All Charged Up

Saint Mammes

I have been going to French language classes on a sporadic basis for a few years now. Often I feel I am not making much progress despite spending several months each year in France. Part of the problem is that many of the people we meet on boats are English speaking and when we do speak with French people it is usually in the same daily situations - the supermarket, market, restaurant, bar etc. So whilst we're quite expert at asking for baguettes or beers we don't engage much in philosophical discussions.
The past week or so has tested my language capabilities to the limit and, Sylviane, I didn't do too badly at all you'll be pleased to know. I've already written about our wifi woes but that was as nothing compared to today's negotiations. I never expected I'd be able to conduct a conversation in French regarding batteries. By batteries I mean huge 50kg ones not those little'piles' that go in torches (and are incidentally recycled at every supermarket. Why don't we do that in Australia?). I discussed voltages, amps, starter v domestic batteries and deep cycles. Later, having made our purchases, I also had to urgently enquire about the health and distinct possibility of a heart attack with the poor man delegated to help us remove the old and install the new in the tiny and cramped space of the engine room - on day as hot as any we endure during a Melbourne summer. (To be honest I wasn't doing the discussing of the technical data. I was merely the intermediary but I did learn more than I ever wanted to know).
Anyway, today we bought 2 new batteries and as a result we are about one thousand euros poorer. On the plus side we have light and my vocab increased enormously.

A 'bouchon' of barges at the chandlery at Saint Mammes

Now on the River Seine - an extremely busy waterway.