Just wondering if the washing machine repair man will actually get here tomorrow or not. Finally managed to arrange for someone to come out end of last week, but he didn't make the first appointment due to the bad weather, snow and ice on the roads, plus he had a car accident (excuses). Another appointment made for tommorrow, 'late morningish', changed again today until 'sometime tomorrow afternoon'. Fingers crossed.



The gas man arrived at 8.15am this morning to fill the tank, I was just about awake, but still in bed. (Well it is the school hols). First I knew was that he was on the phone, calling for directions. Turned out he was actually sitting outside our property at that point, however, I didn't know this at the time as our house isn't next to the road. I tell him we're the last house on the left. I hear the truck moving, although it sounds like it's getting further away. Eventually I get dressed and go outside. Truck is at the other end of our hamlet, I can see the lights, but due to fog, that's all. I'm waving frantically at him but he says he can't see me (I'm still on the phone at this point, not telepathically communicating, but it's good to find out that the phone has a long range to it). I'm telling him to move forward and eventually, just feet away, he decides he can see me. By the time his brain registers and puts the brakes on, (it's cold) I'm half under the wheels; lucikly I'm stood in the middle of the truck and go between the wheels and thank god it's not three wheel drive. I crawl out and walk him to very large white tank at the side of our place, right next to the road. I just checked on 'Geoportail' (like google earth, but for france only) and you can even see it on the satellite pics, 100 metres up! Soon I will receive a bill for around about £1000.00 for half a year's worth of gas. Isn't that a cheery christmas greeting?!

If you're interested in looking at our place from above (and why wouldn't you be?!) go to Geoportail.fr and type in the name of our hamlet (not the name of the house) in the first address box ('Addresse') and 'the name of our local town (the one that comes after the postcode) in the second address box ('Nom de la commune'), then click on the button 'J'y vais'. The address will come up in another box, click on it to confirm. Our house is the one at the bottom of the pic on the right hand side as you are looking at it. You can get into 50m away and you can see the pool and the brown roof of the hangar (with aforementioned white tank in front of it), the cottage behind it and then a row of buildings behind that and to the right, which is our house and the gites and the other cottage.