Ozzy Cat Rules!

Blessed with ignorance, our rather large cat, an Australian short-hair-Maine Coone cross (so she tells us!), has cruised her way through the global pandemic blissfully unaware of the chaos around her, spending time exploring, protecting and defending her new territory. She has made herself very unpopular with all the other local cats. She hates them and they hate her! There is a distinct lack of entente cordiale in these French-Australian relationships! Whenever another cat strays onto her kitchen windowsill she emits a low rumbling growl and flings herself at it with wild abandon - safely protected by the window in between of course! 

She is about twice the size of the petite and delicate local cats, but she is outnumbered by them by about 12 to one! These odds make her reluctant to go outside when they are on the prowl but happily she has a number of comfy and not so comfy indoor resting places - she's recently taken over a wooden chopping board, using it to sharpen her claws but also to sleep on! No point spending lots of money on accessories for this kitty - her favourite toys are straws, and she completely ignores the scratching post and rechargeable flapping fish we bought her for Xmas! Aaahh, but she's worth it! 

Stand off! She looks like a giant!

Waiting for dinner!

What a beauty! Who could resist?!

A Year of Lockdowns and Curfews

First post in over a year! What does that say?! As for many people around the world, 2020 didn't really go according to plan, and here we are in March 2021 still a long way from "normality". It's nearly a year since France went into its first, very strict two-month lockdown, followed by a period during which public places - cafés, bars, restaurants but also including beaches and lakesides - were still off limits unless you kept moving. Things opened up again in summer but there were none of the usual fêtes and festivals, and mask-wearing and social distancing remained in place (as they still do today). 

Another strict one-month lockdown followed in November, and since then, all the places that we go to gather socially and amuse ourselves - the bars, cafés, restaurants, cinemas, cultural and tourist venues all remain closed, so there's basically nowhere to go except for shops. Just as well we like walking! We are lucky not to have caught covid, that's for sure, and we are lucky to be living in a relatively sparsely populated place at this time. But it has been an isolating time, and it has taken a toll. 

During our strict lockdowns, we were only allowed to go out once a day for exercise, for up to an hour and within 1km of home. An upside of this is that we have discovered two or three local "lockdown loops" that we probably wouldn't have otherwise found. 

My definitive "lockdown loop" photo from first lockdown

We also had to take an 'attestation', a sort of "exit permit" justifying why we were out and about, even if it was just to the local shop to buy a baguette! There was suddenly a lot to remember whenever you went out: on top of the usual wallet, keys, shopping bag etc, there was now also a need for a mask, hand sanitizer, an attestation, ID, and a proof of address. Phew!

Another lockdown loop with "attestation" in hand

Despite all these constraints, life goes on, and we were still able to accomplish things. Richard completed a two month full-time french course, albeit mostly by Zoom so not the greatest when you imagine a bunch of pseudo-French speakers all speaking at the same time with their microphones left on! We also both trained as Property Sales Agents for an Anglo-French web-based estate agency. A highly stressful steep learning curve but it was probably going alright in the circumstances until Xmas when the UK went into a strict lockdown, variants emerged and the French-UK border closed until at least mid-May, effectively cutting off most of our potential clients at source. Throw in Brexit, and the closure of the local airports from October until at least May, and it has become trickier than anticipated. I have now also started an online course to teach English as a foreign language to diversify our income-earning options in these uncertain times.

On the plus side, we are still alive, and we still have our health as do friends and our immediate family.  Thanks to the lockdowns, we have now had plenty of time to sit around and appreciate the wood-burner much talked about in earlier posts - it has done a fine job of keeping us warm and cosy! The Ariège government has been busily installing fibre-optic internet throughout the area so our house will soon have a mega-fast internet connection - a far cry from our early days when we used to have to leave the village to get an internet connection! 

Much to Richard's delight, we now also have a large, flat-screen TV (became a must before the second lockdown!), and we also have our Bose Soundtouch for music and radio. This was one of the sorely missed items in the ill-fated parcel that Chronopost kept sending back to Australia (see earlier post) . We had to reroute the parcel from Australia to family in the UK as Chronopost were determined not to let us have it, but because of covid, we have been unable to travel to the UK to collect it. With Brexit and border chaos looming, we eventually arranged for the Soundtouch to be delivered by courier, hoping to avoid the disastrous Chronopost service again. Thankfully it arrived safely and works perfectly, unscathed from traveling around the world at least twice! What a joyous moment that was! 

Admittedly though, when the going gets tough, there are times when we have looked across to the other side of the world, to our old home in Perth where they are virtually covid-free and living near normal lives (apart from not being allowed to travel overseas) and thought that maybe we would have been better off staying put a little longer. I guess the grass always looks greener ...

Peugeots and turbos

For some reason the French really hang on to their cars. The second hand market in France is much more expensive than in Australia and the UK.  It was quite a shock to see the price that was being charged for old battered and tired cars.

For an example we sold our old 2013 Mazda 2 privately in Perth and was quite pleased to get $8000 (€5000) for it.  It had 90000kms on the clock but was in very good condition and had every service meticulously logged. A similar car here would probably be around $12,000 €7300) mark.

Anyway, we look around for something in the €3000 and quickly realised there was very little if nothing that wasn't over 20 years old. Most had dents and various bits peeling or falling off.  We were going to have to pay more for something decent.  Dealers were very expensive so we decided to look on the Le Bon coin website.

After a week of searching a new car came up for sale  - 2012 Peugeot 308 station wagon.  We didn't really need a station wagon but the price was right even if the km were over 200,000.  I did a bit of research and apparently well maintained diesels can go past 300,000kms easily.

The car was in very good condition.  It had recently undergone a €1000 service where the timing belt was changed and injectors replaced.  Didn't know what that meant, but again google is your friend and it seems that once a car has reached 200,000 kms the timing belt should be changed.

We took if for a couple of test drives and it drove well.  The turbo gave a lovely little whistle as I accelerated. It reminded me of the Saab turbo my father used to own which did the same thing. Very cool I thought!  We said if the controle technique was ok we would buy it.   It went over the pits and passed with flying colours.  The following week I was holding the carte grise ownership papers in my hand and whizzing around the Ariege countryside.

All went well.  We went around the local area for a couple of weeks and had planned to visit Michelle's parents in Lodeve for  xmas.  I was looking forward to driving a larger more comfortable car on the motorway.  Stick on the cruise control at 130kph  and eat the road up!

We had the car all packed up for a week with Michelle's parents. Even the cat was coming.  Off we set joining the motorway péage in Bram.  Ok, Richard enough of the D roads its hammer time!

All was going well.  I had found out how to pair my phone to the stereo and had radio 2 xmas songs blaring out.  There is only so much radio Pyrenees I can take!   Look said Michelle as we passed the cité of Carcassonne, but I was busy making good time.

The first hint of a problem came soon after as the cruise control dropped out and the speed dropped considerably. Despite valiant efforts I couldn't re engage it.  The second hint was via the rear view mirror. It appeared like our car was on fire! Plumes of white smoke were trailing behind the car.  We were now limping along like a downed Spitfire.  Eventually we found a lay-by with a phone and were able to call up for breakdown assistance.

We fortunately had breakdown cover.  After about 30 mins the tow truck arrived. We were a bit worried as the car didn't have the warning triangle and the yellow vests.  All we needed was the local police to stop and fine us.  The tow truck driver had one look inside the engine and made a sign that the turbo unit was broken.

We were towed back to the breakdown yard and told the car would be taken to a garage that cold do turbo repairs the next day. Fortunately for us and the cat, they had a hire car but by this time we were getting sick of the expense of these things.

To cut a long story about changing garages and finding cheaper quotes elsewhere we ended up forking out over €1500 on a new turbo for our car, which no longer whistles as it accelerates.

All in all a very expensive trip to the in laws.

Chronopost!!!

This post is more cathartic than really about France.  Its a cautionary tale with a bit of a rant but we can all hope for a Saturnalian miracle to happen!

OK....deep breath.  Before we left for France we organised an express delivery box via Australia post.  This express service would ensure we had the vital stuff we needed - ugg boots, wireless music system, warm clothes..etc. to be delivered soon after we arrived.  Always nice to have some music for xmas!

The box had a tracking number so we could see its progress.  It left Australia on 14th October on a five day door to door delivery.  It  arrived in Paris three days later....and then didn't move for a week.  The frustrating thing was with this tracking number we could see exactly where it was.  After a number of calls to Chronopost it finally made it out of Paris.  In fact a week later it go all the way to Toulouse.  There it had a 'dysfonctionnement' and was promptly sent back to Australia.

We could see all this happening, but calls to Chronopost to stop it being sent back were to no avail. It's too late, we were told. The Chronopost agent (one of many, each of whom take no notes so each time you repeat yourself) said that we (not them who caused the problem) to contact Australia post when it arrived back in Australia and have it sent back to France and would then have it delivered to our address.

Australia post said they would intercept the parcel before it got delivered back to our old address and send it back, but they didn't and it ended up back at our old house in Perth.  No-one lives there so it ended up back in the local post office.  Eventually we were able to persuade Australia post to send it back to France. Yay!

It arrived back in France, by this time over a month has passed since it was originally sent.  Again it sat in Paris for a week.  We called Chronopost again and asked why the hold up this time.  We were told it had been sent back to Australia again.  No reason, no explanation!  Bloody hell Chronopost, you admit fault, say send it back and then when it gets back to you return it back again!!!!!

So once again it was sent back to our old address. Once again we said intercept it before it gets delivered back to our old address. Once again they said they would. Once again there is an attempted delivery back at our old address. If only I had signed this box up for frequent flyer points!

Throughout all of this both agencies don't seem to know what the other is doing.  It's only through multiple calls to Chronopost and email chats to Australia post that its got anywhere. Aghhhh!!!

So it's now back again to Australia.  I have now given up on trying to send it to us in France  Maybe,  I will send it to the UK instead and go and pick it up!

Getting wood!

Michelle and I both grew up in the UK, and for me in particular (wife is a soft southerner!) in the bleak winters of Cumbria.   You would think I would be used to a bit of cold.  Obviously not!  It's only November and I am cold...really cold!  It doesn't help that I haven't yet bought a coat.  Well I didn't really use one before.  It didn't get shivering  cold in Perth. At the moment wearing a couple of fleece tops seem to do the job but I reckon by looking at the snow on the not so far peaks that a blast of real winter is only around the corner.

Having said that we are prepared!  On the road between L’Aguillion and Lavelanet we found a timber yard which delivered wood.  Anyway for those interested in this the minimum delivery is 2 cubic metres and they supply beech and oak. The oak is a little more expensive but quite frankly I’m none the wiser what was being dumped outside our house! We asked for a mixture of the two which worked out at €167.

We don’t really have enough room in the house for all this wood so we used the pavement outside. Our French neighbour came out and approved of the quality so apparently it should burn well. Anyway he also told us a particular French law that apparently the homeowner is responsible for his own pavement so it’s our area to use basically.  I’ve never seen anyone walk by as it’s such an odd strip outside our window and the few churchgoers just walk straight out the doors, no real reason to turn right for 10 feet of pavement. We were advised to stack it a little away from the wall (damp) and to buy a bâche (tarpaulin).  If you need one we got our for €5 at Action stores.

We were a bit concerned that the 50cm lengths were not going to fit but they do just and having them bigger means less visits to the wood burner.  The cat approved too!

Back in France and collecting our cat!

Bonjour a tous,
Well, we’re  finally here.  We arrived via Heathrow and then coach to Stansted which allowed us to catch a Ryanair flight into Carcassonne, which is only 45 mins from our house  We have hired a Renault Clio for a month (FYI best deals can be found at Le Clerc supermarket!) in which time we plan to find a cheap second hand car to buy.

We had a couple of days to get over jet lag but on the Sunday (we arrived on the Wednesday) had a rendezvous in Barcelona to pick up our cat, Kitty.  At the time of booking we thought Barcelona would be fine but had no idea of the demonstrations and road closures that would cause such chaos to the region.

Our preferred route alone the A9 motorway was blocked by protestors so we had to take the path over the Pyrenees.  Don't do it unless the mountains are your intended destination or you fancy something in Andorra. It's a pain in the backside,  particulary with a manual car as its constant gear changing and very winding.  Plus the tolls are exorbitant!!!

Anyway the cat was arriving on EK185 from Dubai at around 1:20 pm so we arrived good and early to get all the paperwork sorted.  Once we had found the WFS cargo building near Terminal 2, we had her pet papers processed, paid the duty (around 90 euros for a cat) and was told we had to go to the customs area in terminal 2 to get the papers stamped. We could then return and pick up the cat.

skeleton staff on the weekend!


So we traipsed over to Terminal 2 and found the Customs Office.  After 10 mins a lady came to see us. She told us that before the cat could be released a vet had to sign off.  So to retrieve your  pet you need three different people from three different departments to give three different stamps who reside in three different buildings!   This is where the problem started as no vet was on site at the airport on a Sunday!   They knew our cat was arriving but no-one seemed to take responsibility for making sure the vet would be there.   A vet had to be called. She  didn’t turn up until 5pm.  Eventually at 6:15pm the poor car was released to us.  Oh, and then the vet came back saying she couldn't be released as we didn't have the original health certificate.  I turned out to be glued in a sleeve on top of her cage, but had it not it really would have been the final straw!!    It's a common old rescue cat for f@#s sake  (excuse my French) not a bloody endangered Bengal tiger!

It was now dark so it meant we would have to drive the four hours back to France in the dark. On the plus side the motorway was now open, but on the negative side is quite badly lit for a 130kph route, especially with a complaining back seat passenger. Poor Kitty had been trapped in her cage now for probably 12 plus hours and was complaining loudly in no uncertain terms about her treatment the entire trip back stopping her meowing every now and then to break wind with a stench that could strip wallpaper! Fair enough, I would probably have done similar or worse under the same circumstances.

Ok, now it gets real!

As those who have been reading our infrequent posts we bought a little house in the Ariège, and for the past few years have been staying there during the summer and gradually bringing it back to life.

Each time we went back to Perth if felt like we were leaving a part of us behind.  We locked the place up, put the shutters up and went back to our drone like existence in Perth.  Well, I suppose there is a time when you simply need to take the plunge. We have therefore made the decision to pack up and move to France and see where the pieces fall!  As a brief aside I suppose we have a bit of form for this, having done exactly the same in 2010 when we moved to Australia.  Well its been nearly 10 years living and working in Perth so I'm not sure we can be called 'flighty' just yet. We will finally have our French xmas and get the log fire going as the appropriate time of the year!

So its goodbye to loading planes!

Michelle’s French is excellent whilst mine is more rabbit in headlights panic as soon as someone speaks to me.  I've been flitting around like a verbal bee between various French apps attempting to improve.  I think though that the only way I'm going to get any real progress is to throw myself wholeheartedly into the mix.  For this reason I have told Michelle I will do the hard yards and spend a minimum of 4 hours each day in a selection of local bars listening and engaging with the locals.  Now this may involve me having the odd glass of beer or wine but I'm prepared to put the hours in for the greater good.

All is basically now packed up. The hardest decision we had to make was what to do with our cat. It would have cost $2500 to bring her back with us.  The sensible approach would be to give her to a friend and we had a kind lady all lined up  (thanks Rachel) but because we are both pathetic we relented and now have her arriving a few days after us in Barcelona.