Autumn 2012

Hi All

This autumn has seen insult added to injury for Wales, with water levels rising and rugby scores falling. Thank God for the English rugby team… (see this entry in ‘How to Lose Friends and Make Enemies’ Volume 3).

The result of all this rain has been a deposit of large rocks on my newly finished parking area at the cottage. (Perhaps I should not mention rugby any more?) The village of Llandogo fared worse with the main road being cut off for a week due to a large landslide. Access has still been possible on horseback.

Could this be one of those elusive works of God? I suspect he’s been moving in mysterious ways again. Certainly my insurance company believe it is his fault and not of their concern. I’m tempted to use this excuse when sending in my tax self-assessment form.

“Dear Sir/Madam/Eternal Beast of Damnation,

Please accept this assessment of tax which assumes that God has gone off with all my hard-earned dosh because of a moment of mysteriousness.

Yours forever in servitude etc.”

Do you think it’ll work?

To escape His errant ways, I spent most of autumn in Secular France, where they don’t try to get out of their obligations by blaming things on someone else. Instead, they get out of their obligations by blaming it on 'Force-majeure’ or 'superior force’, a much more vague term allowing god to get away with anything.

We had one of those 'Force-majeure’ events in Montauban; lifting, flinging and destroying a large patio table and window blinds in one fell blow, and probably giving the dogs a lesson in toilet training. Although possible to claim for such things, the French government sets a lower limit to what you can claim. Cunningly they set it to a figure equivalent to our claim…

Can someone explain to me the purpose of insurance companies?

As usual, time spent in Montauban has focused around the bar and snooker table. Out of all the great evenings we’ve had, there is one 'stand-out’ game of snooker amongst four local professionals (ahem) who took four whole hours to finish one game! I kid you not. I am so proud…. my will to live was sorely tested. A couple of the pictures give a clue to the games longevity.

After 18 months working on the 'Hydeaway’ in the Pyrénées we find that we now live on a full-blown building site (pictures of the renovation here). After many delays, the guys working on the exterior have finally started, and it looks like they are here to stay…

The exterior walls, initially consisting of stone, mud and render now consist solely of stone; naked to the onslaught of ice and snow which has already started in force.

It’ll be nice when it’s finished…

Next week…

The colours have been fantastic this autumn (see pix) and the walks amazing. We’ve met some English guys up there who aren’t complete embarrassments like most of the English abroad. I, of course, continue to be a complete embarrassment wherever I go. They’ve shown us loads of new walks and drives involving a few vertiginous drops.

Talking of vertiginous drops, the snow has started (coinciding with the builders being ready any time…) and the slopes will open in 2 weeks. Be prepared for more boring photos of White Mountains.

Oh, well, off to do some seasonal shopping (booze 'n stuff). This year, December sees Annick’s 50^th, so it’s a must to see you all this Xmas!

 Cheers!

Phil[AFG_gallery id='1’]