Another rainy morning, but soon it cleared to just grey skies, and later it even became sunny. Rita went off to make phone calls to book electricity and gas connections for after she gets back (will need someone there who speaks good French for the workers). They told her that the electricity had never been disconnected and hence it was re-connected immediately, while gas needs someone at the house to let the workers in. We had to give a phone number for them to call back in a few days to tell us when they would come out to do the gas connection. Since we don't yet have our mobile phones, we gave them the Capitainerie number (must tell Kaz and Iain to expect a call).

Hard to believe that almost 5% of our trip has gone, and the barge has only moved about 50 metres to change mooring location. Still, not really in any hurry to go anywhere until after Rita gets back from Bern in early June. Might use the time while she is away to finalise the Table of Contents for the second edition of the Survey Methods book. While I continue to get one or two downloads a day from around the world for the old book, it’s really about time I got the second edition finished (since it is nearly 20 years since publication of the original, and times have changed a little since then).

In the afternoon, we went up to the house and started on some garden work – dead-heading roses and hydrangeas and generally cleaning up. Met our neighbours Mme Gisbert (Lucienne) with her husband (Jean Pierre) and her caretaker (Michelle). Tried to see how to turn on the electricity and water, but no luck. Must ask Iain.