18th June 2017

Him indoors is upset. His prized Land Rover has been sold to a dealership in Toulouse. Well, I say sold, but where's the money?  Their ads say 'Guaranteed - your money within 24 hours'. So Wednesday, in 40 degree heat, we first tootled to Albi to pick up a hire car, followed by a hazardous two vehicle drive down the motorway, me driving the LR, Him following in the unrecognisable hire car - both with GPS voices telling us to go in different directions! At last we found the dealership, signed the paperwork and waited for the transfer of a large amount of money into our French bank account....and waited....and waited.  Now Sunday. No car. Still no money, and our bank is shut Mondays. It'd better be there Tuesday or else.  Meantime, the saga of our English bank continues. Thursday, they agreed by email a small amount of compensation for all the stress over their threat to freeze our account. All sorted then?  No. Friday we received by standard post yet another letter, returning our previous id documents, saying they are unacceptable. Right hand:left hand syndrome? Words fail me. So tired. This leaving is so so difficult. Like the GPS all I can hear in my head: Take the exit, take the exit.

27th May 2012

Once a year Gaillac hosts a welcome soiree for all new arrivals in the town. Not one to miss a free drink, Him indoors and me went along to find the Abbeye de Saint-Michel.  We took the Land Rover, as it was situated about 2 km from chez-nous. As usual in France's ancient town centres, we had to negotiate a series of very narrow lanes and - you've guessed it - managed to scratch the wing mirror on his coveted prize possession. Good job no-one in the vicinity understood English invective! The Abbeye itself is historic, housing a cave, museum and tourist office. Around 50 newcomers enjoyed a video show, explanations of how the town is run and plenty to eat and drink. What I hadn't realised was that on each Friday night in July and August there's a free show on the riverbank gardens alongside the Abbeye, including drinks, jazz music and fireworks on special occasions like Bastille Day.  Sounds good fun.
One charming member of the Mairie's committee took the time to show us the beautiful river view and ancient bridge from on-high.  We had long discussions with him about many things French including the current euro crisis.  When Him indoors discovered his first name, he ventured:  'I'll be Franck with you, if you'll be Ernest with me!'  Clearly, the man had much to learn about dry English humour.

27th November 2011

....so Monday morning we set off in good time for the test drive. Don't have GPS, so mappy.fr gave me the directions. Looked easy enough. Came off the motorway o.k. But then, oh no - isn't this the slip road to the motorway again?  Look, there's a big sign 'Land Rover', but unfortunately it was behind the barrier at the side of the A20! How far to the next exit?  30 km.  Nothing for it. Need to get off there and return and try again. 30 mins later, unbelievably, it happened again!  Eventually, with the aid of a very patient postlady, we found the garage - wasn't a road at all, just a dirt track leading to an industrial area, the garage hiding behind another building.
It's done. We've ordered Him indoors' dream car, but he'll have to wait until April for delivery from Solihull. I wanted the manual version, but they all carried that impossible 'Stop:Start' system. Imagine starting the engine on a cold morning, only to have it deliberately stop at the first set of lights. All in the name of global warming. Nonsense. Yes, the world's ice-caps are melting, but it's all probably just a natural planetary phenomenon. Meantime we're all suffering from the scientists' unproven nonsense.  So, ordered the automatic Freelander model, without that stupid system. And, of course, with GPS - complete with a Brummie (B'ham) voice. Where am ya? Turn roight at the next loights..... Now we're sorted.

20th November 2011

Have you had an unrealised dream your whole life?  Step up Him indoors.  In the very year we were born, a certain Maurice Wilks came up with an idea that's plagued us our whole lives. It didn't help that, growing up, the young Him indoors would wipe his sleeve against the misted-up bus windows and stare longingly at the factory on his doorstep.  Dad, please can I have one?  No; wait until you're older!  The dream? A brand-new Land Rover.
At last, 60+ years later, the chance has arrived.  So, my French being better, I looked up the nearest dealership and tried and tried to arrange a test drive.  Sounds simple enough doesn't it?  And, surely when they realise here's a customer interested in a brand new model, they'll be all over us?  Well, no. I rang about 3 times in all, each time being fobbed off by the dealer's promise to ring me back.  And, you know what?  He never did!  Can you believe it?  Problem was that when I looked for a different dealership in this area, it had the same man's email address.  Clearly someone too itinerant to be much use. Yet again, c'est la France. Can any Americans reading this please teach the French some customer-service?
Good news, at last.  I found another dealer further away (and not the same man, hurrah), and we've now fixed un essaye de voiture for tomorrow!  Tune in next week to see how we got on....