It is getting
increasingly difficult to write anything interesting about a part of the world
which is normally so stunningly beautiful, but which has been shrouded in fog,
mist and rain for seemingly, weeks, which has kept us pretty much house-bound.
The cold too, has been a great incentive to getting out of bed really late
(even for us!) and staying indoors for the rest of the day with a warm fire
burning. Our only outings have been to the local supermarkets for food and
those we keep as short as possible, although it is nice and cosy in the car
while the heater is on! Let’s just say that I haven’t needed my sun-glasses for
a while now!
All this sitting around
with nothing to do has been very bad news for the man-about-the-house. It may also
have something to do with the fact that there had been major car refurbishment
going on, almost since we arrived here. Whatever prompted the idea, it was
decided that our little car, Goldie, needed a face lift and the place to start
was close at hand. We had, in fact, investigated the possibility of having some
of the dents removed when we were here last year, but were somewhat
disconcerted when we found that to do so would cost the same amount as we had
paid for the car originally. So on Wednesday, we found ourselves at a nearby ‘crashed
car’ lot, hunting for a Peugeot 106 that still had a complete right hand front
mudguard. The car yard is quite large, the rows of cars are really close
together and somewhat precariously balanced in places and as it had been rainy
for days, the ground underfoot was wet, muddy, sticky and extremely slippery.
It was like a survival course just getting to the part of the yard to which the
owner directed us. The rain held off long enough for us to find a car that
appeared to be the same model as Goldie and, although quite damaged, still had
a complete and undamaged mudguard. Luckily for us, the owner offered to remove
it for us and said we could pick it up at ten the next morning. As we left, the
rain came down again!
From the car yard, we
went to a proper car spares shop in Nogaro which had been recommended to us as
the best place to buy suitable matching paint. Once we had given the salesman
the colour code of the paint, it was a simple matter for him to order the exact
colour from Peugeot, in an aerosol can and he too, said we could pick it up the
next morning at ten. I don’t know where it had to come from, but by ten o’clock
next morning it was there waiting for us. Aah! The benefits of a first world
country and a postal system that matches it.
Of course, once we had
the part and the paint work could, and did, start. The car we had selected was
happily white which made the ‘painting over’ simpler. It just needed a good
scrubbing and although I suggested we just left it outside for a day or so for
the rain to wash it, that was unacceptable and the job was done properly by
hand. Then it could be laid on a huge sheet of cardboard in the attic, for spraying.
What a good thing Pieter ordered all that stuff to be delivered here from all
over the place when he planned the work on the Land Rover. We now have acres of
cardboard lying around just waiting to be used for something useful.
By Sunday, the mudguard
had had three coats of colour and two of clear varnish and is looking very
good. I think tomorrow is going to be one of those days when the car is jacked
up and someone disappears underneath it and starts dismantling things.
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