The Residence: One long house orientated northwest/southeast, on three and a half storeys: 5 small studio apts for one or two people, a vaulted dormitory sleeping 1-5, a common kitchen, living/TV room, a separate workshop or studio, a library, a laundry room, a pool.

NB. This is a non-profit arrangement, in a residence furnished for comfort and efficiency. Everything in it is meant for your use—open all the drawers and closets. However it is furnished with family memories, so please respect and take good care of everything. If you can, put everything back where it was before leaving. Most of the paintings were done by my mother-in-law Monique Gracy, the photos by my father-in-law Bernard Dupont.

Essential information

Electricity: main source is in my house. CHEAPER between 12:30 and 15:30 for using appliances and recharging. If power cut: I have to handle it at my place.

Water : very alkaline ; no need for salt and little soap in dishwasher; little soap either in the washing machine. Excess will just build up inside and block exits.

Smoking: on the outdoor terraces, please. In dry weather be very careful. Fire extinguishers: living room, laundry room, workshop, middle parts and lowest.

Garbage: please sort, each apt has separate bins. Big ones under the vault, please take it with you when you. City bins right as you leave the track, turn left, on the right.

Plumbing: on a septic tank. Flush only natural matter, no butts or tampons please.

Swimming pool: 1m30 deep everywhere; entry by steps northeast corner, ATTN bottom step very high 80! Cleaned with oxygen and UV, fragile, please don’t use sunscreen before swimming.

Picking: please leave flowers, fruit, stones, wood where they are.

Walking: anywhere you want, including down to the river below. Maps on the website or hung in the living room. If lost, walk uphill, you‘ll find a house or a road.

Pets: normally not a good idea, lots of wild life. But ask?

Guests I don’t know: please ask me first before inviting other people.

Photos: for your own pleasure, not publication. Please be discrete about this place.

GENERAL PLAN OF THE PLACE

There are FIVE studios and five common rooms: living room, kitchen, library, laundry, and meeting or lecture room.

To the right, as you cross the paved courtyard towards the steps: the laundry room which also gives access to the swimming pool, and Studio 1.

TOP LEVEL: Doors giving off the covered terrace: sharp right and up some steps : the library. Door right in the corner: the kitchen. Door opposite the steps : the living room, a public WC and beyond this, Studios 2 and 3 (These are also accessible from a flight of stone steps west, towards the pool).

MIDDLE LEVEL which you reach by going under the terrace vault: two doors giving respectively into Studio 4 (north) et Studio 5 (south).

BOTTOM LEVEL or Cave: dormitory unit, sleeping 1 to 5.

WORKSHOP: studio, music room, gym or meeting room, polyvalent: separate building with sliding door-windows south side. No WC in this building.

EQUIPMENT Supplied for each studio

Beds for 1-2 people, shower room with WC (one bath by studio 2) ; a comfortable reading chair, desk and good lamps; a kitchen corner with fridge, hotplate or stove, microwave or oven, dishes and pots. You can easily make breakfast, heat soup or pasta or pizza without leaving your room. More serious cooking in the common kitchen off the terrace, or in studio 5. Small kitchens also in the workshop and the laundry room (useful for the pool).

OPENING AND CLOSING UP

Each studio has its own key, which also opens the five common rooms. Each one has a little flashlight attached. To lock or unlock a door: push the handle upright with one hand, turn the key with the other. Handles are stiff , push hard.

Windows are also stiff (sorry !). The handle in horizontal position can be opened, vertical position is closed. Some bathroom windows and bedroom in Studio 4 can also be opened vertically to allow for air but not entry.

In summer, shutters should be closed during the day.

Wifi

The master connection is in my house but you can get wifi anywhere in the residence using one of the 3 little plug-ins. These are normally kept :

1. 1. in the library
   2. in the middle aprt
   3. in the workshop.

If you move them, please put them back.

PLUMBING

WCs: please throw nothing superflous in the WCs, nothing that would upset the septic tank! (tampons for example) WCs for everyone : in the laundry room, south of the living room, on the way to the pool; just beyond the living room. Extra paper supplies on the shelves above the washing machine in the laundry room.

Showers: make sure curtains are turned inwards to keep the water from flooding over into the bathroom, thanks. Empty the little drainage filters in the center of each shower now and then.

APPLIANCES

Main kitchen: two types of hot plate: gas and induction. The electric induction ones work only when there is a pot or pan sitting on them. For the dishwasher, setting 4 is enough for must uses. Electric oven and microwave (never use empty). Instructions for use of all appliances are supposed to be available in the grey plastic filefolders in every room.

MEDICAL SUPPLIES and TOILETTRIES

Some extras in each bathroom, some in the big, right-hand armoire of the living room, some on the laundry room shelves.

Closest and best pharmacy: 8km away in Lablachère (04 75 36 63 68) On weekends or holidays, to know what pharmacy is open, dial 3915.

For any medical emergency, dial 15. You may have to give directions to get to Rousselonge in French : “de Payzac prendre direction Faugères. Le tournant pour Rousselonge est sur la droite. Il y a un panneau. La maison est à 800 mètres. Route pavée, en terre, pavée.NO 670. La résidence est visible au bout.”

To consult a doctor, phone the Maison médicale des Vans, au 04 75 38 48 48. They give emergency appointments.

GARBAGE

Each studio has a small compost pail, to empty into one of two big ones: under the vault or against the house wall upper west, below the library. Each studio also has wastepaper baskets, a plastic container for all purpose garbage “tout venant”, and glass. Bigger bins (labelled) are under the terrace by the firewood. Please keep glass separate, it can injure sorters down the line. A big all-purpose public bin sits right at the entrance to the Rousselonge road-turn left as you join the main road.

TV and RADIOS

Two TVs : in the living room, behind the curtain of the bookcase to the right on entering + in the Workshop (power point presentations possible). You might need to plug them in. Several old radios in various places, more in the living room, left armoire (by the window). Projector also in the Workshop.

CLEANING

If possible, clean a bit before leaving. Four vacuum cleaners: in the living room (corner closet to the right on entering); in Studio 4, bedroom armoire ; in the basement room (far back closet with the hot water heater) and in the workshop (behind the curtain).

Brooms etc in the laundry room, living room, in Studio 5 next to the bathroom behind a curtain, in the basement room WC. Each studio has a little broom and dustpan.

Products, sponges etc around every bathroom and sink.

Clean rags and dusters in the big main kitchen cupboard+living room armoire end wall right. EXTRA SUPPLIES GENERALLY next to the washing machine.

LAUNDRY

When possible, use between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. The washing machine is in the passage way next to Studio 1, off the stone paved courtyard. Please use light programs to the left: “sale”, ou “peu sale”. They are short and efficient. Liquid soap available on the shelf.

To dry your laundry outdoors: use clotheslines above the swimming pool or lay on the grass if this is clean.

Indoors: There is an extendible drying rack leaning against the frige.

Iron and board in the laundry room WC.

GAS

Butane bottles are in the storage room under the terrace for gas to the main kitchen and the stove in Studio 5. If one needs changing, please ask for help.

ELECTRICITY

The residence network is an extension from my own house. If there is a total blackout, the main control panel is in my garage. Probably I will put it right myself. But if it lasts, if I’m not home for example, the switch is on the lowest level of my house, furthest west, a big messy room with double doors, obviously a workshop. On entering, turn left (don’t trip over things) the big black on white switch is situated in the far FRONT corner. It will be down, needs pushing up.

If you need to know (no one ever has) the residence has three control panels : in the laundry room, upper left of the east door; in the living room broom closet (please leave the little flashlight there for easier viewing); lowest level: far end, hot water heater closet. If lights go out during a storm for example, look for the little lever that is down when all the rest are up, and push the down one up.

HOT AND COOL

Each room has a heat pump air-air, for winter warmth and summer cool. Each one has a remote control usually on the wall nearby. Buttons marked in English! These will be set for you before you come, but if you need to adjust it: first push START/STOP upper middle to turn off, then back on (new beginnings). Then MODE which gives you « heat » or « cool ». The center button SET TEMP sets the temperature—put a few more degrees than you really want. It is very inaccurate. Last, push FAN to set strength and noise level: strongest at AUTO or HIGH, usually the lowest setting, QUIET, is enough. Sometimes these machines when used to heat give out cold air, it’s part of the cycle, just stand aside and it will adjust soon. To get more heat, up the FAN not the TEMPERATURE.

FIREPLACE and STOVES

fireplace in Studio 5 (the one in the library smokes). Anti spark carpet provided as well as screen to place when you are not watching.

Woodstoves in  the Living Room and Studio 5. Wood stacked under the terrace, with pine cones which you can also collect. Help yourselves!

Instructions for new woodstove in Living Room:

Before lighting, fill it completely with crumpled paper, pine cones, kindling and two logs. Add two little firelighter pastilles if weather is damp. Open the ventilation to the maximum sliding the handle under the door completely to the right. Leave it in this position for about ten minutes after lighting, then regulate as you wish.  This stove does not function with the door open, everything falls out. Only add more wood when this is largely burned to avoid smoking. There is an instruction booklet in the grey folder nearby.

Outdoor lighting

Over two first storey doors west: easy to light these without knowing it from an inside switch. If you are in Studios 2 or 3, please check the light is not on unless you need it. When you leave to go to the parking lot, you can light the terrace from just inside the living room or kitchen doors. Coming home, from a switch in the wall, right, at shoulder level, as you reach the courtyard. These interconnect. The rest of the outdoor lighting around the house is automatic.

Vegetable garden open springs

Hand tools: living room, wooden desk, center drawer ; or, storeroom under the terrace.

Gardening tools: big ones next to the firewood under the vault. Hand tools in the laundry room. But ask me please before doing any gardening?

Cleaning supplies : see above.

Toilettries: shelves above the washing machine, and in individual bathrooms.

Aspirin and other current medication: same.

Paper towels, toilet paper, garbage bags: shelves above the washing machine.

Extra Linens and blankets: in each studio, but more in the living room armoire, end wall right. Also clean dusters.

Operating instructions for appliances: in each room, in a half-open, grey plastic file box.

Iron, ironing board and drying rack: in laundry WC and next to frige. Outdoor clothesline above the pool.

Extra clothes for extremes of weather: sweaters and jackets, in the living room, armoire end wall left.

Sun hats: in a basket in the living room, under the far window.

Boots: in the vaulted storage room under the terrace.

Sewing materials: Living room, end wall right armoire. Sorry no sewing machine.

Extra leisure equipment: music stands, easel, tripod, binoculars, toys… Living room, end wall, left armoire. OR storage room in the Workshop (separate building)

Hammock: LR armoire, hangs between two catalpas between house and pool.

Games, cards, etc: in the library in a desk drawer or in the LR desk.

Extra chairs: there are ten folding black ones, + ten folding white. Either in Workshop storage area or in the laundry room under the stairs.