Work in Progress

It definitely felt like there was some progress today. The electrician has finished now, but for the work he can't do because there isn't a floor where he needs to be (must re-nag the carpenters tomorrow) and because ERDF haven't installed our cable (more of which later). So now when we press light switches, lights come on. Of course the whole electrical system is still to be plugged into an extension cable trailed across the courtyard, but still switches are a step in the right direction I think.

The infernal EDF / ERDF ping pong match (with me as the ball) continues. However we may have made a slight breakthrough today when ERDF said I could ask EDF to turn on the existing supply and they (ERDF) could do the modifications "later". There are two downsides: firstly, without modifications our supply will be underpowered - so putting on more than four radiators at the same time as the toaster will trip the whole system. Secondly, I'm familiar with the French concept of "later": this can mean anything between 'this afternoon' and 'never'.

But it would at least mean a possibility of living there, whereas living there in December with no heating or hot water would be impossible. Technically I'm given to understand that you can't evict a tenant in winter in France, but that seems a scummy way to treat our rather lovely landlord (though his failure to replace our broken oven is making him less lovely by the day).

Anyway, to the picture. Our electrician had omitted to pull an antenna cable through to the living room, so that was his last job today before he leaves to go and do some work for the community we are part of - so happily he'll still be knocking around when we need to ask a million questions. Here he had left his very large drill hanging out of the wall while he went to check if he was through to the other side. We now have TV.

A text this evening tells me that our Internet connection is ready at the MBH. We can check that out tomorrow.