“The French Resistance is alive and well in my commune.”
Phew, spent the last 7 hours in the company of an amazing group of people. Old Soldiers and Resistance members, plus their families… we all marched to the Monument, wreaths were laid, the Marseillaise was sung lustily… then everyone back to the SdFetes for the meal.
I think there was 125 of us… we spent the time chatting, singing, eating and generally having fun. Old stories and memories were related and discussed. It was interesting to see these “old” folk almost rejuvenating before my eyes… as they revisited things from their childhood/teenage etc. The oldest gentleman was 100 and we all clapped and cheered him… as he told us little anecdotes of what would have been a very difficult time in his life…
The accordionist was excellent and played effortlessly and tirelessly all afternoon. French songs from the war years… got everyone joining in …and The English (OH and I) got an “honorable mention” after we joined-in with one particular old partisan song (in patois)… (which we just happen to know, luckily for us).
We ate far too much… and drank equally (not my fault, they kept insisting I empty my glass)… fortunately it is only a short walk home. OH is having a delayed siesta and I have downed a huge glass of water and come on the internet to see what you have all been up to today.
My washing machine broke down whilst full of soaking wet washing. So took the clothes to the local lavomat and did a bit of shopping. Boring and unpleasant compared to your day.
Trying to work out what’s wrong with the machine but no joy yet, particularly as I’m not really sure what I’m doing. Can’t afford repairs or a new machine and lavomat is 4€ for 1 wash. More than a little p***ed off
Give us some details and someone may chime in with ideas.
I would check the plug… then the outlet/grille to see that fluff build-up is not causing a problem and that the pump blade is not being blocked/stopped from working…
It stopped mid-cycle and the on/off switch was flashing red. The manual says that this means that the waste pipe is either folded or crushed, or that pump filter is blocked. Have had the filter out and it was not blocked. The waste pipe looks fine but I guess it’s possible it’s blocked. Have wiggled it about a bit (pretending I know what I’m doing) and some water came out so not sure if it is that.
Red light no longer flashing but I’ve put a little water in the drum and it still won’t drain. Just hearing a slight hum when I put the dial on Vidange.
Hubby was a plumber in the past but he can’t even get into the bathroom let alone look at the machine.
It’s a Faure FWH5105, about 10 years old so probably on it’s last legs.
I’m supercharged with red wine and heaven knows what… may regret it tomorrow…
There are many things that can be done quite straight forwardly with a washing machine. We are off to the Charente tomorrow, but I’ll get OH to check the internet for you when we get back Monday…
Ironing, shopping, mucking out, bramble chopping, picking up kids, replying to emails, billing, laundry…
Didn’t get to ride my pony as every time I had a spare slot, the heavens opened. And I mean opened - massive flooding in Dax
Homeward journey from our 3 week Spanish holiday before our gite season starts! Pure bliss… with sunshine every day!
Left Llfranc on the Costa Brava about 10 this morning for the journey back across the Pyrenees. It’s only 3h30 on a non stop run but we took our time stopping in Vic for coffee and then on through Berga to Puigcerdà for lunch before crossing the ‘border’ into France.
Magnificent journey with spectacular scenery on superb (free!) Spanish roads. Filled up with diesel in Puigcerdà at 1,17€ / litre and lots of goodies at great prices in Carrefour Market - way cheaper than in France (as previously discussed!!)
Lovely day - nil by mouth starts tomorrow - as does building an Ark by the look of the crappy forecast!!!
Dragged a neighbour’s dog out for a walk with ours…neighbour has torn ACL so take her dog who is a real mummy’s girl and hates leaving her and has to be hauled round a walk she normally loves which made it very slow. And at the same time removed the waymarkers left over from our village marche festive last weekend which made the walk even slower (lots of work, but 3,000 euros profit for foyer rural and a good fun day).
Then lunch, and back to the chores piling up from having been away in London. Our gîte season has started, but have a gap this week so busy tidying up the spring bits in the garden and making it ready for friday’s arrivals. Why do toddlers always pour gravel into everything?
I’ve been mostly dodging the random storms…black sky and distant thunder has equaled taking my Border Collies out for a walk before torrential rains…last night the torrential rain on my little conservatory made it almost impossible to hear my mom on the phone…even the weather app said “heavy rain” as opposed to “rain”…kept my phone on charge most of today in case of power failure and internet outage…Mandy I do empathise…I spent my first year here hand washing…(I now have an inexpensive “twin tub type appliance”…maybe a little more work than an automatic washer but I love it…) In uk I found that most times the drum wouldn’t drain was due to a blocked filter whether fluff or even lost socks…otherwise it was a blocked outlet pipe sometimes involving collapse of a mains drainage in the road…and nothing to do with the washer…one of my daughters had this problem…the water company accepted responsibility…the remedial work was scheduled time and again and then residents who hadn’t actually received notification of the due date(s) for remedial work left their cars parked as normal and no remedial work could be carried out…
Mucked out the four new chicks in their temporary nursery quarters which, despite their tiny forms, they have managed to desecrate to enthusiastic squalor, with their Foster mother looking on in hopeless and careless devotion.
Weeded rows of shallots, garlic, petit pois and dwarf beans. My next door neighbour gave us two slices of freshly baked rhubarb tart and we briefly discussed the Liverpool-Madrid match. My lexicon of French football terms is still rather slender, but improving.
Sat in the garden and drank a Hoegaarden wit beer, my favourite horticultural tipple.
Rhododendrons dead-headed, well mostly - some bushes were more nettle than rhododendron so de-nettled as well. They (the nettles) will grow back as they are a plant which is difficult to eradicate but I got enough root up to slow them down for a while.
We need to tackle the lawn - I do wish it would not grow quite so fast at this time of year. I mowed it three weeks ago, look at it now.
Had a good visit to the, as usual, interesting, Vide Grenier and good lunch at Glenac 56, then to Questembert, ‘Etang Celac en Fete’, good fun, with the local Boat Modelers giving an entertaining exhibition of radio controlled boats on the water, some nice art work for sale, bought a good oil painting, from a local artist.
