Another Win for the Banks

A tax break created to encourage millions of people to save has degenerated into a £3 billion a year rip-off that enriches the banks, according to a damning verdict from the statutory consumer watchdog.

Consumer Focus (formerly the National Consumer Council) has made a formal complaint to the Office of Fair Trading alleging that cash Isas pay derisory rates of interest and that banks use unfair obstacles to stop people from switching to better deals. The OFT has 90 days to respond.

“It beggars belief that in 21st century Britain it takes a month to transfer information and funds from one bank to another,” said Mike O’Connor, chief executive of Consumer Focus. “The average Isa saver is getting a poor deal.”

Banks and building societies are currently engaged in a marketing frenzy to persuade people to pile more money into Isas before the end of the tax year on Easter Monday. About 15 million people, a third of all adults, own at least one cash Isa; £158 billion is invested in the product category.

Consumer Focus estimates that cash Isa savers are being denied between £1.5 billion and £3 billion a year in interest payments. In many cases the tax benefit is more than offset by the poor rate of interest. The average cash Isa pays interest of 0.41 per cent, it said. With inflation running at 3 per cent, millions of nest-eggs are therefore shrinking in real terms.

Only 12 per cent of Isa holders switched to better deals last year. One survey showed that 47 per cent of switches took two to five weeks and 33 per cent took longer than five weeks. The watchdog accused banks and building societies of putting hidden barriers in place to make it hard to switch, exploiting customer inertia and manipulating the best-buy tables.

Historically, cash Isas paid higher interest rates than ordinary savings products, but Consumer Focus said that these headline rates were usually dropped after a year. Santander, which owns the old Abbey and Alliance & Leicester brands, offers an Isa with an interest rate of 3.5 per cent that plummets to only 0.5 per cent after a year.

Complaints to the FSA about cash Isas have more than quadrupled over three years to reach more than 48,000 in the first half of 2009.

Books read in March 2010

 The Raggard Trousered Philanthropist. Robert Tressel. This was recommended to me by a friend a couple of years ago and I bought the book then. However, after 100 or so pages it repeated the first hundred pages! So years later I have purchased another copy. Published in 1914, Tressel's main characters - the workers who think that a better life is "not for the likes of them" provide the title of the book; Tressell paints the workers as "philanthropists" who unselfishly throw themselves into back-breaking work for poverty wages in order to generate profit for their masters. The book’s hero, Frank Owen, is a socialist who believes that the capitalist system is the real source of the poverty he sees around him. He tries to convince his fellow workers of his world view, but finds that their life has trained them to distrust their own thoughts and to rely on those of their "betters". Tints of ‘Animal Farm’ in the book with long narratives about small episodes make the book longer at 622 pages than it should be. 3 Stars
The Alchemist’s Secret. Scott Mariani. This has more than a touch of Dan Brown and the Da Vinci Code. A good and honest man accompanied by a presentable female searching for something priceless. The hero, Hope has, of course, a dark and guilty secret in his past that haunts and drives him to do what he does in the hope of redeeming himself in his own mind. Roberta Ryder is the other main character who Hope meets on his quest. Other characters are generally two-dimensional, but that's not a major problem as most of them die. There's a very high body count – nothing too gory but they do die and there's even a bit of torture thrown in for light relief. Coincidences happen a little too regularly and sometimes the way that the plot works out just defies belief. I know. I'm being picky. This book is no worse and no better than hundreds of other books which will fly off airport book shop shelves during summer. It is pulp fiction another weakness of mine. 2 Stars
Hide and Seek. Ian Rankin. Second in the Inspector Rebus series and enjoyable as the first. Rebus, now an Inspector, is on the track of the murderer of a junkie found in a squat. Thrown off the scent by misleading “clues” he eventually succeeds in finding out who and why, the how is found out in the autopsy. My only complaint is why is it so dark? At one point in the book two characters have the following conversation. “It’s dismal” “This is picturesque compared to the rest” Why no sunny days? Why no bright pubs and restaurants? Still I enjoyed the mystery and was still guessing up to the last chapter. I will be buying the next couple in the series, hoping that they are as entertaining as the first and second but again hoping they are not as dark and brooding. 3 Stars
Gerrard. Steve Gerrard. Autobiography’s I like, sporting ones too, but not normally any autobiography of a playing sportsman especially a footballer. I thought they would be bland like their interviews on TV. This wasn’t, it was interesting full of little stories, good and bad, of football players within Liverpool and outside. Of games that I watched both live and on TV. It was also a true ‘scally’ story, Liverpool lad done good, a Liverpool lad playing for his and my team. “Loved it” to quote his well used phrase. He lived my dream and told it like I hope I could. Will be buying “Carra” soon to compare scally with scally. “Bring it on!” 4 Stars
I have now had a run of two poor books, both 0 Stars. The first One Perfect Op (Dennis Chalker) is an autobiography of a US Navy Seal. (I thought it was fiction on purchase). It was so boring, everything was “classified” and when it wasn’t, it was, we did this, reported, had a few beers then went off and did it again somewhere else over and over again. It was boring and poorly written. The second book Some Sunny Day (Annie Groves) was about a family in Liverpool in the World War 2. It definitely missed the spot. The story was rambling; the positions of the areas in Liverpool (my home town) where the action took place where so far apart that the characters could not have moved between them in the timescales in the book. The attempts at describing the scouse narrative were abysmal. It failed on all points!

Urbanisation AGM

We recently held our AGM for the Urbanisation. Here is a list of items discussed.

1. Accounts for 2009 – 2010
2. Decision about Unpaid Fees
3. Budget for 2010 – 2011
4. Repairs and Improvements for the New Financial Year
5. Renewal of Committee Members
6. Any Other Business
• The parking on the internal road.
• Rental Properties
• Colour of Awnings.
• Repainting of the properties
• Palm Trees around Pool
• Committee activities.

All in all a mixed bunch but not, i feel, that different from other Spanish Urbanisation’s AGM’s. As you can imagine a lot of time was spent on community fees and debtors (no debtors were in attendance, but they will receive the AGM minutes). The next item that took time, surprisingly, was the colour of awnings. So much time we had to leave it for a ‘special meeting’ in the summer. Car parking was next.
All the committee decided to stand for another year, including myself, and we were voted back in without opposition.

So they Win Again and Again

Another toothless organisation, there to help the consumer fails. How after three years work costing countless amounts of taxpayers money can this happen…..

A three-year investigation into UK bank charges on overdrawn customers ended with a whimper after the UK. Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it will leave it to banks to improve their practices.
The backing down over the issue comes after the UK. High Court's surprise ruling in November that said the OFT didn't have the power to decide if the charges were unfair or not under existing consumer protection rules, leaving the consumer protection agency toothless to enforce any potential restrictions on the charges.
However, the OFT could have gone on to seek new legislation. It didn’t. The Financial Services Consumer Panel, an independent statutory body that works with financial markets regulator the Financial Services Authority on consumer issues, said the OFT's stance was "too weak, and will take too long to deliver real improvements." "Many customers, particularly the most vulnerable, continue to pay excessive bank charges and this situation has not been effectively resolved," it said.
The November court case was seen as a victory for banks and a blow to consumer groups who wanted the charges scaled back. However, if the banks had lost the ruling and were forced to lower their charges, the expectation was that the lost income would be recouped through other charges, such as a standard monthly fee on all checking accounts.
So the banks win again and again! And we the consumer lose twice, once helping them out of the “banking crisis and secondly when we go overdrawn. Did we the taxpayers charge them when they went overdrawn? No we lent them money.

Weather in Spain Week 22nd March 2010 - 28th March 2010

 Monday: Overcast start but the sun drove the couds away and it remained sunny all day. Temp 21C. The hottest day so far.  Overnight Temp 15.
Tuesday: Misty start to the day with overcast clouds. Temp was 15C. Overnight clear skies and a temp of 12C
Wednesday: Sunny and bright. Temp 218C. Overnight  clear temp of 13C
Thursday: Sunny all day. Temp of 20C. Overnight partly cloudy temp of 12C
Friday: Bright and sunny start with lots of high clouds. Temp 19C. Overnight clear with a temp of 14C.
Saturday:  Sunny all day with a slight breeze. Temp 21C. Overnight clear and bright with a temp of 16C.
Sunday: Another sunny day with high clouds around. Temp 18C. Overnight clear and a temp of 15C.

For an advanced forecast in the area I live in see http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/europe_forecast_7days.asp?locationID=3222 which is Mercia Airport, our nearest point on this site.

Well done Robert Harrison!

Robert Harrison rigged a Cannon camera to a helium balloon to take photos from the edge of space - images that NASA admits would have cost the space agency tens of millions of dollars to capture.
The whole project cost Harrison about £500.
“A guy phoned up who worked for NASA who was interested in how we took the pictures,” Harrison told The Times UK. “He wanted to know how the hell we did it. He thought we used a rocket. They said it would have cost them millions of dollars.”
The Icarus Project, as Harrison has dubbed his ongoing experiments, features a point-and-shoot camera, a parachute and a GPS system all attached to a balloon. The balloon ascends up to 35 km before it pops, sending the camera floating gently back to the ground below. The GPS allows Harrison to track it to where it lands. The camera is wrapped in insulation so it continues to function in the frigid -60 C temperatures high in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The results can be seen on Harrison's website – robertharrison.org.
He continues to work on expanding his project to include such features as a swivelling mount for the camera to capture different angles.
NASA eat your heart out!

Definitions

I was watching a DVD last night when the following was said by a character.
“When a wife loses a husband she is a widow, when a husband loses a wife he is a widower, when a child loses a parent they are an orphan”
“When parents lose a child they have no definition, there is no closure”.
I looked it up, they are right. I could not find a definition.

A booming Spanish Industry

As the weather warms up a phenomenon occurs in Spain. As you know Spain is a Catholic country, however, they do turn a ‘blind eye’ to the oldest profession in the world.
The phenomenon of the roundabout girls appears. Certain roundabouts and on other parts of the main roads girls appear under umbrellas happily displaying their wares. Here is an article from the local English press.
Prostitution Boom
The Andalucian Association of Human Rights (APDHA) in Almeria has reported that more woman are becoming prostitutes due to the economic crisis.
The association attends more than 500 woman with their health initiative. They have seen more and more woman entering prostitution for the first time, and more of them are locals, as well as Nigerians, Romanians, Moroccans, and Senegalese, most of them between the ages of 20 and 30. They are earning two euros less per ‘job’ than before, at eight euros.
There are also more woman arriving from such cities as Madrid and Barcelona where police are cracking down on the trade and banning it from certain areas.

Robber Barons

Robber baron is a term revived in the 19th century United States for businessmen and bankers who dominated respective industries and amassed huge personal fortunes, typically by anti-competitive or unfair business practices. The term may now relate to any person who used questionable business practices to become powerful or wealthy.
For some time a number of Lords have been under a Police investigation for expense “padding”.
Baroness Uddin, the first female Muslim peer, had been the first peer to be exposed for wrongly claiming a generous allowance which helps members of the Lords pay for accommodation in London. Peers can claim £174 a night if they live outside the capital. She had lived within four miles of the House of Lords for 20 years but she has claimed almost £200,000 by saying that her main home was outside London. 
Lord Paul, for 18 months, to July 2006, Paul claimed £38,000 by saying he lived in Bignell Cottage, Oxfordshire. This was, in fact, a one-bedroom flat at the back of a hotel he owned. The flat was permanently occupied by the hotel manager and Paul admitted he had never actually slept in his “main home”.
Lord Taylor of Warwick claimed £70,000 by saying a relative’s boyfriend’s house in Oxford was his main home. He did not live there and apparently visited only once for a party.
Baroness Hayman, the Speaker has claimed £200,000 in expenses by having a “main residence” in Norfolk, despite having lived in the same house in London for 35 years.
In a letter last month, Michael Pownall, the clerk of the parliaments, revealed he had decided on a new definition of “main home” to help him deal with complaints about members’ expenses.The definition: a “main residence has to be visited with a degree of frequency: in the order of at least once a month”.
For months, the police had been asking the Lords authorities to define the term “main home” but were politely told there was not one. Now, out of the blue, there was a definition and no matter how absurd it appeared, the police had to take it seriously. “To say you only have to visit your main home is ridiculous by anyone’s standards and it made it very hard to build a strong case,” said one detective. It meant that to find proof against Uddin and also Lord Paul, would be almost impossible.
The director of public prosecutions, delivered the news that detectives had expected since Pownall’s ruling was announced: Uddin could not be prosecuted because the Lords’ new interpretation of the rules was so lax. Paul had also been informed that no further action would be taken against him.
The Commons rules make clear that an MP’s main home is the place where he or she spends most nights, but the Lords has never had a definition because it relies on peers to act on their “honour”. The new definition was intended to be used to judge the 20 or so peers who were the subject of the complaints to the House, mostly following articles in The Sunday Times.
The Lords firmly deny that there had been any attempt to influence the police inquiries.
If the Lords’ position really is that a peer has to stay overnight at their main residence, that would mean Paul — who never slept in his main home — should be reinvestigated. But will he?
I don't know if the Lords has a Anthem, if not may I suggest “Life's been Good” by Joe Walsh? With the lovely lines of
“I have a mansion forget the price
Ain't never been there they tell me it's nice”

You Could not make it up – Lorry on A1(M)

Dramatic footage has emerged of a lorry apparently pushing a car sideways along  a motorway in Yorkshire. The footage, which was posted on YouTube, shows the truck travelling along the A1(M) near Wetherby with the Clio trapped in front.
The scene was filmed on a mobile phone by another motorist.
It is believed that the female driver of the Clio had not been injured in the incident that happened on 13 January and police had investigated, but to date no action had been taken against the lorry driver.
West Yorkshire Police said officers attended the scene after receiving reports of a collision. A spokesman said: "At the time of our attendance there were no injuries and both vehicles were on the hard shoulder of the motorway.

Bet with your Bank!

I was in my branch of Banesto the other day when I saw this advert.
It’s for new and current clients (makes a change!). Its basically a deposit account with a 3% per annum interest rate. Nothing surprising there, however, the rate will increase to 4% if Spain win the world Cup in June.

Weather in Spain Week March 15th – 21st 2010

Monday: Sunny start to the day. Remained sunny till dusk Temp 14C. Overnight clear but cold. Temp 3C.
Tuesday: Sunny and bright all day. Temp 17C. Overnight cloudy but a temp of 14C
Wednesday:  Overcast start with the sun burning off the cloud. Temp 15C. Overnight clody with a temp of 8C.
Thursday: Overcast day with little sun. Temp 12C. Overnight cloudy, temp 10C
Friday:Sunny start to the day but it clouded over with light rain in the afternoon. Temp of 17C. Overnight cloudy with a temp of 12C
Saturday: Overcast day. Temp 12C Overnight rain, the temp 10C.
Sunday: Rain all day, Temp 10C. Rain overnight temp 8C.

For an advanced forecast in the area I live in see http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/europe_forecast_7days.asp?locationID=3222 which is Mercia Airport, our nearest point on this site.

You Could not Make it Up - Russian Ship

This Russian registered cargo vessel has been issued with a Detention Notice due to failure to comply with merchant legislation in Fowey, Cornwall. A Port State Control Inspector visited the vessel and after a preliminary inspection detained the vessel due to the ship having a hole in the port side hull plating into the number 2 water ballast tank. The vessel also has 2 major conformities recorded against the International Safety Management Code. The vessel had sailed from two previous ports with this hull damage with the company instructing the master to continue its voyages.

Notes on the Journey

This is the last posting on the Journey. I thought I would give some ramblings, thoughts and facts on the journey.

• Total distance driven 1960 miles
• Average mpg was 32.6
• Motorways in general were better than the UK with hardly any construction work
• Never saw a police car throughout the journey
• Did not see an accident
• Saw lots of snow on the ground in the South of France and it was very cold aT Night (-4C) and not above 0C during the day
• Did not rain or snow once on the journey
• Lowest temperature recorded -4C, the highest 10.5C
• Tolls were not excessive and worth the money in time saved
• Petrol was much dearer in France. 30 cents a litre more
• Much more traffic on the motorways in England than France of Spain
• No border guards on France-Spain crossing. Much more security at Folkstone than anywhere else
• Never saw any bakers on the high street in France. All bread now sold in Supermarkets. Never saw a french person eating freshly bought bread in the street as I used to years ago

The Millau Bridge

The Millau Bridge (officially Millau Viaduct) is a road-bridge spanning the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. It was designed by the British architect Norman Foster, working with French engineer Michel Virlogeux. It is the tallest vehicle bridge in the world. The highest pier has a height falling between that of the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State  Building. The viaduct is nearly twice as tall as the previous tallest vehicular bridge in Europe, the Europabrücke in Austria.

The  bridge was opened to traffic on 16 December 2004 and was built to relieve heavy congestion on the roads in the town of Millau (left) during the summer holiday season - it is the last section of the A75 motorway that leads to the Mediterranean coastal resorts.

In addition to being a major improvement to the road system in the region, the bridge has also received critical acclaim and become an immediate tourist attraction in its own right.

 Crossing it you don’t get much of a view because of the barriers and you are not allowed to stop on the bridge.  There is an information site on the north side of the bridge, that was closed when I crossed it but I believe you can get a historical perspective of the build. There is a viewing point high near the Information Centre where I took the pictures of the bridge itself  but the best views must be from the side or the town of Millau.

I did not get the time to travel to the town but I understand that you can have an easy ride by parking in the town centre and taking the tourist bus from the Tourist Information Office.  This will enable you to get the best possible views, photo opportunities and of course a running commentary on the construction from infancy to completion. I also understand that there is an official information site underneath the bridge where there is a little museum with photographs of the build, a film to show the progression of the site and various souvenirs to buy. Again I did not go to this site.

Statistics

Length: 2,460 metres

Width: 4 lanes, each 3.5 metres wide (2 in each direction)

Slope: About 3% (north to south)

Technical features:

The pylons are 343 metres (just over 1,000 feet) tall.

The deck lies 270 metres ( 800 feet) above the Tarn river.

The tallest pillar (concrete) holds the deck 245 metres above ground
85,000 cubic metres (or 205,000 tonnes) of concrete were used to make the pillars and abutments.
The steel deck weighs 36,000 tonnes (or five Eiffel towers).

Journey Over

Day 5

This ended up being our longest drive in one day 800 miles for Aix-en-Provence all the way to our villa,
We started at 9’oclock after a good breakfast at the hotel, no problems with the food or staff. We did get caught in the rush hour traffic but once on the motorway it was really plain sailing or should I say driving. No real issues just the cost of petrol on the French Motorways. We sailed through what was or seemed to be an unmanned border post between Spain and France but it could have been that they were sheltering from the cold!
Got onto the Spanish motorways and the petrol prices dropped to 1.16 a litre but the speed limit was 120kph down from 130kph. WE had stocked up with plenty of water, fruit and sweets and with Alan Bennett’s talking heads on the CD player we arrived home at 19:00. Ten hours at an average speed of 80 miles per hour and 32 miles to the gallon.  

On with the journey

Day 4

As we had had a long drive we decided a late morning was called for and we entered the restaurant for breakfast. No staff. No clean tables. We were behind a french couple also waiting for staff to serve them. In the end I cleared a table and found plates and cutlery, and so did the french couple. When the only staff member we saw all breakfast appeared, the lady of the french couple laid in good style and got some action. She then pointed at us and we got some service action too.
Up for the buffet food, Christ it was poor! The bacon what was left of it had been there since 6:30 and was dry and stiff, the scrambled eggs were green and rock solid, hardly any bread. When the staff member returned with our coffee, she told us, no more hot food was available!!! So we made do with cold stuff and left.
On checking out we refused to pay for breakfast as they wanted 16 euros each. No way!
We only had a short hp of 75Ks to our next destination Aix-en-Provence so we did a bit of shopping, we were going to sight see but as it was cold (-4C overnight) and not much more during the day we left for Aix. On the way I realised I had left my one and only good shirt in the wardrobe at the hotel. Luckily I had bought another on the shopping expedition! Lose one buy one.
We arrived at the hotel, guided by tom-tom, through very narrow streets and booked in. On the way The Lady of the Villa had succumbed to a cold and we thought lets stay in in the afternoon, in the bar, have a few, then a sleep, get ready and go out. Good plan. However, no bar was open in the hotel, despite its claim of a 24 hour bar (one of its attractions when I booked). We went off to the local square were the bars were located and found, eventually, one that was open for food and drink. a quick purchase of English papers, some good food and wine and the world was put right… at last.
Back to the hotel for a sleep, up and ready and walk around the town sampling the bars. Shock, horror, the lager was 6.50 a pint. Helly Bud. Still it was a good night and we both slept well.

The Journey Continues

Day 3

Off to Avignon, via the Millau Bridge. Not the most direct route but I wanted to see this bridge. Travelled down the motorways and at times we were the only car on them for miles in front and miles behind,
The cost of fuel on the motorways was1.43 euros a Litre but in the towns was 1.33 a litre - a big difference and we tried to avoid the motorway petrol stations s as much as possible. We arrived at the bridge about 2:30 and it is a beautiful piece of design. I need to write a blog just on the bridge alone and its details.
We left the bridge and decided to avoid the motorway and take a D road. This D road the D999 was a road the cut off a large corner on our journey, so we took it. Boy was that a mistake, it was shorter but no way near a good a road. The D road clung to the mountain side and twisted and turned with huge drops on the right hand side of the car. That with snow lying around did not make for a good drive.
We arrived at Avignon and found our hotel, The St Louis. We had stayed there at least 3 times and found it comfortable and warm. We had recommended this hotel to many a friend who was passing through, but not any more. It has been modernised, updated and lacks staff.
The rooms were very nice and comfortable and the bathroom was all black tiles with brilliant white bath sink and stand alone shower, all the taps were bright chrome. However the toilet was not situated in the bathroom it had its own “closet”. The room did in no way match the bathroom. The toilet seat was wonky, the toilet stand had seen better days and the walls had not been painted in years! Dear oh dear.
We went off into the town to find a restaurant to eat and found one that was very nice and the plat de jour was most acceptable as was the wine and cost.
When we got back to the hotel we headed to the bar, no bar staff, so we hung around looking like we needed a drink and eventually the maitre ‘d turned up and served us, well I would not call it served. He left us a list of drinks available and left for 10 minutes, we were about to go when he returned. On his drinks list we had seen “Les Anis” so we asked for that, he returned 2 minutes later and asked were we had seen this item. Pointing him to the item on the menu he left and returned 5 minutes later with 2 pastis. We drank them and left as no other staff appeared to serve us more. Off we went to bed.

First days of the Journey

We had travelled to the UK for a number of reasons, one of which was to bring a car back with us. The car, a BMW that we had in Spain was coming to its end. The AC had gone; numerous electric faults are appearing (doors not opening, interior lights failing etc.) So it was up for sale at a friend’s car lot in Spain. In the mean time CA and SA our partners in a property business in the UK had a Rover 75 that had been in their family from new. It had 75,000 miles on the clock and was first registered in 2000. CA being the top man that he is has looked after it and we had all the documents on service and repairs from its ‘birth’. A deal was struck and we intend to convert it to Spanish plates once we got to Spain. In fact CA had already changed the headlights to left hand drive before we left the UK.

Day 1

This was an easy run down to Oxford for a quick afternoon and overnight visit to my brother from South Africa. We had a pleasant Sunday lunch in a local country pub and a quiet evening in their home reading, talking, drinking wine and watching TV.
Day 2

The real start to the journey with the first leg being Oxford to the Channel Tunnel terminal. No big drama apart from the M25 being a car park at times. Arrived early and was allowed on the next train at 10:50. Stopped by customs for a ‘random check’. Sat in the car while it was checked by ‘sniffer’ instruments and we were eventually allowed on board at 10:35 and then surprise off early at 10:45. A really pleasant journey smooth and quite. To me the only way to cross the channel by car. Arrived at 12:10 including adding the 1 hour on for the time difference.

 With the guidance of the Lady who Navigates and her friend Tom-Tom we embarked on the second leg. Avoiding Paris by going towards Rouen and then onwards to our first day destination, Orleans. On the way down we realised that the car had never been abroad before and this was its longest run, ever. It has had such an easy life. No drama on the way just quieter motorways with occasional tolls. Arrived in Orleans at 6pm and found the hotel on the banks of the Loire and having changed got well wrapped up (it was -3C) and found the restaurant recommended by the hotel receptionist.

It was closed, but opened in 30 minutes. Next door was the strangely named “McEwen Arms“, so we went in for a quick drink. No Stella so we chose Carlsberg two pints of which cost 13 Euros, 6.50 each. Probably the most expensive Carlsberg I have ever bought!
The restaurant (La Petite Marmite - www lapetitemarmite.net) was a brilliant recommendation and we both enjoyed the meal and wine. After a quiet drink back at the hotel it was off to bed. 525 miles on the clock and an average of 30 mpg.
It was a pity that we could not explore Orleans as it looked a lovely city but time was premium as we had booked the next hotel in Avignon that evening.
Orleans famous inhabitant, St. Joan of Arc is well remembered in the cathedral and her life is told in the Cathedral’s nave stained glass window. The local tourist office has a booklet of 9 walks around Orleans each taking 90 minutes or so that look very interesting. Maybe next time.

An Obituary. Interesting and sadly rather true.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing