Saturday, August 15, 2015

Shopping in the rain, more rats in the roof and a beautiful villa


Friday 14 August 2015
Heavy rain for most of the day 18 degrees

The rain was coming down so hard that it looked like it was coming out of a giant shower head.  You could hear the parched earth sucking it up.  I thought of the plant pots where OH has filled up the drainage holes and wondered how saturated they would be.  Have no idea where the brolly is and all the waterproofs are packed away so they will have to get on with it.  I was meant to be going to a big antiques fair today with some Aussie friends but it is mostly outside with just a few items in a hall - who is going to bring their rain damageable goods or expensive furniture to sit in the rain all day.  Rang my friends and they were thinking the same thing so we did an actual rain check on today.

I was just putting on my boots when the phone rang and it is my colleague and she wants a key to visit a house in town.  She swings round ten minutes later and looks like she is dressed for a day on the beach.  When you have been out here for a while, I think you can forget the importance of looking smart and business like.  She leaves and we set off in the rain to our local big city.

First stop is to the accountants to pick up last years paperwork.  They had never been very forthcoming with advice but the final straw was when I told them I was going to be having a very good year and asked for ideas for expenses to write off and they suggested I eat out more in good restaurants.  I took a local accountant who managed, almost immediately, to break her leg and is now on holiday, after not having actually worked for the last three months.  Vive la France.

We then went to Brico Depot which is a huge builder's merchants.  Rain was doing a fandango on the metal roof and it was deafening.  Typically, there were virtually no staff to ask for help so we were there quite a while but got most of the stuff, including a cooker hob for the new rental unit and a new pressure washer for the patio - decided not to go with another Karscher as it fell to bits in virtually no time at all.  Then to MacDonald's for lunch. We never ate MacDonald's in the UK.

Last but not least we went to Cultura and I got some more resin and am now raring to go again after having received via Ebay ring blanks, d bails, fancy bails, chain etc.  Am still waiting for some other bails and my jewellery drill from the states.  

Back home and quick cup of tea when went out and met yet another painter to give a quote on the NZ ladies house - surely there is someone who can do two floors for less than 25k.  It is just ludicrous.  My colleague phoned to say the visit had gone extremely well and they would want to revisit next week but they had also to sort of financing.  She hadn't made a follow up appointment to see them.  Very important to make follow up appointments to stop people disappearing into the ether.  

Back to the flat and discovered why the water wasn't coming on because it was closed just at the level of the water tank.  OH then went back home and I drove around town for at least forty minutes before finding the house which has been advertised privately online with just an email address.  A stunning Belle Epoque villa with garden and pool.  There are people inside and I think this is my lucky day (having just won ten euros on a scratchcard) but they turn out to be renters.  And Spanish.  It got rather complicado but they understood in the end what I wanted and promised to give my card to the owner when they leave in a few days time.

Ring the anglo french law company and press them for information.  He prevaricates and I insist on knowing what work they have done on the dossier.  He says they have collated it into a file.  In other words, fxxx all the whole week.  Wonderful.  The notaire is now on holiday for a week.  He cant even promise to have it prepared for next week.  I say I will be reporting this back to the client and he is putting the sale at risk.  Idle bxxxxds.  Sellers very unhappy.

Back home and have chorizo omelette and poached nectarines and ice cream and the rain starts off again and alas, in the night, so do the rats.  They follow me to above the spare room.  I have cramp and the rain is beating down on the velux.  Going to have to get some traps tomorrow.

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