Back home nearly three weeks and I realise, belatedly, that I didn't finish this story.
Well, the fitters' shop is closed on Mondays so we only have the (innocent) carpet suppliers to rant at. Anyway, I tell them that we are definitely finished with the fitters and want them to suggest an alternative. This they do and we have a friendly call to the new guy who promises to come out and see the job. He comes when he says!!! He's friendly, realistic ("can't fit it in before you go, or I would be letting other people down"), likes email :). We trust him. He'll email us a quote.
The pent-up anger has to wait till the shop opens on the Tuesday, but only Madame is there, very apologetic as usual, but our cheque is in the van with the boss. She assures us that, though unreliable, he is not a crook. So next day we retrieve the cheque, and the day after take a wee chocolate gift to Madame for being so helpful and as commiseration for her redundancy - the firm is closing at the end of the month.
End of part one of the saga.
We've received the quote and hope to arrange fitting for May, a mere 18 months after the stairs were ready.
Welcome
This is how to keep up in touch with me when I'm on my travels. Hope you like it - please give me feedback as to what you might like to see on it - or not!
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Monday, 3 October 2011
Allotments and farms and language methods
What else?
From farm to farm
Our most recent event,
again in the company of Marie and Michel, was “De Ferme en Ferme”,
an annual event which attracts hundreds of visitors to local farms,
to see how they are managed and to taste their products. We visited a
deer farm, where we were able to hear the rutting call of the stag.
He had a troupe of 44 adoring females and no competitors but he was still anxious enough to make sure of his 44 wives that he strutted round threateningly, bellowing occasionally. Then a goat farm where I made a friend for life by scratching a nanny goat's head.
Lunch at
the château, and an olive producer afterwards. Did you know that
olives have to be soaked in sodium hydroxide to make them edible?
We've had a dinner
party, the greatest success of which was my summer pudding. The first
time I'd made it, and it looked magnificent, I have to say. We sat
talking afterwards about books, audio books and various ways to
improve learning French/English. Barbara reads books in English to
understand the story, then listens to the audio book in French. I
read the newspapers and go to every function I think may afford me
the opportunity to talk to anyone French. Marie and I, Michel and Jon
exchange sessions in one language or the other. But we often hear people who have lived here for years saying that they still have trouble following the news or films in French. I'm not sure if that's disheartening or encouraging!
Family gardens
I've spent an afternoon
on a group bike ride in Carcassonne, along the banks of the river,
visiting “les jardins familiaux” - what we would call allotments.
It was interesting to explore the river banks, which constitute a tranquil recreational area between the old walled city and the lower town. And to hear from the gardeners how their plots are managed. This event was organized by the CAUE, an official body concerned with preserving the architecture, environment and planning of the town.
One of the "cyclists",a keen gardener. |
It was interesting to explore the river banks, which constitute a tranquil recreational area between the old walled city and the lower town. And to hear from the gardeners how their plots are managed. This event was organized by the CAUE, an official body concerned with preserving the architecture, environment and planning of the town.
From farm to farm
View over Saissac to the Pyrennees, on our way to the farms |
The stag |
He had a troupe of 44 adoring females and no competitors but he was still anxious enough to make sure of his 44 wives that he strutted round threateningly, bellowing occasionally. Then a goat farm where I made a friend for life by scratching a nanny goat's head.
Marie and Michel at the olive oil tasting table |
Chance encounter and the Gaza pig
Chance encounter
We
went to a concert
given by 5 Czech sisters who played gypsy music on accordions, and
fiddles, where we sat next to two English men. One looked familiar
and turned out to be someone we met on our first night here in our
new house. We went on a nocturnal walk in the mountains, leaving our
bare house behind with the beds yet to be put together, and Ralph
told us of his first morning in his new house, where he was woken by
the speaker, mounted on the walls of his house just outside his bedroom,
announcing LES BRITANNIQUES SONT ARRIVÉS.
I've
told the story many times so it was reassuring
to meet the central character again and know that I had not imagined
it.
The Gaza
pig
Jon
let himself be talked into going to see “Le
Cochon de Gaza ”, a
film in Arabic with French subtitles. We
sat through the adverts and the trailers and then a film in Arabic
with French subtitles. No pigs and nothing obviously Gazan, and we
thought it might be a trailer, but after half an hour or so decided
maybe it was just the wrong one. So we stumbled out of room 2 and
into room 3 where there were plenty of pigs, and one of them dressed
up as a sheep, (because pigs are impure to Muslims, of course – why
did you ask?)
There's
no end to the blunders you can make when you don't follow quite
enough of what's going on.
The carpet saga
This still continues.
We are now down to only 9 days left before returning. When I went in
to complain on the Monday, Madame was on the phone to the boss so she
handed the phone over to me. He assured me he would ring me back with
a date for the fitting when he had access to his diary. Thursday we
rang again and Madame said she would get someone to ring back. Late
afternoon we went in to complain, having heard nothing and spoke
again to the boss, who said he would come and see the job at 5.30.
And he did!!! with two workers. They said they would do the job
(which was supposed to be finished before the end of September) on
Saturday Oct 1st at the very latest. When I expressed
doubt the boss said I could cut his throat if it didn't happen by
then. Saturday Oct 1st – no sign of anyone, no knife to
cut the boss's throat with,the fitters shop is closed, so we go to
the carpet shop to tell them that the fitters they recommend are
rubbish. They ring the boss who tells us to go back and wait because
they will be coming. But the carpet is still in the shop, which is
about to close for the day so it's clear there's no possibility of
doing the job today.
You'll have to watch
this space (if you can be bothered) as the next instalment will be
tomorrow when the boss has until 11 am to ring and tell us when it
will be done! Why, I wonder, has my customary optimism deserted me?
UPDATE – it's Monday
morning now, 10.50 and no phone call, so we're off shortly to try and
retrieve our deposit cheque, as yet uncashed! Where's my kitchen
knife????
I'm a star!
I had an email
following up the citizens' choir which I took part in earlier this
year. It invited members to go to Toulouse to record a CD destined to
go on sale in time for Christmas. I feel a bit unworthy as I have not
been to any events over the summer, but decide to go anyway and it's
just as well. Of the 30 or so original members, only 15 turn up. The
studio is a pretty professional one and for once the day proceeds
without the long sessions of sitting round waiting to be called for.
We're focussed and hard-working and it's interesting to see how it
all works.
Because we're 15 instead of 30, the studio will double our part, so we record the same parts lots of times, they choose the best versions and make 15 voices into 30 or 45. Easy when you know how! We have a bring-your-own lunch (only 1 and a half hours!) with plenty of wine provided and get back at 6 pm.
We only recorded 2 songs (!) and the CD will cost €5. My question about who on earth is going to buy it was greeted with shock and surprise. Apparently it will be very popular. Well, I'll buy one.
Because we're 15 instead of 30, the studio will double our part, so we record the same parts lots of times, they choose the best versions and make 15 voices into 30 or 45. Easy when you know how! We have a bring-your-own lunch (only 1 and a half hours!) with plenty of wine provided and get back at 6 pm.
We only recorded 2 songs (!) and the CD will cost €5. My question about who on earth is going to buy it was greeted with shock and surprise. Apparently it will be very popular. Well, I'll buy one.
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