The morning started with a cycle ride through the Montech Forest for Rita & Ruth (we only have two bikes on board), while I did a bit of maintenance work on the boat. I also got to wondering about the mooring we were on at Montech. In past years, this area had been well used by boats of all sizes. Now there was no one but us moored there, and the grass had been allowed to grow wild in that area. But there were no signs prohibiting overnight mooring, so I guessed that we were OK. In the photo below, Ruth can be seen at far right returning from her bike ride.

In late morning, Phil the chauffeur arrived from Moissac in our car, ready to take us to Montauban for our Carte de Séjour interview at the Prefecture. This has been a long-running saga; the full story can be followed here.  Today's entry, marked Update #9 in the story, is reproduced below:

"D-Day had arrived; our 3rd meeting at Montauban. We drove across with Phil and Ruth (who was travelling to Toulouse with us on the barge). We arrived early and had a cup of coffee together (we were saving the champagne for later), then Rita and I went over to the Prefecture to wait outside until the gates opened at 1330h (the time of our interview). There were only a couple of people ahead of us, so we entered the interview room just a few minutes late, to be greeted by our favourite officer (the one from the car registration episode in 2013 and our first meeting this year). We were not thrilled by this, but at least she should be consistent with what she had already said this year.

She took our folder of documents, and first looked at my passport, and then said “As an Australian, you can't apply for a Carte de Séjour without first having a Long-Stay Visa”!!  This was news to us, and hadn’t been mentioned by her in our first meeting when the first thing she looked at was my passport, and was in TOTAL contradiction of the advice given to me in Sydney, where I was told that I couldn’t get a Long-Stay Visa (which can only be applied for outside France) and must apply for a Carte de Séjour (which can only be applied for in France). Rita tried to explain this to her, but she wouldn’t listen and continually talked over the top of Rita. Rita was getting annoyed, but I just sat there in bewilderment (now I knew “what else could go wrong”).

Finally, Rita had had enough, and told her that our documentation had been approved by her superior by phone and in writing by email. This seemed to ring a bell with her (they must have talked about our case internally), so she left the interview booth to phone the supervisor. She wasn’t far away and Rita could understand what was being said in French (at least one side of the conversation), and it was clear that she was being over-ruled and told to proceed with our application. When she returned she was muttering under her breath and clearly angry at being over-ruled, saying that the supervisor didn’t realise I was an Australian, and just told her to proceed as if I wasn’t Australian. All this sounded weird, since the documents we sent to the supervisor clearly stated in several places that I was Australian, and anyway we have found not a single reference online that says an Australian needs to hold a Long-Stay Visa before applying for a Carte de Séjour.

So she went through the entire process, checking and approving our documents, then getting us to sign forms, and finally taking my fingerprints. However, after all this, we asked how long the process might take before we receive the Carte (if approved) and she said 4 months (by which time I will be long home in Australia, if I can leave France). We then explained the situation to her (when she would shut up and stop talking over Rita), and asked for the Receipt (récépissé) that you are meant to get to prove to Customs at the Airport that you have applied for a Carte de Séjour, and it is in process of being processed/issued. She then refused to issue a receipt (even though it is clearly stated online that you are meant to get one when your documents are submitted and accepted, through not necessarily approved). She said that I should just show the interview appointment letter at the airport, and get them to phone the Prefecture to confirm the situation). We suspected that this was highly unlikely to happen at the airport, but were again in one of those situations where we couldn’t force her to give us a receipt (unless we asked her to ring her supervisor again, and she was so pissed off already that we figured this might be a counter-productive move).

We left the interview more confused than when we entered it, on two counts. Firstly, where did this new requirement (about needing a Long-Stay Visa before applying for a Carte de Séjour) come from? Did she just make it up? Was there any documentation showing it’s validity? Why did the Consulate in Sydney give me directly conflicting advice? If it is true, why did the supervisor deny that she knew I was an Australian, and tell the interview officer to just go ahead with the application? Was it just to shut us up and get us out of the office, and then they would quietly reject the application on the grounds that I did not have a current Long-Stay Visa?

Secondly, why did the officer refuse to issue us with a receipt, when it is clearly part of the procedures? What will happen if I stay longer that 90 days (just 3 weeks away) and front up to customs at departure without a Carte de Séjour, or at least a Receipt? Should I go home within the 90 days or stay the intended 5 months and just hope all works out OK?

So, no champagne to celebrate a successful interview, and lots of questions to ponder over the next few days."

We were not sure what to say to Phil and Ruth when we saw them. As we left the Prefecture, we didn’t think that the position was all that bad (after all, they had accepted our documents and not asked for anything more), but we decided to “ham it up” when we saw them and pretend that everything had gone terribly. But after we started this “act”, and went into our explanation to them, we realised that things were not as great as we might have thought. So there was definitely no champagne.

Since we had the car available, and one of our gas bottles on the barge had recenty expired, we thought we’d make the most of the opportunity by getting a replacement bottle. We found an Intermarche store in Montauban, and drove to the automatic gas bottle dispenser. But after that, things went a bit haywire. It wouldn't accept my Visa card (from my Credit Agricole account), nor would it accept Rita’s. Ruth tried her Australian debit card, but again no go. Finally, Phil offered to use his, and this was accepted, so we agreed to use that and pay him back in cash. But then we had to work out how to get a new bottle out of the machine and give back the old bottle. Eventually, after much collective head-scratching, we succeeded. So at least one thing had gone right today.

When we got back to the barge, we had a phone call from Audrey saying that she had seen our Facebook post yesterday and was actually at home in Escatalens, rather than at Lyon where she works. So we arranged for her to come to the barge for a drink and chat before we headed off later this afternoon. It was good to catch up with her, and discuss her life since staying with us in Taggerty as a backpacker a few years ago.

We left Montech at 1700h in the hope of at least getting a few hours further down the canal before the locks closed at 1900h. As we travelled, we passed Madeleine, being skippered by Iain and Kaz, heading north to Moissac. We made it, as hoped, to Deupentale before the locks closed, in time for dinner. I noticed that our battery charge had increased from 65% to 82% while we were cruising, indicating that our engine alternator was now working properly.

Deupentale rewarded us with a spectacular sunset, followed by an equally impressive moonrise. Rita was captured taking a photo of Ruth taking a photo of the sunset.

While I also got some photos of the sunset and moonrise, Ruth’s (below) were much better than mine, so I asked if I could use hers. That will be the next hurdle to be cleared by the iPhone camera - better photos of the moon!

After dinner, Rita settled down for some letter writing to the Prefecture, seeking clarification of two issues:

1. Is a Long-Stay Visa needed before applying for a Carte de Séjour?

2. Why were we not issued a Receipt after having our documentation accepted?