The first day, they went out with Michael to chop and collect firewood. Given that winter is still hanging around, the supply of wood at the East end Gallery had become calamitously low. Welcome to Beverley - here's a chainsaw...
The afternoon was quieter. In fact, I was worried that they might be bored. Unlike us, they are young, lithe and energetic and have yet to succumb to any aches or pains. They did organise a few necessities, like a phone. They helped Michael serve dinner - roast lamb, roast potatoes and ratatouille, as I had gone on strike after cooking. And they washed up the dinner dishes last night. Bliss.
This morning they had a long sleep in. I hope they are catching up on a few zzz's. Night flights are horrible and they endured a day of waiting around and then further travelling. Even fit young things get tired. As I left for the Gallery, Manon was wielding the vacuum cleaner. Happy days!
When Europeans talk about their countries, we get a hint of the size of where they have come from. Loic and Manon grew up in different parts of France - Manon in Chapelle des Bois, near the Swiss border, close to Geneva and Loic at Saint Raphael on the Mediterranean coast near Nice. We might think that coming across each other in a reasonably sized country must be a fluke. Not in Europe. Manon and Loic have known each other since school.
Chapelle des Bois is all about winter sports, hiking and horse riding; the activities one undertakes in a place that never gets very warm. In contrast, Saint Raphael is about the beach. Even there, Loic assured us that snow was not unheard of. Rarely, but snow on the beach? Brrrrr.
So here they are in little old Beverley. They appear to be able to survive without nightlife. They are both well read, like art, articulate and engaging. Loic's English is somewhat better as he lived in the United States for four years. Manon's English is far better than a couple of our other French backpackers. We communicated with the delightful Simon Hoff last year using a lot of sign language initially.
And they have skills. Loic is a carpenter by trade but has worked in a variety of other professions. Bartending was big on his list whilst living in the United States. Having a cheerful easy-going disposition is a must in hospitality. Manon has worked as a disability carer, in hospitality and in other jobs. They have been together for about three and a half years and they obviously have a great rapport and a close relationship. Travelling tends to bring both the best and the worst out of us, so if they have survived that, they should see a lack of drama as a couple.
Today the kids and Michael began the Big Project. This is the sorting, culling, transport and repositioning of twenty years of found metal objects, the remainder of Michael's tools to move, thousands and thousands of nuts and bolts and a kitchen sink. The only items to stay at the House that Rocks, for the time being, are our gardening tools and camping gear. Ye Gods, I hope they don't leave in the interim.
Who knows how long they will stay. Two or three weeks is their initial timeframe. Then after that? In ten days Michael will find out what having his stent entails and when he needs to have this procedure. We are still planning a Goldfields' camping trip for late September into early October. If they like us and we like them, we may have an extra two joining us. We'll wait and see with bated breath.
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Where is Chapelle des Bois?
Not a huge metropolis!
Where is Saint Raphael?
The Saint Raphael coastline.
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