The Sunken Boat

Here is the sadly-now-sunken boat, from a visit in 2008.Wasn't it lovely! We will miss it.

Tuesday - Auray

On Monday night, Scott was really sick - he said he was the worst he has ever felt, ever. High temperature and vomiting, caused by the recurrence of the infection he had before. Poor man.
In the morning though, he still wanted to go out, but stayed in the car while me and the kids wandered around one of my favourite places - Auray.
We had already heard that the old sail boat that was a permanent fixture of the harbour (see above), had sunk, and so here are the kids - trying to appear in mourning for their beloved boat, in front of where it used to be. Not the most convincing acting ever witnessed.I love this one of the kids, walking up the art gallery street. (We bought some fabric badges in a little shop further up, where I had to do some very admirable speaking of French!)At the top of some tower we found, looking over Auray.

Anyone familiar with the Weeping Angels from Dr.Who will probably understand what these three pictures are about. Don't blink!!Progress on the shed base!

Kids ready for more marching. They loved it - and would be the ones reminding Dad!Tom and Harry, using the entrance to the front garden as goal posts. The grass looks a bit dead, but just needs to recover from Dad cutting it down from its meadow-like state.

Holiday - Last Weekend

Saturday was wet, and we stayed in and played. Here are most the kids, watching a DVD on the computer in Ken and Bev's living room. I happily took Dad up on his offer to cut all the boys' hair!

On Sunday after church (which we managed to miss half of, because we remembered the time wrong - in spite of going every year!), I thought it would be good to get a 'nice' picture of the boys. Fat chance. These were the best of the lot...
On Monday morning we had a delivery of sand, cement, blocks etc. which meant Dad could start work on what will be our storage shed. Two of the onlookers. Dad also started the Parexing on the back of the house. He is a master at this! We have yet to see any in France done as gorgeously. (It's usually just slapped on, with lots of the beautiful stone covered up. Dad uses big homemade 'piping bags' and pipes the Parex into the gaps, then moulds it into place, then later on when it has nearly set, brushes off the excess - slowly, gap by gap.) The rest of us got on with moving a vast pile of stone out the way of the patio area. We started making a rough wall with it, where it can stay till it gets used later.

(Scott and I taking a break!)
Harry helping to fill the shed base with rubble.

A bit more marching going on - even Harry joined in this time (he was too self conscious to do it before.)

Holiday Day 2

Back here at home, Lucy and Jack are at school, and Tom and Harry are chalking out in the playhouse. All the washing is done, and I am mainly unpacked. Might as well do some more holiday blog:
Lucy and I took a walk to the nearby wood before breakfast. View over the wheat field, of Bel-Air. Another view of Bel-Air from inside the wood.

The track to the wood.

Leading down to the fish pond in the wood.

Some of Dad's wood pile. I don't know why, but I have a thing about wood piles - I love them! I have my favourites which are dotted about the coutryside around here - earmarked for the book 'Woodpiles I Have Known' which I will one day compile. We then headed for the beach.

Look at these crowded beaches we have to put up with!Some of the kids burying Juli's husband, Chris. Me amidst the usual sprawl we create on the beach. Relaxing for the evening in Mum and Dad's living room. Hard to believe these walls were covered with revolting turquoise painted render when they first bought it!

First day at Bel-Air

We spent all of Wednesday 26th travelling - my first time on the Euro Tunnel - which I had not been looking forwards to (trapped-in-a-watery-tunnel-death-type-worries), but it turned out to make for a quicker and smoother journey. We did the 6 hour drive on the French side with only a 5 min toilet break in the middle. The kids amaze me with this every time. I fidget more than them.
We arrived at Bel-Air, our house in France, at tea time. It is a big old farm building that my parents and 2 sets of their friends divided up into 3 separate places, a few years ago. Scott and I, and my brother, subsequently bought out the friends who had the middle bit.
Our arrival made the overall house total up to 17! The other couple, Ken & Bev, had their daughter Juli, and her family staying too. Juli just happens to be my best ever friend from growing up!
Our first morning (Thurs 27th) started off with Dad getting the kids to do some marching - he has acquired a drum from somewhere, and the kids were soon disciplined and marching in time, down the lane. It was hilarious! Thank goodness our neighbours are far and few between.
This picture is taken in the house next door's bit. It's empty, and for sale at the moment. During our holiday quite a few people came and viewed it. Hope they weren't put off too much by the 9 kids running around... Dad rewarding his mini army with trailer rides!

We opted for a lazy, hanging around at home day. Catching up with people, and soaking in the seclusion of the place.We had arrived to find the back garden a bit dug up. Ken had been making a soak-away for a new drain pipe, and working on levelling an area for a nice York stone patio.

Not entirely sure why Ken had a collander on his head or was doing daft dancing.

We had such a laugh watching him at work!

Ken and Scott attempting to wash a load of gravel in the cement mixer, for a temporary path... they took absolutely ages, and it didn't look a whole lot cleaner at the end. Great entertainment value though!

I love all the space that the kids have, to bomb around on bikes and scooters.

Oh, and the big kids too!

I am more of a cautious biker now, after putting me and the bike upside down in a ditch last year. A common sight during the holiday - some of the kids amusing themselves in our living room.