29 May

Ah, the perils of travel.
I spent the night well and then didn’t want to get up in the morning, but decided I had better, as I was after some information and a visit for today. After a shower and dressing, I was down for breakfast just after 8. Breakfast was up to standard, but of course slightly different (as it is in each place). Today was rolls, orange juice, tea, egg and bacon and toast. I took so long to have it that the other couple from Australia, who were sleeping in until 9, had arrived before I had finished. We chatted about travel, comparisons of B&Bs and then the merits of campervans versus caravans and towing vehicles. Then I gathered my things up and left them together in the room, taking the laptop with me and heading off to fulfil various functions.
I went to Albert to find out more about the topography of Chipilly. Although I had been advised that the Tourist Bureau could help, they couldn’t, except to suggest I purchase an IGN map of the area. Even mentioning topography and contour lines made no difference. I headed over to the newsagency opposite and found … the IGN ALBERT Carte Topographique, which was exactly what I was after (at a scale of one centimetre to two hundred and fifty metres, it is quite detailed and shows the ridge area at Chipilly very clearly.
Alas, the second task was not so easy. I have to ring Westpac as they have put a stop on my credit card (apparently they are worried about a transaction, but of course they can’t email me with which one AND I can’t email them back, because of all the credit card email scams). The telephone booth I tried had no information on contacting an operator, and every other number I tried was of no help (“Sorry sir, I don’t have that information”). I asked at the Trench Museum, but even the resident Englishman at the other end could not help. He suggested the Post Office. My enquiry now degenerated into a farce. There, after four people had come from the back office to assist, all I got was a number to ring, which answered in French to say it was out of service.
I decided to cut my losses and visit the Victoria School to see if today was a school day. Of course, I arrived at lunchtime. Only one teacher was there, but around forty children were having a school lunch, which looked pretty good. The children were at school because their parents were working – no-one at home. I chatted to the teacher and found out there are about one hundred and thirty students at the school, they are aged about eight to eleven-twelve and come from the “petit enfant” école, then go on to the college (like our secondary school). As they finished lunch, a number volunteered to come out to be photographed under the “Do not forget Australia” and then returned to wait. The weather was wet, and it had been raining all morning. A few were speaking to me, and I didn’t know how to take it when a young girl told me she thought I was eighty (perhaps it is the continual travelling which has aged me prematurely). When all had finished, and they had put all the crockery and cutlery together, they were allowed to leave in order after sitting silently and putting their chairs under the tables properly. Then it was on with their wet-weather gear and into the yard, where the typical primary school noise betrayed the fact that it was a working school.
I went into a classroom with the teacher, who spoke better English than he thought, and I commented on the children’s work. Then I got the laptop and showed him the pictures of Australia which I had selected as typical. He then produced a memory stick of photos from the ceremony at the Memorial and at the school from ANZAC Day. He offered to let me copy them, which I did, and I copied the Australian pictures onto the memory stick. By then the other teachers had arrived, including the one I had spoken with in April. I spoke with her, and another, then one of the students who had been there came through and showed me his kangaroo pin on his pencil case.
I gave the teachers my email address and photo site, and promised to take photos of special things they would like from Australia and then to send it to them (most likely on a CD, as none of the school computers had DVD readers). I also got another number to try for ringing.
I left the school feeling I had achieved something (and may do more in the future) and immediately found a telephone booth on the main road. Inside was the number they had given me, saying it would get me assistance, but again all I got was a message that it was not in service.
By this stage I decided to cut my losses and catch up with other things, so I set course for Pozieres. I emptied the rubbish bag on the way (and got saturated with spray from a truck) and arrived back to find it still raining. I went in to find the lady of the house at home, so I sat down and had a cup of coffee with her, then did some research for accommodation for Friday and Saturday. My two options are a B&B at Parmain (about seventy kilometres from Paris, and about thirty-five kilometres from Charles De Gaulle Airport) or a hotel near the airport (Premiere Classe Roissy). The B&B will be quieter and more personal, include breakfast and provide for the car, while the hotel is closer and although the tariff is cheaper, by the time I park the car it will be more (but it does have WiFi free). I emailed the B&B, so I will ring tonight and if there is no room there, I will book the hotel over the Internet tonight. I also rang to return the car at about 1 on Sunday afternoon. My other tasks today include trying to pack the boxes to send to Fran and to me with everything I can’t carry in them (and they had better be less than seven kilogram each) and packing for travel by air.
I finished everything (except the packing) and found France Telecom’s page for accessing International Reverse Charges. I went into Albert to try and, guess what, I still couldn’t get through. I had some tea in Albert, then returned to Pozieres and went up to my room, finished everything off, found the B&B wasn’t available for the two nights so booked the hotel on the Internet. Then I got myself ready for bed, posted photos (only two – the schoolkids at Villers-Brettonneax) and then this blog, then went to sleep.