les Davey de France

Will we get to Harrow for Gwilym's graduation? There's a warning of strikes causing disruption to services in and across France this weekend. Easyjet say to check on the day. We'll see!

as we slowly empty bookshelves and throw out piles of papers. I'm enjoying touching up paintwork on the corners, by the light switches and where pictures hung. I've found out how to prepare the dishwasher for removal. I'm a little concerned by access to the new apartment block. I'd value prayer for a good solution for the van to get as close as possible!

I have completed building all the shelving I propose to build for the near future after a quick trip to Ikea this morning and manhandling the last of our kitchen units into place. The area around the flats was crazy-busy with people everywhere. I had to drive a big circuit of the building site to get to where I could unload. I shudder to think what the removal men will be faced with next week. Meanwhile, in a move that seems somewhat devious, France Telecom have wired the building for their fibre-optic system alone. That means that we have to change operator - and pay considerably more for our connection. Pity... But the good news is that in theory we should have our internet up and running from 10 July.

so it's off we go!

"et ils sont pénibles pour l'état des lieux... chez les voisins il y avait une griffure au mur et ils ont réclamé de repeindre le mur entier" and they're a pain when it comes to the état des lieux... the neighbours had a scratch on one wall and they made them pay to have the whole wall repainted. We have a couple of scratches on our walls, as well as a few holes to fill in where pictures hang, so yesterday I slunk off to the paint place to get some paint to touch up. I had the code for the colour, together with the wrong name, SE 2091 gris opium , it's actually gris scorpion, and together we worked out what finish the paint must be. 25€ later and I came away with the smallest tin possible. One litre. And what a relief. The areas I've touched up so far are fine. Just fine.

Two more done. One VERY BIG ONE and one small one. Now I'm getting impatient. There's still a whole week before the big move, and our removal man comes this evening with the boxes. Meanwhile today poor Patricia has a dental appointment for the start of some long, tedious and expensive treatment.

Today I was due to fly to Switzerland with a small gang from the Maison de la Bible for the annual little conference. We almost cancelled my participation in the trip once we knew the timing of the flat move, but the tickets were paid for so I decided to still go. However there's some strike or other and our flight to Switzerland is cancelled. The others are going by car, leaving at what-time-do-you-call-this tomorrow morning. I took it as a good moment to stay and carry on getting set for the move. So this afternoon saw us pushing a trolley of shelving round Ikea, then hurtling down the quays of Bordeaux to our flat and wheeling said shelving on our little cart (un diable) up in the lift to our flat. Under two hours served to construct a kitchen island, which consists of a shelving unit set lengthways on big locking castors, and a window bench, again made of a lengthwise shelving unit with cushions atop. On Monday we have another window bench to make and another shelving uni...