Gites South Brittany

Another school holiday has arrived – two weeks for Easter here, and this year it is the same two weeks as in much of the UK. I shall have to be very strong-willed and make myself work on some lesson planning etc. ready for the long summer term. No half-term break here in France – we go from 16th April right through to July! There will, however, be several "jours fériés" (bank hols) to break up the stretch though.

On the boating front, we have now moved our yacht off its pontoon and out into the river, where it is moored on a buoy – "corps mort". We had put our names down slightly too late last year to be in with a chance of getting a pontoon slot this summer, but the "Capitainerie" looked after us well and found us a slot on a buoy. It was another learning curve – we had to borrow one of the port's rowing boats (to which we attached our spare 2cv motor!) and our friend Dave followed Rienkanoux out and helped us attach ropes around the two buoys – one front and one aft (or is that "bow" and "stern", or even "l'avant / la proue" and "l'arrière / la poupe"?).

Once the boat was secured, we climbed into the rowing boat (which is free to use if you have a boat in the port) and prepared to set off back across the river. I remembered, luckily, to ask Paul if he had locked the battery locker – he hadn't and had to climb back aboard, unlock the boat and lock the offending locker. "You wouldn't want to forget something and have to set off back to the boat again, would you!!!?" I said, smugly. It only took about 3 minutes to chug back to the pontoons, but rain was threatening. Just as we were about to tie up alongside – yes, you've guessed it ...... "Where's my handbag?" asked a rather less-smug me!!!!!

At last the sun has come out and we have been making the most of it. We spent yesterday and today out in the garden - clipping back the ivy which had invaded the oaks and other trees. The idea is that we have cut the lower stems only, leaving the ivy in place to provide nesting cover for small birds, but that by late summer it will have died back enough to pull out of the tree. Two of our deciduous trees are now in leaf - the Elders. For more information about our garden and the local wildlife go to our main website and follow the link to Nature Notes (see link on the left of this page).

Harry (our kitten) "visited" the vets 10 days ago for the big op. At 6 months old we had been advised he was ready. We are hoping that he will now not look to stray too far from the house and garden and have therefore finally allowed him out without being on his long-line. The timing was just right, as we were able to leave the doors to the house open and enjoy the sunshine. He has ventured as far as the log pile at the bottom of the garden (several hundred feet) - stopping to shake his paws as he went because the grass is still long down there and it was quite wet with dew. Otherwise he has just enjoyed his new-found freedom and followed his "sisters" (our two collie/spaniel crosses) around like a little lost sheep! He also joined-in the dog agility session this afternoon - his strengths being the tunnel and the walk-over. (Again photos are available on our website - follow the link from the "Dogs Welcome" page).

We have been given a mooring for the boat for the summer at La Roche-Bernard (where it is currently on a pontoon, but from which we have to move on 1 April). This will be a cheaper option, but less user-friendly. There are free rowing boats available to the port users in order to access the moored boats, but we have a small boat of our own with a small, 2CV outboard which we will transport there and back on a trailer. In order to ensure a pontoon for next summer, we need to present ourselves to the Capitainerie on 1 July to get our names down. However, for such events as the Bastille Day Celebrations and the Music Festival, we will be able to put "him" on the Visitors' Pontoon to then stay overnight onboard.