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Holidays!
Feb 19, 2024 21:12:46 GMT
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Post by EspadaIII on Feb 19, 2024 21:12:46 GMT
He's making it obvious he's retired....
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Holidays!
Feb 19, 2024 21:14:04 GMT
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Post by EspadaIII on Feb 19, 2024 21:14:04 GMT
PS.. hope father-in-law is going ok?
How's the Ignis..
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Holidays!
Feb 19, 2024 21:53:22 GMT
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Post by Humph on Feb 19, 2024 21:53:22 GMT
The Ignis is a thorny subject. It has made one trip since October of a mile to the supermarket and back when MIL took it one day. He’ll never drive it again and MIL is happy to let my wife or her sister be a free taxi. However, she’s not prepared to give it up even though she doesn’t like driving, never drives outside of her own small town and never after dark. She’s in denial about her husband’s health and prognosis.
We’ve suggested getting my wife and her sister put on the insurance so that it could be used from time to time but even that idea seems to be strenuously resisted.
I’ve kept the tyres, fluids etc checked and run it up to warm a couple of times but it’s just sitting on their driveway doing nothing.
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bpg
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Holidays!
Feb 19, 2024 22:49:45 GMT
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Post by bpg on Feb 19, 2024 22:49:45 GMT
With that kind of use the first thing that's going to go on that car is the battery. Can you get a charger on the battery ?
I was going to suggest plugging a solar trickle charger in but they have to be disconnected before using the car or the alternator can overload them. From what you've written that will be forgotten.
I know, a replacement battery is not the end of the world but another level of irritation.
At least your FiL is home and in his environment. Hospitals are great for providing care and assistance when required but there's nothing like your own home.
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Holidays!
Feb 20, 2024 1:28:19 GMT
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Post by Humph on Feb 20, 2024 1:28:19 GMT
He’s not home yet, another couple of weeks maybe.
Yes, the battery will pack in at some point but as you say, a new one for that car won’t be a fortune, and if it does, it may help to reinforce the point about the car needing more use or moving on.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2024 9:04:16 GMT
The Ignis is a thorny subject. It has made one trip since October of a mile to the supermarket and back when MIL took it one day. He’ll never drive it again and MIL is happy to let my wife or her sister be a free taxi. However, she’s not prepared to give it up even though she doesn’t like driving, never drives outside of her own small town and never after dark. She’s in denial about her husband’s health and prognosis. We’ve suggested getting my wife and her sister put on the insurance so that it could be used from time to time but even that idea seems to be strenuously resisted. I’ve kept the tyres, fluids etc checked and run it up to warm a couple of times but it’s just sitting on their driveway doing nothing. I saw this with my sister's parents-in-law - they were both placed in care with dementia at around the same time, up to that point F-i-L had been insisting that he'd recover and would be back driving before long, and would be trading in his X3 for a nice little Mini to race around in. Sadly, an utter fantasy of course. They both passed during the Covid pandemic. I kind of think it's best to let them have their fond imaginings and play along. Won't be long before we're all there, if we're lucky enough to to not be picked off early. My best wishes to you, your wife and the old folks concerned. |
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Holidays!
Feb 20, 2024 10:03:46 GMT
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Post by Humph on Feb 20, 2024 10:03:46 GMT
That’s pretty much where we are Al. Let them believe it’ll all get better.
Anyway, holidays…
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2024 10:08:42 GMT
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Holidays!
Feb 20, 2024 10:13:12 GMT
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Post by Humph on Feb 20, 2024 10:13:12 GMT
I think I’d be quite happy living in that never mind a holiday! Looks a bit like you’d need a pet bear if you did though.
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bpg
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Holidays!
Feb 20, 2024 10:31:12 GMT
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Post by bpg on Feb 20, 2024 10:31:12 GMT
Would you fly or drive that, Al ? Looks about 18/19 hours drive from where I am.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2024 11:45:27 GMT
We're likely to drive. Day 1 to Munich, stay overnight. Day 2 to Belgrade, stay there a few days visiting rellies. Down to holiday house for a week. Then drive to Sarajevo for a few days stay there, again visiting rellies, then 2 days back via Munich again.
There is some lovely countryside down there, and incredibly cheap property. A massively under-rated and overlooked corner of Europe, if you're after unspoiled nature and utter peace and quiet.
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bpg
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Holidays!
Feb 20, 2024 11:56:05 GMT
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Post by bpg on Feb 20, 2024 11:56:05 GMT
It looks beautiful, very picturesque. You've mentioned you and Mrs Al are pretty fluent in the local dialects, what's it like for the none speaker for the area ? I'm not talking shouty English, how receptive are the locals to tourist having a go at mangling their language ?
We're at the stage now where 6-8 hours in the car per day is enough, can do more, prefer not to.
Last year we stayed in a hotel in Lugano on the journey south, opted for a Gasthaus 20kms north of the St. Gotthard tunnel this year hoping an early start will avoid the 1.5-2 hour late afternoon queue we had last year. If the queue is bad will opt for the drive over the top this time around. It's less than four hours to Maranello from there so an extra hour on the pass is neither here nor there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2024 12:03:16 GMT
Mrs is a native speaker, I get by quite well. Vast majority of locals have at least basic English. Tourists welcomed with open arms, if you have a go at the local language you will be carried shoulder high through the streets and they'll build a statue of you.
Maybe a bit of an exaggeration there, but people are genuinely thrilled if you try. I've had people go and fetch friends, family, colleagues, to marvel at this British guy who can speaka da lingo.
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Holidays!
Feb 20, 2024 12:06:18 GMT
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Post by Humph on Feb 20, 2024 12:06:18 GMT
Gud moaning, I was just pissing past your door…
😂
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2024 12:10:50 GMT
If they see a German number plate on a car, they'll assume you're a Gastarbeiter coming home for holidays. Then the steering wheel on the wrong side will blow their minds.
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