We made a flying visit a few weeks ago in May and saw the remarkable progress with the pool. It’s due to be complete by mid July and we’ll have some landscaping done by then too. The travertine tile surround is done and the landscaping was due to start the week after our visit. The lining has to go in and the pumps and filters. The very good news is that Monsieur Mouche, the pool man says it will be very low maintenance. Looks like we will get to use the sun loungers by the pool this August. We are still having issues with the electricity supply but fingers crossed that will be resolved in a few weeks. We had intended starting work on a pool house by converting one side of the chai or barn or even The Haçienda as we’ve named it. (the section with the sloping roof that you can see in the left of the picture). We think it might prove a little expensive however.

For the uninitiated The Haçienda was a famous Manchester nightclub, part of Factory Records, oft frequented by Babette and me and occasionally by Keri and Simon. Babette and Simon have the other house in the hammeau de Cannes, they introduced us to the area 20 years ago and we’ve been guests of theirs pretty much every summer since.
A few years ago I bought a limited edition marble replica of the famous Haçienda outdoor sign. Every Factory product record, poster or even club had a reference number. FAC51 was The Haçienda. and there were 51 copies made by a Manchester artist. The plan is to put it in the wall by the entrance of our own Hacienda. It’s a weighty item so I’m not certain we’ll get it on the plane!