Kitchen Mostly Finished

Our house project is moving in the right direction, with painters finishing the kitchen and breakfast room this week.  Just two or three painters plus two floor guys, will return next week.  The painters will be mostly doing touch ups and finishing a couple of doors.  The floor guys still have to finish the 1er etage hallway and the garden room on the ground floor.  Papa and I plan to move into the house tomorrow, as our bedroom is complete and we can use the kitchen for basic meal prep.  Papa is putting coat after coat of finish on the countertops and we must let them cure for seven days.  Everything takes time!  Photos taken today.

The House Today

 

Cuisine Underway

Our kitchen is ever closer to being a créma cuisine!  The painters have been hard at work for three days.  Another two days, and I expect to have créma cabinets.  It looks fresher every day!

And a reminder of before:

Front of House

Over the couple of days, painting on the front of the house was completed.  The colors of the shutters and the front door were chosen by the Mairie of Lectoure, due to our home’s location in a UNESCO zone, giving us the only option for shutters - light grey, and three options for the front door - blue, green, or red.  I chose blue, the color Lectoure is known for - Lectoure bleu.  

Furniture Deliveries

We received two furniture deliveries this week, one on Wednesday and one today.  We aren’t ready for furniture yet, so we had most of it set up in the living room, since the painting is done in that room and we can close the doors.  It’s a lot of big furniture!  A piece for the library was left in the garden room, and two French chairs are in our bedroom.  We are ever more anxious to live in the house.

Making Countertops

Papa spent today making countertops for our kitchen in Lectoure.  We had two pieces of acacia butcher block delivered to our house by 10.  Papa had already made one template, so got to work cutting one piece, then two more.  Each had to be fitted, as there were multiple cuts in each piece.  All the while, rain came and went, and he couldn’t cut wood in the rain.  By 19h, he had all the pieces in place and the sink cut out done.  We called it a day and he’ll finish up tomorrow, just in time for the painters to paint the kitchen.

While running an errand this morning, I saw a neighbor and stopped to chat.  As soon as we said “au revoir,” a couple standing nearby on the sidewalk, said to me “we recognize your American accent.”  I talked with them, a couple from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, with family in and around Lectoure.  His father was French and his mother was American.  He grew up in America, speaking French at home.  He inherited a house on the family estate, dating to the 13th century.  The couple is staying a few days with a cousin, who lives within a block of us.  I invited them to our house, to meet Papa.  We’ll get together with them in the next few days.  We are meeting lots of interesting people!  It is rare to meet Americans in Lectoure!

New Bed

Our house was full, again today, of painters and floor finishers.  I spent 3.5 hours cleaning the windows in the breakfast room.  I scraped adhesive off the windows, left over from UV film.  The windows are over 10’ tall, so there was ladder work too.  It was a job!  

Furniture was delivered plus several Amazon orders.  Our bed frame came!  After the paint crew left, Papa and I put our master bedroom bed frame together.  There is still much to do, but we’re getting closer to moving in!

Picnic Lunches

Papa and I arrive at the house between 8-8:30 every morning.  We take a break for lunch around 12:30.  Most days, we walk down Rue Nationale and pop into a boulangerie or restaurant, and pick up something for lunch.  We usually eat picnic style.  Today we ate in the park at the entrance to the village, and just behind the cathedral and mairie.  I had a baguette with jambon et fromage, and Papa had a poulet sandwich.  The views of the countryside from the park, are beautiful!

Working in my Garden

Some things get worse before they get better, and reworking a garden is one of those things.  I’ve been working in the garden several days.  I have cleaned one side of the garden and am about a third finished cleaning the other side.  There’s a lot to clean out, too many plants!  I have filled about 6-8 bags with yard debris and have piles of limbs that I’ve cut.  I’m having fun!

Day of Shopping

We spent today shopping.  We left by 10 and set off for Toulouse.  We stopped in Auch at a second hand shop, chock full of antiques.  We bought a small armoire to use in our office, a breakfast table, six rush chairs plus two more rush chairs to use with a different table, a bench, two nightstands, and a hutch for the kitchen.  

We drove on to Toulouse to shop at IKEA, where we bought two sofas and six chairs for the terrace table - all to be delivered in mid-May.  We also bought dishes, glassware, silverware, laundry baskets, bathroom trash cans, kitchen gadgets, and more.  We had a big day of shopping and there will be more!

Lectoure le vendredi

Lectoure is a busy village on Fridays.  Yesterday was more so, because schools got out early for the Easter holiday.  Papa and I went to the Friday market on rue Nationale.  There were more vendors than in previous weeks, and we picked up locally grown golden kiwi and strawberries, locally made apple tartin, and a roasted chicken with potatoes.  We promptly had a picnic!

I worked in the garden most of yesterday and cleared about half of extra small plants that I don’t want, including several rose bushes.  I tackled the easy side, because the other half has more plants.  Will get to it in the next few days.  There’s lots to do!

There is a lot going in Lectoure for a village of 2500.  Fridays are a highlight.  We are anxious to finish the work at the houseand move in, so we can enjoy more of the cultural events and get to know our very friendly neighbors.  

Salon Soon to be Completed

Today seemed a good day, with five people painting walls and sanding floors, plus Papa and me doing the odd jobs of cleaning the attic room, answering questions, and making more lists.  By the end of the day, the plastic was pulled away from the salon floor, because most of the painting in the room has been completed.  There are some touch ups left to do.  The stairway, escalier, is mostly done from the 4th floor to the 1st floor.  It is looking nice too!  Everything needs a good clean!  We are pleased with the progress.

Kitchen “before” Photo

Our kitchen is in complete disarray, with the countertops removed, doors and drawers taken off, and the fireplace bottom front getting a redo.  I’ve ordered new knobs and pulls, we have a new sink and faucet ready to install.  Countertops will be installed next week.  The painters will begin painting in the next couple of days.  We’re anxious to experience the kitchen in the “after” photos!

Shopping

Today is an absolutely beautiful day, with the Pyrenees in full view.  Papa and I took drive late morning, south through the countryside.  We stopped at a brocante shop in Castera Verduzan and looked about, but came away empty handed.  We drove further south to Gimont, where we ate lunch outside at a local pub.  We went to Sallan Thierry’s Brocante Shop and bought twelve pieces of furniture.  They will deliver in two weeks.  We’re happy to buy things we’ll use in the house for years to come.  Note: we bought only the furniture pieces featured in the photos, not anything sitting on or around them.