Arrival time for the container and the attendant unpackers was 10am. Having waited 2 hours for the previous container to find us, having put the last part of our address into the GPS wrong, we didnt expect much, and yet we did. We were gratified when our first helper turned up in the drizzle at 10.05. This boded well, we thought.
He was a French speaker only, but we managed a conversation of sorts, I showed him the inside of the house and where to put things, which turned out to be a no go as he was the one in the truck for the duration. Never mind, he could at least tell the other two where to put things when I had recorded the item number, if necessary. He was not the Crew boss, however, that fellow was yet to arrive.
Georges offered to cut down our dying tree, in the yard, asking for 250euros to do so. He said he is in his first year as a Paysagiste (Groundsman, loosely translated) and could cut our hedges or anything in the garden that we wanted. Another day, perhaps, I said! Waz thinks the amount being asked for is daylight robbery, but I know (so does he, but...) what is involved, and it is a big job. The quote also includes taking the tree parts to the dechetterie (dump/landfill) which in this case grinds and recycles. Bravo!
Waiting, waiting. He gets on his phone to find out where the container is...2 mins away! ok! Good news. 2 mins, 5 mins, 15 mins and there is the yellow monster creeping down the road. Yay!
Introductions all around and Michel the driver tells us he picked the container up in Marseille last week on Friday, and took it to Bordeaux, and then this morning, to our place. Ok. He was returning the container to the Port at Marseille, after unloading.
Georges and Michel and Waz got busy taking off the seal which we checked, photographed and allowed to be removed. This seal has been on it from NZ, so we know French customs hasn't been looking at anything other than our inventory, if that. Same for the Florida container. Well done!
Seal off, I make everyone wait while I photograph the opening of the doors and then some more, before anything is removed. It is drizzling still.
Michel is giving instructions to Georges. They wanted bolt cutters, which we dont have, but a hacksaw took the last seal off, and it will do the job for this one too.
We had expected the container to be filled top to bottom all the way, given what the shippers had told us, that the container would be 'full', and the charged us extra for having more volume than they originally estimated. We are not particularly happy with this, and will contact the agent...tomorrow!
With pen and my long list of numbers and inventory n hand, we begin unloading without the other two. They shouldn't be long, we were told. A large truck with trailer turned up and the other two men appeared as Waz and Georges were already placing goodies in the various rooms.
Things were halted for a few minutes while our crew boss said that they were told first thing this morning that everything was to be unloaded to the garages!! Eh? Over my dead body...or something akin to that was said in French. We had agreed with the shipping company that only the large furniture was to be unpacked and the wrapping taken away. Well, that didnt happen, but never mind.
CB (Crew boss) and his younger brother, on school vacation here from Romania CB immigrated about 10 yrs ago, asked me to speak English, though he speaks fluent French, and his English is ok, but I have to speak French to Georges who is now inside the truck, having been delegated to that position by CB, who decided that everyone needed to be organized. :) We concurred!..but I was already speaking French to Georges, and so I just did to CB...even though he spoke English to me. Exhausting trying to please them all!
I was so busy trying to keep up with CB and Bro AND Waz who insisted on carrying loads down to the garage that I didnt have time to take pictures. Waz wanted to know what was going down there and where it was going to be located...did he HAVE to take all those heavy loads??? We all know the answer to THAT! sheesh!
Wazster is a bit shagged tonight, but he just told me he is off downstairs again to get things organized. sigh! I'm obviously sitting at the computer taking 5.
During a break I asked CB where they had come from to do this job? Near Toulouse, he said. That was five hours driving from early this morning, to get here somewhat on time...an hour late is ok, they think.
By 1.20pm the container was empty. WOW! That went fast!
Some of the last items to come out...including the small sofa.
I sat down and made sure all my numbers were crossed off. Every item in the container was designated a number at the storage unit as it was wrapped, before being loaded onto the truck. I have done this many times before and it is the simplest method of recording contents that I have found. I tried a spreadsheet, but seriously?? pen and paper win! I did make list on the computer for the shipping agents, and also translated it into French for Customs, so it was time consuming, and it had to be done in a timely fashion. Late nights in our Airbnb completing the task. Everything checked out ok, CB checked his list against mine, and I signed the myriad papers and dated them for good measure sitting out on the front terrace. Everyone was served cold water...the rain had stopped by now and the sun was out and hot.
Georges got his job sheet signed by CB, and we shook hands, me promising to call him to cut the tree down, another day:)
CB and little bro finished up, shook hands and departed. They have another job in our vicinity tomorrow I am told.
So, what did we do next? It was 1.45pm. Why, lunch of course:) Cole slaw, hard boiled eggs and olives. What else do you eat, when that is all that is in the fridge??lol
Thereafter the priorities kicked in. We had to have items unwrapped that hold other items. The wooden furniture all needed de-molding, so as Waz and I unpacked, I wiped and dried.Cupboard doors and drawers were left open to dry properly and we kept going. Not a lot of putting away other than the things left in the kitchen, and it was imperative that they be opened so that we could get some dinner. Yes, there was enough food in the fridge for dinner...just!
Despite their best efforts to put the square peg into the round hole, they didnt succeed, and finally took note when I said the ONLY way to put that sofa inside is to post it through the open window! Yes, they did it, but needed three men to get it in there...well, both of them actually.
I was gratified to see that all my care and attention to packing most things, was well worth the extra tape (waz gives me a hard time about the amount of tape I used!:) ) The table I made many moons ago is in 1st class shape. That is Honduras Mahogany on the bottom side and Swedish Ash on the top side. This is a tall coffee table.
Coffee Break!
Back to the Time theme.
Opening boxes that have been in storage for 6 years is interesting. It isnt like Christmas, but it is rather a journey of rediscovery. Finding items that were gifts from special friends and my children, enjoying taking the time to set them out in familiar tableaux on furniture that held them previously, was pretty special.
I dont want to rush this process. There is always the rush to set things right, but I am more concerned this time, with not just opening every box but opening those things we really want to have in our lives now, and not just a whole lot of stuff, which there is. I have already packed up more of the things that came with the house. It is a relief to be able to replace them with our own items. This is something akin to muscle memory, I think. It is replacing the need- to- have with the love- to- haves. The items we packed and shipped were the things we really wanted to keep in our lives, and I'm glad we did.
This will take a while...for me, perhaps, but I can hear Waz down in the garage, radio on, making room, establishing HIS space for him. This is the man-cave he has desired for so long, and he is making it his. My space will come later, when I have room to paint again, make things that are fun and not just need to do or have. I have all of my sewing machines now. YAY! And I have some new hobbies to begin...all the bits and pieces have arrived:) There is much to look forward to.
Oh, and we had better have lots of tea parties, because I have a gazillion tea cups, tea pots, sugar and cream jugs and two tiered cake plates. Phew! Yes, I used to use them, way back when, and I have every intention of doing the same in the future. Roll on the future!:)
More tomorrow! Im all done in.
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