Summer in France
The summer in France can be frustrating.
Sometimes it's very hot. We bust the record a couple of weeks ago, with a temperature, I am told, of over 42°C. On days like that everyone moves very slowly in the streets, and you hope with all your heart that your bus or tram will have working aircon. It's touch and go.
Sometimes it's not too bad. Today it's 24°C. To us now that feels just a little chilly.
Sometimes you get thunderstorms. From our flat we see the lightning and watch the rain fall hard on the parched ground.
But it isn't that that's frustrating. It's the summer slow-down.
For example Catrin is waiting to hear about this flat she'd like to rent. We went to see it weeks ago, but the agency (which has very bad reviews on Google, by the way) is shut until the 19th. OK.
Tram C has been out of action between the station and the other side of town following the devastating fire in the car park. But added to this we have the reduced frequency of the summer timetables for the buses and trams in general.
Then there's the roadworks. They're happening everywhere. Everywhere. You need to take advantage of the reduced traffic on the city streets, you see.
Meanwhile there's another dispute about the new bridge that will go from near our home to near the concert hall on the other side of the river. The court that oversees public works thinks we aren't getting good enough value for money.
But with all this there's the promise of better to come.
They're clearing the burnt-out cars from the underground car park. Soon they'll begin repairs and one day tram C will run again.
Meanwhile on Monday they start testing tram D. This will run from near our home to near where the church meets. It will be great.
And soon the autumn transport schedules will be out and we can zoom around to our hearts' content.
Sometimes it's very hot. We bust the record a couple of weeks ago, with a temperature, I am told, of over 42°C. On days like that everyone moves very slowly in the streets, and you hope with all your heart that your bus or tram will have working aircon. It's touch and go.
Sometimes it's not too bad. Today it's 24°C. To us now that feels just a little chilly.
Sometimes you get thunderstorms. From our flat we see the lightning and watch the rain fall hard on the parched ground.
But it isn't that that's frustrating. It's the summer slow-down.
For example Catrin is waiting to hear about this flat she'd like to rent. We went to see it weeks ago, but the agency (which has very bad reviews on Google, by the way) is shut until the 19th. OK.
Tram C has been out of action between the station and the other side of town following the devastating fire in the car park. But added to this we have the reduced frequency of the summer timetables for the buses and trams in general.
Then there's the roadworks. They're happening everywhere. Everywhere. You need to take advantage of the reduced traffic on the city streets, you see.
Meanwhile there's another dispute about the new bridge that will go from near our home to near the concert hall on the other side of the river. The court that oversees public works thinks we aren't getting good enough value for money.
But with all this there's the promise of better to come.
They're clearing the burnt-out cars from the underground car park. Soon they'll begin repairs and one day tram C will run again.
Meanwhile on Monday they start testing tram D. This will run from near our home to near where the church meets. It will be great.
And soon the autumn transport schedules will be out and we can zoom around to our hearts' content.
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