Yesterday's overdoing it was the retainer wall which runs around from the front terrace to the main entrance. The foundations had already been dug (20cm deep and 7m long). The evening before I cleared the base and set in the re-inforcing rebar. Then yesterday I started with mixing (in the wheel barrow) the concrete for the foundations - 18 very full loads! I then set up the straight lines and laid the first row of blocks - and every 1.5m hollow ones for the reinforcing pillars. I managed to finish laying a total of 3 layers of 20 cm blocks (another 4 wheelbarrows of cement) before giving in to the pains - everywhere!
The manual cement mixer!
After a bad night I decided that today would be a rest day - and contented myself with finishing the kitchen surface, adjusting the odd unit door that wasn't quite true etc. I also re-potted my collection of plants now scattered through out the house. The past week or more had been a bit hard, Bernhard was passing through and lent a hand with painting the ceilings (which I can't do now) which meant I had to keep up with him in doing the walls! Most of the house will be white so - not really worth photographing as you wouldn't appreciate the difference. My bedroom is a little more colourful and really a joy to wake up in now!
I'll do a frieze / stencil later when I have decided on the pattern and once I have made the curtains.
Finally - the reed beds. I have to admit they had been a worry to me a week or so ago when still the 'reeds' hadn't shown any sign of life and the 'waste material' was starting to build up. However - it was apparently a little early in the year for them. I am glad that I decided not to put toilet paper down the the toilet yet - it would have been very unpleasant. I have also added a reed mat on top of the fencing protecting the beds to avoid direct view in. I was a little surprised to find out that it will take another year or more for the system to have dense reed growth and be fully functioning. I think it might be a better idea to either set it up 6 months in advance of planned use or put in more mature plants.
The last few days have been divided between painting the rooms (with Bernhard's help), hanging the double doors to the guest rooms and removing stones from the garden for planting the lawn. The lower field is about 700m2 and was covered in river stones. The ground had to be levelled as much as possible first and the stones cleared before I could seed the grass. Very physical work and the weather is getting quite hot now. The area leading to the little creek (not quite the Amazon even at high tide) is actually quite pleasant now. I can well imagine a bench there under the shade of the hazel tree listening to the water.
Standing by the creek and looking back towards the house you can now see how the different levels have been 'smoothed'. Later this bottom area will probably be a veg patch but for the moment I think grassing it is the best management strategy. Two fruit trees have been planted (pretty small for the moment!) hopefully a couple more later on. But I can actually see some apricots on one of them!
I've finished (almost) the retainer wall leading from the terrace to the front door. I've only got 5 more blocks and need ten - so I'll wait until I have them before making another mix of cement.
The top of the wall will be about 25cm above the finished surface of the terrace/path - providing a low wall to avoid wheelchair friends rolling off. Any kids will just have to learn the hard way - but it isn't too high to be dangerous.
I'm trying to back fill as much as possible so the builders can come back and float in the concrete surface. This would be better done before the render which I have been told will be the week before or after Easter. Fingers crossed.
And finally - I've been raking/spreading the chippings around the area below the house to give me a parking area away from the front of the house. Another very physical job - good for the stomach muscles!
With Bernhard's help with the paining - at last the furniture can come in and it is looking more like a home! The log burner looks a little odd without the flu - but it still looks amazing! My big dining table also looks as if it were meant for the house (in fact I had ensured this area was big enough for this table!).
The settees probably need re-covering or re-dyeing but they will do fine for the while.
Next jobs. This week Antoine and team will come to concrete the terrace around to the entrance. Ready for Chokri to render the outside when he can. Once that is done I can start laying the terrace slabs. Heavy work but I can do small sections at a time. I also need to seal the paving slabs and do the joints of the covered terrace (those outside will only have compacted sand in the joints). And of course there are a 3 more rooms still to be painted, curtains to be made and rails to fit up - not to mention 2 shower rooms to tile !
25th April
Boris and Jean-Mary poured the concrete slab last week and today I finished laying the paving. Not the easiest to lay being 6cm think and a beast to cut - but it looks super!
I had to dig up and redo the drainage that Antoine laid along the front 1m from the house. It was far too shallow and wouldn't have taken away the water pouring from the roof. I redid it with a grill above and twice the depth flanked in concrete to ensure it stays put! I'll need more ballast to even the level then I can continue laying the paving (all the same level) forwards from the front of the house.
Still waiting to hear when the outside render can be done. This delay is a bit frustrating.
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