Good news for us. "France brings forward relaxation of confinement measures, due to the success of the vaccine roll out and tumbling infection rates" Unfortunately there seems to be little desire to allow travel from the UK. Currently they believe that they have kept the Indian varient largely out of the country, with 2% - 4% of new cases identified as that strain compared to it running at 96% in the UK.
Morning all. A spectacular light show last night with the whole sky lit up with multiple flashes going off one after another. This seems to happen every year when the caravans return to the towns campsite. Yesterday they had arrived, set up in their normal positions, and were gathered in the shade with the occupants catching up on their news, with throats well lubricated judging by the number of bottles and cool boxes within easy reach. After the storm it feels much fresher today, you can move without breaking into a sweat, but as more storms are forecast for this afternoon, another keep cool as best one can day. Have a good one whatever the weather.
Morning all. Grey and blustery, yet no more rain forecast. Yesterday afternoon it came down in stair rods and the lane looked like a river. Our three granddaughters, 13, 15 and 17 year olds are all booked in to get their vaccinations next week. Due to their other grandmother in Wales being diagnosed with cancer a trip to the UK is called for, and although it may be difficult, to be fully vaccinated should help getting into and out of countries. If new cases continue to rise, just what will the UK government do? That is an unknown factor currently. Have a good day whatever you might wish to do.
Morning all. A major storm directly overhead at 6.00 am that actually woke me up briefly. Mme cannot work out how with little to no effort I can go back to sleep with the crashing and banging still going on. I received a nice letter this week to tell me that I had the point restored to my driving licence as I hadn't broken the speed limit for three years. There is now a confusing state on speed limits, with some departments sticking to the 80 kms/h on minor roads, while others have reverted to the 90 kms/h. Living at the junction of three it is all too easy to wander across the boundaries and find yourself going too fast, and some people who travel more than I do are picking up fines. I think this needs sorting out! Have a good day all.
Morning all. A week ago I wanted rain to save me watering, and now I wish it would stop. Bright sun one minute, followed by a heavy downpour the next makes a trip to the fields a game of chance. My two daughters in England have sent cards and presents for Fathers Day. There must be many people who have lost their fathers due to covid in the past year, so just a memory for them now. Have a good day one and all.
Morning all. Sunshine and showers, some heavy expected today. News from France shows that only 30% of voters could be bothered to cast their votes in the important regional elections. It is a complex system that will see people from different parties join together for the second round next Sunday. With such a small turnout it is difficult to read much into what happened, although the Greens did moderately well from a low base. It appears that both extreme left and right have been rejected in favour of the more centralist parties. From some comments I have seen people do not think that it will make any difference to their lives, so didn't bother. Have a good day whatever you will or will not do.
Slowly putting things in place for a hopeful departure to France on the 9th July.... and here's hoping they dont ramp up the restrictions.... Just managed to book an antigen test en route through the UK on the 9th.... Vaccination Certs ordered..... painstaking....
Must be a worrying time for our resident 'Orn down there. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06...ady-for-magnitude-8-on-alpine-fault/100134024
Morning all. Much fresher feel to the day currently, but more storms are forecast for this afternoon. Let us hope that the earthquake down under doesn't happen, or is not as bad as the report suggests. Also let us hope that France doesn't follow other EU countries and place the UK on the red list before Yorkie gets here. There are still a few UK nationals here when you see the number plates on the cars, but it is a fraction of what we used to see. I hope that his neighbours remember him and provide food parcels while he isolates. Strange rimes we are living through. Have a good day all.
We have moved our eurotunnel ticket to a redeemable voucher (having moved it 4 times last year). We would normally go via St Malo, but the ferries don't appeal (!) and so we will have to use the ticket. It means a layover somewhere in Normandy. We couldn't go to our little cottage anyway at the mo 'cos of Mrs J T's issue. However, we might just be turning the corner on that one. It had been harrowing at times, a rollercoaster , the worst bits being when a slight improvement is followed by a new low, and we don't know how low it will be. The poor lass had also had a couple of physiological issues - allegedly unconnected with the medication, although I have my doubts as she has had very few visits to the NHS over her life, apart from the major depression episodes. In fact the first issue, low sodium, which is horrible and looks like depression, probably prevented her getting the right treatment in time before she really declined, which was a shame. But I've seen a genuine improvement these last 3 days - one which looks like it is going to last. The consultant who came to see us - no really ,the consultant comes to us - has been brilliant, and has already put in place the psychological follow-up which is going to be necessary. So if by some chance we get to the Charente this autumn, that will be 2 years since we last brushed off the cobwebs, and moved the mice out of the lounge. And then we have the looming problem of the macerator, which must be replaced by a 'proper' sewage system. Unfortunately, we are not allowed the neat compact system which uses bugs and a stirrer, as they are not permitted in premises that are vacated. And our garden rises uphill, so it is going to be tricky. Anyway, that is for whenever. At least we have been inadvertently saving for it. One benefit of our current circumstance is that we have come into contact with hardly anybody , so have kept safe on top of the 2 jabs. Look on the bright side ! My close friend and STH who sits next to me at Mecca ( we sit the GT stand so we face East) moved over to his (beautiful) bungalow in Provence last week. ( Pool temp. 27 , air temp 32 ). Just in time possibly, although he reports that the French transport office has been overwhelmed with requests for new driving licenses from resident Brits ,as Brexit is making them invalid. Yet another 'bonus' that the Brexiteers didn't think about. A minor detail. He reckons he can get from Nice to Vicarage road and back cheaper than I can get there and back from Cheshire. (He does have free UK train travel, which helps. Unfortunately his lovely free pass, 1st class , and with a host of other goodies ,like Calmac ferries, windermere cruisers , wife's tickets european trains etc etc) isn't transferable , unlike our new season tickets. That could come in useful for us long distance folk. That's it - news from the lower levels in the north.
Do hope it all works out for you........ challenging times in so many ways..... Incidentally we have just had our new fosse fitted... . after 18 years of a perfeclty good one that had never been emptied... the 'lawn' has been well and truly dug over from the photos... .the moles must be very confused!
Presumably worked for British Rail? My dad had one of those 1st class free passes too - he took early retirement from a senior management position in BR in the mid-70s and made full use of it. In 1992 he even managed to score a three day trip on the Ghan, from Darwin to Adelaide - much to his surprise and delight. When he died, my mum retained eligibility but never used it much.
Morning all. Grey and more rain expected during the day. It looks as if Friday and Saturday could be better, but who knows. Lots of activity with my neighbour here with a young lady from the water board. For the past hour they have been searching for his stopcock outside as I guess that he wishes to have his water turned off as he no longer lives there. Then there are a couple of men at the next house taking the render off the outside walls. There was a lovely creeper there, but it was starting to pull down said render. Mme across the road has just returned from her shopping trip, and further up the lane the builders have returned to continue work on the barn that is being converted into a stable. All this going on at the same time is unusual. Our excitement is normally more spread out. Have a good day whatever you are up to.
I wonder if the lady from the water board is the same one who came to see us, to tell us to get our sewage system updated. When we told her we didn't know where the outflow went ( we really didn't !) she found it quite quickly. Unfortunately it was where we suspected - the storm drain in the road. We were given 3-4 years , but I hope it will be extended by the amount of time we haven't visited. (2 years !)We were promised mains a few years ago, but apparently the money ran out a km away.
We have had our cottage 19 years, and in our little hamlet there are about 10 houses.. no one has taken any notice of the SPANC waterboard visits before... but this time two of our good french neighbours both had new systems put in... .they seem to think this time there is more of an ultimatum... we all had the old concrete tanks never emptied etc etc... .so we took the plunge, sorry about the pun, and got ours done...... not cheap though...
You can spend hours out here discussing septic tanks while at the same time tucking into a very good restaurant dinner. We were visited and every house in the village told that the systems we had did not comply. My system was described as an "artisan" one, and despite being used daily had never caused a problem and had never needed to be emptied. The guy who inspected it suggested that like many visits he made the only outlet possible was into the foul water drain that takes water away from your kitchen sink. This drain runs down the road before crossing a field and discharging into a settling tank. The tank itself has now rotted away and needs replacing, and until that is done none of the houses that discharge into it can comply. The council did look at the cost of mains drainage, but were told that the ground conditions made it impossible. There was a scheme being discussed at council meetings about installing some reed beds, but I haven't heard anything about this for a couple of years. The response from the Marie currently is that until central government come up with loads of money there are far too many elderly people without the means to change where possible, and nothing much will happen until government is inundated with calls to provide funding.
Your system sounds identical to ours. I suspect however that those of us who have their cottage/dwelling as a second home are deemed well enough off to afford a new system. Anyay, we'll see what happens when we finally get back there.
My friend in Dorset is someone who is constantly using his mobile phone and the size of his bills make me shudder. Unfortunately his O2 signal strength is very weak, and his phone keeps connecting to Orange F because it has a stronger signal. He was more than happy when under EU law roaming charges were abolished as his local calls had been regarded as international. Today O2 have announce that roaming charges will be re- introduced from August. Next time he has a moan I will gently remind him that he was taken in by Johnson and his cronies.