BACK TO FRANCE 2019

24 Jul 2019

After an 8 hour overnight ferry ride aboard the "Armorique" from Plymouth to Roscoff we are back in Guemene. The trip normally takes 6 hours but at night they go slow either to conserve fuel or to arrive at a reasonable hour.

 

Soft piped music wakes you at 5 am so I get to see dawn on the top deck!

 

The building being restored at the bottom of the high street in Guemene. Looks to be nearing completion.

 

24 July 2019

 

The grass in the park opposite was cut today!!! First time since arrival 18 May

 

6 Aug 2019

 

 

 

Examples of large agricultural vehicles which pass our door.

 

 

Chipped away at some loose plaster and discovered dry rot in inner window frame and the ends of three beams. Next year!

 

ARTISTS DAY SATURDAY AUG 3

 

 

Subject of previous artist. The Grand Moulin (Big Mill) built in 1664 by English Protestants. The owner, Phillipe le Poher (The Eboniste), is talking with Artists organizer. The mill stream used to cross under the road about where they are standing.

 

Artists were stationed all over Guemene at this annual event. These pictures taken from the house. This guy is painting the River Scorff to his left.

 

ATTENTION TO THE RUIN

 

 

 

 

A low hanging branch from an oak tree was threatening the chimney stack.

 

The weapon, an electric chain saw.

 

Whoops! After much attention to method of attack the branch still managed to grab my chain saw. The hand saw wasn't much help so had to resort to hammer and chisel to free it. All while up in the air.

 

FACADE LIFT

 

 

Stone cleaning Artisan knocked on the door. Good sales pitch - no abrasive cleaning. Cathy remembers the same man from three years ago when we were not ready.

 

 

Before:

 

 

 

After: 1 1/4 hours and 300 Euros later we have a beautiful, moss free, façade to the house.

 

GUTTER

 

 

The gutter between houses two and three was still leaking last year and resulted in a lot of mould in the room below. With a hand grinder I removed about 60mm of sheet metal from the bottom of the roof to the right exposing the leaking area. Need to fix that now.

Footnote:

In between showers with a tube of bituminous mastic I managed to cover leaking area. Hopefully that will last until next year.

 

VIDE GRENIER (empty attic)

 

This event is held annually in the town. People come from far and wide to sit with their STUFF all day. There are bargains to be had.

 

 

 

Bill Rusin our Australian next door neighbour who has just arrived, walking with Mary Melody our Irish friend.

 

A break from the Vide Grenier behind a pub in the main Street.

We ended up buying 8 finger plates for doors. 4 ceramic with floral designs, 3 brass ones for internal and a wrought iron one for an external door.

 

Bill and Kerry Rusin in front of the Chateau in Pontivy.

 

Barcou (drinks) at our place, with the Melodys and the Rusins. Also another Mary, an Irish friend and fellow music 'examiner of examiners' of the Melodys. Apart from music she also teaches French at a school on the West coast of Ireland.

 

 

 

The "Cathedral" ceiling in the front of the house was completed and prime painted.

It's difficult to get an overall picture because of obstacles but here are a few taken during construction. 

 

 

New addition to the Nook. A two seater settee. Surplus to requirements from our Scottish friends but looks good here.

 

 

SCOTLAND 2019

SCOTLAND / ENGLAND BORDER

On the East coast.

 

 

Made it! 7 hours after starting out from Portishead we reach Helen and Alastairs' place at Dunbar on the East coast of Southern Scotland.

 

Next day. Catherine and Helen in Helen and Alastairs' front garden dressed for Wilma and Jimmys' 50th Wedding Anniversary dinner at Carberry Towers.

 

 

The driveway to the venue near Musselburgh. It is the former home of Lord and Lady Elphinstone, cousin of the Queen mother who used it as a summer residence.

 



 

Gathering in the library. Wilma to the left talking to Cathy and Helen. Jimmy with friends to the right.

 

In the centre me in my "sausage jacket"!

The story is my sister Sue bought a Medieval sausage sandwich in France for 5 Euros. Cathy secured this new jacket for 4.50 Euros in a sale just for this event - original value 125 Euros!

 



 

W and J's son Alastair. The tall one.

 

W and J with other friends also sharing the same 50th Anniversary date.

 

Alastair (son), Suzanne (daughter, visiting from Canada), Wilma and Jimmy with Suzanne's children, Dylan and Neave.

 

 

 

Main course, salmon. Delicious!

 

Optional main course, Ox cheek.

 

Serving team, in action.

 

Desert, equally delicious.

 

The three musketeers, Helen, Wilma and Catherine (all went to school together)

 

 

MUSSELBURGH FESTIVAL

 

The festival is held every year. Basically it is set around a territorial issue and dates back centuries. Each year the Town Champion in armour with support riders patrol the border of the burgh to ensure land owners adjacent haven't encroached on their land. They dig a ceremonial turf at a number of locations.

 

They also select a young man and woman to represent the town for a year. The week starts with "The Kirkin' " which is a church service and, this year, the inauguration of the young couple after a procession into the town. They are called the "Honest" Lad and Lass (Honest meaning, good natured and trustworthy)

 

 

The jacket and the hat ready for "The Kirkin' "

 

KIRKIN' CEREMONY

 

 

George Inness, Honest Lad 1961, Catherine, Honest Lass 1965

 

Sylvia 1964, Catherine 1965, Janie 1966.

 

Catherine with Moira 1969 (50th anniversary).

 

On the Town Hall steps.

Honest Lad and Lass 2019. Behind them last years with attendant.

 

Sylvia and Catherine leading the parade of lasses to the church. The older ones are either infirm or absent.

 

The Inveresk Church service.

 

The procession returns via the Town Hall.

 

 

 

Jack Powell and Catherine. Former folk singing duo Jack and Cathy.

 

New Lad and Lass advancing to inauguration. Hip, hip, Hooray!!

Speech from last years Lad.

and Lass.

 

Presentation of flag.

 

Dance.

 

Birdlife on the Esk.

 

Arthurs seat from the East. Edinburgh lies beside it.

 

Final hole at Kilspindie Golf club.

 

 

Jimmy and Son Alastairs' building company H.M.Raitt & Sons Ltd. have been commissioned to upgrade the Pro Shop.

 

Dirleton Castle.

 

The farmer close by the castle managed to install this wind turbine despite being too close to a National monument.

 

Bass rock. The white cap is breeding sea birds.

 

Looking West towards Edinburgh.

 

Looking East towards Tantallon castle on cliff to the right and Bass Rock.

 

Horse, castle and rock.

  

 

Nuclear power station near Dunbar.

 

BACK TO BRISTOL

 

The journey back to Portishead for our overnight stop took about 7 hours with breaks. I think we passed just about everyone in the British Isles! Being the start of the school holidays there were road works everywhere and long lines of witches hats closing off lanes. Remarkably in the whole trip up and back we only saw one minor shunt.

 

We were advised that the speed limit on motorways is 70mph (118 Kph). I did my usual trick of staying mostly in the middle of three lanes (the Australian way) and setting the cruise control at 118 Kph, plus a bit, working on the principle that anyone who attempts to overtake me is breaking the law. This worked well until we got to the West country where vehicles were travelling routinely at 80 or 90 mph.

 

It was entertaining to watch drivers lane hopping which is a risky practice at any time and gaining very little in the process except perhaps nervous exhaustion.

 

 

Mist rising over the Marina at the start of a hot day.

 

Walking Charlie the dog with Sue.

 

Mr and Mrs swan were heading our way when a great crashing saw the emergence of 4 cygnets from the rushes. Humans obviously equal food around here!

 

SUMMARY

 

Boris Johnson won the contest for leadership of the Conservative party and appears determined to get Britain out of Europe by October 31st. This has been greeted with delight by many and despair by many others.

 

Listening to people talking I can understand why supporters, particularly older ones would want out. They complain about wasteful practices of the EU such as shipping the entire government from Brussels to Strasbourg and back on a regular basis and loss of Sovereignty. We haven't been living there continuously for years so haven't been listening to the daily grind of detail but it seems to me the British Government must have known about these things when they joined years ago so why haven't they fixed them?

 

There are a huge number of Britons who have integrated with Europe (and in the reverse direction) whose lifestyle and source of income are threatened. Personally I can't see the point in all the disruption. I still haven't heard a decent reason for leaving. It seems to be a whimsical notion supported by a small group of Tories who currently have power backed up by misinformation pandering to British Nationalism.

 

Having travelled around Ireland last year its clear that Irish people, of all political persuasions, will not tolerate visible border controls. Necessary, of course, when you have two taxation systems side by side.

 

I suspect it all boils down to "Language Prejudice". Brits are notoriously lazy at learning foreign languages. They are happy to go on package trips to European countries or buy property there but only mix with their own nationality or people who speak English. The European Union is in the "too hard" basket. It all seems so unnecessary considering English is not a "pure" language and with a bit of effort it is not too difficult to be understood anywhere in Europe and when you mix with Europeans as we do in France you find we all think and live our lives in much the same way.