Flower garden out front. Now at its peak.
APERETIFS
Maguy, a French neighbour had us round for aperetifs.
L to R: Sylvain, another French neighbour, Gerard, Maguy's husband, Cathy and M.
Me, given the job of Bar-B-Quer.
INTERNET
The internet still wasn't connected when we got back. It has been a total disaster this year. Last year we were on-line within a day of calling the English Language Hot Line.
The operator told me shortly before we left that Orange no longer supports line suspension (This regulation has been in place for a year apparently though from conversations with other users I have my doubts. Maybe the operators are on commission?). So I have arranged for the net to be on permanently for the coming year at 33 Euros a month. Now will have to look seriously at an alternative system for the future. Maybe those damned I-phone thingies!
DEPARTURE
We left Guemene on Sat 18th Aug about 11 am and set out for Paris. We were amazed at the amount of traffic on the roads.
Normally we travel on Sunday to catch a flight at about 10pm. This time we were flying Singapore Airlines which was due to fly out at 10am on Sunday so we booked in at the CDG Airport Ibis Hotel for Saturday night.
Don't know if the heavy traffic is caused by being in the middle of school holidays, it being a Saturday, or the mid week day holiday the French have just had.
All went well with the trip until we reached the Perephique (The outer ring road around Paris). 80km out our super-sophisticated fuel control system told us we had 180km worth of fuel left so, although we were about to enter the red zone on the fuel gauge, we thought we had plenty of fuel left to get us to the car check-in yard. Wrong!!
Stuck in heavy traffic on the ring road the emergency warning goes off "PING". There appears to be plenty of red zone to go and then I misread the sat-nav and wander off the beaten track. By the time we get back on the trail to the airport there is very little of the red zone left and we are beginning to panic. Do we get off the ring road and look for petrol, or not.? If so, where? We daren't fiddle with the sat-nav which can tell where the nearest servo is for fear of getting lost again (not too confident of getting back to the direction screen). So now follows a very nervous spell as we watch the fuel gauge approach zero and only 10kms to go. Tempers begin to fray!! Visions of leaving the car on the side of the highway and setting off on foot to find fuel. Suddenly close to the airport VOILA! a service station. Great sigh of relief!
FLIGHT
The flight back to Australia went off reasonably well. We had three seats between the two of us on the 12 hour, cattle class, leg to Singapore but were severely confined on the 7 hour leg from Singapore to Sydney. The TV screen was excellent on the second leg with touch screen facility but on both legs the earphones which you stick in your ear were lousy. The sound wasn't clear (except, of course, for the ads!) and they kept falling out.
Anyway the food and service was excellent and we are grateful to SA for our safe return.
We were met by Andrew with his luxury Mercedes vehicle which he has acquired for his new career as an UBER driver.
He is very happy with the way things are going and it was great to catch up on the news during the hour or so trip back home.
TELCO'S
You wouldn't believe it! What is it with us and Telcos?!
The internet worked perfectly but the landline telephone was dead. Difficult to understand when they both use the same line. Never the less it was the case. Now I find, it is almost impossible to report a technical fault. The Telstra website is evasive. There is not an option -"phone is dead!"
Eventually after dozens of codes and numbers I get to talk to a real person on my mobile phone which is pretty remarkable in itself as the reception is so bad here.
A technician has just come and gone and all is now working. The problem was with a connection up the street which affected just us!! Riiight. At least there is no cost.
