You’ll have to use your imagination here. We’re talking next summer, four or five months from now. Which may be about as soon as people can travel, anyway.
The barns have been talking to me. They are a little jealous of the house. I understand: I’d like to look that good, too. So when I came down here in November, it was with the thought that the potting shed and summer kitchen would be scheduled for completion in 2021.
I’ll tell you about the potting shed later on. For now, let’s stick with this.
See that oven? It doesn’t work. Once upon a time, you lit a fire on the floor, I guess. The heat went all over the place, including what looks to have been a great place to bake bread and all. The smoke went up in front of the oven and out the chimney. To get to the oven you what, held your breath? Wore a gas mask? Came back when the fire died down? I don’t know, but worries about smoke inhalation were enough to make me decide against repairing the chimney. We’ll clean that oven up and thank it for its service.
The wall to the left was to be the home of the barbecue. But, oopsie, we left it sitting on the terrace and 100km/60mph winds blew it right down the steps. Totaled it. But oh, my summer kitchen…. I decided to give myself an Ooni pizza oven for Christmas. The understudy would become the star.
Here is the culprit. Gas fired, so no chimney at all. Cooks your pizza in two minutes. Custom pizzas all around. Little did I know: I was about to fall into the Ooni rabbit hole.You see, once you get the oven you need the pizza spatula, the pizza cutter, the bbq grill just in case some serious meatarian just won’t eat pizza — the carbs, doncha know. Then there are the flavorings, liquid, solid and fresh, and the leftover bbq tools. Where does all that go? The purpose-built table. Of course.The table is on its way. I sent Julien a link to a table I found on Youtube, Ooni pizza oven tables being their own Youtube genre. He sent me an eye-watering receipt for materials — better to ask forgiveness than permission, right? — and I think he’s building it at home right now. Or maybe he’s just hiding in the dog house.Mind you, we haven’t gotten to the actual space, yet. Fortunately for me, Kieron, the guy who personally hand-crafted the house renovation, will probably be available in June. He loves the house, so I’m pretty sure he’ll make a point of it. He and Julien will clean up the walls. I have no plans to paint or repoint or anything. They will pour a slab of colored concrete and stamp it with a roller. According to Kieron and Youtube, it should look pretty nice and have a pattern much like the older, existing floor, which we are keeping.
At this point I have sold the rental and moved from the Paris apartment. I am out of excuses for all that stuff in boxes, some still from the California move. So, on that concrete slab will be a table, sideboard and chairs from the rental house.
Every self-respecting kitchen needs a sink. And the frig? I don”t know. I have one, just don’t have a plug. All in good time.
Francofoolery 