I started writing this on Wednesday, and now it's Thursday!
Not taking many photos right now. Nothing to photograph, frankly. Our time is being spent finding information for the bank, contacting those who can provide it, waiting, driving the information into Angouleme (ong goo lem) to our bank in order to expedite the process. If only our bank in the USA didn't have to courier everything to us (takes 3-5 days), instead of just e-mailing it to the French bank.
Security, they tell me. I'm not sure that our papers are more secure in a courier envelope than they are on a secure line between banks, but what do I know. Both ways seem equally 'at risk' if you ask me.
We waited for the courier to arrive with the information from the US bank that they French Bank needed to open our account. It arrive AFTER we returned from the bank, of course. We also had to drive to St Aulaye to get some signatures supporting our current whereabouts for same banks, yesterday afternoon.
Love the architectural style of this church in St Aulaye
We took some pastries for our friend's Birthday 'tea' at 3pm. Their home-in-progress is gorgeous...the views from the deck facing the view is stunning, and we could have stood out there for hours...except that it was cold. These folks are doing most of the building and finishing themselves, but it is entirely habitable as it is, with progress happening all the time. It made us tempted to build, but ....we got a home already finished and ready to move into instead. Benefits to that for us right now.
Anyhoo....With gorgeous weather yesterday (and today), it was such a pleasure to drive anywhere. We get on the road, few other vehicles to distract us, and we just love the huge vistas around us.
I took these photos before leaving home.
Very hazy out there, yesterday and today.
On Tuesday afternoon I gave Waz and myself a haircut. We were getting a bit shaggy and it tends to add 10 yrs to our lives and looks, lol. No, I'm not going to make the photos any larger:)
I intended to do the job outside in the sunshine, but it was just too cold and the windchill didn't help at all. Neither of the vacuum cleaners work that well, so it was a bit of a mission to clean up the hair afterwards, but we feel and look 100% better for the effort.
We could have had more clothes on this morning. I know a frost was expected, but it was pretty cold out there when we took off in the car to deliver papers to the bank in Angouleme first thing.
It seems to take the car sooo long to heat up. I need a good old fashioned car rug over my knees.
This time we were passed off to a young woman who spoke very little English (to finish, or at least progress the banking ) but we managed to communicate sufficiently to ascertain that MORE information was required, and we wondered why this particular form wasn't given to us at the beginning...by the Bank Manager, at that. Anyway, it was e-mailed to the USA, and hopefully our Banker there will realize the import of his signature on that piece...everything hinges on that one signature! Verifitication is paramount in this bank account opening process. They want to know exactly where the money is coming from, where it is going...not just into which account, but what you intend to do with those Euros. Hmm...Well, they are trying to stamp out Terrorist organizations and the only way to do that is to catch those who are money laundering in order to purchase those activities, and arms etc.
Take a good look at us! Do we look like arms dealers?? Well, you would never know, would you!
I tend to be taken aside at airports and thoroughly checked out. Waz must look a whole lot less harmful, because he always goes through security without a hitch.
So, another half hour with our banker, I ended up writing the letter to the US banker because the translation she had from French to English was horrific and would have confused the heck out of my banker. She was happy with my letter, and so it was e-mailed.
I havent heard if it was successful, yet! As I said, everything hinges on this one signature of verification that we are the people we purport to be. Phew!
I havent opened a bank account in a foreign country for many years, so this is both a 'process' and aggravating at the same time. We are mere pawns in this game.
We do have the bank account number, but cant pay anyone yet. We can pay INTO it, of course, lol, but not withdraw.
NEXT UP! Insurance.
We cannot drive our new vehicle until we have car insurance. The car is being fitted with a tow bar right now...and no, we havent paid a dime...still....Not sure how this system works...like I said...Trust!
Also, the owner of the house we are purchasing is busy cleaning her personal belongings out and writing us a list of contractors, who does what and where and how etc, and we still havent paid a dime towards THAT purchase either. Shite!
Not that we are sitting and twiddling our thumbs. We are currently waiting for birth certificates etc to be sent to us from NZ...we didn't anticipate that we would need those to purchase a property, but we do! We actually have them sitting in a storage unit in Florida, but of course we aren't able to access that, so we had to return to the source, as it were.
Sigh.
Having delivered the papers to the bank, AND requested the insurance, had our driver's licences photocopied et al for that event, we needed a coffee, as you do. McDonalds (I know!!) was just half a Km back towards home and on our way, so after a quick squizz in a Discount electrical goods store, during which time we had to walk into the bone chilling Arctic wind, we descended upon the McD's.
French McD's is interesting, but as with all of them, they are very much a reflection of their location. With our Double shot Latte we got a typical cookie. 2.40 euros.
It was lovely sitting and relaxing in the sun, around 11am.
We needed to get home to lunch...and first we had to go to Villebois to fill up with petrol/gas.
We have friends coming to stay so we needed some meat also. Funny how the food shopping ends up being more than you went for! lol
While in Angouleme we went to Grand Frais, the most fantastic Fresh Food Market. WOW! Look at the size of these Moroccan Blueberries! and they are delicious.
Just got off the phone with one of the companies I had made enquiries on, in the USA, to ship our US goods to our new home. It appears that we may have VISA issues, and if we ship our goods this year without being able to prove domicile (you need those all important electricity bills for 3 months) in France continuously, we may have to pay VAT and import duties. Yes, tax on top of tax. We would have to also prove that we have owned everything for more than 12 months, have receipts for everything, serial numbers documented for all appliances (to prove they are purchased in the country of origin, all our things minutely documented, listed, translated, valued and...gag! I think we will have to get more advice on this issue before we make any hasty decisions.
We are used to jumping through hoops, so this doesn't phase us, its just another thing to get more info on, and work our way through. Slowly and surely we will get there.
Time for bed again! wow! Friday for real, tomorrow:)
Night night.
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