Words aren't needed, but Oo what a big one

Will this be remembered in history as "Wow Friday"

First things first. Have changed the layout of the blog to more suit the way we feel. The rash of bills down the sides is what this appears to be all about. 

Well, they really kicked off today. We left them to it till after lunch and then went over. This is what we saw. (Not necessarily part B&W.)

As you can see from the digger, this is a double exposure. Our new drive is well under way and cover with crushed limestone from the quarry at the top of the hill. 

Everything looked great, but the news didn't quite match up. It was the builder's father on site as Dominique's (the builder's) sixteen year-old son was in hospital in Toulouse with serious burns to his face and chest after he had tried to encourage the barbecue to speed up with "alcohol à brûler". Our closest equivalent would be meths, although I overheard some guys gossiping later on in the day and they said it was diesel. The net result was the same, although we gather his sight has been saved. Our thoughts are obviously with them.

Anyway the rest got on with the job. The demolition boys inside and the terrassier outside. Oh yes, there is a special trade for that too.

We watched for ages as the pile of topsoil grew and grew. We can really see now the extent of our project. The next picture is taken from about the digger's top right bit (is it called an arm?)

So you can see the area that has been cleared, and also the topsoil pile in the background. The lad is holding a laser levelling device to ensure that everything is flat.

The other thing you might like to know is that from the vine cuttings we took about 15 have taken so we are well chuffed with that.

À demain.

And so the demolition goes on

The kitchen is no more, and the  bathroom is part of the kitchen. Mmm...

Inside chaos! Love it.

This will be the main room. There was a wall where the  floor has been cleared.

And they've started ripping up the kitchen too.

They've really started. Happiness is all around!

The digger/crane thingy is at the french doors of the living room. They've demolished the wall between the previous living and the little room next door and taken up all the floor and the layer underneath. Back to the beam and block. The chimney breast has also gone. This is the best vandalism  ever.
Click on the picture to get a bigger version

It really is going to start!!

We had a long site meeting yesterday. The digger bloke and the builder. Where to put the crane??
Today, Bren and I demolished the old kitchen. We kept as many of the old units as possible for the new utility room downstairs. We moved about 30 kilos of jam and marmalade. (I think I should stop making jam).
Dominique, the builder came round with his Dad to write all the bits and pieces on the walls. What's to happen where.
We are starting.

Something is really happening

After several of months of hole digging, filling, redigging, finding a reason for another trench, redirecting the sewage pipes so that they now circumvent our property, they have virtually finished.
Now it's our turn.
For the uninitiated, a French building site starts with the arrival of a crane. Yes, honestly. No carrying hods of bricks, no barrowing of blocks or cement - crane it.
Whilst we are still in the process of getting the estimates into the land of the vaguely realistic, the builder has decided he'll start anyway.
As we walked past today we saw that the crane weights had arrived

Apparently these arrived yesterday together with the wooden blocks/sleepers on which the crane stands. These had been lifted over the garden wall to be plnoked there.

The work should start next week, but I thought you'd like to see some of the blossom in the garden at the moment. Spring is merging into summer. The first swallows have arrived. We heard our first cuckoo last Tuesday. The big tree down the far end is a cherry and the espaliers are pears

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