0 locks, 70kms by car

I can’t believe another week has passed. I have been such a scrubber – I have housemaid’s knee and tennis elbow. The salon and galley are scrubbed, varnished, cupboards cleaned and relined with fresh washable vinyl and decisions have been made about what is staying and what is going. I curse the people who installed MR with the attractive finially bits on all the cupboard doors – I am on my second pack of toothbrushes to liberate the coal dust that settled within! The computer mouse which vanished during transfer between boats turned up in a box of cat food on Francois this morning when I fed Daisy. It’s just a matter of working our way through the job list that we never finished when we lived on board … sigh.

Sunday was declared scrubber/varnisher relief day and we were surprised by weather in the 18/19 degree range. I walked the Mutt down the left bank of the Loire whilst G prepped roast lamb as we had invited guests for dinner.

Such was the weather that there was a hasty scrabble to find cushions, tables and chairs to try out Francoise’s rear end for the first time!

Dinner turned out to be a bit frantic, rather than restful, as the glorious weather encouraged a number of promenaders to gongoozle – some of which had to be invited to join us; Barbara and Steve on the right and the owner of l’Authentique  (our Thursday ‘happy hour’ hosts), Katia and her mother and daughter.

Today we drove up into the hills (where it was snowing) to l’precontent at Arfeuilles for lunch – around 22 of us. The scenery would have been stunning if you could have seen through the clouds – yep! Another day off.

Matilda Rose is now for sale see http://www.apolloduck.fr/feature.phtml?id=460724 or take a look at our for sale page above.