Quandry

[LissacFrance]

To all those who so kindly came back with suggestions for our holiday, I forgot to mention that we are also supposed to be going over to the French Alps at some point.

We should have gone last week, but wife on antibios, car had been acting funny and we had a very sick horse, we postponed it till later in the year.

Purpose of the trip, just short of 400 miles each way is to collect goodies that I left at my sister`s last year! My nephew has since collected them and taken them to his chalet that he bought last year. It also gives us a chance to see just how big a chalet he has bought. I suspect very large. As a result of lots of hard work and support from his long suffering wife "did you say the kitchen would be finished by Christmas?" Yes!!! "Did you say which year?" No!

I think he took him about 5 years to finish, but in te meantime he had been growing his company with his wife`s full support. The result is a very successful Architectural Practice with about 35 very talented architects and technicians. He deserves to see the fruits of his efforts.

The goodies include my birthday presents plus a tryptyique painting from my niece. Her dad was the artist, a very good artist I might add and she does not have room for all the artwork she inherited.

Meanwhile, I`d better get back to putting shelves up and continuing with caravan repairs.

Enjoy what is left of the weekend, complete with sunshine,

Chris.

[helenlw7]

I’m very envious of your life in France and I love reading your posts. France was going to be a post retirement home for my husband, my sister and I. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with RA in 2000 and asthma and bronchiecstasis in 2012. I know the French hospitals are good so that wasn’t an issue, but to cap it all my sister emigrated to Australia!

She definite has itchy feet because while she was there she bought a house about half an hour from Narbonne, then she sold that and bought one in Yorkshire, finally selling that and emigrating to her house in Spain two weeks ago!

[sassy59]

Wishing you and your wife happy travels sometime soon. Take care xxxx❤️

[Izb1]

At least you will have time to get ready for the trip and hopefully no more problems. I had to look up the word tryptyique art as I haven't come across that one before and think that painting will be so different to have on your wall x

[LissacFrance in reply to Izb1]

Hi, the title of the painting is "Good and Evil". It was a project he undertook while studting for a Degree in Fine Arts, after he retired. He produced some fabulous paintings and exhibited in seceral prominent exhibitions in the UK. Unfortunately he never painted again after being diagnosed with cancer, "what`s the point" he once said. Such is life. Have a good day, Chris.

I`ll try to find a photo of the tryptyque.

[Izb1 in reply to LissacFrance]

Aaaw that's so sad Chris, he will live on through his paintings and good that you have one to keep x

[watergazer in reply to LissacFrance]

That would be good. He lives on in his paintings xx

[jackdup]

wow that’s pretty impressive that he built his architectural practice to 35 employees. As you say he is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. Hope you can make your trip in the not to distant future. I hope you have a wonderful time.

[LissacFrance in reply to jackdup]

Hi, just seen his morning photo taken over London. He is in London all week with some high-powered meetings lined up. His company specialise in refurbishment of old houses. Full insulation, air-conditioning, the works. He has contracts all over the country and last year opened an office in Madrid! Im sure his wife would like to see him more often but he thrives under pressure. Pressure not only at work, but still runs marathons. he completed the Medoc marathon last year. In case you don`t know this particular challenge it passes through some of the finest vinyards in the Medoc. Obviously runners are encouraged/delighted to stop at each one to sample the wine on offer. He had to confess afterwards that all was going well until about the stops from the end he made the mistake of accepting oysters. They are not intended to be consumed after heavy drinking especially when you are trying to run. Have a good day, I`m sure he will. Chris.

[jackdup in reply to LissacFrance]

Wow that’s very interesting and very impressive, and good for him/them. I’m suspecting he probably ran the fastest of the race after consuming the oysters. 😊

[LissacFrance in reply to jackdup]

Something like that. He does enjoy a challenge.