More computer tryings - ‘nother visit to cyber cafe - beginning to get a little frustrated and unimpressed with support received from Ericsson.

Seem to spend all waking hours running around trying to sort computer/com link - boring!

The Infra red connection between the phone - SH 888 - is completely non-existent, having collapsed since last Friday, and being dicey for a week before.

We therefore do not communicate with the world, except by direct phone calls.

The suggestion from France Telecom to get a PCMCIA card and cable to attach the thing direct to computer is beginning to be quite attractive - but what are Ericsson on about - don’t they want their customers to use their kit?

Boaters Beware!

Still battling with computer in cold conditions.

Water level - and hence boat - rising in port, having been very low, but promise is that this will only be temporary. One of the barrages across the main River Loire is faulty, and is to be repaired.

Yet a further try at Cyber Cafe to connect to outside world. Managed to get www. Pipex and to see e-mail, but anything other than actual writing - e.g. pictures - just froze the whole system.

More expensive calls to Ericsson and ADP the people who took over when Pico the computer supplier went bust.

The latter are dead idiotic - premium line which we cannot use from abroad, and answer machine line that refers callers to the premium line!

Anyway, no joy - if you sell the telephone and it doesn’t work the computer is at fault, but if you sell the computer and it doesn’t work then the telephone is at fault - and be very careful about helping or advising - you might actually have to do a bit of thinking or acting.

Basically the succer who bought the kit is undoubtedly the bottom line idiot!

Achieved absolutely nothing, except a vastly inflated phone bill. Even tried with long lead from the car to a phone box using a card.

Apart from groaning about the weather, every waking hour is taken up with computer talk, personal administration, health talk, and so on.

Got up early to see Vryheid ( Ann and Jim) start the summer. They are the first boat out of the Port to leave for their summer cruising. They were due to start at 0930, but L.K. early, so by the time we arrived, they were through the lock and gone. Judy - River Dance - put 4 of us late comers into her car, and we went up to second bridge and waved them on. VERY good looking boat!

Finally got land line - via Bordeaux - going this-afternoon from Capitainerie office (millions of thanks to Jackie, the Port Capitaine), so got e-mail and banking up to date, but still a great deal of rigor mortice from Ericsson. Even when through on the land line had to contact Pipex to get the connection going properly.

Finally admitted that cyber cafe doesn’t work - strange key-boards, incompatibility problems, and no security, preclude intelligent use, although having said that, did manage to download a very short programme script that claims to enable the installation of a telephone system designed (damn badly) for Windows 95 into one suitable for Windows 98.

Spoke to Ericsson, but as negative as ever - not very clear on how we use a "programme scrip" anyway!

Heard that there was just a possibility of selling Hopgood Close for a ridiculously inflated price. After some hesitation, decided to go for it, subject to price being achieved.

Weather still V. cold and nasty.

Still fiddling with Computer in morning until time to fetch youngest daughter from Lyons.

Spent morning with France Telecomms discussing new data phone and/or suitable card for Ericsson. In view of support problems and cost, veering to-wards cheap new instrument and cable. Ordered cable (telephone - French - available from stock) paid Ffr170.00 for cable only, and arranged to return on Tuesday with computer to try it all out.

Left for Lyons after lunch. Had discussed this trip endlessly with others in the Port - "why don’t you -" or "we found it dead easy to -". Recommended route - long way round (very long way round) via St Etienne on Autoroute.

Decided on tiger line across country by perfectly good national road up and over hills, but more direct. Did, however, mean striking straight through suburbs - Lyons - more suburbs - airport. Also a lot of the trip was in cloud or fog.

Managed it, but once in the city not helped by major traffic hold ups from the halving of major road widths to permit installation of new tramway.

Duly met Youngest daughter with Youngest daughter’s son at airport more or less as promised.

Much joy, and dashing about sorting ourselves and baby out, spending pennies - Lyons airport only has loos at the very farthest ends - etc, etc - and finding car in airport car park. (Lost the bloody thing, even though handkerchief tied to radio arial - there were dozens of notices to no 362 all over).

Dusk approaching, and reckoned it would be appropriate to return by St Etienne. It was, but very boring and long - 2.5 to 3 hours.

Pleased to be on boat - outside still cold and nasty, but not quite enough to light new-laid fire.

Had drinks - lots - and eggs & bacon, and put youngest daughter to bed with her son in our bed.

Woke up to fine and sunny weather, although air temperature still cold nip in air.

Bedding drama during night resulting in a Phrozen Phloss this morning. Can’t think what the problem was - all the rest of us were nice and warm, including Barnaby.

Demonstrated fetching gas on bicycle and trailer.

Total disaster.

Trailer disconnected from bike at least 3 times, went walk-about and turned over once at curb. Looked slightly silly in front of local populace in their cars. Brought it all back carefully on foot (us - not the trailer).,

Explored town in afternoon to obtain hat for Barnaby(!).

Rethought bicycle/trailer hitch, and sorted hitch. Made with jubilee clips and general tightening up of everything.

Road tested fixed-up bicycle and trailer around Port - ably assisted by Youngest Daughter ("tenez le droit in France" on yellow bike) on fine sunny evening. Slightly overdid testing by passing too close to bollard. Missed with bicycle, but trailer did collection act. All survived. Otherwise trailer now perfect, behaved impeccably.

Youngest Daughter’s favourite son got sunburnt.

Weather lovely, sunny and warm again.

Rather sultry, slow moving day - tired?

Spent a fair proportion of the day sitting in the park benches opposite the mooring enjoying the sun.

Phloss’s birthday. Regrettable total dearth of presents, but lunch at "la Belle Mariniere" at Iguerande. This affair developed the "cinq tranches de langue" syndrome. We understood Madame (we shake hands now-a-days when we meet) perfectly and we thought she understood us, but either we didn’t, or she was taking the mickey.

Almost totally convinced fault lay with us. Anyway - meal was good, wholesome, sustaining, too much for mid-day, most enjoyable, ridiculously cheap, and was exactly what we would have ordered if we had being paying attention, and not trying to show off to each other how much French we knew and understood.

Loved attitude of Madame vis-à-vis baby in carry chair thing. First rip back table cloth from unoccupied table, then when baby ensconced there-on ignore all other customers, kiss baby and make silly appropriate noises and discuss own grandchild. Return to work and other customers (all of whom were totally understanding, and laid back) in due course.

Weather turned dull and grey, and everything - but everything - halts on Sundays. So we did as well.

Started with usual Sunday breakfast - after bike trip to get fresh bread - cleaned inside of boat, and continued with a slightly "non" day.

Wandered round port, and generally dossed.

Felt heavy - weather?