when everyone starts to look forward to their summer break in the sunshine. Here in the Dordogne, the sun is already shining brightly and we have been working hard getting Fontalbe ready for the summer season.

For Peter, lots of DIY projects, some a bit dull, just fixing and mending, others more exciting as we continue to develop the grounds and gite.

For me, well, lots of admin, of course, and making the interior spotless and colourful. Put a paint brush in my hand and I’ll ‘happily’ lend a helping hand!

Builders (and wine suppliers!)

This year has been a busy one! The biggest task, and what seemed to me like it would be the dullest, was replacing the roof.

This was something we knew we had to get done when we first bought the Fontalbe almost two years ago. We enlisted the help of Olivier, the local roofer and husband of the owner of the Cave du Clo, who also supply our wine for the welcome pack (now that’s my kind of a project!).

Work on the roof began late last year and finally finished in February. The highlight of this project for Peter was the trip up onto the roof in the huge cherry picker. Not for me! Boys and toys! But that cherry picker did come in handy when it was needed to pull out the digger sunk in the mill pond – but that’s a story for another day!

The work on the roof seemed to go on forever and I really was looking forward to seeing the end of the cherry picker chewing holes in the lawn. And if you follow our blogs you might remember the work on the fosse last year resulted in a total reseed of the lawn. So seeing it with great big mud patches in it brought back memories!

A place to relax

That said, I wasn’t expecting my emotional reaction on seeing the completed roof. It’s a bit hard to describe – a bit like spending the day in scruffy jeans and a t-shirt working in the garden with your hair tied back, covered in mud (that’s me today jet washing the patio !) then looking in a mirror after you’ve done your hair and make up and dressed to go out for dinner. A bit too girlie? But at least you get the idea. Wow Fontalbe, you look amazing!

Every big project seems to create its own offspring projects! Having the fosses replaced last year was huge, the lawn had to be reseeded and that gave us the opportunity this year to build a new stunning leisure deck. After all the hard construction work is all done it’s over to me…to decide what goes on the decking and how we set it out. I’m thinking a breakout seating area with a large awning and maybe… some a couple of hanging egg chairs. Shopping … I can do that!

Morning coffee in the Dordogne gite garden

Wonderful grounds

When we first saw Fontalbe, we fell in love with the modern interior design which had been beautifully restored. But for us the grounds were so special, the rivers flowing by, the trails to explore and the areas to uncover. By next season we will have done everything we have planned to add our own touches to the gite – creating a downstairs shower room in the apartment, setting up the yoga room, but the grounds are going to be a lifelong task.

While we have a stunning covered outdoor bar and bbq area which is so tranquil with the sound of the river running by, the terrace outside the kitchen seemed a bit untidy and needed some shade. A pergola I happened to suggest….. Peter has extended the terrace and has built us an amazing pergola for our beautiful wisteria to trail over and create a shaded eating area for our guests looking out over the pool. One of the porches had no wisteria so over to me again to shop…. More wisteria or a climbing rose to add variety to the colour over the season? Decisions like that are hard work! Fortunately, the flower market at Cadouin came just in time to provide the answer and, a beautiful climbing rose is adapting nicely to its new home.

More discoveries

We’re continually opening up areas in the grounds which are great for exploring, and were fascinated after clearing a trail along the side of the mill pond to find the weir which controls the flow from the river into the millstream – quite a torrent after heavy rain but easy to cross in dry weather. Watch this space for next season’s discoveries!

Most of my focus has been on the interior of our own home which sits alongside Fontalbe. We are not there when guests are staying but do have a peek in the windows. It has quite a different style. Lots of stone and beams like Fontalbe but a bit more traditional in style. I’ve been painting some old pieces of furniture, recovering seats and making curtains. My idea of fun projects!

Got to go now…off to pass drills and wood to Peter up the ladder and put the finishing touches to painting the pergola!