It's a couple of weeks since we had the powercut but ever since then the doorbell has been out of action.

I put up a little notice (which you can see in the photo on the previous post) saying "La sonnette ne marche pas. Frappez doucement a la fenetre s.v.p."

Of course, unless I'm in the same room I don't hear a gentle tap so visitors either walk in and take me by surprise or they batter the window pane more and more aggressively until I let them in.

Daniel was one of the window bashers and he offered to bring back his electrician friend to sort out the problem.

Unfortunately with hospital visiting it wasn't possible to guarantee that I'd be home by six o'clock - the most convenient time for the electrician on his way home from work, so we left it that I'd call Daniel as soon as Bear was home.

I rang and left a message the day after Bear was discharged  but later learned that Daniel was having family problems. His wife's brother had been taken ill.

Another week went by and then Claude wandered in at 8.30 on Saturday morning to bring me some eggs  (when I was still in my dressing gown,) and so I asked him if things were back to normal chez Daniel.

Claude promised to pass on my message and on Sunday he came back (with a crate of apples for sale) to say the electrician would be round today.

Sure enough, there was a frantic tapping on the window just before six when I had a friend visiting and the house was in chaos because CC and Jay were decorating the indoor tree. Not a convenient moment but the bell did need sorting out.

In came the electrician and the first thing he did was to check the fuse board. All the switches were on as far as I could see but he pinpointed one, which I thought had something to do with the pump for the well, that was in the off position. He flicked it up and, bingo, job done. Quelle idiote. I did feel foolish.

He stayed for a coffee but left remuneration to my discretion so I just gave him a 10 euro note and hoped that would be enough.

However, I have booked him to do the lights in Jay's room in the new year.