Back Blogging

Hopefully I'm back blogging now.  It's been a while and a lot has changed since I last wrote back in June 2016.

There have been a number of reasons why I have been AWOL, the main one being that I could no longer access the page.  Blogger was swallowed by Google at some stage and I lost track of my passwords and user names and it all became rather complicated.  Coupled with life without electricity and easy internet access discouraged me further from taking the time and energy to find a way back.  

But here I am, fingers crossed that this isn't going to be a 'one off' posting, with news and a huge update on snippets of what's been going on in my life.

I'll try to put them in chronological order, but can't promise complete accuracy........

I've moved from France to Spain, well, more accurately Catalunya.  I found a property soon after my last blog posting, in the summer of 2016 and bought it in the heat of the summer.

With plenty of land, mainly planted with hazel nut coppice, along with some olives, almonds, figs and other fruit trees.  A considerable amount of clearing is needed as the previous owner was unwell for some time, but I know basically what I'm needing to do and am sure that the weeds won't grow back half as fast as they did in France.  It's far too dry.

The house is just outside a village of 400 inhabitants with a small general store, a couple of restaurants a bar and summer pool, so I'll have much more chance to be sociable (so long as I make the effort). and only fifteen minutes from the sizeable town of Reus, with all the amenities imaginable, including an international airport with flights back to the UK and beyond.  Twenty five minutes from the coast and golden sandy beaches of the Costa Daurada and within easy reach of Barcelona by road or train.  

time at the convent

The convent that I stayed in next was on the edge of a large village up in the hills behind Tarragona, about 20 minutes from the sea.  It was the first time I had visited the area and I was pleasantly surprised by the natural landscape.  There were high hills/mountains inland, lush hillsides and vineyards, I use lush loosely and to compare it with other areas of Spain, it was still fairly arid and dry compared to the UK or my little patch of France, but pleasing none the less.  

Disappointing though, plenty of industrial areas with huge huge warehouses, factories and commercial buildings.  They tend now to be gathered into specific areas which is good news but due to the giant oil refinery on the coast there is bound to be a large amount of associated manufacturing in the area.  I didn’t let all of that put me off as the landscape undulated and there are still many beautiful areas with unspoiled views, interesting villages and properties to be found.

My hosts are in the process of partially restoring the convent which had been abandoned for many decades.  The plan is to renovate the two side aisles of the building, shaped like a church, leaving the central nave roofless as a courtyard within.  There had been some work unsympathetic done, before the building was protected as a historic monument, by a recent previous owner, that has to stay.  But the rest will continue in a more harmonious style, mainly to consolidate and secure what remains of the building.

The land around the building had long been a dumping ground for the neighbourhood, fly tipping and an accumulation of years of junk has already been cleared and the transformation back into a garden has begun.  I was tasked with weeding, strimming the waist high vegetation and to help guide my hosts into planning a suitable garden for the convent.  

I toiled each morning, took a short break then trawled estate agent web sites and their offices during the afternoons.  Timings in Spain are different again to france, with the majority of shops and offices closing at around 13.00 and reopening anywhere between 16.00 and 17.30 through till 20.00 or 21.00.  I began to take full advantage of a mini siesta, even though the weather was not that warm, to ward off the tiredness of constant late nights, easy to adapt too and very useful.

Discovering houses all over the region gave me an excellent opportunity to find out where felt good and what I was really looking for.  I soon became aware of the eye sores and the unattractiveness of the local industry as well as the quiet hidden villages nestling in the countryside.  Unfortunately the houses that I was drawn to on paper were not in appropriate places for what I have planned for the future.  Access along miles of dirt track or through industrial zones won’t be conducive to people visiting for holidays or to attend gardening courses, not the appealing to me either with my quest for easy access and involvement with local community.  I saw some lovely and very reasonable properties but my quest continues.

pretty, but rather weedy

what is supposed to be there

amazing courtyard

an untended bounty - a few photos

Still not taken a great number of photos, but here are a few of my successes in the garden:

two months away

Wow, that was over to months ago, my last posting.  I did go to the UK, I spent a wonderful month visiting family and friends, catching up with folk and generally escaping the worst of the wet, cold weather here and waiting for the spring to commence so that I can get on with planting and more clearing work.

On my return I brought with me a ‘flu like no other I have ever experienced.  It really knocked me for six.  I spent the better part of two weeks in bed, mainly aseep and toe following ten days or so on a very slow recovery.  I am pretty much fit and well now, happy that it was only ‘flu rather than anything more serious, but things like that certainly bring home the fact that we are not invincible and that change can arrive without warning in any manner of guises.

I am hugely grateful to my neighbour, Heather, who packed me off to bed in her big warm house and told me I was welcome to stay as long as necessary to get me back on my feet and well enough to resume my camping lifestyle.  She’s let me be, not fussing or bothering overly, but giving me the space and time to recover under my own steam, insisting that I do less than I wanted to during the early days so as not to cause a downturn in progress yet making sure that all was well.  It’s been a resounding success.

This last few days I have been up to strength, albeit with shorter days, and have tested my abilities by helping out around the garden here, doing a bit of pruning and planting twelve fruit trees in the orchard area of Heather’s garden.  All has faired well and now I am back on my land attacking knee high weeds in th vegetable garden and planning what to sow first, where and how.  

Do I go for direct planting in my heavy soil, probably with a bit of soil improvement, or into pots first, with the extra challenge of transplanting and watering issues later on in the season.  I’ll probably do a mixture of both, just to be sure.  The sun is shining again and the soil surface is dry enough to produce a fine tilth.  Better get on with it now before it hardens to rock or becomes a soggy mess again if it rains.

leaves and bin bags

How do you fill bin bags with leaves easily when there is no one to hold the bag open?

Here’s how....

find a cardboard box that fits inside the bag whilst in the shape of a box

pop out the bottom of the box, flatten and fold the box to get it inside the bag, then reform the box
fold the top of the bag over to keep the box open and in shape

fill the bag with the help of 'big hands' pieces of scrap wood that are used as large tongs to lift
large quantities of leaves at a time.
Fill the bag, allowing enough spare to tie off, remove cardboard box and start
all over again

one tidy village.  Thanks for the leafmould Vieuzos

a slow start to 2015

Where does the time go?

Partly to dealing with some sort of virus for a while, the rest of the time on the land, continuing, for the most part with brilliant weather, with various projects of which I still have to photograph.  

The virus was a special one, nothing particularly drastic, it just sapped me of energy for a good ten days, starting on New Years Eve.  I went to bed as 8:45 and woke up the following year!

I pottered about, thankfully at Heathers, doing a bit of research on line, various drawings for construction reference, reading reference books on lime plastering, electricity instillations, solar power and a fascinating architectural book on design considerations, though nothing specific or taxing as my mind wasn’t that keen on functioning much.

Heather’s hip operation was a success and she was home, recuperating, with frequent visitors popping in, I am always included when there is tea on offer and have increased the number of people I have met in the neighbourhood considerably.

One fine day I cut back the shrubs that I had planted last month and prepared several hundred cuttings.  It’s not the ideal time of year as I have no way of keeping them frost free, but better to try and have a few take, than not bother at all.  The soft friable soil on the floor of the ancient stable is ideal for rooting cuttings and as there is no longer a roof, they get well watered every time it rains.  Not that we have seen much rain at all this year.  So far the weather has tended to be mild, sunny and fairly calm, though we have had some decent overnight frosts.

work station for cuttings, with my great new rug that I sit on as it's so warm and snug

Elaeaguns x ebbingei cuttings,  I have my fingers crossed for these as it's the wrong time of year,
they won't get any warmth and will be outside through the worst of the winter. Good Luck.

a selection of seeds and cuttings ready to go into the plant nursery

photographic evidence

wholesome lunchtime salad, followed by bread and cheese and a good cup of tea 

washing up facilities have improved

earthworks by the drive are now settling nicely

the mustard and broad beans that I sowed have germinated well and the roots will bind
the soil together nicely before the winter sets in

starting to leaf mulch the vegetable patch to keep it snug for the winter.  the worms will
work most of those leaves into the ground and it'll be easier to work next year.

progress with the extended vegetable area.  three beds now dug and mulched
paths covered with cardboard to keep the weeds down till I can sow clover next spring

the piles of reclaimed items continues to grow

the calm of november

The calm of November is here.  Not that the first seven days have been calm at all, I’ve only been home for two and a half of them.  The weekend spent in the mountains, Friday night Halloween Party at Lou Rider with Pierre and a group of his french friends from St Lary.  It’s still strange to be at Lou Rider in the summer with it being warm outside, I always expect to be greeted with a blast of freezing air whenever the door is opened, not this time with the last dregs of summer warmth.  Saturday we hiked up a couple of red ski runs, high into the mountains, to have a look at the view and some new structures that have been built to help with crowd control on the winter pistes.  The weather remained impressively warm and my lungs reminded me that I need to do more hill walking to get back into some sort of cardiovascular shape.

Sunday continued in the mountains, I left Pierre, crossed a nearby pass into the next valley and met up with my good friend Simon.  We had intended to pass the afternoon together but one bottle of wine turned into two, the roast chicken on a string took it’s time and was just as delicious as the previous time - four or so years ago.  We chatted till well past dark, watched the stars and the moon from our grassy outpost high in the mountains before retiring to our respective vans for another night at altitude.  

That was the end of summer.  Next morning the temperature had fallen dramatically and the weather turned to grey and damp, the first morning without sunshine since early September, if I remember rightly.  Spoiled by the weather.  We have a plan to learn mini digger skills together, I have water pipe to bury before it gets too cold and Simon suggested he would help if I hired the machinery.  All booked and diarised for the 17th and 18th of November.  

fergus and family come to stay

hiding in a hide L-R Me Don Ginny & Fergus

My godson comes to visit, it’s half term in the UK and Fergus and his parents, Ginny and Don are here for three very quick days.  Lodged in comfort in the B&B just down the road (in case the weather was cold and autumnal) they have come to lend a hand.  That hand has already been well used, with a whole suitcase of goodies that I have been ordering on line inthe UK to take advantage of free delivery.  It has been arriving at theirs for the last three or four weeks and transported as hold luggage for a fraction of the postage price.  Thank you SO VERY much.  

I am now fully kitted out with all the chainsaw security clothing, all I need now is a chain saw!!  have decent solar lighting that will do fine till the next stage of investment is arranged.  Various english food items including baked beans and christmas pudding - something that I have been raving since a conversation a few weeks ago,  I’ll keep it till nearer the time and enjoy the wait knowing that it’s there.

My guests loved the place, the whole area in fact and thoroughly enjoyed their short time with me.  We got plenty done in the garden, namely the second vegetable bed properly dug and composted, the lights up in the chalet and, importantly some decent time spend discovering my locality.  

I have the most amazing lake about ten minute drive away, a huge nature reserve that is frequented by tens of thousands of migrating birds each spring and autumn, we happened upon a guide whilst we were looking who explained a great deal of what happens and the kind of birds expected.  Next visit will be in the late afternoon as that is the period of activity, as all the birds return to roost.  Safety in numbers.

That same guide proposed an amazing restaurant, well, farm where one can dine.  You have to book, so we did so and enjoyed a fabulous meal one lunchtime, emerging into the sunshine mid afternoon, fit to bust, and in no fit state to participate in strenuous activities.  A leisurely afternoon was spent strolling around my closest market town, checking out the architecture and a fascinating junk shop ( to become a frequent haunt I am sure).  

I breakfasted leisurely at the B&B each morning, sneaking in an hour or two of tasks before hand, the neighbours invited us in for drinks one evening and with a trip to the market the time was gone, far too fast.  It was wonderful to have guests, especially now that I am better equipped and in the knowledge that there is shelter and comfort, to some small degree, should the weather turn.  Will be thoroughly ready by the time spring arrives.  Future bookings now being taken.

selfie - 'nuff said

fascinating corn on the cob.  shame it's animal grade and terrible to eat

enjoying the autumn sunshine

lake puydarrieux from one of the hides

looking towards the mountains from the dam

Most of the rest of October

Since the Belgians were here and my last blogging stint whilst dog sitting at Vanessa and Lisa’s a fair amount has happened.  Mostly not here, but have been getting things done too in the gaps between.

I spend three days on the Atlantic coast, celebrating my birthday, having some time on the beach and enjoying gloriously hot and sunny weather.

we made it for sunset and stayed in the same spot as last year

Had a very interesting house construction meeting with a carpentry company that produces timber framed buildings in the ‘old fashioned’ style but using modern computer guided milling machined to do all the technical joints and angles.  The finished product looks amazingly smart and the time spent on construction is minimized as everything is ready cut to fit.  Not quite the real thing, but affordable and close.  We’ll see when the quote comes in.  

A day discovering Tarbes, my larger local town, nearly an hour away.  I had two leads to get solar electricity quotes, partly for now and out of curiosity for the house in the future.  I found both companies and know what they need to work it all out.  An evening or two of listing all my electricity requirements, then they can get on and do the sums.

Help from Pierre to cut my wood.  It was a worryingly large pile that I thought may take a day to get through.  We were done by lunchtime and stacked away soon after.  The joys of a decent chainsaw - I really must get one soon.

cutting wood in readiness for winter

Pierre admiring some of the wood

Hosted lunch for old helpX hosts from the past who live not that far away.  It was great to catch up and share with them my ideas for the future.  Really enjoying being able to host again.  A french lunch event is great if you’ve got nothing else to do for the rest of the day.  I’ve had two couples round for lunch now and both times we’ve still been chatting at four or so in the afternoon, an excuse then for tea and cake.  A properly leisurely affair.  

A cry for help from Cherry and Chris had me over near Carcassonne for two days helping Ben repair a collapsed roof.  Hairy stuff, jacking up one of the main beams of an ancient roof to the right hight so that it can be braced and secured back into the wall.  There were a few tense moments with loud cracking sounds, sliding tiles and unexpected noises but all went well.  The rotten end of the beam was removed, we added a new bit, thoroughly braced it with oak planks on either side and secured it back into the wall.  I would have stayed for a further week, to reset the tiles outside, build a staircase (from a kit) and continue a list of outstanding jobs, but with more guests arriving, I really couldn’t afford the time.

Another offer for a weeks paid work came in at about the same time.  A project that was overrunning with a deadline to finish.  It’s amazing how all these things seem to come at the same time. 

The Chestnut Fair.  A fun fair in a tiny village in the foothills of the Pyrenees where the chestnut is celebrated.  Stalls selling all things chestnut, jams, cakes, drinks, basketry, tools, demonstrations on grafting, pruning, woodworking and more.  Stalls selling local produce, honey, wool, handicrafts, the local male voice choir circulating amongst the throng, singing in the local language that only they seem to understand.  Three hundred or so people lunched on chestnut and pumpkin soup or chestnut raised pork charcuterie, local lamb and potato gratin followed by a chestnutty choice of deserts.  It had to be done.  Amazingly I ran into the chap who had come to look at providing me with hedge plants way back in June.  I’d heard nothing since, so had rather abandoned the idea of using him.  He assured me that the paperwork was ready and waiting since June but he knew that I was visiting the UK so hadn’t delivered it.  He called round two days later, excusing the handwritten estimate of costs, explaining that his colleague hadn’t been in the office yesterday to do a proper one. 

returning after a break

So much for a direct route back.  Once I arrived in France I received a text from a friend who was hosting a party the following weekend, someone that I like very much and who lives in a shared house full of wonderful people.  I made a detour and partied with them all and a whole lot more.   A weekend full of excitement, good food, dancing and wonderful conversations and exchanges.  This is the start of a new chapter, taking the time to do these things, the rest will happen, faster or slower than planned. but it will happen none the less but with more enjoyment along the way.

I arrived back in Vieuzos a few days later than planned in fine spirit.  The grass had grown, along with the weeds and, once I had found it, the veggie patch as well.  There were no tracks in the long grass so I presumed that the watering task that I had left my neighbour had not been too arduous.  I later discovered that he had visited only three or four times during the whole time that I had been away.  So much for hot summer sun, the weather was not at all normal and I had experienced much better during my time in the UK than they had seen here in this region of france!!

There were beans, cucumbers, spinach and various salad leaves to harvest right away.  Beetroot, cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli coming along nicely, along with various varieties of winter marrows and pumpkins all doing well.  The only obvious casualty was the tomatoes, all of which were suffering from blight to some extent.  As I write, a good two weeks on, they are all composting well.  I disposed of them as they were more harm than good.  The nasturtiums I had planted were taking over, so made great spicy additions to the salads, ant the nettles, strimmed a month before were ready to harvest again.

Yield had been the objective of my hurried planting and it had been achieved. 

veggie plot growing well

the nettles were back in force

new accommodation

impressed by an impressionist

Overloaded with such an intense visit I plotted my night time stop over and drove off into the evening.  A cross country route towards one of the main arterial routes heading north towards Calais, there was one campsite within easy reach and with the thought of a hot shower and static facilities decided it was the place to go.  The receptionist booked me in for the exorbitant fee of 7,50 euros and asked if I wanted a map of Giverny, the home of Monet, that was just down the road.  House and gardens open, I was there by chance, so an opportunity not to be missed.  So I ate, had a luxuriating, long, hot shower, an early night, having decided to hit the next spot early before the rush of tourists arrived.  How wrong I was.

I parked up at 8:45 thinking that I could stroll round the village for a while before getting into the gardens when they opened at 9:30, all quiet and calm with no rush or bother, but the car parks were filling up, there were at least a dozen coaches spilling their passengers out onto the tarmac and a sea of campervans already parked up from the previous night.  I had no idea how large a tourist attraction that this place was.  The whole village was a show piece, galleries, coffee shops and restaurants, museums, artists in residence, there didn’t appear to be many houses or places for locals to live any more.  It was all spotless and beautifully kept and it was obvious why, the thousands of tourists that arrive each and every day must bring an enormous wealth to the place.

I queued and paid just after 9:30, hoping to have beaten the rush.  Prearranged groups, however, arrived by a separate entrance and had already flooded the gardens.  Everywhere I looked there were people amongst the plantings, the hum of chatter and the constant clicking of camera shutters as millions of digital images attempted to capture the magic of the gardens.  It took me a while to get, a mass of colours, a jumble of forms, formal pathways and flower borders crammed with more vibrancy than seemed possible.  I didn’t know where to look or how to see what was going on, on top of that the people, it was all rather too much.  Then it began to sink in.  Monet, the impressionist painter,  squint and blur the boundaries and his paintings come to life, so I did the same to the gardens and with some success.  I had tried to see it all, too much, to bright, too bold, when in fact, a softening blur was needed to take away the crisp edges and definition of individual features, rendering the mass a whole.  

The water lily gardens were completely different.  Calm, composed and much gentler on the eye.  The famous bridge, painted an almost luminous green, never free of people, patiently waiting for their chance to be photographed in such an iconic spot.  It was impossible to take a photo without  capturing at least part of someone in the frame, close ups were about the only exception, though even then there was a chance.  One can only imagine how packed the place becomes in peak season, after a couple of hours I had to abort mission and head out into the village for a little calm.  I managed a quick tour of the house on the way, “No photos, NO videos, No touching.”  “One way only”..... , well I said it was quick, I didn’t dwell longer than necessary to get an overview of each room,  just moved along with the throng, at slow plod.  It was fascinating, but as most of the attractions are art, it’ll be easier to see them on line or in a book, at my leisure at some later date than stay with the crowds.  I had had enough of the crowds and wanted to get some space.  The contrast between  two consecutive garden visits couldn’t have been greater.  Both amazing but in very different ways.