We had been warned that the summers could get very hot (and we had first-hand experience of the high 30s whilst tiling the roof) and the winters could get very cold.... but we weren't quite prepared for how cold....
It has been between -8 and -13 degrees every night for the past 10 days.
We had a 6 inch snowfall that will not melt, as daytime temperatures remain below -3 degrees....
And we are waging an anti-freeze war inside the house; an extra jacket for the water heater; extra lagging for the waste pipes and every day we take the heaters down to the cellar to defrost the pipes that have frozen again overnight. The paint has frozen in the barns, and even our trusty JCB has now frozen and burst a hose!
But when the sun shines the Dordogne looks amazing under a thick layer of snow and ice...
The snug stone houses with the chimneys smoking..
And the bare plum orchards....
And even our own potager looks stunning buried under a thick layer of snow, against the clear blue sky.....
Love your photos Gill. The cold is a shock isn't it! Although we've had it this cold before, we've not had it for this long. Normally it's gone in a day or two. Touch wood we've avoided the frozen pipes. Hope you're managing ok with yours. The weather should be turning milder (and greyer :( ) from tomorrow.
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