Update on The Boiler

Update: There is no update.

The boiler is languishing in the corner, refusing to work.

The boiler fix-it man is nowhere to be found - he went home to his warm, cosy, HEATED home yesterday (probably to have a HOT shower) instead of coming to fix our boiler.

We have no hot water.

We have no heating.

Temperatures are expected to dip below zero over the weekend with snow showers predicted.

I am in a state of numb* incomprehension.

I tried to express my incomprehension to the lovely (very understanding) telephone operator at Vokera (the boiler manufacturer) this morning. She could not help me. They contract their work out to Crystal Heating Ltd. It was Crystal Heating who deemed it acceptable not to bother turning up yesterday. Extraordinary. Perhaps Crystal Heating is unaffected by the recession and can afford not to provide any iota of customer service.

Vokera have no "out of hours" contact number for Crystal Heating. I have searched the Internet but am unable to find a mobile and/or out of hours number for Crystal Heating.

We are, apparently, unable to contract out to any other boiler fix-it company. It is an insurance claim and under the insurance policy, Vokera must carry out (or organise) any repairs.

Tension in the Messy household is at an all-time high.

*caused by freezing conditions within the Messy household.

On a more important note, spare a thought for the people who are living rough on the streets of London who have no home let alone any heating or hot water or a comfortable bed. It is going to be a cold few days out there and it reminds me how lucky I am to have a roof over my head, blankets etc. And also for all the Aussies affected by the shocking heatwave hitting the country right now: tough times on both sides of the world...

Photos are of the Seine in Paris (last September) and baguettes from Paul (bakery) in Bordeaux- happier, sunnier times :)

The Boiler

Most Excellent Blog Fans (c'mon- I know there must be at least 3 of you out there!) your blogger has been absent for the last couple of days (actually, is there anyone out there reading this? has anyone realised little 'ole Messy has been absent??) BUT, for once, I have an excuse: DISASTER has struck the Messy Household (cue Dah Dah Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaah music).....................

Our BOILER has BLOWN UP.

No! I hear you gasp

YEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I reply (as an icicle slides it way down my right eyebrow, off my nose and into my coffee cup)

Our freakin' naughty boiler has had a tissy fit IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER and is not working. For those of you Aussie Blog Fans who aren't familiar with the role of the boiler, it basically creates the hot water, the heating, everything HEAT related in the flat.

To say I am unimpressed with this turn of events (it happened Tuesday) would be a MAJOR understatement.

This is what I wrote in my diary on Tuesday night:

"The boiler has blown up

Situation: NOT GOOD

Messy Mood: NOT GOOD

I can't have a shower, I can't wash my hair, it is 3 degrees outside but feels like minus 3 degrees inside the flat....I can't wait till I tell Mr Messy about this....

(Messy tells Mr Messy about the boiler)....

Mr Messy Mood: NOT GOOD

Situation: DIRE"

I have, of course, declared a STATE OF EMERGENCY (since we have been without hot water/any form of heating now for 3 full days) in the Messy household although Mr Messy tells me I am overreacting and that this happens to people ALL the time and that we aren't the only ones suffering right now.... To say that I am currently unimpressed with Mr Messy would also be an understatement.

As for morning ablutions I described it to a friend as thus: "Imagine , say, a pelican (the largest bird I can think of right now) trying to bathe itself in a teacup- and you have me trying to have a "shower" using a glass bowl, a kettle full of water, a washer and some soap. It is as unpleasant, ineffective and ridiculous as it sounds."

Apparently the nice little boiler fix-it man (well, I assume it will be a man but maybe there are boiler fix-it ladies as well) will be arriving on our doorstop tomorrow somewhere between 8:30am and 5:30pm to fix the blighter. I am remaining hopeful that the boiler can be coaxed into working again tomorrow- I cannot even begin to imagine, don't want to imagine, what my mental state will be like if it cannot be fixed on the spot. Situation will be: we are moving into a hotel. STAT.

postscript: I have just picked up a copy of the London Lite paper. It reads "Icy blast coming in from Russia: Freezing air from Russia will bring another cold snap to the UK early next week. Heavy snowfalls are forecast for Monday, and Tuesday in the South-East, with temperatures expected to drop as low as -4C, while icy winds are likely to make it feel even colder".

The boiler will be fixed tomorrow. Period.

If your wondering about the photos, I didn't have a photo of a pelican having a birdie bath in a teacup on file, so you're getting Bordeaux (top) and Paris (bottom).

The Kodak Carousel

I haven't got time to post a long-ish post today (instead I am sitting at the computer procrastinating over an article I should have finished 2 days ago!). Oh, and um, watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tackling Tesco on the rearing of poultry (I love his comment about one punter "wanting more cluck for her buck!!" )


This photo (another of the merry-go-round in Bordeaux) was inspired by the anonymous blog reader who posted a comment last week on da blog re the hit US show, Mad Men. I confess I hadn't heard of this show before reading the comment and watching the YouTube clip- but now I am intrigued. The show is a drama series set in the 1960's in New York and explores the high pressure, high octane world of advertising. It looks HOT, HOT, HOT. I will definitely be watching the new series when it hits our screens in mid-Feb.

Place des Quinconces, Bordeaux

The French Circus, Arlette Gruss, just happened to be in Bordeaux at the same time we were there (I think the season runs from 16 January to 8th February, 2009). The tent looked magnificent, particularly in the late afternoon sunshine, in the Place des Quinconces- the huge square in the centre of Bordeaux.

The square is the 2nd largest city square in the EU (according to wiki) and is dominated by a large column on top of which sits a statute representing the Spirit of Liberty (I will post photographs tomorrow).

The monument was erected between 1894 and 1902 in memory of the Girondists who fell victim of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. These sculptures (below) sit around the base of the column in two large basins.

And because a Messy post isn't (usually) complete without a stranger, here is a lovely gal and her new puppy I photographed in the Place des Quinconces.

Is there anything cuter than a new puppy tummy???!!!

Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Chez Karl, Bordeaux

Continuing on the salon de thé theme in Bordeaux, two more places to rest, regroup and sip a milky café au lait or sinfully rich chocolat chaud (and maybe sneak a flaky pain au chocolat) are the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (the courtyard of which I photographed above and below) and Chez Karl.

The Musee Des Arts Decoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts) is located in the Hôtel de Lalande, a beautiful 18th century building, and houses an exquisite collection of furniture, 18th and 19th century porcelain, glassware, ceramics, silver and wrought iron work. The building was designed by the famous Bordeaux architect, Etienne Laclotte, for the Marquis de Lalande and was completed in 1779.

Hidden in the pretty cobbled courtyard of the Musee Des Arts Decoratifs is an elegant salon de thé - you can take tea sitting at the outside tables during fine weather or tuck yourself away in the tiny tea room if the weather is unbearably chilly.

Plus, and this is very secret squirrel, the courtyard houses a scrupulously clean toilet if you are, umm, caught short and really need to go! If there is one thing I appreciate when travelling, it is a clean toilet with toilet paper that flushes reliably :)

Musée des Arts Décoratifs

39, Rue Bouffard 33000
Bordeaux
Tel : 05 56 10 14 00

Chez Karl is a buzzy little cafe in the historic Saint- Pierre District. The food isn't extraordinary but it is a nice airy space which looks out onto a pretty square. I had the "Petit déjeuner du Boulanger" for 5 euro which consisted of a wonderfully crunchy baguette, slices of rye bread, preserves, nutella, butter and a café au lait. The staff are friendly and the servings, plentiful. It would be lovely in summer when the tables are set outside on the square.

A waitress at Chez Karl, Bordeaux (below)

These young chaps were sitting at the next table- they were being mischievous with the pepper grinder and had me and a couple of other patrons in fits of giggles. They were Tae Kwon Do students on tour from Korea and wolfed down a huge cup/bowl each of chocolat viennois.

Chez Karl

6, place du parlement 33000

Bordeaux