|
|
On the 19th of August
Albert was re-occupied.
Journey out, once again, by courtesy of Grosvenor Taxis, SW Trains UK,
Eurostar, and SNCF France, details in last year's log. Hiccup
over taxis in Lymington, but Grosvenors came up trumps and taxi-ed me
direct to St Pancras so that eventual arrival on Albert was 2 to 3
hours late only, at aprox 8.00 p.m. Great relief at St Pancras
and G. de Lyons - tickets bought on the internet were specified
non-changeable and non-refundable. However, In both
cases new tickets were issued with great goodwill and without charge.
On arrival Albert behaved beautifully - despite looking pathetically
abandoned. Original lay-up was planned for 4-5 cool winter months, but
inadvertently was extended
to 11 months right through very hot summer weather.
Fridge
started, water filled, shower taken - it was a VERY sweaty journey. A
scratch meal of 2 bowls of instant soup, and remains of travel sandwiches
heated up was consumed. The opened half box of wine left on the stove was
VERY nasty indeed, but an unopened one proved storage capacity of 3l boxes
of wine is fine. There was plenty of gin,
tonic, and beer, tea and coffee, and quite soon some ice. The long life milk,
officially scheduled for consumption only 2 to 3 months after purchase in 2008, was
perfectly good in tea and coffee, but although potable tasted flat and stale next
morning with cornflakes.
My boast in previous logs that Albert is always left fully stocked for immediate
take over was correct - except I could not remember where things were
stored, so a super market shop morning after occupation proved almost
entirely redundant when it came to putting the things away, and stores
were located - usually exactly where I wanted to put the new stuff.
Lists? Forget it - cannot see myself reading lists to find the
beer or a gin and tonic after 14 hours on the move.
Some drama over starting engine - did not actually bother to try for 2
days - felt splendidly relaxed after waiting 6 months chafing to get
back. Attitude - "of course it will go - why
not". It didn't, reverted for 2 days to the loud click
routine when key was turned. Batteries had come up to charge
well - as far as I could see - but sundry experts came and gave sundry
opinions during the 2 days, each one more pityingly expensive and
impracticable than the last, then a casual turn of the ignition key while
passing through the cockpit, and away she went.
Mooring is just over the hedge from a materiels depot - building and roads
materiels, and they are always running around their yard with fore end
loaders filling lorries with sand and gravel. Result is much
dirt comes over onto the boats. In Albert's case - apart from
11 months of it - the plastic tarpaulins covering the hull where it is
pierced for windows, hatches and entrances was that cheap re-cycled woven
plastic, and was already showing signs of deterioration from the previous
summer's use when it was put on. This summer's heat had
finished it completely, and as I tried to remove it, it just came apart in
long horrid shreds. However, it had done it's job - nop
window, hatch, or other leaks, and no smells.
General cleaning up, getting used to the living on Albert routine,
intersperced with a trial run across the Loire to the big super markets at
the bottom of the Nivernais in St Leger.
During the 3 weeks since arrival have heard - BBC 4 longwave - almost
continuous reports of dreadful weather in UK. Apart from 2
days this last week, here has been hot - frequently too hot - sunny and
fine. Autumn cooling is with us though - now sitting
deliberately in the sun to eat lunch, trousers and body warmer first
thing, trees turning, French holiday season over. (It ends
abruptly on the 30th Sep)
Sorry - no
pictures - I haven't been anywhere, and have completely lost the habit -
trust only temporarily.
|
St
Leger
de Vignes,
Decize
and
St
Leger,
Google
|
|
