After a few weeks of concern over ordering the right type of wood, in the right quantity and at the right price it finally arrived yesterday. This is how the conversation the previous week went (I will spare you the dodgy French):
"I would like 8 stere of wood please"
"That won't be enough"
"How much do you suggest I buy?"
"It depends how cold it is"
"Okay, so let's say it is a cold winter - how much?"
"It depends"
"On what?"
"If it snows"
"Okay, so it is cold and snows, how much would you buy?"
"It depends"
"On what?"
"Your fire"
Fireplaces established - "probably 10-12" but then.....
"8 stere is too much - it won't fit under the roof"
"Okay, how much will fit"
"6 stere"
"Okay, bring that"
6 stere arrived. 8 stere would have fitted!!
Anyhow, it arrived. Then I was quizzed about my chainsaw. My new chainsaw. Much to my disappointment I was told my new chainsaw was no good for cutting the wood - too blunt. I thought I would give a demonstration but the choke broke. Oh goodness!!
We then moved on to tomatoes. My wood man told me he had lots of tomatoes - but I insisted we also had plenty. Anyway, after a small beer we set off to see the tomatoes...see where this is going.......we were overwhelmed with kindness. Four carrier bags of cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, chillies and carrots and avoiding another beer we arrived home 3 hours later smiling to ourselves that this is what life here is all about.