...and the countdown begins

I'm counting down the days until I leave the Chateau de Sacy. It's freezing here...not just outside, but in the house. All the time. I don't much care for the host... So far she has yelled at me for the way I stir cake batter, the way I wash dishes, the way I talk, and she's yelled at me because I misunderstood a chore she assigned to me in the garden. She has also gotten mad at Effie and called her "stupid" because while Hermine was in the garden, she forgot about the cake she put in the oven and it burned. Effie was in the hall scrubbing the floors and was not told how long the cake should be in for, or that she was even responsible for the cake. The kitchen is infested with ants, and the work is becoming somewhat monotonous. My knees are sore from kneeling, and my back is sore from bending over and picking weeds, and I think my saggy mattess contributes to the back issue as well. I wasn't anticipating a vacation, but the unpredictability and short temper of the host doesn't make things any easier. The Australians are great, and we go through it all together...although this weekend they are in Chantilly, and I'm here on my own. I'm doing my best to stay out of Hermine's way...she hasn't yelled at me in a couple of days, so that at least is good.
Yesterday afternoon after a morning of work and a nice lunch, I went with Pete and Effie to Compiègne, the nearest city. It's where Joan of Arc was captured, and where Napoleon III lived. We did a tour of Napoleon's palace, explored the city, and bought pastries at one of the dozens of patisseries in the area.