Our last visitors this year....back to the beginning

This weekend is our last weekend of having guests this year. So far we have had just one free weekend since August!

We don't mind, we like having guests.

I would like to thank all of our guests that have been here, most have been great, helpful and not at all stressful. There have been some funny stories, of course, but I must keep my hat on most, one or two of the stories I can mention. Like the one when I put fake poo in my Grandad's room..I'll tell you those another day.

Now, it is a time for reflection. I will soon be able to explain the first day we arrived in La Rochelle..No sod it, lets do it now:-

The very first night in La Rochelle was bizarre. We arrived completely knackered. We had to move ourselves in a stretched transit van. The contents of my house were in storage in a place around one hour from here. I guessed it would take me two journeys, how wrong can a man be.

I picked up the van at half six in the morning and set off alone to fill it up, luckily for me, Yann, my wife's cousin was waiting to help. It took one and a half hours to fill up. Hardly making a dent on our stuff, we depressingly drank a litre of manky tap water. We were soaked with sweat in the summer heat.

We then drove to La Rochelle, it was an hours drive door to door, this part was the rest part for us! Unloading took another fourty minutes..then, as if by magic, back in the van to do it all again..

I would always recomend using a professional company, we couldn't, it was August, nobody works here in August.

Anyhow, four trips and half ten at night later....we were starving, had no food in the house, and tired. This was to be my first and last McDonalds in France. I felt guilty but oh so hungry! Two large glasses of Pastis later, asleep..

"What the hell is that noise?" it was half five in the morning. I looked out into the square, there were two cars on fire, arsonists had done it, people were in their pyjamas and loads of Police. Bloody hell, shit, is my car ok? Mine was the only English one in the square, if there was going to be a target, it'd be mine.

Not a scratch. Mine was fine. "Don't unpack the boxes" I said to my wife "It's like Beirut out there..what a mistake, we are going back to England" I was serious, seriously tired and worried.

What happened next is the funniest thing that ever happened. I will tell all next week.