We're in!

It's been a full-on kind of day. First thing, more work on Sadie followed by a brief interlude for me to 'pop down' to Tarascon for H to cut my hair, followed by the arrival of the wet weather which generated a spontaneous, frenzied packing and car-loading mission and a drive to Fougax. We were due to move in tomorrow but having secured the keys yesterday and being without broadband at home due to Free terminating our contract 2 days early (Gawd bless 'em!), today was as good a time as any. We have had the Godin woodburner going full blast since we arrived which has succeeded in removing that 'empty house' chill and it is all now snug and toasty. The weather is dire, but regardless, I will be donning my waterproofs tomorrow, stepping out of the door and starting to explore the myriad tracks & trails around us. How exciting!

Weather

Well, it's downright bonkers, so it is! I opened the door this morning, bracing myself in anticipation of the chilly air to which I have become accustomed recently. Instead, I was greeted by a mild, a very mild waft of air as I let the dog out. During the day it just got warmer - shorts and T-shirt weather at the end of October??! What's that all about then?! The warm air has been accompanied by strong gusts of wind at times and some fantastic cloud formations this eveningWe have been doing more work on Sadie today. The washbasin is now adorned with the very natty foldaway tap unit, the hot and cold water pipes are attached and the waste pipe likewise. Everything is very neatly and very firmly fixed within the frame of the bathroom wallThe frame for the front is also now slotted into place, but will not be fixed until the waterproof pannelling is attached
Tomorrow, we are heading down to Fougax with a load of wood and to get the internet set up ready for our moving in on Monday. Hopefully there will be no hiccups!

Phew

Phew no. 1) It has been 17 degrees in the shade and into the mid 20s in the sun today, clear blue sky, fantastic autumnal weather. Phew no. 2) It's been a tad non-stop for the past few days hence my slight lack of blogging!

Sunday/Monday, the spell of cold, wintery weather did indeed land on us, but fortunately the snow held off and we were just treated to sleety showers which wasn't altogether pleasant. But it quickly passed, clearer skies returned and on Tuesday, we headed 'over the other side' in Sadie to pick up some construction timber for the cupboards and bathroom structures, taking advantage of the improved weather to get in a ride on the roadies with 'the gang'. Pat, however, was paying the price for doing an intense circuit training programme with Kev the night before and had very tired legs, which was a shame, as it was a lovely undulating circuit of just over 76kms and 800m of ascent, with some lovely views towards Mont d'OlmesI was feeling strong and really enjoyed the riding, but it had been really hard to choose the right kit to wear, as there was a sharp, nippy wind and the general air temperature was only into the low teens. The sun, however, was really warm and I quickly realised that neoprene overboots were in fact far too toasty for the conditions! Stats on the usual site.

Yesterday and today have once again seen us giving Sadie our undivided attention. The over-cab storage cupboard is now done....
and today, we have done a dry fit of the wet-room (hah, do you like what I did there?!!).We have a slight spanner in the works in that, due to a misunderstanding, we have bought the wrong Thetford toilet. The cassette cannot in fact be changed from the current right (as you look at it) opening, to a left opening as we had been led to believe, and we can't simply swap the bathroom layout because of issues with the door opening, so a new toilet will have to be ordered and the old one flogged on eBay next time we are back in the UK. The fold-away washbasin that we have mounted above the toilet, however, is a success. The high density/impact 1mm thick polystyrene sheets that we have ordered will clad the interior of the cubicle to give a waterproof finish.

Cracking on with cracking on

It is a week until we move down to Fougax for the winter. Weeks pass quickly in these parts and there is much to do in the coming one. The weather has been gloriously balmy (up to 20 degrees) over the past 2 days and the urge to get out on the roadies has been a strong one. But the focus of our attention has to be Sadie, as we struggle to make as much progress on her transformation as possible whilst we are still here with our pile of plywood, circular saw, table saw and miscellaneous other tools and bits of equipment that we are loathe to transport down to our new abode. But sure and definite progress is being made as this photo testifiesWith the bed boxes and the back panels now fixed into place, the windowframes boxed out and the rear doors insulated and ply-pannelled, she is starting to feel like a campervan for the first time...... which is really quite exciting! Work on the construction of the shower/toilet cubicle, on the kitchen units and the overhead cupboards cannot start until we get hold of more timber for the frames, so that will be next week's big push.

We are due for a spell of much colder weather early in the coming week and there are even rumours of snow down to 1100m. I wonder if it will materialise?

All fixed

So I paid the price for scrumping plums back in September by breaking a tooth on a stone. But it WAS a bloody delicious plum! However, it has resulted in 6 dental appointments in the course of which a) the old mercury filling was drilled out along with the nerve b) the tooth was filed back to the basic 'sound' structure and finally c) a crown was fitted......today. And by 'eck, he has done a good job has our Joel (we're on first name terms now, my dentist and moi). I am relieved that the treatment has finally come to an end but my bank balance cannot concur. Despite having 'top-up' insurance with a 'mutuelle', I still stand to fork out over €400. Ouch.

Sun and Sadie

The weather has perked up somewhat over the past couple of days - cold mornings but some wonderful warmth from the sun, particularly this afternoon. We have been working on the bed/seating boxes for Sadie and, yesterday afternoon, created the two basic boxes....
...which, after this afternoon's efforts, are now ready to fix into place with their hinged lids
The wheel arches are now framed and insulated so we shouldn't have any cold-spots in the back of the van. The gas box (the bespoke manufactured aluminium container which will contain the gas bottles), fits neatly into the rear right box .....which is a relief. Progress is being made. How luxurious to be able to fit what will be a king-size bed into a camper-van!

We managed to snatch a quick ride on the mountain bikes this morning, on the route forestière over the other side of the Col de Port. Only 8kms, but the fast blast back along the track made up for the silly section of 'get off n push' near the start. It's a lovely track which takes you to just below Pic de la Pic de la Journalade on good tracksI have a new saddle on my mountain bike which, after today's brief outing, feels like a great improvement on my old one which was a wide, gel-filled lady's saddle apparently 'built for comfort', but totally contrary to my actual sit-bone arrangement. My new saddle is much narrower and firmer and I am hoping will give me more comfort on longer rides, strange though that may sound. But, ladies, bigger is not necessarily better!!

France

It's a great country - no, it really is. It has loads going for it and a quality of life envied by many. But.....it (or rather its general population ... although I may be generalising) really isn't doing itself any favours at the moment. The country's objection to the Sarkozy government's intention to increase the pensionable age to 62 from 60 has been making itself felt in no uncertain terms. Up (or down, depending on where you are) here in the sticks, we have, up until now, been blissfully unaffected by the issue. We filled up with diesel without any problem down in Foix on Saturday without any problem, whereas today many pumps are now empty and petrol station queues are common thanks to the ongoing blockade of the distribution depots in France. One has to wonder how long it will be before the majority of petrol stations will be 'dry'.

Today, France has been on 'general strike', which can mean many things. But Foix used the excuse to block off the main traffic thoroughfare through the town with a sit down 'protest' and to send militant idiots onto the streets and roads who were intent on 'getting across their message' in an incredibly confrontational manner which, quite frankly, did nothing for their cause. In fact, the woman who attempted to block our passage in the car was a hair's breadth from getting herself runover. The town was a mess of toilet roll and paper which some poor sod is now going to have to tidy up. If the protestors are hoping to get more people onside through their actions then I am afraid they are failing miserably.

Anyway, rant over. On a brighter note, it's been a beautiful autumnal day today with snow down to 1500mWe had a very enjoyable roadie outing with 'the gang' in beautiful, crips autumnal weather today. It was short, just 54kms, but with Pat, Fréd and I plus the boyz Andy, Kev and Cédric it was a very convivial outing, but still with plenty of chances for 'attaque!' as felt necessary ;-) Good fun! Stats on the usual site.

We head down to Fougax to our 'winter residence' (doesn't that sound grand!) in 2 weeks time and I am SO excited about the biking opportunities for the winter and about the possibility of having a more sociable time through the darker months. I am being very conscientious about my stretching and the legs are feeling better already, so I am looking forward to some walks/jogs on flatter terrain when we get down there. From there, I need to pick up my game, as I have my eye on the Citadelles again in April 2011 ;-)