I’m writing this from France - yes, I’m back in Beaujolais again. I arrived last Wednesday, it’s now Monday evening - and I’ve had the most ill-omened few days of recent years.
On Friday, all the lights in Serge’s little house went out - twice. When they came back on again, the water-heating system had given up the ghost. (I wonder what that is in French? Abandonner le fantôme? That doesn’t sound right.)
Getting a plumber to do anything quickly is even trickier in France than it is in England. So the only hot water we’ve had for three days has been heated in pots and pans. This has leant a kind of wartime bonhomie to all-over standing body washes in front of the kitchen sink, as you can imagine.
As everyone knows, misfortunes never come alone. Today, Serge fell 15ft off the top of a truck and spent the whole day in hospital. He’s hurt his neck, sprained his wrist and chipped his coccyx - all of which is very painful indeed and puts an absence of hot water into perspective.
As I write, he is soldiering bravely on - watching the French equivalent of The One Show and eating far too many chocolates.
As my Nana used to say...no-one has died and no war has started, so things could be a lot worse.
It’s still been a strange few days though. And it’s sooooo cold here, too....
Anyway - I hope you’ll forgive me if I make this a fairly clipped posting. Things will be back to normal next time.
Until then, I've included some photos I took today in Lyon. I hope they give you some idea of what an atmospheric and charming city it is.
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FARNE ISLANDS BLOG
Don’t forget to keep up to date with events on the Farnes by looking at the their blog. It’s interesting, approachable and includes some stunning photographs (like this one, of a migrant waxwing).
If the link below doesn’t work, cut and paste it into the Search box of your browser.
http://farnephoto.blogspot.com
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CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or email me: truckshunters@googlemail.com
13 comments:
Oh no ..... so sorry to hear about Serge's accident.
Quelle horreur! Je t'en prie, Serge,
retablis-toi vite! Toute le monde a
Truckshunters t'envoit ses amities. Bonne chance!
I bet you got a shock when you returned from Lyon, Ian!
You took some great pics when you were there .... how did that car get down those steps?!!!
Tread softly you two ....
lots of bisous.
Hope Serge feels better soon
It looks really waxy, that waxwing!
enquiring after
I forgot to tell you that Ada rang me yesterday. Our lovely Ada. She actually rang to ask how I had got on at the dentist's last week, but I won't go into that! Ada was asking after Ian and Serge, and also Sid and Jean and Gillian. I thought I ought to let you know. She sounded on top form .
Hi Brenda!x
I'm glad that Ada is on top form. I often ask Michael Poulter to give her a mention on his Sunday evening show.
Oh Serge, your coccyx damage could be really painful for quite some time. There are many aids available that might make sitting down easier.
Pray tell us Ian, what was Serge doing so high up on the truck?
Sid .... as it happens .... Ada said she hadn't heard you on Michael Poulter's programme for a while. I think she is getting worried about you. Mind you, she told me she watches 'Downton Abbey' and that that's on at the same time as Michael.
Anyway, Sid, how are you doing?
And do you know how Vivienne is?
She's gone very quiet.
I keep wondering about Serge.
I wonder if he is right-handed and if he sprained his right wrist.
Or if he is left-handed and sprained his left wrist.
Hopefully, he's ambidextrous... and can manage to make himself a cup of coffee. He'll not be able to drive though ... eee, he's a bit of a worry! Hope it doesn't hurt too much, Serge.
We are all fine thanks Hildie, getting over a bout of sniffles and nasty coughs.
Vivienne is fine, still volunteering and working hard.
That tv program is known as Down Town Abbey in our house.
On one of Gillians stays in the QE hospital an elderly lady was wanting to be discharged.....I need to get home to see Down Town Abbey she explained. It's often the little things that make us smile isn't it.
You're right, Sid .... the little things .... they matter very much.
I hope you Bowermans make a speedy recovery.
I wonder how Kev is doing. I went onto 'le blog de Serge' to leave a message and I saw that Kev had left a message too.
With regard to your lovely tale about Down Town Abbey ....
every year, at lambing time,
the Reception Class at our school has a trip to Hall Hill Farm - but
.....in the staffroom .... it's referred to as the trip to Hell Hall Farm.
Kev is surviving the rigours of work, thank you very much.
One benefit is the college now has a Costa Coffee - how I got through a day's work without double strength espresso, I don't know.
Best wishes to all
So glad to hear from you, Kev.
Good news about the Costa Coffee -
that'll keep you going!
Have you still got the same staff there as you had at the college canteen -
when we had the Christmas AGM there?
They were fab .... they gave Ian their Christmas hats.
I once saw a Waxwing in Sainsburys car park Heaton and one on the tramtrack Longbenton===I got quite excited as I was unaware at the time what I was looking at. Nature is a wonderful thing! DAVE S
You could have knocked me down with a feather just then ....
WELL DONE, DAVE ....
Finally we've got you
writing on the blog !!
So pleased!
Bonjour les truckshunters, merci d'avoir eu une petite pensée pour moi, je vais un peu mieux maintenant et ma nounou Ian était là pour prendre soin de moi.
Je me rétablis doucement mais surement, bisous à vous.
pépère.
For those in the dark...'nounou' is the ancestor of English 'nanny'. Make of that what you will!
XXX
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