Up late today. We walked into town to have lunch at the same restaurant as last Sunday. Nowhere near as busy as last week, the service was just as chaotic. The bread also failed to materialise although two different staff promised to bring it. Although the food is tasty there, we will not be back. The service there is not particularly friendly there either.
Overcast today after the days of temperatures in the 30’s, but it is still warm. The forecast is for storms, but it is not until the evening that the torrential rain, and a few flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder kick off.
We disconnect the TV, Phone and livebox from the wall sockets as recommended in the literature, and we are now cut off from the world except for the payg mobiles which we bought at Leclerc some days ago.
So it is off to bed listening to the rain hammering on the roof. It is very warm and sleep is difficult.
During the day we began unpacking more of the boxes stored in studio one. It is very hot work. Slowly most of my books and records and winter coats make their way up the stairs to appt 4.
I rig up my small Bush (turntable) to the computer speakers which currently sit on my new buffet in the living room alcove. I am now able to listen to my classic albums from the mid 70’s to the days when I could be sure that the CD was really here to stay. You can say what you like CD’s and MP3 tracks just do not have the same richness of sound. No, I am not going to take a blindfold test. Music becomes more of an occasion, an interactive experience when you have to physically choose, manhandle, put the needle onto the disc and then 15 – 20 minutes later turn the disc over, place the needle ….
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
30 Aug 2008 Saturday - Big shops
Off early to P 20 mins away by car. A number of huge hypermarkets, both food, DIY and numerous car dealer franchises. In the car park there is a small area cordoned off where you can try fencing with an epee. We didn’t see any takers. There was a clown setting up in the mall corridor and various craft activities were scheduled to take place at other entertainment areas in the mall.
At Mr Bricolage I bought a 40 meter extension reel in the hope that it will reach somewhere near the perimeter of the grass. We then headed off to Conforama which is furniture, diy etc.By now it was noonish. I spent a lot of time looking at the hi-fi goods. I have a lot of records and cassettes as well as a turntable that I need to be able to hook up to any new system. Of course it also needs to play MP3, WMF, DVDRW etc etc. I will have to return another day.We were the last people to leave the shop when I remembered that the shop probably shut at 12:30 for lunch
At Mr Bricolage I bought a 40 meter extension reel in the hope that it will reach somewhere near the perimeter of the grass. We then headed off to Conforama which is furniture, diy etc.By now it was noonish. I spent a lot of time looking at the hi-fi goods. I have a lot of records and cassettes as well as a turntable that I need to be able to hook up to any new system. Of course it also needs to play MP3, WMF, DVDRW etc etc. I will have to return another day.We were the last people to leave the shop when I remembered that the shop probably shut at 12:30 for lunch
29 Aug 2008 Friday – Orange Friday
We are not expecting any workmen until 4pm so we set off into town for the regular Friday farmers and craft market. I need something to keep all of the documentation that I have to carry with me whilst driving. The police in France do spot checks and if you are missing any of the pieces then you will be fined or worse.
We bought a some fruit and more of the nice olive bread and browsed the stalls before returning home for some lunch.
We just finish eating and 2 French telecom vans arrive. We now have 2 technicians. One is the chap from yesterday. There follows an hours of head scratching, cutting wires, and finally we have Internet access. The problem seems to have been the mishmash of internal phone wiring. If anyone from FT phones, I am to say that there was a fault at the box on the outside wall.
There is just the TV decoder left for us to install, and the internet phone will become live anytime between 10 minutes or 36 hours.
It is a very hot day again, into the 30s. I sweat buckets trying to get the thing to work. Just as the correct things are happening on the screen and with the decoder display the happy plumber arrives with his quote and a catalogue. He stays for about an hour, and I tell him of my latest plumbing problem, the shower which is leaking from the bottom. Again try saying that in French.
I tell him that I would like him to carry out both the bathroom and the kitchen / Velux projects. He will require 30% up front, the rest upon completion.
He will return at 6pm on Monday with a small piece of concrete and another catalogue. The concrete is a sample of what he will use to seal the bathroom floor.
He leaves and we return to wrestling with the TV decoder. I seem to be able to access lots of foreign channels and CNN and BBC world news, also I can pay to view movies for 3.99 Euros a time. Then the picture goes haywire and I give up, switch it all off and have some tea.
Once switched on again it works, so I plug in the desk top pc to the livebox. Internet access with that too, no problem. I must be getting good at this. Later I return to my laptop and I switch it off. It shuts down but refuses to switch off. I can find no reset button. It is late evening and still about 80 degrees inside. I send some emails on the desktop. I then take out the laptop’s battery as the machine feels very hot. Time for bed, but cannot shut my brain down due to trying to puzzle out the laptop issue.
We bought a some fruit and more of the nice olive bread and browsed the stalls before returning home for some lunch.
We just finish eating and 2 French telecom vans arrive. We now have 2 technicians. One is the chap from yesterday. There follows an hours of head scratching, cutting wires, and finally we have Internet access. The problem seems to have been the mishmash of internal phone wiring. If anyone from FT phones, I am to say that there was a fault at the box on the outside wall.
There is just the TV decoder left for us to install, and the internet phone will become live anytime between 10 minutes or 36 hours.
It is a very hot day again, into the 30s. I sweat buckets trying to get the thing to work. Just as the correct things are happening on the screen and with the decoder display the happy plumber arrives with his quote and a catalogue. He stays for about an hour, and I tell him of my latest plumbing problem, the shower which is leaking from the bottom. Again try saying that in French.
I tell him that I would like him to carry out both the bathroom and the kitchen / Velux projects. He will require 30% up front, the rest upon completion.
He will return at 6pm on Monday with a small piece of concrete and another catalogue. The concrete is a sample of what he will use to seal the bathroom floor.
He leaves and we return to wrestling with the TV decoder. I seem to be able to access lots of foreign channels and CNN and BBC world news, also I can pay to view movies for 3.99 Euros a time. Then the picture goes haywire and I give up, switch it all off and have some tea.
Once switched on again it works, so I plug in the desk top pc to the livebox. Internet access with that too, no problem. I must be getting good at this. Later I return to my laptop and I switch it off. It shuts down but refuses to switch off. I can find no reset button. It is late evening and still about 80 degrees inside. I send some emails on the desktop. I then take out the laptop’s battery as the machine feels very hot. Time for bed, but cannot shut my brain down due to trying to puzzle out the laptop issue.
Monday, 8 September 2008
28 Aug 2008 Thurs – Puivert
I awake from a dream in which Jeremy Clarkson says a few words at a works leaving do. I in turn thank him and tell him what a wonderful job he does fighting for the motoring consumer.
Today is the day that my phone finally gets fixed. The technician will be with me between 9 and 11am.
Technician arrives. It is now very hot. We chug up the stairs and I show him the 7 different phone points that I have on the walls.
He is puzzled as none of them are working. We go downstairs and he borrows my ladder to look at the box on the outside wall, liberally scattering leaves onto Madame’s washing.
He does not understand it, there is a line but is it mine? It certainly doesn’t go up to my apartment. Back upstairs. More testing and head scratching. He now says that his equipment suggests that I am receiving a 4Mb link, but it is not reaching my boxes.
Do I have a laptop?
I launch my laptop and he suggests that I may have keyed in all the codes wrongly. I get my list and he checks my set up. All perfect. It must be a faulty livebox…
No it has been tested in the shop. It must be faulty. He has a spare one in his van. He goes downstairs and returns with the box. After a period of time, he cannot understand it. His box doesn’t work either.
He sets off to the exchange next to the Commissariat (wherever that is), he will do some tests and phone me later.
Late morning he calls me to tell me that an engineer will be out tomorrow at about 4pm to sort out the line problem, will I be in? Yes I say.
After a brief lunch it is time to face the heat and test the new car. The car says that it is 30 degrees. Despite being a small car, it seems very roomy, the steering is vaguer than my Astra, and the ride much spongier and bouncy. I note with satisfaction that there is a dial with 4 settings below left of my steering wheel. What can it be, it was not explained to me. I will have to get the manual out and have a look sometime….
We stop off at a small village called Puivert and have a look at the church, then head back. We pull in to look at a Brocante (second hand / antiques) which takes about 40mins to look round. S buys a small dish which appears to be hand painted and signed, and which uses similar colours to one of the pieces of art bought on the cruise.
Going through some boxes in studio one I find the vacuum nozzle. Hooray!
I go up to the apartment and start sucking the floor.
Today is the day that my phone finally gets fixed. The technician will be with me between 9 and 11am.
Technician arrives. It is now very hot. We chug up the stairs and I show him the 7 different phone points that I have on the walls.
He is puzzled as none of them are working. We go downstairs and he borrows my ladder to look at the box on the outside wall, liberally scattering leaves onto Madame’s washing.
He does not understand it, there is a line but is it mine? It certainly doesn’t go up to my apartment. Back upstairs. More testing and head scratching. He now says that his equipment suggests that I am receiving a 4Mb link, but it is not reaching my boxes.
Do I have a laptop?
I launch my laptop and he suggests that I may have keyed in all the codes wrongly. I get my list and he checks my set up. All perfect. It must be a faulty livebox…
No it has been tested in the shop. It must be faulty. He has a spare one in his van. He goes downstairs and returns with the box. After a period of time, he cannot understand it. His box doesn’t work either.
He sets off to the exchange next to the Commissariat (wherever that is), he will do some tests and phone me later.
Late morning he calls me to tell me that an engineer will be out tomorrow at about 4pm to sort out the line problem, will I be in? Yes I say.
After a brief lunch it is time to face the heat and test the new car. The car says that it is 30 degrees. Despite being a small car, it seems very roomy, the steering is vaguer than my Astra, and the ride much spongier and bouncy. I note with satisfaction that there is a dial with 4 settings below left of my steering wheel. What can it be, it was not explained to me. I will have to get the manual out and have a look sometime….
We stop off at a small village called Puivert and have a look at the church, then head back. We pull in to look at a Brocante (second hand / antiques) which takes about 40mins to look round. S buys a small dish which appears to be hand painted and signed, and which uses similar colours to one of the pieces of art bought on the cruise.
Going through some boxes in studio one I find the vacuum nozzle. Hooray!
I go up to the apartment and start sucking the floor.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
27 Aug 2008 Weds - Wheels within wheels
Up early to return the hire car to P before 10am. After a 20 minute drive, sat nav gets us there, then it is a walk to the train station. I puzzle out the ticket machine, but have to use my French bank card, as there is no slot for notes.
The train is 15 minutes late. French stations, however small, seem to attract the stranger sections of society, who like to stride about and speak to themselves.
The train arrives unannounced and leaves 2 minutes earlier than the new departure time. Fortunately we are on it.
Lovely new, posh train, we get off at our stop 3.50 euros each. I phone Vincent who sold me the car, and who said he would come and collect us from the train station. He has a problem. He is near T, which is about an hour away. I say it is no problem, we will walk home. He says he will phone me at 2pm.
We wander through the town and have a beer in the square next to the big church. We venture into a bread emporium, which looks from the outside like a shed built into the wall. The bread inside looks very good. I choose an olive loaf, which is bulging with olives and 5 small cheese goujons. (It turns out to be very tasty bread and is not dried out by tea time the following evening.
We plough through the contents of the boxes stored in the studio and find the vacuum brush. Hooray!
At 2.05pm a car pulls up onto my parking, it is a lift to take us to the garage to collect the car.
The showroom secretary does not speak English, but we proceed ok with the paperwork. Then a small man in overalls comes in. He is Portuguese, but speaks Spanish and French. We have to go to the car with him. I say that I haven’t paid for the car yet. No, now is not the time, We have to go with him.
He is going to show us the car. He starts with the front passenger seat and talks us through every feature from the window, to the secret compartments
and how to keep liquids cold in the glovebox.
Next the rear, right passenger seat. How the 3 seatbelts work, how the seat folds etc.
Then the boot. The tool kit, how to get the spare wheel from under the car using a pulley / lever arrangement. Then the wheel has to be put back into position. Will I ever remember how it was done?
Then rear left seat, which is complicated, as part of it can be pulled off.
The driver seat and controls takes a further 20 minutes. “Have I brought my CD?” No I have not, and so I have failed yet another test. How can he demonstrate the CD player without a CD? He contents himself with showing me how the radio works, how to tune in the stations etc. Then it is on to the engine compartment, oil levels, water levels etc etc. He re-explains about the importance of the oil levels.
Have I understood everything, do I have any questions, am I happy with the condition of the car. Yes I say. In the UK they give you the keys and say goodbye, I say.
Back in the stifling office I finally get to pay for the car. Now I have to fill in a questionnaire about the service that I have received. This is very important as head office may phone me up to discuss the transaction, so it is vital that if there is anything wrong with the service that I have received that I tell them now so that it can be rectified.
Now will they let me drive the car away? Of course not. I am given a temporary document that I will have to keep with me at all times. I must not leave France and although Spain is near, I must not cross the border until the official document arrives.
Also, in 2,000 kms time I have to phone a number to arrange an appointment for the garage to check over the car and for them to sort out any problems.
Now I can take the car away, but only for 2,000kms.An hour and a half after entering the garage, we set off home.
The train is 15 minutes late. French stations, however small, seem to attract the stranger sections of society, who like to stride about and speak to themselves.
The train arrives unannounced and leaves 2 minutes earlier than the new departure time. Fortunately we are on it.
Lovely new, posh train, we get off at our stop 3.50 euros each. I phone Vincent who sold me the car, and who said he would come and collect us from the train station. He has a problem. He is near T, which is about an hour away. I say it is no problem, we will walk home. He says he will phone me at 2pm.
We wander through the town and have a beer in the square next to the big church. We venture into a bread emporium, which looks from the outside like a shed built into the wall. The bread inside looks very good. I choose an olive loaf, which is bulging with olives and 5 small cheese goujons. (It turns out to be very tasty bread and is not dried out by tea time the following evening.
We plough through the contents of the boxes stored in the studio and find the vacuum brush. Hooray!
At 2.05pm a car pulls up onto my parking, it is a lift to take us to the garage to collect the car.
The showroom secretary does not speak English, but we proceed ok with the paperwork. Then a small man in overalls comes in. He is Portuguese, but speaks Spanish and French. We have to go to the car with him. I say that I haven’t paid for the car yet. No, now is not the time, We have to go with him.
He is going to show us the car. He starts with the front passenger seat and talks us through every feature from the window, to the secret compartments
and how to keep liquids cold in the glovebox.
Next the rear, right passenger seat. How the 3 seatbelts work, how the seat folds etc.
Then the boot. The tool kit, how to get the spare wheel from under the car using a pulley / lever arrangement. Then the wheel has to be put back into position. Will I ever remember how it was done?
Then rear left seat, which is complicated, as part of it can be pulled off.
The driver seat and controls takes a further 20 minutes. “Have I brought my CD?” No I have not, and so I have failed yet another test. How can he demonstrate the CD player without a CD? He contents himself with showing me how the radio works, how to tune in the stations etc. Then it is on to the engine compartment, oil levels, water levels etc etc. He re-explains about the importance of the oil levels.
Have I understood everything, do I have any questions, am I happy with the condition of the car. Yes I say. In the UK they give you the keys and say goodbye, I say.
Back in the stifling office I finally get to pay for the car. Now I have to fill in a questionnaire about the service that I have received. This is very important as head office may phone me up to discuss the transaction, so it is vital that if there is anything wrong with the service that I have received that I tell them now so that it can be rectified.
Now will they let me drive the car away? Of course not. I am given a temporary document that I will have to keep with me at all times. I must not leave France and although Spain is near, I must not cross the border until the official document arrives.
Also, in 2,000 kms time I have to phone a number to arrange an appointment for the garage to check over the car and for them to sort out any problems.
Now I can take the car away, but only for 2,000kms.An hour and a half after entering the garage, we set off home.
Saturday, 6 September 2008
26 Aug 2008 Tues - Fleas?
We do not have mosquitoes, but we appear to have fleas. Very small, almost microdot size. I sweep the floors and attempt to find them. S and I have both been bitten on the feet and lower legs since we have been here, despite me wearing jeans and shoes and socks.
Now if only I had the brush end for the vacuum cleaner, I could suck up the suckers.
The painting of the walls in the living room is progressing well, now that I have switched to using a roller. It takes 2 stints to cover most of the walls, but I have no ladder to reach the highest bits. Also I have to use thin white bobbly paper to patch bits of woodchip paper which have been torn by previous occupants. There is no woodchip to be found anywhere. The small back bedroom painting is now complete.
At the Bricomarche I buy a ladder which folds into 4 sections. Days later I find that it is not so easy to get it to click into any usable shape, and it remains looking like an arthritic praying mantis for some time, while I plan to find some gloves to wear while trying to work the ratchet mechanisms.
This afternoon the delivery of the TV stand, computer desk, fridge, electric cooker, the folding bed and the big heavy buffet cabinet arrives. Once again the weather is very hot. It is a long journey from the van, up all the steps on the path then up to the second floor. By the time they leave, there is a trail of sweat up the stairs. Everything has come pre-assembled except for the computer stand. That will be the evening homework.We set off to walk into town.
Now if only I had the brush end for the vacuum cleaner, I could suck up the suckers.
The painting of the walls in the living room is progressing well, now that I have switched to using a roller. It takes 2 stints to cover most of the walls, but I have no ladder to reach the highest bits. Also I have to use thin white bobbly paper to patch bits of woodchip paper which have been torn by previous occupants. There is no woodchip to be found anywhere. The small back bedroom painting is now complete.
At the Bricomarche I buy a ladder which folds into 4 sections. Days later I find that it is not so easy to get it to click into any usable shape, and it remains looking like an arthritic praying mantis for some time, while I plan to find some gloves to wear while trying to work the ratchet mechanisms.
This afternoon the delivery of the TV stand, computer desk, fridge, electric cooker, the folding bed and the big heavy buffet cabinet arrives. Once again the weather is very hot. It is a long journey from the van, up all the steps on the path then up to the second floor. By the time they leave, there is a trail of sweat up the stairs. Everything has come pre-assembled except for the computer stand. That will be the evening homework.We set off to walk into town.
25 Aug 2008 Mon - The pipes
Plumbers arrive early morning with a machine to blow smoke. The pipe is quickly located and the plans are discussed again, The velux window is going to be expensive, and supplying the hot water will also be a problem. They will give me their quote for the work before the end of the week.
My next job is to visit the CPAM building. I take my forms, passport proof of address etc along. I am directed to sit in a corner and someone will see me. I am third in the queue.
It is my turn to see the suit. It starts well. I have my forms, do I have a bank RIB with me? Yes.
Do you have your birth certificate? Nope. He gives me all my papers back. I will have to return with my certificate. I walk the few hundred meter home and find the required document. I return to CPAM and am directed to the corner again. There is a young woman there with 2 very lively small boys. They have scattered the leaflets from the table and when they go into the suit’s office the younger one makes a dash for it while the other one starts drawing on the desk with the man’s chained down pen. He gives the boy some paper and he starts drawing. When they leave, without the cash that they hoped to get back, the boy proudly explains that his scribbles are the school children and that is the master.
I hand over my documents and the birth certificate. He takes the certificate away and photocopies it. A signature later and that is it. I will receive something in the post. No problems there then.
The washing machine will not plumb in properly. There is a cold supply but no hot supply. At the Bricomarche I stand in front of the bits of pipe, joiney-bits, and try to figure out what bit I could use to cap off one of the washing machine hoses. It is no use. One of the staff nearby finishes dealing with a customer and I explain what I am looking for. He is not surprised and with an expression of thinly disguised contempt, tells me that I am looking at the gas fittings. I follow him to the plumbing and he gives me a small, threaded metal cap.
Back home it does not fit on to the back of the machine, but will fit on to the end of one of the hoses. I switch on the machine. It will only work on one setting, it is as the booklet suggested, in need of water coming in to both of the in bits at the back of the machine. I will need to brave the Bricomarche again and try to find a Y shaped joint like the book says.
My next job is to visit the CPAM building. I take my forms, passport proof of address etc along. I am directed to sit in a corner and someone will see me. I am third in the queue.
It is my turn to see the suit. It starts well. I have my forms, do I have a bank RIB with me? Yes.
Do you have your birth certificate? Nope. He gives me all my papers back. I will have to return with my certificate. I walk the few hundred meter home and find the required document. I return to CPAM and am directed to the corner again. There is a young woman there with 2 very lively small boys. They have scattered the leaflets from the table and when they go into the suit’s office the younger one makes a dash for it while the other one starts drawing on the desk with the man’s chained down pen. He gives the boy some paper and he starts drawing. When they leave, without the cash that they hoped to get back, the boy proudly explains that his scribbles are the school children and that is the master.
I hand over my documents and the birth certificate. He takes the certificate away and photocopies it. A signature later and that is it. I will receive something in the post. No problems there then.
The washing machine will not plumb in properly. There is a cold supply but no hot supply. At the Bricomarche I stand in front of the bits of pipe, joiney-bits, and try to figure out what bit I could use to cap off one of the washing machine hoses. It is no use. One of the staff nearby finishes dealing with a customer and I explain what I am looking for. He is not surprised and with an expression of thinly disguised contempt, tells me that I am looking at the gas fittings. I follow him to the plumbing and he gives me a small, threaded metal cap.
Back home it does not fit on to the back of the machine, but will fit on to the end of one of the hoses. I switch on the machine. It will only work on one setting, it is as the booklet suggested, in need of water coming in to both of the in bits at the back of the machine. I will need to brave the Bricomarche again and try to find a Y shaped joint like the book says.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
