Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tion budget had been eaten up by the house. There was no way we could afford to do these
critical renovations.
A few days later, just after I had resigned myself to potential electrocution and no tasting
room, we got a letter from the taxman saying he owed us several thousand from the previ-
ous tax year. God clearly wanted us alive. I called Christophe, the electrician, in jubilation
and asked him to find a way to halve his quote. He pared it back to the most crucial parts
and the electricity work was soon underway.
Through our first heatwave Sean lifted then relaid several tons of concrete for the cable
and a drainage course alongside the house. Sweat pouring off his face and ears ringing with
the noise of cutting cement, he struggled through blistering 40-degree heat, wishing he was
back in an air-conditioned office.
With the underground cable safely installed, Christophe's two electricians appeared in an-
other new Mercedes van, ready to rewire the winery in cool, peace and calm. In the process
of doing the winery work they disconnected the lights of the upstairs section of our house.
Convincedthattheyweregoingtoleavethehouseindarkness,SeandemandedthatIverify
that the house lights were going to be reconnected before they left.
'Don'tworry.Weleaveagiftofcandleswhenwego.It'sallpartoftheservice,'saidManu.
'Oh, and matches too,' said Serge, his partner.
They were both doubled over with laughter by the time my lamentable French caught up
with the joke. By late afternoon everything was reconnected. We would have to do the tast-
ing room roof repairs ourselves as there was no way to stretch our tax refund to include
that. While the renovation work was coming together, the work in the vineyard was getting
away from us. Spring was powering ahead and leaving us behind.
