2nd September 2023

There was no damage from the heavy rain. Even the ground appeared surprisingly dry. It turned out to be a hot sunny day.

We were given a tour of their son’s barn, which is next to their house. Some excellent renovations with plenty of style.

Preparing for supper

Linda drove to the nearby town of Coulon to purchase some ‘pork spiders’, or Araignée de Porc, also known as ‘pope’s eye steak’ (!) for the BBQ in the evening. Sausages and some bread were also acquired.

My Boggie Tel eSIM

I had been receiving text messages from Boggie Tell suggesting that I was going to be cut off, unless I phoned them on some premium number and confirmed my ID. This sounded like a scam, but with the aid of Google, this appeared to be true. I phoned the number, but there was a rush of French telling me to press some number. With the aid of Linda, we navigated this menu. For future reference, it was 1, then 1.

We then were talking to a call center operator; they do speak both English and French. They wanted my passport number and name. This apparently is the French law. Anyway, it all worked out, I was not cut off on my 30-day SIM, and I had no idea how they were going to charge me on the premium rate number, because they did not have my payment details.

One other positive aspect of the Boogie Tell eSim is it allows roaming throughout the EU, and also free roaming in the UK. In fact, I downloaded the eSIM and activated it in the UK before I left for France, using both data and making phone calls.

The Afternoon

Lunch was bread and cheese. I went for a five mile walk in the afternoon. Crossed the river using the ferry. This is a small ferry and operated by chain. You haul yourself across the river. Linda was surprised it was still in operation. There had been trouble with the ferry, vandals sinking it on occasion. The town mayor was considering removing the crossing. I then headed back along the river towards Damvix. I did not reach Damvix, time was short, and crossed the river at the locks and headed back up the road.

The evening was wine and a BBQ of the ‘pork spiders’, and sausages. There were glow worms about, which proved very difficult to photograph. There was a lovely clear night and I saw a trail of satellites which must have been launched this very day by musky boy.