Another full day, but first a word about the weather the last few days — it has been VERY WINDY & wet. For three days an incredibly strong and, we are told, a very unusual wind has been coming off of the Mediterranean & Africa, with torrential rain at times. Tiles & satellite antennas are being blown off roofs and roads flooded. Fortunately, the temperatures are unusually mild. All this does give us a chance to see how Mirabel-aux-Barionnes and Chez Mirabel weather such storms — they both did quite well! We had heard that Mirabel is sheltered from the northerly mistral winds (which are apparently as strong as the current south wind, and quite cold), but it seems to be sheltered in all directions. And its village streets drain quite well. And Chez Mirabel only exhibited one small leak, only during the most intense downpours, and not in a critical location. So it can be ignored for the time being (maybe longer đ ). One of bedrooms shows an old (we were told it was fixed) ceiling water stain and apparently it was fixed. And, most importantly, its roof terrace didn’t exhibit any problems!
OK, now for the day’s activities. We pulled up all of the bedroom level’s flooring (carpet and cheap Pergo) and found nice, clean concrete underneath. We had thought that we’d install Sisal carpeting since it is inexpensive and the only aesthetically pleasing European carpet option, in our opinions. But further research found that it doesn’t wear well (backing deteriorates within 10 years), is expensive to install, and even more expensive to eventually remove (lots of adhesive). So, we’re strongly leaning toward terra-cotta tile (about 20cm sq. tiles) throughout the bedroom level at the moment. Which leads me to …
We spent time with two couples today, who are (and, no doubt, will be) a huge help on this project. Peter and Margaret, two Cairanne neighbors of Lynda & Jim, visited Chez Mirabel in the afternoon. Peter has spent the past 9-ish years renovating their house and, therefore, is a fount of knowledge & experience. And in the evening, we had aperitifs at Bello Visto (Lynda’s home) with two other local residents and renovation experts, Dick & Laura. Dick built a house in Piegon, only 4km from Mirabel. We thoroughly enjoyed both couples, and came away with much more information regarding renovation resources. One outcome appears to be that we’ll tile the bedroom level ourselves.  I am looking forward to having three female assistants.
Last spring, Dick arranged for an electrician to inspect Chez Mirabel’s wiring. Therefore, to finish the day, we took Dick & Laura out for fabulous dinner at Campagne, Vignes et Gourmandises. The restaurant is located in Sainte-CĂ©cile-les-Vignes, very close to Cairanne.
– Rick