What a week

It's been pretty full-on...sorting, selling, giving away, binning, fielding emails and phone calls (both of which have pretty much stopped - most everything is gone). My biggest concerns were the two couches (one free, one for sale) and three wardrobes (two for free, one for sale). No one wants them. I thought I'd have to send out a 'damsel in distress' email to friends here asking for husbands (to dismantle this furniture and transport it away) and storage space (to keep it till hard rubbish collection day - next week?). But the ever-resourceful Christine C rang the other night and she suggested asking our removal company if they could dismantle and take it for destruction. I rang Nelly yesterday and she said yes, thank god. She was supposed to get back to me with a cost but I never heard from her.

But all going well the removal guys will be here at 2pm today to pick up the boxes that we have been sorting and MK has been packing (still a pile of stuff to pack). And take away the unwanted furniture.

Also yesterday we had an attempted break-in! Long story short, MK and I were standing near our front door when we saw the handle of the door slowly, slowly moving down (being opened). We opened the door and there was a woman there - her story was (in Italian, not French I think) that she was looking for an estheticienne. There is no beauty place near us (chiropractor and pediatrician, yes, no beauty salon or the like). While MK was talking with her I took the phone onto the balcony and called the cops (Rose had only told me a couple of days before about being burglered and they live in Pully also). No English spoken, but they did a three way conversation with a woman who translated for me. Within minutes a uniform officer was at our door (again no English) but by this time she had gone (I'd seen her out our windows afterwards on a mobile - which made me think she might have been innocent). Anyway, the cop took our story then not that long after he left the doorbell rang again. It was a plain-clothes young cop asking if we could identify the woman if he showed us a photo - they had a woman in the police station her who fit the description! Lordy. Anyway MK looked and I looked and her hair looked shorter. A wig, I said. Yes, they do that the cop said excitedly! It was a bit fun, I have to admit. Another cop joined us (also young and out of uniform) and apparently he'd taken the photo. They took several phone calls then told us the woman did admit to being here at our apartment and then they us she'd told the same story at another place on Ave CF Ramuz (street near us). She's a liar, they said, and I think I believe them.

And the most amazing thing? From the time of the conversation with the woman at our door (the would-be burglar) to the time the police left us and the issue was resolved was just over an hour! How's that for good service.

Oh, and somewhere in this crazy week MK and I had our 7th wedding anniversary. Think any celebrations will be deferred till HK!