I am getting Excited now!

well we have just returned from Le Theil after a very productive week. I now feel like it is all coming together and the whole thing is not a figment of my imagination, oh shit what have we done... No really it is working out real good.

So we took the Berlingo and trailered the FJR1300 down to the house no worries, even managed to take the Wood Burner in the back of the car so another worry over.

So we managed to:

• get the FJR registered
• get the Berlingo Registered and Insured (all risk and Assistance)
• connect the hob to a gas source
• get the wood burner into the house
• entertain our first visitors (Bikes)
• have aperitifs with the french neighbours
• get some riding in
• visit new friends in Abusson
• view and instigate Wendy's mum and Tony's purchase of a house in St Dizier (Bourganeuf)

So all the stress over whether I would get the FJR registered without having to go through some restriction in BHP was unfounded - I simply turned up at the Import Tax office with the V5 and proof that we have a house in France (An EDF Electric Bill) and of course a passport, the lady filled all the forms in for us and we received an import Tax exemption Certificate.

We took this to the prefecture up the road and with the right forms pre-completed (Basic inf0 on the bike and proof of identity) we approached the teller and were surprised at how easy it was. We simply handed the forms in (signed them) we gave the V5 in (retaining the export part) gave the Certificate of Conformance, and proof of living in France (EDF Bill again) - we were told to sit and wait and within 20 Min's we were in receipt of our Carte Grise (French V5) for 182 euros for the JR and 151 euros for the Berlingo. Number plates cost a total of 49 euros for the car bike and trailer. SORTED...

The insurance worked out at slightly cheaper for the Berlingo than that of Nowrich Union Direct but it now included full riskes for any driver and came with full european breakdown assistance.

We had some friends drop in on us (Coops, Steve, Alistair, Glyn) who stayed the night - it was a good night and exceptional social, drunk all the wine but we were ale to get a feel for entertaining and hosting the guy's and securing their bikes. All said they would definately be back.

So we are moving forward at a rapid rate of knotts we take the furniture over in July when I hope to Register the Triumph Rocket 111. Then in Sept we are over again for the duration...