Cleaning.... and bonfires

The first few days were cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning (for me) and grass cutting, pruning and weeding for Richard. The weather was hot - blisteringly hot - hitting nearly 40 degrees so we were getting up at 6.30am to try to get work done outside before it became just too haot to stand. By 11.00am to 11.30am we ahd retreated inside.

Everytime we visited Carrefour we seemed to be spending a fortune - and all on silly things...cleaning stuff, bins, mops, brushes. The sort of things you have at home and don't think about but which mount up when you have to buy them in one go.

We bought some white spirit and linseed oil to treat the floor tiles which proved a hot and sticky job in the soaring temperatures. Richard produced ever mounting piles of garden waste which we weren't sure what to do with so piled at the bottom of the garden. It was so hot and dry, a bonfire would have set the village alight. In the end I came into the living room to see he had started to burn them in the grate - 38 deg outside and we had a fire in the lounge!! (the only cool place in the house!). 'Ces fous anglais' the neighbours will say.