The search for keys

Thursday 3 April

On reflection, it seemed straightforward.  Go to the cordonnier, get keys cut, send them via DHL to the office in South Africa so they can open the house and switch on the electricity.

Of course the first problem was getting out of bed.  We didn't have one good leg between us and hobbled around the room like a couple of octogenarians.  Two bad backs and one aching shoulder added to our tally.

After more than 2 hours' searching and driving almost to Italy, we had to accept that the only condonnier within 100km is shut on Thursdays.  Over a late breakfast we talked through the options.  The dealbreaker was DHL telling us that if we took the duplicate keys to Marseille airport tomorrow afternoon, it would still be next Thursday by the time they got to SA.  I dread to think what the kitchen would smell like by then!

So we returned to the hotel room, discussed all options vociferously and finally decided to tell the real estate agent to get a locksmith to break into the house and get the electricity put back on.  I hope this doesn't happen every week when the gardeners come and I have asked them not to use that socket for the time being.  The lawn may be VERY long when Chris gets home in May.

Highest temperature today was 13C, it was cloudy and grey.  Why couldn't it have been like that when we were struggling up the hill gasping for breath yesterday???? 

So it wasn't the most exciting day ever but as a result of our lack of skiing, we have decided to book to ski in South Africa in June for Chris's birthday.  Probably a once in a lifetime thing!  It will help us decide whether we just had a bad day's skiing or whether we have reached the stage where we should really give it up.  We'll see.