Getting work done, as distinct from doing it yourself, isn’t easy in rural France. The job is either too big or too small. It took Louisa and me at least three years to find a contractor willing to build an extension onto the end of our house. There was much shrugging, chin-stroking and Ooo-là-là-ing on the part of the local artisans, following by assurances that they would get back to us as soon as possible, but not before the summer and perhaps not until the following spring.