A free afternoon and evening

Our weekend guests left today - one by taxi to Toulouse and then Madrid and then New York, the others as planned back to London Stansted. I think it is fair to say they are the first guests that we haven't really connected with - they seemed very happy with everything and left a complimentary word or two in our visitors book and we shared a entertaining dinner together last night - but there was something not quite there, for them and us, I think.

All of which is normal, of course - we are providing a service to them and they are paying guests - not everyone who visits here is going to become a best friend and this is all part of our learning process as we get this business going.

After they had gone, I did a rapid clear out of the Apartment, put the washing machine and dishwasher on and then relaxed in the knowledge that I had 24 hours before the next guests arrive. I still have to clean and remake the Apartment before tomorrow afternoon but it can wait until the morning.

With our sudden freedom from service, Debrah and I decided to get some fresh air and went out for a drive into the bleak blustery, snow-capped, wet countryside - what a rubbish Easter it has been from a weather point of view. We did get to see our, by now, expected and obligatory, bird of prey viewing. I stopped the car next to a field out near Laure-Minervois and we watched some sort of hawk, I think, completely static in mid-air intently watching the ground, controlling it's position with consummate skill by either flapping it's wings vigorously or by just gliding on the spot. It was a very windy day which made it all the more impressive and compulsive to watch. Who would have thought that we would have become obsessed with the birds of prey in the region.

We have two TV's and DVD players here - but they are in the two suites for the benefit of the guests, and when both suites are full we are too busy to think about the fact that we can't use them - we can always watch something on our computers anyway. With no guests here this evening, we took the opportunity to settle onto the Studio sofa and watch a couple of films on our new big telly. I can't remember the last time I watched two movies back to back, but from now on I shall look forward to and appreciate the 'no guest' evenings all the more.