Battery technology has changed over the past decade and a half, and a replacement battery costs more than twice the purchase price of the drill.
Due to the miracle of EU standards, a new drill albeit of somewhat more dubious origin than the ones proudly offered for sale in Flanders, can be had for one tenth of the price in France. Thanks also to that very same miracle, our gas bottles are French EU standard, not Belgian or Netherland EU standard so refills always involve an international transaction.
Since we needed both a drill and some gas a visit to France at lunch o’clock seemed like a sensible way to fill in the morning. The drive gave plenty of time to practice in approaching understandable French “Can I trade my old fourteen kilogram gas bottle in for a full one please? No, a red and green one like this one in the photo.” .
Having mastered all the language prerequisites, imagine his dismay when it was brought to his attention that gas is sold by automat now, without the need for human intervention. Just key in a few simple details, pay the machine, and it will open a little door to reveal exactly the size bottle you had intended to describe to the unhelpful attendant. Disappointingly it all worked like clockwork but we were not to be disappointed by our attempt at lunch time parking.
“Payant” the sign said “fines apply”. The meter did its utmost to ignore us. There’s an app you see to make it friendlier, but just like the one in the UK, you need to have your phone’s store set to this region to download it, rendering all the apps and subscriptions you rely on on useless. Oh there is a credit card option - but we're sorry, none of yours will work. Actual money, yes there’s a slot there and we’re happy to keep your contribution, but it’s not linked to the computer so best be moving along.
So we drove on, foregoing lunch, forced to subsist on baguette and pate while on the run.
Back at the ranch, we did get the new dash fitted, and the instruments in place, and the old ipad navigation setup working. It was quite satisfying to see all our “first generation” instruments fitting tidily in one spot ready to go for another decade. We need a few more days to sort out the wiring though, but that will have to wait, because over breakfast our train tickets miraculously appeared in our phone wallets, and it appears we’ll be in Paris tomorrow afternoon all being well.
Isn’t technology wonderful?
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