Off the boat, uncharacteristically for us, in double quick time and on the road by ten minutes past seven local time. Normally we bring up the rear of disembarkation but somehow we got through the checks early and at speed. The illicit gooseberries for the Kaisers were not detected and the gun toting border guards were still abed.
Very good journey down I have to say, no hiccups or holdups, no rain, only a modicum of swearing and shouting around La Roche-sur-Yonne. But that’s a tradition: the place is bloody badly signposted and places part of its ringroad on a passing auto-route which we’ve taken to be péage but now believe it isn’t. Most often we just hack straight through the town, it’s not much slower. Unless there is a fire, which there once was and then we saw bits of La Roche that even the locals were unfamiliar with.
The next day, a smooth transfer to hotel Ibis in Cahors. Quiet roads mostly, and after getting off the boat and getting that first 300 miles out of the way, well a bit easier progress with some lovely stretches of countryside.
Less enthusiastic to find that our tame builder chappie has not undertaken the remedial corrections to the abode that Madame Melling had paid him to do upfront, last October. She gets no response to her messages to him before our arrival, and naturally none from the one sent from here. Conveniently (for him) tame builder doesn’t ‘do’ e-mails (he is a builder). I expect we will stumble across him soon, probably lunching at L’As de Coeur if he is in the area at all. I wonder if he will have forgotten our €200 advance…… (NEWSFLASH: Tame builder shows up at 1 Rue FB before 10.00 hours, as I scribe this record, explains issues, and becomes our favourite and reliable builder chappie once more! He offers to return lucre (as well as the duplicate keys) but no, he can keep the euros against the cost of the work not done but about to be done (we trust). Or so I gather; as you know I don’t have the Fr and I blame my school for that, as in previous posts: I just grin and nod and occasionally say ah oui if I determine that it might lubricate the dialogue and suggest that I know what the hell is going on. Which I don’t.
When we contracted TV repair men (aerials division) last October we were assured by the men in blue that turned out for us that their fantastic expansion bolts (we marvelled at their size and grandeur) would hold anything firm.
Very good journey down I have to say, no hiccups or holdups, no rain, only a modicum of swearing and shouting around La Roche-sur-Yonne. But that’s a tradition: the place is bloody badly signposted and places part of its ringroad on a passing auto-route which we’ve taken to be péage but now believe it isn’t. Most often we just hack straight through the town, it’s not much slower. Unless there is a fire, which there once was and then we saw bits of La Roche that even the locals were unfamiliar with.
Por du Bec (not Porte as on the image) for the statutory fish lunch (arriving on the dot of midday). La Rochelle in a spasm of grid locked traffic but hotel, when finally reached, up to scratch as per…
The next day, a smooth transfer to hotel Ibis in Cahors. Quiet roads mostly, and after getting off the boat and getting that first 300 miles out of the way, well a bit easier progress with some lovely stretches of countryside.
On day three we even abandoned going down the swoops to the mediterranean plain on the jolly old A75, sweet though they be (Madame Melling doesn’t care for them, sadly) taking instead the old pre-autoroute via Soubès for a lunch stop thereat (we didn’t take the Marseillan option this time, honeypot in July we fear, but bashed on through Montpellier to complete the route on the rather unloved A9). Got into Sabbers at 1510, don’t y’know? And seemingly, at first glance, all fine and dandy…
Less enthusiastic to find that our tame builder chappie has not undertaken the remedial corrections to the abode that Madame Melling had paid him to do upfront, last October. She gets no response to her messages to him before our arrival, and naturally none from the one sent from here. Conveniently (for him) tame builder doesn’t ‘do’ e-mails (he is a builder). I expect we will stumble across him soon, probably lunching at L’As de Coeur if he is in the area at all. I wonder if he will have forgotten our €200 advance…… (NEWSFLASH: Tame builder shows up at 1 Rue FB before 10.00 hours, as I scribe this record, explains issues, and becomes our favourite and reliable builder chappie once more! He offers to return lucre (as well as the duplicate keys) but no, he can keep the euros against the cost of the work not done but about to be done (we trust). Or so I gather; as you know I don’t have the Fr and I blame my school for that, as in previous posts: I just grin and nod and occasionally say ah oui if I determine that it might lubricate the dialogue and suggest that I know what the hell is going on. Which I don’t.
When we contracted TV repair men (aerials division) last October we were assured by the men in blue that turned out for us that their fantastic expansion bolts (we marvelled at their size and grandeur) would hold anything firm.
On Saturday Madame Melling and self returned to the retail premises to update them on the unsatisfactory nature of blue men’s last reaffixing, the aformentioned bolts associated with the anchorage of our TV satellite dish. Men in blue are coming to try again on Wednesday. Wednesday mind you. What is happening on Wednesday? That’s right, the double ascent of Le Géant. Which means, of course we cannot roadside the stage (as we have to stay in for aerial repair men) and we cannot watch the stage as by the time ARM arrive and work their wonder the stage will be over. So we have come 888 miles (or 1421 kilometres, near enough) to miss the stage altogether. Good huh? There’s always the highlights, if they can fix the dish again… in time.
As for reconnecting the landline (a simple switch at Orange’s master exchange)? Nah. Nothing. So no communication at all beyond M’s hot spot. (NEWSFLASH: Madame Melling has been on to Orange again via her very smart phone and now we are back on line (land) and the dubious pleasure of nuisance calls! Progress is ours!!).
I sorted out a 13mm spanner I found in my toilet or tool bag and tightened the world’s strongest gripping expansion bolts until they screamed. As a result we managed to get some BBC channels and Channel 4 too. But ITV? You have to be joking. No. The Tour coverage is on ITV y’see. EF EF EF EF! Merde aussi. If only I could insert another NEWSFLASH here to tell you the operatives are even now fixing the dish on the terrace but my magic is all used up: no van is parking up and the door bell remains unrung. Wednesday! What’s wrong with Tuesday or even right now? Tsch and Fie!
OK. So the Best Laid Plans are very much curate’s egg, not to mix my mayonnaises, good in parts! Nice to be able to scoff cherries and apricots once more though, I expect to be doing so with attitude, and will no doubt come out in spots as a result…
footnote: Mary suggested a trip to our other favourite market, after St Cecile, at Malaucéne on Wednesday.
There won’t be one. That’s where the Ventoux stage is finishing!
I sorted out a 13mm spanner I found in my toilet or tool bag and tightened the world’s strongest gripping expansion bolts until they screamed. As a result we managed to get some BBC channels and Channel 4 too. But ITV? You have to be joking. No. The Tour coverage is on ITV y’see. EF EF EF EF! Merde aussi. If only I could insert another NEWSFLASH here to tell you the operatives are even now fixing the dish on the terrace but my magic is all used up: no van is parking up and the door bell remains unrung. Wednesday! What’s wrong with Tuesday or even right now? Tsch and Fie!
OK. So the Best Laid Plans are very much curate’s egg, not to mix my mayonnaises, good in parts! Nice to be able to scoff cherries and apricots once more though, I expect to be doing so with attitude, and will no doubt come out in spots as a result…
footnote: Mary suggested a trip to our other favourite market, after St Cecile, at Malaucéne on Wednesday.
There won’t be one. That’s where the Ventoux stage is finishing!
