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Despite the lack of running water and air conditioning we are both really happy at Nathalie and John's. The past few days we have been working on a stone wall that is roughly a century old. We tear out the old mortar, clean around the stones, and the fill in the cracks with new mortar. We have both enjoyed becoming stone masons! Plus the basement is the coolest place in the house; when it's 100 outside it's only in the mid 80s while we work. It cools off considerably at night so it's the mid-afternoon that is the worst. The absence of running water does make it a bit tricky to do everyday things, like brush teeth, wash hands, etc. We are making it work though. We have a water bottle in our bathroom that we use for washing hands and faces, brushing teeth, and showering. We use a different bucket of water to "flush" the toilet after it has been used. Yesterday Nathalie hung a camping shower bag outside which is easier than a bottle of water! It has a little spicket that can be turned on or off and provides an adequate flow of water. I will definitely use that next time! Using a water bottle was pretty difficult... if you can imagine. It has been a little different than we imagined, but we enjoy being here. '
A little bit about John and Nathalie. John is in his 60s, but is extremely active and knowledgeable. He is originally from New Zealand, but has lived in Japan and France for extended periods. Nathalie is in her 30s and is from France. She does graphic design for a local newspaper here in Krsko and does some publishing and other graphic design on the side. They are such an interesting and welcoming couple. They are extremely generous - making delicious meals and taking us to the river, etc. - and really interested in getting to know us as people and not just workers. It's already been a drastically different experience from Bois le Comte.
Tonight we are going into Brezice to play some tennis at a community center. There are also showers there! So I believe we will all to a bit of that as well. Then tomorrow we are going over the border into Croatia to visit Zagreb. John needs to buy some parts so they decided to make a day out of it for us. We will have a little picnic by the lake and then do some swimming - I am looking forward to that!
