January 2022

 

As can be seen from the above photos, we have had a lot of sunny but cold and frosty days here this month. Its a little cold for cycling but we have enjoyed a few short walks in the mountains to try out Dave's knee. The knee is coping reasonably well with walking but still gets very stiff and the flexion is still not good enough for it to be comfortable with every day activities. However we have been tidying the garden and Dave is slowly preparing the base for a new and larger wooden deck outside the guest suite. The wood should arrive today so we hope to have some photos next month

Here are our photos for this month
Dave's album
Lesley's album

December 2021

 We are back at home in France now after spending 3 weeks in England over Christmas that didn't exactly go as planned! Both Lucy and Jess went down with Covid 19 (almost certainly Omicron) the day after we arrived on 12th December. Before long Dave, Daniel and I all had it as well. I got away with it fairly lightly with a sore throat and headache but the others felt pretty rough for a week of more with very heavy cold symptoms. As a result we all self-isolated between their 2 houses and waited to see whether we would test negative in time for Christmas, and also whether Andy would succumb.

In the end Andy luckily escaped it and the rest of us were negative testing after the obligatory 7 days. 

We were pleased to be able to spend Christmas together and Dad was able to join us on Boxing Day for a couple of days. We extended our stay into the New Year so that we could do some of the things that we had planned to do in the week before Christmas, and also to be sure that the lab tests that were required before returning to France were negative. Luckily they were and we returned home on Sunday, on a very empty Eurotunnel train taking just 10 cars!

We now have to strictly quarantine at home until we can show (another !) negative test 2 days after arriving. We have had 3 visits by the gendarmes to ensure that we are complying and are now waiting for them to confirm that we can go out....as usual the French legal jingo is so contradictory and confusing that not even the gendarmes know what we are supposed to be doing!!

So we are relieved to have survived this bout of Covid, even if it wasn't very pleasant and has scuppered lots of plans. We were glad to have had some protection from the vaccines even if it is somewhat reduced against Omicron. We certainly wouldn't have wanted to get a worse dose of the virus, thats for sure!

After a warm spell of weather while we were in England it has turned very cold here, but we are looking forward to getting out and about and finding some fresh snow to walk in.

Here are just a few photos from December - more next month.

We wish everyone a Happy New Year  - hoping for good things in 2022!

A few photos from December

November 2021

 

It was good to find our way back up into the mountains this month as Dave's knee felt good enough for walking. We did a couple of morning walks on quite uneven ground so Dave did well! He still can't bend his knee as much as he would like to but the movement that he has is more comfortable. It was lovely to see the snow up there and the air was very clear.

The pool was looking very inviting when I took this photo - but the water was icy!

Here are our albums for this month
Dave's album
Lesley's album

October 2021

 Dave is still making three times weekly visits to the physio centre to try to improve the flexibility of his knee. Progress is slow, but there is some improvement. 

We enjoyed having friends David and Helena here to stay and then joined them at Chateau Rigaud in the Dordogne for their daughter's wedding. It was a glorious sunny day for the happy occasion!

At the end of the month we returned to England to spend some time with the family. We have just returned to La Maire and find Winter has arrived. There is snow on the high mountains and the trees are quickly losing their leaves

Here are our photos for the month (Dave doesn't have any this month!!)
Lesley's album

 

September 2021

 Hello England! For the first time in nearly a year, it was good to be able to visit the family again, and for them to visit us. 

Travel still hasn't been easy in September with all the necessary Covid tests and forms to fill out, but at least it has been possible. 
Here at La Maire we have had a few very wet days as well as some hot and sunny ones, so everything has started growing again and we are busy in the garden as usual.

Here are a few photos from this month

August 2021

 

This month has been busy with guests in the self-catering room, Dave's physio, looking after the garden and social events. The summer is flying by as usual.

On Sunday we go to England for a few days to see the family - very much looking forward to it as its been a long time!!

Here are a few photos from this month

Our album for this month

July 2021

 

As in the UK we have had a real mixture of summer heatwave and wet and cool days as well in July . Dave is still patiently working hard to get some flexion back in his knee. Walking far nor cycling are possible just yet but we have enjoyed a day out in the mountains and a weekend with Richard and Yvett at their new home. We have been busy as usual in the garden, have received guests in our self-catering room and have also enjoyed several lunches and evenings with friends

Dave's album

Lesley's album