We Done the Deal

Yesterday was busy from morning to way past my bedtime. We had to pack up our baggage and leave the Impasse du Temple and head over to Chalabre to pick up our cheque certifiee for the transaction. Then over to Mirepoix to buy camping and cleaning supplies for today. Then back to Leran to borrow some sheets, blankets and pillows from Sally, a gracious British friend. Then back to Mirepoix to sit in the sun in the main square for a few moments before going to the Notaire at 2:30 to do the deal. Apparently the Notaire had sent a letter to us in Moab last week to inform us the exact amount of the cheque certifie. Unfortunately the letter is still in transit, so the amount we presented was incorrect and there was another moment of miffedness on M. Cathala’s part. Oh well, after some humiliation on our part, it was ultimately easily resolved by a simple additional cheque of 160 Euros. After a few hair raising moments of confusion over whether Manhattan, Montana was indeed the place we got married, rather than Manhattan, New York state, we handed over the checks and got the keys. But not before we signed our names and initials on numerous unknown pages.

Then a quick trip over to the store to get a kilo of coffee and a bottle of wine for later, then to Veronica’s office for some help getting electricity and water into our names. Then back to Leran. Right on cue, there were Drew and Joan outside the l’Impasse du Temple. We took them on a tour of the new house so they could see it in the “BEFORE” condition. Around five o’clock we retired to John and Lee-anne’s garden to work on a bottle of champagne that they had brought with them. John joined us for a glass, and then Lee-anne, and so we opened up the bottle of blanquette (the precursor to champagne, which you will remember from an earlier post) we had been keeping in their refrigerator. Well….then another bottle of champagne, some cheese and bread, and voila, we were all happy.

Drew and Joan then carted us off to a restaurant in Mirepoix, our third trip that day. The Remparts was an exquisite restaurant complete with a highly informed and friendly waiter, wonderful food with squiggles on the plates, and a fine bottle of wine. Wow. Thanks, Joan and Drew. We had a really fine dinner, and better yet---wonderful company and conversation. And then….we staggered back to Leran.

As Sally and Joan pointed out, we should have made the bed before we opened the champagne. Or before we went to dinner. But we slept in our house last night.

Refrigeration devices, coffee makers, microwave ovens and dryers arrive this afternoon. Money continues to evaporate. That’s it from Leran.