April 1 Sunday
in fact, change ALL file names to
lower case, although it says it does, only the main ones, so that files with
hyperlinks referring to files with residual upper case in their names cause
whole web-site to seize up.
April 2 Monday
East Cowes - Portsmouth - le Havre.
Tension in the air - to-day we "go".
Packing, flat tidying for, hopefully, occupancy by Cowes Week tenants.
Count down as time for departure of Wightlink ferry (Fishbourne, Isle of Wight to Portsmouth, mainland England) got closer, and washing machine decided unilaterally to change it's cycles to dry before wash, and spin after drying. Handy.
Duly caught Wightlink with panicky 15 minutes to spare - in fact there are so many road works on the island at present, and so much rain, that it has taken best part of hour from East Cowes to Fishbourne. This time it didn't.
odd quid for that, and the single alone was £38.00!
To Treasures with and for supper, and last minute call at chemists in Southsea for Agent Orange, etc.
Check in at Portsmouth P&O ferry terminal now completely drive through. Stay in car until drive into ferry. Better than old cigarette smoke filled hall. All documentation now correct.
Upstairs in ferry, found cabin - thought it was on deck 1 for a ghastly moment in the bowels, but it was actually French written 7 - with 2 bunk beds. Not quite what we hoped for - moral book more than 3 days in advance and be quite clear that we understand what we are buying.
Straight to bed - night is only 6 hours long on these crossings, anyway.
Just dropping off, when almighty crash by left ear. Bunk beds attached to wall, .and must have been neighbour "lowering" his. Some minutes later similar crash must have been him getting in by taking a standing dive from cabin door. Thus are the little privacies of ones personal life impinged upon.
April 3 Tuesday
le Havre to Blois (by car)
Got some sleep, but very dopey when alarm went in form of over cheerful guy on PA. Bought ourselves "Continental" breakfast with lots of coffee from over cheerful barman.
Ashore, and tenez le droite.
Got thoroughly lost in le Havre, but managed to obtain necessities for picnic
lunch, and some sorely needed diesel. (£20.00 quid's worth filled the tank!)
Found Bridge of Normandy eventually, after requisite number of "U" turns (Ffr
35.00??) can't remember, but cheaper than Severn Bridge.
Into Honfleur, just for fun, and because it is such a lovely place. Took photos, and enjoyed bit of quiet before blasting off South.
Blasted off - France is a big country.
Stopped for night in a Logis de France just before Blois. Rather spooky - large establishment, but only ourselves and 1 single fellow staying.
Nice drive, but weather very changeable - some quite heavy rain, and the odd patch of sun.
April 4 Wed
Blois to Roanne.
Last stretch - about 1 third of way.
Weather now virtually continuous heavy rain, so we missed the joys of the
"Chateau Country". Into
Roanne, straight to the Port, and there was Albert, looking just as Albert
always does look.
Now we begin.
Noted that the space that we occupied until our departure, and that was promised so faithfully by the Capitaine de Porte would be ours on our return was full. Could be problems.
Saw Maggie in Lymie amidst much cheerfulness. S stayed for tea - well earned considering she did all the driving - and self went and opened boat.
Smelt sweet and dry, although a bit cold and dank (contradiction in terms?) and opened fully - regretfully forgot to take photos at this or any other stage.
Put blow heater on in engine hole for about 10 minutes, then checked and
started engine. No problems - away first time.
Motored to Trip boat berth - nobody from Capitainerie about, and moored up.
Watered, connected electricity, and moved into boat, with, minimum of our kit (!).
Warmed up with Radio Times space heater.
To bed, satisfied.
April 5 Thursday
In Roanne.
Fine morning - first bread run of season on newly unearthed Brompton. Madame as before, but didn’t seem to recognise me. Perhaps replacement of Tilley hat with sweaty tweed one phased her.
Spent day fitting in the unfittable, and gossiping with all the welcomers
from all the boats in the Port.
Super welcome - probably did 90 minutes work in bursts of 10 minutes in the whole day.
Queried mooring, but it appears one of the big boats has moved down - whilst retaining his old mooring on our last year’s spot with E.D.F. and telephone - to our this year’s spot, so that George can "keep an eye on the boat" for the next year while he goes to Dubai to work. All a little quaint, we feel.
.
April 6
FridayIn Roanne.
Still working on boat - or at least don overall in the mornings, preparatory to gossiping the day away.
Got the new radio
arial installed to drive the old Volvo car radio - Kath’s present to us for the little red Fiesta! Works a treat, with the new CD player (installed that, as well) playing through it and, of course, Radio 4 itself, so we keep up to date with Foot and Mouth, and what the Duchess of Wessex said (silly girl), and, of course, our old tapes.Then, horror of horrors, set about installing the computer. Millions - 6 to be exact - of those dreadful little black plug-like transformer boxes, each with about 3 metres of wire on both sides of it.
Finished, eventually, frantically pushing all the loops of wire into the
space behind the computer shelf (rather like a learner surgeon pushing a patient’s
guts back inside him when he has cut them too open - push one slimy length in,
and another longer slippery bit slides out).
Wonder of Wonders - it worked, but had forgotten how slow 9000 bps transference is compared with standard telephone land line of 56000. (I think that is one sixth of the time - i.e. it takes me 6 times as long to send a message, log on to a site, or receive one, as you).
Logged on first to Family Glover’s (Nongoma Zululand Glovers) web site to hear the desperately sad news of Stephanie's’ - Peter’s Wife (Peter was Aimie and Michael Glover’s son) death in a motor accident in Jo’burg on their way with Peter and their kids to catch a flight out of S.A. to start anew in U.K.
Then a batch of e-mails
, then get stuck in and try and sort out web site. Still trying.April 7 Saturday
In Roanne.
Ferdie in River Dance left.
Bridsons down to see us as a result of my incoherent message on their answerphone.
S was shopping - this episode might have happened yesterday - still cannot separate days - they are just a blur of boats - gossip - buy super French everyday food - gossip - do a bit to the boat - gossip - red wine at 95p - them gossip - and finally gossip.
We had nothing - but nothing - to offer them to eat or drink, so lent them a glass and we shared their bottle of water, and the quiche Claudine had bought for lunch.
To Bricolage in afternoon for timber to make base for new batteries. Planned it in inches - square, bought it in cms and francs, also square!
