Running a Gite in Brittany

Stitches Out

Compared to the UK health system things operate quite differently here in France. In the UK you would normally return to hospital or your local doctor to have dressings changed, stitches out etc. Everything is supplied by the health service at the point of delivery. Over here I was given a prescription by the hospital for sterile bandages and plasters, iodine etc. Once collected from the pharmacy a nurse then comes to your house and uses the items to complete the medical care. I believe that 'sharps' - syringes, scalpels,... - are supplied by the nurse. Most or the time doctors/nurse visits, prescriptions, etc. have to be paid for then claimed back on French health insurance. At first it seems complicated but it does mean you have much greater personal responsibility for your own health care, that includes keeping your own copies of medical reports, X-rays and so on.

Anyway, the nurse came today and removed the last three remaining stitches in my wrist after having removed the alternate two a few days previously. It still feels a little tender and weak, but I suspect some of that is me being cautious. I'll soon be back up to full speed finishing the new gites.

|   7:43:31 PM   Stitches Out   

Finishing touches

After my enforced lay-off last week it's been back to light work in the gites. After our friends left it was back inside the first gite to complete most of the little finishing off jobs. Skirting boards, architraves around the doors, plinths under the kitchen cabinets etc. It should be no suprise to me, but the final finishing off jobs take ages. Alot of fiddly little jobs that you can't get your teeth into, however it's the finish that makes all the difference. Adding skirting boards really helps to complete room.

Hopefully, fingers crossed and barring any more accidents, the first of the two gites should be finished by the end of next week.

|   7:42:18 PM   Finishing touches   

Our first guests in the new gite

I've been taking a well earned rest this week, partly because of my cut wrist and also because we've had some friends from the UK stay for a week. It's been a chance to recharge the batteries a bit.

Our friends stayed in one of the new gites, which mean't last week we put on a real push to try to finish it. The gite is not quite done - missing skirting and architraves - but it was certainly habitable. We had a few local friends help with the final few days and managed to finish all the painting, kitchen finished, all the electrics and plumbing, bathrooms complete etc. A big thank you to everyone.

There is still a week or so finishing off, pictures, more furniture, little details, but one gite is almost complete. It's quite a relief to see something after months and months of hard work.

|   3:22:24 PM   Our first guests in the new gite   

Who says that gites never prosper

From the Daily Telegraph - 2nd July 2005

The holiday-rental market may be in freefall, but clever owners can still do well, says Miranda Ingram

You can no longer come to France, slap some whitewash on the cowshed, call it a gite and watch the money roll in. You can't even install a swimming pool and satellite television and expect to be full for more than a couple of weeks in August.

Read full story...

|   10:44:59 AM   Who says that gites never prosper   

Hospitalised

Had a bit of a silly accident yesterday whilst trying to bash a hole in the side of the house to connect up the electric cable for the new gites.

I'd finished bashing a rock out and then accidently broke a nearby outside light glass globe with the coal chisel as I drew my hand back, and consequently pulled my wrist onto the broken glass. There was quite a bit of blood gushing out so with thumb pressed firmly over the wound a rapid trip to the hospital.

The doctors saw me immediately as I was dripping blood over their reception floor and - to cut a long story short - patched things up with surgery that evening.

Luckily I'd missed an artery and just partially cut through a tendon and sustained a bit of muscle damage. An overnight stay and back home this morning bandaged up and some pain.

It was a bit of a freak accident, but a valuable lesson learnt. I'm now out of action for about three weeks!

|   5:38:38 PM   Hospitalised   

Gite cancellation for August

We have just had a last minute cancellation for two weeks in August for the weeks beginning the 6th and 13th in Poire Gite. If you are interested in a holiday in Brittany this summer then visit our website - Brittany Gites - for more information.

|   8:59:12 PM   Gite cancellation for August   

Home straight

I've just come out of the shower after finishing the taping and jointing and filling in the final bedroom. I'm glad that marathon is over. Well in one gite anyway. At this stage we've decided to concentrate on getting one gite finished then move on to the other side. Progress is good...

The kitchen is almost finished. All the floor and wall cabinets are fitted (except cupboard fronts to avoid damage). Worktops on, splashbacks tiled, walls and ceiling painted. A local company came this week to fit the propane gas supply for the cooker. The propane bottle lives outside and the supply to the cooker has all it necessay safety devices and stopcocks fitted.

The main downstairs living area is all tiled and grouted, walls taped and jointed and have received an emulsion undercoat ready for the top coats.

The two upstairs en-suite bathrooms are painted and tiled thoughout and have all the sanitaryware fitted and working. Just a few finishing touches.

The two upstairs bedrooms have been taped and jointed and are ready for painting. Most probably start that tomorrow.

There is still quite a bit to do :-

• Finish painting
• Paint internal doors
• Fit all the electric sockets, switches etc.
• Ceiling insulation
• Laminate flooring upstairs
• Skirting boards throughout
• Paint and fit architraves
• Tint and oil the staircase
• Connect up the bathroom extractor fans
• Buy and fit the cooker and dishwasher
• General cleaning
• Curtains
• Move in furniture

Doesn't look too bad if you read it quick.

|   9:43:04 PM   Home straight   

Hot and cold running water

Hurrah, all the plumbing in one of the gites is finished. We now have a functioning chauffe-eau (electric hot water tank) and taps in the two bathrooms and kitchen.

The chauffe-eau is under the stairs, hence the delay, and it now looks like the control room of a submarine under there with all the various pipes and stop valves. We went a bit over the top with stop taps so we could isolate each of the three bathrooms and the kitchen in the event of a problem in the future. It did complicate things but at least everything works.

|   9:13:52 PM   Hot and cold running water   

Wireless French Village

It's a common problem for rural comunities, and with much of France living in the countryside broadband is not always available. We live in the countryside, but are lucky to get broadband as we live about 5km from the exchange. Here is one villages solution to the problem from BBC News

For those living in rural or remote areas, away from local telephone exchanges, slow dial-up internet connections are often the only option. But, as David Reid discovers, one French hamlet is turning to new technology to provide a solution.

Read full article ...

|   7:48:47 PM   Wireless French Village   

Stairs finished

The staircase men finished the second staircase yesterday afternoon. The both look fabulous and make a real difference to the gites. No more carrying stuff up and down ladders. Hurrah

As soon as the first set of stairs were complete, Ian and I dived in to finish the walling under the stairs so we could complete the final bit of plumbing and fit the hot water heater under the staircase. We ran out of time of Friday, but hopefully early next week we should have all the plumbing finished and working.

|   5:25:35 PM   Stairs finished