French House Things & Fic Ramblings

[fredbassett]

It's a wet Sunday afternoon and I don't feel like going swimming, and I need to let Part 6 fester for a few hours before I do a final edit and consider whether I post now or leave it a while longer to gestate, so I thought I'd finally get round to a post I'd promised for lazykeptwoman re progress on our French house project, so house things and some fic ramblings behind a cut ................

House Things

Two years ago Mr fb and I got drunk while staying overnight with a friend in the Dordogne en route to the prehistoric caves of the Pyrenees. End result? (Apart from her hangover the following morning!) We bought a piece of land near where she lives, and the house that she has project managed for us (and done loads of work on) is nearing completion. Photos can be found on a photobucket site that Mr fb has set up. We're right in the middle of a wonderful caving area, with one of the nearest caves being Lascaux, famous for its paintings, just over the hill in nearby Montignac.

http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/JMFangio2007/

Fic Ramblings

Part 6 is nearing the 5,500 word mark and will have to stop here or I'll have posting traumas. Or rather MORE posting traumas, as something always seems to bug me every time.  There's probably one part left. And I do vaguely know how it all ends up, but I suck at writing plans, so I just hope the ideas in my head reach the page OK.  I've had loads of fic-angst over this one, and be warned THERE IS NO SMUT. But this damned series is just determined to go its own way and I seem to be along for the ride, so here's hoping it comes over alright and doesn't bore people silly.

Anyway, I've left it long enough now, so I'll go back and do a bit more editing.

Comments

[msb66.livejournal.com]

House looks wonderful. I love that back porch. Once the roof is on a building it looks "real" somehow (as well as aiding watertight-ness etc). Very exciting.

[fredbassett]

Yes, it was a big aid to water-proofing! They have some very spectacular electric storms in that area so we were glad one didn't occur during that phase! And we now have two mega-sized lightening conductors as well :)

[telperion-15.livejournal.com]

Wow, the house looks beautiful, as does the location. Not being an expert on architecture (except from very specific periods), does it draw from any architectural influences? Or has it just come out of your heads?

I'm so jealous. I would love to build my own house. But I'm years away from even owning one, never mind building one from scratch!

On the fic front, I am of course going to selfishly demand that you post it right this second! Having said that, if you must let it gestate, that's good too. I'm really starting to appreciate how much you must have put into the story as a whole, and I would want to rush you.

(Post it now, post it now!)

Sorry, my selfish alter-ego took over there for a minute... I've locked her away again now ;-)

[fredbassett]

The style is tradition Perigordean (the region). The high roof comes from when they used to f=grow and dry a lot of tobacco in the area, drying it in the upper stories of the farm houses. The L-shape at the back isn't traditional, but it's not visible at all from the front, so the regional planner let that through. The covered terraces front and back are also traditional.

We can only manage to afford this as we still live in the same 1930's end-terrace we bought in 1984 and have never moved. At times I wondered if we'd made the right life-choices along the way by staying small here, but it left us able to do this, so we're chuffed to bits with it all! We couldn't have done any of it though without our wonderful friends out there. They've been brilliant!!!

And as a welcome back present, I've just posted Part 6. I suddenly decided I was happy with it, after a week of angst, so I jumped in before I lost my nerve. Hope you like it!

[entangled-now.livejournal.com]

The house has the possibility of looking absolutely fantastic! I love when properties have possibilities...

I promise I'll come back and read your latest part tomorrow. I don't think I could absorb it enough to give sensible feedback at the minute...I think I'll definitely enjoy it more tomorrow anyway!

[fredbassett]

We're very pleased with the way it's looking. Choosing things like roof tiles was very scary. It'd be a helluva mistake if the colour looked bad on something so big!

Sounds like your head's still suffering. Poor you! Don't worry, it's not going anywhere :)

*send more e-painkillers, and adds e-gin, in case that helps as well*

[entangled-now.livejournal.com]

*saves e-gin to have with cake*

Lol, choosing roof tiles and windows and wood effects and things must be both fun and bizarre...and I am now imagining you going 'umm neutral colours, we'll clash with the scenery otherwise!' I assume you're going to be taking advantage of the caves nearby, which is very awesome too.

it's not going anywhere

Lol, because if you hid it I'd be very upset!

[fredbassett]

Well I will admit to choosing B & Q magnolia for the walls inside, but only because anything else was a gazillion times more expensive!! And believe me, the French planners won't let you clash with the scenery on the outside, which is no bad thing, because the scenery is lovely, both above and below ground.

[emmademarais.livejournal.com]

A house in France.

A lovely new house in France.

/cries/

I'll just be over here feeling sorry for myself and trying to fight these horrid pangs of jealousy. /sniff/

[fredbassett]

I'll throw and LJ housewarming party and invite you all over!

[emmademarais.livejournal.com]

Cool! Am looking forward to final pics!

Shall I bring a virtual fruit basket? ;-)

[fredbassett]

And I'll supply the wine!!!

[munchkinofdoom.livejournal.com]

The view from the road, with the house nestled amongst the trees, is beautiful. And you weren't kidding about the steep slope of the roof! It is a beautiful house.

So, when will it be finished? And don't forget to show us more piccies!

*heads off to read Devil's Crowll pt 6*

[fredbassett]

Our friend is aiming to have it ahbitable by the time we go over for the last two weeks in September, but there's still quite a lot to do inside, so we're relaxed if it takes longer. It will certainly be ready before Xmas and we intend to go out for 10 days then.

I'll probably need advice re loading photos, but yes, I'll try to post more when we get the next updates.

[capn-mactastic.livejournal.com]

OMG gorgeous house. And near Lascaux? *so jealous*

[fredbassett]

Yep! Handy for all the prehistoric caves in the region, and loads of other underground wonders as well. You like that sort of stuff?

[capn-mactastic.livejournal.com]

Yes, a lot. Cave paintings are completely awesome. I generally pay a lot more attention to them than the curriculum feels i should when i teach art history (because it annoys me that peeps think prehistoric man was a bit stupid, so i do what i can to show my students that this is not necessarily correct)

[fredbassett]

Of course, I'd forgotten the art teaching bit! Email me off line, on this subject if you like (I've put an email on my profile, so hope it works!). This is something I've been heavily involved with for the last 15 or more years. Last September, we visited Chauvet, in the Ardeche, and prehistoric man was sure as hell not stupid! No-one who could paint the lions of Chauvet, the aurochs of Lascaux, or model the clay bison of le Tuc d'Audubert could have been stupid. (And I have seen all of these, in the original, including Lascaux.)

[capn-mactastic.livejournal.com]

usually i am very tolerant of other people's opinions, but when peeps try and perpetuate this out-dated victorian stereotype I tend to, in Lana's words 'go from amiable fluff ball to shrieking hell-kitten of doom in 0.6 seconds' (personally i believe that's an exaggeration, unfortunately i can't find anyone to back me up...)

I think i might have just exploded from sheer jealousy, you've seen the original of Lascaux?

*runs off to check email*

[fredbassett]

Sounds like a man after my own heart! And actually, I;ve given up on tolerance. Much over-rated! If they're morons, tell it like it is!!

Yup, 1995!

[capn-mactastic.livejournal.com]

*snigger* I'm supposed to be the diplomatic one... It freaks everyone out when i have a 'moment'

we saw the reproduction a few years ago and that was cool enough, i can't imagine seeing the real lascaux. *big eyes*

[fredbassett]

Lascaux 2 is excellent. They improved the lighting in there a few years ago, which made it more realistic and the art reproduction is millimetre perfect. The new reproduction of Altamira which opened about 5 years ago is also superb, if you are ever in Northern Spain. In the Dorgogne, the ones I would recommend very highly are Pech Merle, Cougnac, Font de Gaume and Rouffignac.

Seeing the original Lascaux was wonderful. We were lucky as well that the two other people meant to be on the trip didn't arrive, so there was only us and the guide, which was even better.

[capn-mactastic.livejournal.com]

personal tour is always good :D

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Looks like a great little house.

[fredbassett]

Thanks :) It's been a project both scary and exciting, but we're pleased with how things are coming together.