Gite de La Maison de la Tour

25/10/2024

Halloween decorations are up! With a forecast of a ‘Mediterranean Episode’ this weekend erring on the side of caution and not put as many out this year. So Samantha and Elisa are inside to be safe 😂 Paul Everitt

20/10/2024

It mightn’t look like much but another job that’s been a long time in the making. Paul and I both on a mission to make the house more attractive from the road below. He’s been busy weeding the actual road!!!! We need to cut out a lot of dead hedge which has been the victim of 3 summers of drought and today for the first time in six years of living here… I actually swept the stairs!!! Freya and I have potted out 9 succulents which will be just fine out there and when we’re done we can put up the Halloween decorations!

20/10/2024

Well I’ve only had it for two years! Bought originally so I had somewhere to put my cup of tea whilst holding a new baby… then hidden in a corner when she started pulling up and walking. Finally, it’s back out and accompanying my blue hot desk upstairs! Love getting jobs like these done ✅

13/10/2024

Homemade pumpkin soup followed by homemade Quiche Lorraine and Autumn salad, finished off with homemade salted caramel butter puddings! 🎃 Paul Everitt

13/10/2024

Chimney cleaning action shots… it really must be Autumn! Paul Everitt

05/10/2024

Autumn has arrived in the PO! Chilly nights, leaves starting to drop and nature walks in the woods! Paul Everitt

21/08/2024

Well illness, injury and work have threatened to derail our plans lately and with the little one going back to nursery tomorrow we made the last minute decision to go to our favourite park in Vernet-les-Bains for a picnic in the shade of the 30 degree heat! There’s always something new to see as well as the swans, ducks and fish of course…

20/08/2024

Time to harvest the lavender this year when I get a moment… the insects are still enjoying it though!

30/06/2024

The ‘blue’ room set up in summer mode for visitors arriving this week! New duvet, new mattress protector, old topper/ protector and sheets gone to recycling. Old chest of drawers gone! New office area replaces old furniture. Feels homely, clean and bright.

30/06/2024

23/06/2024

Definitely had no idea we’d need a flower drying section in the kitchen one day. Been coming in useful though, making gifts for neighbours and crafting. Part of a quintessential French country kitchen perhaps…

08/06/2024

Saharan sand 🙄… one of the worst we’ve had since we departed the Middle East 🤦🏼‍♀️.

07/06/2024

Once a little old sewing table, now a modern desk space! Who knew we’d be needing two office areas in this house?! Got to love a bit of upcycling though!

06/06/2024

When you have a 2 year old who loves to check for bugs with her ‘Olly Glass’ you can’t help but buy a second bug hotel!

27/05/2024

New upcycling project… watch this space!

27/05/2024

Another big job finally completed yesterday. The bug screens on the patio doors have been needing replaced for years but with extortionate quotes and other priorities these have taken a back seat. Now the 3 main required windows have new ones they’ll make a huge difference!

15/05/2024

Rainbows and rain, and the river is finally flowing again after 2 years! Is the drought over?

29/04/2024

It’s actually raining! Not super heavily but enough for the ground to easily absorb it. Too late for the hedge mind you 🙄.

23/04/2024

Kudos to Mr Everitt this weekend for climbing the Canigou, sacred mountain of the Catalans. Setting off from our own home and taking a track from our garden gates! Despite the last 100m being unclimbable due to dangerous rock slides he has undertaken a monumental task and ticked off a huge goal on his to-do list. Congratulations! Paul Everitt

20/04/2024

A spontaneous picnic in the park in Vernet today while it wasn’t too windy. Collected pine cones for the garden , played football, had a go on the swings and ate our picnic in the shade watched by ducks and swans. There was hardly a single soul around… perfect!

24/03/2024

Another Sunday in the garden today. The weather has been glorious this week so we’ve been able to get on with plenty of long awaited jobs~ cutting down dead branches, getting rid of dangerous tree stumps, painting the balustrades and loads of weeding!

18/03/2024

A weekend of getting things done in the garden as spring approaches. Our conifer next to the gite which we’ve been trying to save forever finally had to go. The out of control oleander had a much needed trim as did the palm tree. Paul’s been hurriedly getting the hedges done before the cut off for nesting birds and our little helper was getting involved with the weeding! Still loads to do though!

13/03/2024

Ordinarily by now we’d have lots of crocuses and bluebells as well as the irises and azaleas… all I could find today were 1 decent crocus and literally 5 poor looking bluebells. One of the many signs our garden has suffered so badly from two years of drought.

26/01/2024

Well it’s only taken nearly 4 years to get back to the house painting project! But great work this week on the front of the house, helped in great part by the fantastic weather! Spurred on to do some more painting projects again!

26/01/2024

It was 22 degrees today for the 3rd day in a row 🤷🏼‍♀️. The garden is very confused but the bees are enjoying the winter flowering jasmine, as they should be! This weather is crazy… fabulous though!