Sunday, January 9, 2011

Forward to 2011

FRIDAY 7TH JANUARY 2011

Today our box arrives. Our “box” is basically all our personal things that we had to bring with us – things we felt we couldn’t live without such as some of my mechanical tools, Marg’s overlocker and kitchen knives, a French cookbook (in English) and of course our clothes. We have been living to date with little more than the 20kgs allowed by the airlines.


The box is a machinery container from P & M which originally contained a tyre change machine from Italy. It is about .8 of a cubic metre and mounted on a pallet. We had space to put in some additional things including our ski gear, some additional bedding supplies and a supply of summer and winter clothes.  The exercise has not been cheap but the cost is far less than replacement with new over here – not to mention the inconvenience of having to find items we had bought over a long period.

The shipping agent assures us it will be here between 10 and 11am. Lets see!

Yesterday we went to Dijon for our medical interviews with the French Immigration office – the OFII. We had a general health check, the normal things heart, breathing, questions on previous medical issues and a chest xray. We both passed and now only need to see the authorities annually while we are here. So many stamps and bits of paper.



Christmas and New Year were very quiet times for us this year. Christmas day we touched base with most of the family while New Year was very quiet. We were in bed by 10pm, an ordinary evening. There are only three other vessels occupied in the port, one a Frenchman, one an Italian family and the third an American couple who like us have just purchased their barge, unlike us they are very experienced and were busy preparing to move their barge to another port.
Last Wednesday they departed for Roanne which is south-west of here. They left early afternoon and we watched as they left. There was at least 15mm of ice on the water in our part of the canal and Doug had trouble driving his barge, Carpe Diem through it. He had to reverse up at one point, to take a run at it to break it up. Fascinating to watch and listen to as the ice was so noisy against the hull. Once in the river Saone he was away quickly. Pictures don’t do the ice or the noise justice.

11.05 am – small sedan / hatch arrives alongside Matilda, Ivo, the Bulgarian introduces himself and said he has goods for us. He opens the rear and out comes 4 large, 1 medium and I small carton, about 6 loose items and two umbrellas.  Our “box” has arrived.

The removalist company decided to re-pack it to be more easily handled by one person. We were quite surprised but Ivo assured us that everything was in order. It took us a few minutes to accept that all was OK and soon we were busy sorting out some winter clothes, bedding and towels and all those things that we take for granted in an established life.

It is a great relief to be able to complete setting up our barge with familiar items and we are now looking forward to welcoming our first visitor next week.

So, keep in touch.