The French lifestyle and banking on a Monday.

With the painter still here (he's finished the kitchen, and moved onto the small bedroom) and our things still in storage, there isn't a LOT to do. So I've been busying myself with the hazelnut tree in our garden. It's just started dropping nuts, so we had a couple of days gathering them up. The first day, we filled a bowl, and a half a two litre jug - by now, the jug is overflowing, as is the bowl. It's a lovely thing to do - gathering your own food from your garden. Yes, it takes time - lots of it! - but it is a fulfilling thing to do. And who can say 'no' to free food!??

The newly painted kitchen - no longer bright yellow, but
a beautiful fresh cream. 

As for the bank - it seems we still have a lot to learn about this country. We drove to the nearest town (about 9km from us), to the bank, to collect our new bank cards. We arrived, and ..... they're shut. As is most of the town. DUH! It's MONDAY! And the French just don't 'DO' Mondays!  How could I forget. So we bought a cooker instead! ... As you do! Well, since most of town was shut, we went on a little drive to 'see what's down that road', and we happened on a Surper U (supermarket). While I waited with the doggie, my husband went inside to see if they had any cookers, and would you believe it, they did! So he bought one! It's a basic gas stove and oven - just what we need for this house, as there is no 16amp fused plug for an electric oven. PHEW! I was beginning to think that we'd never find one. As they say, 'We're cooking with gas!'. 

I suppose tomorrow will be back to town to make a second trip to the bank. Oh the joys!!

Talking of 'joys', it's mid September now, and it's still beautifully warm here. Sunny and 30C - it was 21 and cloudy where I used to live. .... Remind me why this is such a great place to live?!

30C in mid September?! Not bad at all.