I just cannot believe that it is weekend again! How this
week has flown! Let me see just what we
have been doing to make it fly. Not very much really but it has been
unbelievably hot – even by South African standards. Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday were well up, even into the 30’s, but happily by Saturday morning it had
cooled off a bit and for the next week at least, there will be nothing higher
than about 28 degrees.
On Tuesday we had a fairly early start as we had to be at
the Rodez airport at 10.30 to fetch our hosts from their holiday in Scotland.
There was no real need to ask how the weather had been – they arrived bundled
up in warm gear and started stripping off almost at once. It was a bit like a
practise run for the following day when we set off for Auch – again – to fetch
our new permits. The office is only open until midday every day, so we didn’t
want to be late and planned to leave at 8 am. However, so nervous of being
late, we were ready to go at 7.30 and three hours later were at our destination.
As we had a lunch appointment with my cousin for midday we were way too early
but managed to while away the time drinking coffee and ambling up and down the
old streets. It was extraordinarily hot and we drove back ‘home’ again with the
windows wide open blowing us to bits. Some people may ask whether it was worth
a six-hour drive and four hundred and fifty kilometres to fetch two little
plastic cards the size of a driving licence, but our answer is ‘Quite
definitely’. We didn’t stop anywhere along the way as most of the trip was on
highways which go well clear of the picturesque areas and photo opportunities
were minimal.
The next day though, we were shattered and with the
temperature soaring again we decided that enough was enough and stayed at home,
and indoors where it is relatively cool. We had planned to go into town and
hunt for some cool blouses for me to wear, but just couldn’t face the thought
of fitting rooms, so that plan was delayed until the next day. When Friday
turned out to be almost as hot again, we waited until after lunch before we
ventured into town hoping that it would be a bit cooler. It wasn’t really, but
since I found two blouses, I considered the afternoon a great success. Then I
had to spend most of Saturday shortening the one………….by hand! Goodness! How long
is it since I had to do that! Just as well though, because I wore that blouse
on Sunday and was thrilled to feel cool again.
While I was busy sewing, the two men were out in the hot
sunshine setting up the heating apparatus for the pool. When it was uncovered
for the first time on Wednesday, the water temperature was 15 degrees and by
Friday the top layer had gone up to 21 but underneath that it was still very
cold. So they have a cunning method of circulating the water through black
pipes laid on the ground to warm the whole pool. The ground where the pool is
had to be built up on the far side to
make a big enough level area for the pool and this steep bank conveniently faces
south, and gets sun pretty much all day, so large sheets of continuous piping
are laid on the bank and fastened in place. Then, at the end of the summer, it
is all disassembled again and put away carefully in the barn. Neither of us
brought costumes which is a shame, as the pool looks really inviting.
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