Our new flat, and a new laptop

We're well and truly installed. It is, of course, considerably smaller than our old place, but it's working pretty well. 

It's a temptation to laziness, the tram stop is literally 50 yards away. Why walk anywhere?

The roof garden seems to be doing well, and I'm hatching plots to grow some things up there. After all, it even has a watering system installed. Perhaps courgettes. Melons. Peppers. Why not? It'll get plenty of sun!

The passing trams don't annoy us at all, and the windows are pretty good at deadening the sound anyway.

The kitchen is bliss. Probably the best kitchen we have ever had.

It is rather warm. But then we are passing through successive heatwaves. Anyway, we may crack and get an air-conditioning unit.

In short, all so far is good.

And in a surprise move, I replaced my laptop. My old one was stolen just before Catrin's wedding and I didn't bother to replace it. Now when we have visitors my study computer is inaccessible, so I was very pleased to see an offer in the local FNAC to pay you 120€ if you exchange an old laptop for a new MacBook Air. Exactly what I wanted - the base model MacBook Air from 2020. All I need.

While packing I had found the power cable to my old Samsung which had trailed behind us, unused, since 2013. I hied me to the FNAC. 

What about this one? 

Just the ticket!

Now the FNAC is in equal measure wonderful and dreadful. It's wonderful for browsing the shelves and seeing all the rich array of technological marvels our age affords. It's dreadful if you actually want to buy anything, because you have to hunt down a shop assistant, and there are forty other keen consumers trying to do the same. So it took me about two hours in total to get the laptop, and when I found the guy who could sell me one I said, "Alors, un MacBook Air, n'importe quelle couleur, le modèle de base, et que celà." (a MacBook Air, whatever colour, base model and nothing else) Otherwise they ask you if you want extended guarantees, insurance, all sorts of malarkey. The guy smiled, took my money and sent me off to get the box.

The general price of the laptop is 1200€. The FNAC is doing a back to school promo of 999€. Then I got 120€ reduction. I think I got a good deal, and cheaper even than a refurbished one.

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