Homewards

Well, we are now on our way home, but I must backtrack a little.

Our last week in France has been pretty busy. Wednesday saw us having lunch with our Norwegian/Swedish friends and Thursday we made our last trip into Perpignan. We had to collect some tile plinths we had ordered but also fitted in a side-trip to Decathlon (like a mega Rebel Sports store) to buy a bike rack for the back of the car. It will take 3 bikes and we can probably fit a 4^th on the roof-rack or inside the boot, so we are all set for some cycle-touring planned with friends next year.

Some English friends called in for dinner on Thursday night, on the way back up the valley to their lovely mas (farmhouse). A wonderful evening was had by all. Friday saw us praying for news of our mattress, with the latest being that it would definitely be delivered on Monday. It had been picked up by an ‘express’ deliverer, supposedly. We made it abundantly clear that Monday was the absolute last possible day. We had a friend who does changeovers around to show her the apartment in case we have guests before we return.

Saturday was our last market day. We tried to absorb the atmosphere and ingrain it into our memory. A lot of friendly goodbyes to French friends and acquaintances on Sunday morning, but the packing and last minute jobs were fairly much finished by Sunday lunchtime so we jumped in the car and headed to the coast. We planned a last hour or so of sunbathing and after trying Les Criques (a bit shady this late in the year with daylight saving having happened overnight) managed a most pleasant hour at the beach of Argeles. It became a little windy so we packed up and wandered around the port and marina of Argeles instead. We didn’t realise there was so much in the way of apartments, cafes, restaurants and shops there. It is definitely worth a proper visit next year. We were amused by somebody pulling a large trailer out from the sea, leaving his boat behind leaning to one side, firmly grounded on the boat-ramp.

Time to head home to Céret. We had organised with our Swedish mate Mats to store our car in the garage of a friend of his in Le Boulou, not far from Céret. We duly dropped the car at Mats and Marianne’s place and said a final farewell. Mats is renovating his own mas and is aiming to have it finished by 17 May next year (Norway’s national day). We would be returning a bit before then so would be in good time for a great house-warming party.

By Monday we were mentally ready to go.  We had finished all the necessary tasks, but there are plenty of little finishing jobs for the apartment to amuse us next year when we get back. The one outstanding major item was the mattress. Horrors – we got a text early in the morning saying it will be delivered tomorrow. Obviously impossible as we would have been on our way. A very disappointed Karen. I sent a few emails back and forth, and agreed that they would store it until we got back – all too far away and we hate to imagine how many times it would be lost in the meantime. However….just before lunch a call from the delivery people saying they’d be in Céret this afternoon, and since they had a big truck they couldn’t get into the centre where we are. Many minutes of fast voluble French, some quick negotiating and they agreed to deliver provided we would pick it up on one of the larger streets. We didn’t care. Anything to get the mattress. 

At the appointed hour we were down at Place de la Liberte with the previous mattress all wrapped ready for them to take it back.

Got a call from the driver at 3pm, saying he was down by the Capelleta, not where we were, but no problem. I ran down and met him, then lugged the new (and correct) mattress to Place des 9 Jets. He was very pleasant and helpful, and offered to take it upstairs, a most welcome offer. Now for taking back the old mattress – no I can’t do that, I have no order for it. Are you sure? Yes, I’d have another order for that. So back down to Karen stranded at Liberte with the wrapped mattress , and a struggle back upstairs with the old mattress. No alternative but to put it back on the bed as a second base. The new mattress on top is pretty high now! However, no doubt that the new one is what we ordered back in July, and it is properly comfortable. We can confirm on Monday morning that the new mattress was well worth the wait, in all respects.

A climb onto our double-mattressed bed

Monday morning we were up in good time. Bruno at Bar le Pablo insisted on giving us a coffee to see us on our way, as we headed down to the 1 Euro bus into Perpignan for the TGV to Barcelona. So here we are on the train. It’s been another amazing year for us in Céret. The apartment has been a big effort, plenty of tricky negotiating and arranging, but so worth the effort. When we look back objectively, 4 months to transform an empty shell into a superb home was not bad at all. When we started we were thinking of it as a renovation, but the reality was that it was a totally new build in a very awkward location. We feel we coped very well with all the hassles thrown at us, particularly the appalling bad luck we had with deliveries. The sale of our first apartment went very well – we actually made enough to pay for our costs to return to Céret for a good number of years. Having the mattress sorted on the final afternoon was an unexpected bonus, and put a nice final full-stop on the year in France.

We cannot wait to be back in 2015. We need to spend some time in the apartment to enjoy our labours, and we have made an amazing number of really good friends in Céret - French, English, Scandinavian and more. Our French has improved dramatically this year, but we both want to push it along another step, and will have the time to do so in 2015, unless of course we do something stupid like buy another project house!