Saturday 9 April 2011

Fri 8 April - Radio 4 & A Little Bit of Climbing


Woke up to the novelty of being able to go online, catch up with my blogs and listen to John Humphries.  Oh, how I have missed him and Radio 4 in the mornings. 

I also woke up still smiling at being able to catch my girls and my mum on Skype last night. Absolutely brilliant to see them all, and all looking so well, sunned and happy.  Sam was hilarious, showing me pictures of pirates and sporting a rather boyish black eye, a war wound from a day in the park and getting rather too close to a big boy wielding an either bigger stick. Can't wait for them all to come out, but in the meantime Skype isn't a bad substitute.

KP making us rich in our make-shift office
KP came and joined me a bit later and did a bit of KPRS catching up, happy too to be back online and working again.  Most importantly of all, and so very exciting, is being able to keep an eye on his shares, which are going to make us rich any day now. 

As today didn't look like it was going to be the day KP makes us rich, we had to crack on with our day jobs here.  Not being able to put it off any longer, I started the prep work for painting the big guest room.

Once I got going, sanding down the window frames as the sun was pouring in wasn't a bad way to be spending the morning.  And the actor Martin Sheen was giving a cracking interview on Desert Island Discs.  Hmmmm... Is Radio 4 going to be my one British habit that will refuse to leave me?  Marmite and porridge (not together, mind you) I could just about live without, and curries at a push, but Radio 4?  Nah. Where I go, Mr Humphries goes too, and Nicholas Parsons.

As I was sanding down in the open window watching the snow recede from the mountains, I left KP to entertain builder Max who'd come round for a second look, this time with his Dad in tow for a second opinion.  They were out there for quite some time until eventually Dad was happy. 

Yep, he agreed with his son, certainly happy to take on the work and can definitely get a quote to us early next week.  The bad news, however, is that they won't be able to start work until July, and the work will take 2 months.  There goes our July opening then.  Bugger.  Looks like I'll have to spend the winter earning some money.  Unless, of course, KP's shares make us rich...


Roccamorice
And then it really was playtime.  Roccamorice crags.  Just on the other side of the mountain but no direct road, at least not if you don't have a Land Rover.  Mere mortals in a beastie have to go the long way round.  But what a stunning drive.  Half an hour of twisty, climbing roads winding their way through ancient, tumble down villages.  And the climbing itself, I'd forgotten what a fabulous gorge it is. 

KP & the rock
Bathed in sunshine, and with the crag all to ourselves, it was great to be back out on warm rock once more, its been a long time.  So we notched up a few short and easy climbs just to get our climbing legs (and heads) back again.  Just chilled.  We've got months of this so there's plenty of time to start pushing the grades.  But, for now, a few 5c's and a top roped 6b was plenty.

We stopped off for a quick beer at the bar in Serramonacesca before going home.  So different to when we were last here in the freezing snows of January.  Everyone was sitting outside in the little cobbled square in front of the massive doors to the church.  Seems a little strange having a bar right next to a church, and both sharing the same courtyard, but no one seemed to mind, and the contrast made quite a picture.  Bet it'll look very different on Sunday with everyone in their best Sunday suits.  At least they won't have far to go after the service.

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