BACK TO CALENDAR 2000

We got up at 10.00. Our body clocks not yet in tune with summer time. That is our excuse.

Very cold day - wet later.

Cleaned up front right electrics - mass of unconfined trailing wires - feed radio and CD player, and loudspeakers.

After doing the computer, and now the corner shelves, boat looks quite different

Out to supper with Judy on River Dance, Jim & Ann from Vryheid there, ex narrow Boaters. Played card game "Uno". Apparently this is what they did here all winter.

It must have been a long winter.

BACK TO CALENDAR 2000

Started off full of enthusiasm - great works to be done - engine coolant expansion tank, new spring mooring cleats, etc.

Completed expansion tank installation, then started on corner "spring" cleats.

Installed 1st one on right rear, - 3 holes for a 2 hole installation - then it got colder and colder.

Lit fire, mid morning, and cowered in the boat for balance of day reading and keeping warm.

Spent day keeping warm - weather following snow blizzards in surrounding hills.

Ferdie of Riverdance back.

Went over to Riverdance to check maps of Belgium, in "working" clothes. Ended up drinking champagne and playing "Uno" again with other - properly dressed - guests.  Much more fun second time around - bloody hungry by end of evening - everyone else had eaten!

As for Wednesday - but not really as bad as all that.

Re-contacted Lloyds re non debiting and non reply to my e-mail by another e-mail.

Starting to have grief with infra-red - appears to be an intermittent fault that the computer will not recognize the telephone.

                                                                                                                      BACK TO CALENDAR 2000

Weather fractionally milder.

Infra-red finally packed up alto-gether, crashing computer at end of each boot up.

Tried to re-install, forgetting the Windows 98 was only just invented when we got the phone, and had to get assistance in installing.

Went to card/pay phone to ring Ericcson, but usual menu nonsense.

Asked their exchange to jump me in, but nothing happened by their knocking off time.

                                                                                                                BACK TO CALENDAR 2000

Back in time to see 2nd half of Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield on Sky TV with 3 Englishmen in Mitzi. Plenty of beer, and backchat, as Scotland cleaned English up in heavy rain with 1" of water on the pitch.

Wind dropped to-wards evening, and much warmer, - whole town came promenading on towing path.

Weather still cold and bleak and grey.

Worried about e-mail and lack of ability to read it.

Bicycles to town to search for a cyber cafe.

Found - eventually - a splendid institution in a long upstairs arcade. Consisted of a series of shops - all under one owner - up an escalator off the street - selling anything and everything erudite from computer games to books to stationary. The actual Cyber Cafe consisted of a computer games establishment in 1 half, a drinks bar in the other, with a couple of computers tucked away in a corner - all dead clean and proper.

Climbed, in only to discover key boards were French, and Internet explorer likewise, but not that different, and quite a fun challenge. Price was Ffr 30 per half hour, and Ffr 50 for an hour. We took 7 minutes, and paid Ffr 5.00!

Found 2 e-mails from Barclaycard, but nothing from Lloyds - has their joining with TSB resulted in them becoming a sloppy bank managed exclusively for the great unwashed by the great unwashed? The Portsmouth branches - all of them - were filthy disgusting places, full of unswept fag ends , and chewing gum trodden into foyer carpets.

Had George and Maggie from Lymie, who looked after Albert during winter for supper. A touch slow - but then entertaining in a Narrow Boat is not that different from entertaining in a bus.

No doubt but that computer worries are affecting the price of eggs.

Blowing complete hooly all day, although sun out and much milder.

Went out to Iguerande to make number with "Madame" of the Cafe "Belle Mariniere". A successful visit - she pretended she remembered us!

Had picnic lunch on hill overlooking whole Loire valley, with Western hills in distance. Superb view.

Back in time to see 2nd half of Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield on Sky TV with 3 Englishmen in Mitzi. Plenty of beer, and backchat, as Scotland cleaned English up in heavy rain with 1" of water on the pitch during the second half (didn’t see first half!). Think I was invited for them to crow over! no Crowing

Wind dropped to-wards evening, and much warmer, as whole town came promenading on towing path.