Project number 3!

Hi everyone,
so posting is still going to be a little difficult because my current project doesn't have internet but I'll try my best.
Wednesday morning was pretty chilled out since I had to wait for some washing to dry out, plus I wasn't in a big rush anyway. While I waited I double checked my route for the next day and asked the staff if they could call ahead to my intended campsite in Bergerac to see if they had space which they gladly did and reserved me a spot for just under 4€50!
Around 10.30am I left Domaine de Barbe  and walked down into town. Luckily it was only a kilometre and all downhill cause it was far too hot to be hiking with a full rucksack. Within a couple of minutes I found a lift to Lalinde (I can't remember how it's spelt and don't have a map to hand) - about 5km down the road. The guy was English but had lived in France for 15 years so to begin with he tried speaking to me in French since he didn't notice the bad french pronunciation or confused looks I was giving him. It wasn't a huge lift but it got me a better hitching spot and I had another lift in  5 minutes and they happily took me all the way to the campsite! Dominique spoke really good English and although her husband Christophe didn't speak any I even managed a speak with their 8 year old daughter Cecile in English a tiny bit! Although we got a tiny bit lost trying to get to Bergerac we found the campsite in pretty good time so I could set up before the heat was too much.
As soon as I made camp I went for a quick wash before setting out to explore. The main area is jam packed with restaurants and shops selling fois gras. It's full of old buildings and seems pretty cool but it is definitely geared up for tourists, meaning it was packed with holiday makers and everything was more expensive. Also by the time I'd finished scoping out the area places were starting to close for lunch. I tried wandering around the backstreets too because usually you can see what the place is like behind the image it's given by the tourist board, however even there everyone was inside sheltering from the Sun so I gave up on that idea, reorientated myself then headed off in search of cheap food. I found a great sandwich place in the more local part of town where you could get a full sized baguette sandwich with a cookie and drink for 4€ so I settled on a safe looking sandwich - it turned out to be salami and pickles - then found a shady spot to eat and watch the people go by.
After lunch I went down to an exhibition which was open for the afternoon in the town. The work was by an artist called Emmanuel Michel while the exhibition - titled voyages - was full of paintings of people going about their lives in places like Cuba or Tanzania  or Indonesia. He had also created some statues using the same theme. I loved his work, the pictures really showed how little modernisation has gone on in these places.
Almost two hours later I finally decided to go and find some water and decided it was far too hot to stay out. Instead I headed back to the campsite, had a quick dip in the Dordogne since it ran alongside the campsite, then went for a long nap.
A couple of hours later I went up to the reception to use the internet for an hour to look for more projects and chat to a couple of people back home and while I was there I checked out the book swap shelf and picked up a copy of The White Tiger by Aravinda Adiga. It's about an Indian boy who works his way out of a little village in the darkest depths of the country to be a chauffeur in Delhi and progresses up to become a top entrepreneur in Bangalore although not always by staying on the right side of the law to succeed. I had read it before while I was in India but it definitely deserves more than one read. Eventually it became to dark to read or write without the torch as me and my camping neighbour opposite realised at the same time so I decided to call it a night.
Thursday morning came around rather slowly due to a pretty bad night's sleep - I half wonder if they just turfed over a car park to create the campsite, I could hardly even get the tent pegs in! I had already decided to leave early so I could try and get to my new project before it got too hot so I struck camp and set off around 7.30am to get to the edge of the town. I still didn't exactly know where I was going but I knew how to get to the village nearest so I figured I could walk around and find it from there....or so I thought.
It took about 40 minutes to get my first lift with a plumber who was heading 20km up the road so I set off with him and after picking up his colleague  they dropped me off at the roundabout for Castillion  la Bataille before turning off the other way.
I didn't have to wait long before I got my next lift with a passing truck. I think the guy was French but from an area where they had a different dialect because I knew the French for some of the things he was trying to say but he was using totally different words... Either way he dropped me off in the centre of the village and wished me luck before heading off.
With the address of my new home in hand I set off asking people as I went for directions. I ended up walking right back out to the east side of town then couldn't figure out if I was at the right junction or if I had to turn off at the following one. Fortunately I managed to flag down a car and asked the guy for directions. However when he checked his GPS it turned out that it was about 15 minutes drive so he offered to drive me instead because although it was just before 10.30 am it was already about 30 degrees. Edouard and I couldn't find the place despite driving through the little hamlet a few times so we called Carly for directions and then made it to the house.
The only problem was that Carly and Gregoire and their little son Basil were still on their way back from Paris, having been delayed overnight. Instead Carly explained where the keys were and said they would be back around 2pm so on that note Edouard headed back to work and I headed to the house. I tried looking for the keys but to no avail and with little to no phone signal the only option was to find a shady spot and wait. I found the outside water tap and still had some biscuits so I set up in the hammock and alternated between reading, sleeping and heading to the only spot where I could find signal to see if I could get any more clues as to the location of the keys.
Around 4pm they arrived after having some trouble on the road but I was just grateful to get some proper food.
After a quick snack I had a quick tour of the site then got set up in the caravan - I could have stayed in my tent but after the previous night my back needed somewhere slightly softer to lie. Once we were all organised it was off to the lake for a swim.
The lake's really nice - half surrounded by trees, a nice beach and lovely clear water, plus a couple of cafés on the water's edge. After going in the water we got some chips and a small jug of wine and watched the ducks. I was also introduced to their friend Luke. He's an artist from South Africa although he's been here 5 years and has been doing glass sculptures over here - specifically suits of armour!
Once we'd finished it as back to the house for an early night since we'd all had a very long day.
Before I finish I'd better give a quick description of the project. So Carly and Greg have a big bit of land with a house that needs total renovation and a big workshop which they're in the process of building. The family are living in a refurbished 1930s gypsy caravan (not the rounded type but square-ish and longer).
Anyway I'm here for the week and one again have no idea where I'm going next. We shall see!
Also I know my posts are a bit behind but I'm super busy here!
See you all next time!