We have liftoff!

At last, the internet is back on stream at Bas Etang. But only after 5 visits by the France Telecom engineers. They replaced the 50 metres of overhead cable that stretched from the house to a nearby pole. That reinstated the voice line, after it had been silent for 5 days. The ADSL line still didn't work. But then they went to the Lavausseau exchange, and changed a module there. Voila! It works, at last, after 2 weeks.
Last week I received the new desktop PC from Dell, only 3 days after ordering it from the UK (via Bombay). However, Dell had declined to accept my credit card (after taking down all the details)as I lived in France. They couldn't explain why that was a problem, even though the UK credit card is registered to me at the French address where delivery was to be made. So I had to make a transfer bank to bank, which I swiftly did over the internet. However, Dell then charged the credit card and received the cash in their bank too. I notified them straight away, requesting the £22 fee for the BACS transfer cost as well as the refund. Dell then informed me that they would send the refund together with £165 compensation. You could have knocked me off my perch with a feather!

The new balcony at Bas Etang 2

The new balcony 
We finally had the new balcony made and installed a couple of weeks ago. The next tasks there are to retile the verandah, and paint the wall of the verandah white.

Troubles at Bas Etang

A couple of days ago my Dell notebook crashed permanently. It was at least 6 years old, and the hard disk had failed. I'm not too bothered about losing everything on it, as I have crucial data and programs stored elsewhere. But, then the worst thing happened - we lost our internet connection altogether. So Amanda's PC can't act as my backup either. My Netgear ADSL Router was losing the connection at a greater frequency than previously, until total failure occurred. France Telecom recognise the symptoms, and have promised to come in the next few days to restore the connection. Meanwhile I am posting this blog via Bas Etang 2.

I have ordered a new PC from Dell. It is a desktop, with a 3.2Ghz Pentium 4 processor, 1 Gigabyte of RAM, a 320 Gb hard disk, and a 19" UltraSharp LCD Screen. It is due to arrive in the next fortnight or so. Meantime, I've managed to borrow another Dell Notebook.

One other item of note is that the Balcony is being installed on the terrace of Bas Etang 2 today. Pictures of that achievement will be posted shortly.

The Cave

We have found a Cave in the woods nearby, about 300 yards from our house. The history of the Cave will be told in a later blog.

The Cave 

The Cave 2 

Pool changing room

Finally we have bought, assembled and varnished a pool-side changing room. aka a shed. But we do have a fridge in there too. So drinks will be on tap, so to speak.

New Shed 

New Shed 2 

Azaleas in front of the house 

New kitchen unit

After waiting 6 weeks from ordering at Castorama our new kitchen unit was finally ready for collection. Our Renault Scenic is invaluable for transporting large and heavy loads like this. It was swiftly unpacked and put together and installed. At last we could clear the remaining pile of boxes transported by the Removers.

New Kitchen Unit 

Swarm of Bees at Bas Etang

During the whole afternoon these bees were massing around a part of our roof. They were there last week too, but disappeared after a few hours. We have called a local expert to come and see, and explain the phenomenom.

Bees 

Ducks, resident at Bas Etang

Duck 2 

Duck 1 
These Ducks have pride of place in our river. They come every morning for breakfast - scraps of bread they receive from under our kitchen window.

Crayfish in Le Boivre

Crayfish 
This little fellow is fighting his way upstream.

The Coypu is prevalent in Le Boivre

Coypu Here is a photo taken today in our river (Le Boivre) showing a Coypu. I have extracted the following notes from the Sea-River Newsletter at http://sea-river.com/95_3_gb.php
The coypu was introduced into Europe in the 19th century for the quality of its fur and it has spread to many regions since the closure of fur farms. It is abundant in marshes. Over the last few years it has extended its territories and is even found in towns. How can this invasion be stopped?
The coypu (Myocastor coypus) is distinguishable by its size: it can measure up to one metre in length (tail included) and weigh from 9 to 10 kgs (the size of a cocker spaniel!), its long incisors are orange in colour and it has a round tail covered with small scales. This is once again an introduction which has gone wrong.
The coypu is native to South America (Chili, Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay in particular). It was discovered in the 17th century and introduced into Europe in the middle of the 19th century (at this time many new species were being imported). Breeders and furriers were interested in its dense fur which consists of long coarse hairs and an thick underfur. Fur farms started up all over Europe as it was not difficult to farm and its fur fetched a good price. White and different coloured fur obtained from selective breeding was much sought after. The meat could be used in paté as this rodent like the rabbit feeds on vegetation. Unfortunately the 1929 crash caused the ruin of breeders who opened the cages and released the animals into the wild. Since then fresh attempts to farm have been made here and there but have come to nothing, mainly owing to changes in fashion rather than the action of movements against the use of animal fur. Consequently coypus settled in the wild with varying degrees of success: they invaded marshland where they are currently abundant, elsewhere they have more or less disappeared. For several years they have been gaining ground and are establishing colonies on numerous river banks. They are found in Paris despite the fact that the banks of the Seine are of stone and concrete.
Old documents indicate that they are not harmful as they feed mainly on rushes and other aquatic vegetation. What had been forgotten was that their burrows damage and weaken river banks, dykes and ponds. They also consume large quantities of food like all rodents to wear down their teeth which grow continuously, subsequently the vegetation is constantly cut down.
Sometimes they are very abundant indeed. In France, it is estimated that there are over a million coypus in the Camargue region, a few hundred thousand in the Dombe (Ain), in the marshland of the Poitevin, in Brière and elswhere. From these and other places it continues to spread and colonize other territories. It is becoming a nuisance in many places.
How can its spread be halted? Poisons are banned so the only other alternatives are hunting and trapping. Coypus are essentially noctural, hunting will never be an effective solution even using adapted methods. Trapping is efficient as the animal is not very cunning but there are strict regulations in France and other countries. This method also has its limits : it is easy when the animals are numerous but less effective as soon as the populations decline. For trapping to be effective it must be carried out over a vast area otherwise the populations will constantly reappear. The Authorities in France are sometimes involved in operations to limit populations by offering a payment for each animal caught of 1 to 3 euros accordingly but the cost of capturing an animal is 7 euros (traps, time, training). Then there is the question of what to do with the trapped animals? The pelt can be used, it is of excellent quality in winter but there is no active market. The meat can be used for paté and sold locally and the teeth can be used for pendants. The trade could be reactivated and become profitable for many trappers, tanners and furriers, but political action would have to be taken to to get things moving. During this time the coypu would continue to spread…

A new view of Bas Etang

A picture taken yesterday, with two photos stitched together to get a panoramic view.

Bas Etang 

Flowers in the garden

Here are some photos of the best flowers in the garden. We inherited all of them, so their arrival was somewhat of a surprise.

Flowers 
Flowers 
Flowers 

Waders and dams

I was bought some waders for my birthday. They are wellington boots that are attached to a rubber pair of trousers that reach my chest. So I tried them out the other day, and waded down the river looking for any obstructions to clear. I found a small dam that had been built by someone which was trapping a lot of vegetation. I cleared it, and dismantled some of the stones that were holding back the water partially. The trouble is, the water level has gone down by about 8 inches! I'll have to rebuild the dam. Damn!

Driving Licence

I decided I should apply for a new licence that has a photograph in a credit card sized format. But what UK address should I use? I knew I could not reapply with my old one, and wondered what the options were for UK citizens living abroad. I emailed the DVLA in Swansea to find out, and got the following reply:
"It is accepted that drivers who move to another part of the EC/EEA could be holding driving licences showing an incorrect address. This is permissible under the terms of the EC Directive on Driving Licences."
So I have applied for the licence with one of my son's address in Kent. The good news is that an application due to a change of address is free of charges. The only problem is that I had to send in my passport as proof of identity, and feel nervous without it until it is returned.

Fresh Pictures

Boivre 
Pool 
With glorious sunshine today I took these photos to show you the setting here. The pool has been opened from the winter closure, though the water is still too cold to try. The river level is at the right depth to keep the trout and crayfish happy.

New babies

Borzou, Akhtar & Dorsa 
Ivan, Annette & Skylette 
I celebrate the arrival of new babies for my friends. The top picture is of Borzou, Akhtar and Dorsa, and the other of Ivan, Annette and Skylette. Both girls were born in the last few months.

Garden Benches

Today I unpacked two knock-down garden benches I bought at B&Q. The first was put together without a hitch, but the second was trouble from the start. There were 6 slats of the same length, instead of 5 plus one of a shorter length. I sawed one of them down, but was then faced with drilling holes in the ends to accommodate the dowels and special fixings provided. It was not a job I relished, as precision was required. I had to use some angle plates instead, securing them with my own screws. What a palaver! I had a similar problem with a Futon bought from Ikea, where one of the special fixings was broken. We called Ikea in the UK, and they sent a replacement in the mail fairly promptly.

A new Cooker

How exciting can life get? Today we had a new electric cooker delivered and installed. Amazingly, the delivery driver was English, so communications were trouble free. He gave us a complete talk-through of all the operations, and even took away the old one that had lost the functionality of its thermostat.

Registering the MG TF

MG TF
We went to the insurance company Groupama to get a quote for the MG. As the MG was already insured through them in England I thought the rates might be cheaper. There I was paying £302 per annum, with a 65% no claims discount. First of all we were told that the car had to be registered with French plates, and that the no claims discount would carry on increasing up to 13 years' worth of accident free motoring. We scurried into Poitiers, and managed to register the car in an hour and a half - it cost 238 Euros. I am now the proud owner of French plates! I had already taken the precaution of getting in England the Certicate of Conformity from MG Rover, that cost £120. This provides evidence throughout the EU that the car meets European standards. We went back to Groupama with the registration certificate, and as I could only show a period of 6 years' of unblemished driving, I was quoted 838 Euros. If I can get proof of another 7 years I can get it reduced to 512 Euros. I can't remember the last time I made a claim, so I am hopeful that tracking back through the various insurance companies I was covered by will dig up the evidence I need. At the same time I got House and Contents insurance with the same company for 278 Euros. Now that is a bargain compared with England.