Feb 2013

Thanks to Google Maps we found the office and some very helpful people at the factory unit next door who said "it wasn't good news but the office was open, just turn left and go in." Which we did. There was just one stressed out looking receptionist who asked for our details and said that there was nothing she could do as the situation was a legal dispute between Ok telecom and Telecom Italia who own the infrastructure, it turns out the bank of Siena went bust and didn't pay Ok's bill to Telecom Italia. We asked for a copy of our contract and could we talk to Alessando the technical person or Nicola the salesman as they speak English so we could grasp what the ramifications were.

 Sometime later a very nervous younger man arrives (they all look 17!) and introduces himself as Alessandro, full of apologies that the photocopier has broken down and he'll have to email the contract on to us (it did arrive that evening). We explained that we were unhappy that no one had contacted us and the excuse the young receptionist had given that there were too many people to email didn't wash as we knew it was a simple matter to do "group email" about any problems they were having.

 He replied that the situation was very difficult as the staff had been told to say nothing by phone or email  but as we were face to face..........., in fact they know nothing. The special meeting for explanations to the staff was to be held on the 11th February when they will be told their position ( all 70 suspect redundancy - how sad). As far as he knows the next bill, january's, will have a note under the total to say we have to find new suppliers, and this is all the notice we as customers will be given as per instructions from HQ. We will have February to pay as we've still got access via their server to the internet and then a free month for March to get finalised with our new contract.

We replied that we would be paying for half a service as we cannot use the phones, he shrugged and said that telecom italia had cut the lines between them and the only calls are through OK system over VIOP like the internet, so any calls from outside the system won't work either way. He understood our feelings but it was out of his hands. While we had him in front of us we asked about a) our number, b) modem and c) who was the next best option, in reply he suggested another company with a similar offer, although a bit more than our currant contract and good service record We got lost on the new ring road out of Perugia and almost ended up heading toward the airport but found a route towards the lake that took us back in a circle but at least we recognized the shops (so shopping is good for something other than spending money), visited some of the larger shops (nothing of note) and got supper at the Torta al testa place before getting home at 8pm. The cats were pleased to see us and the fire was still in.

It took a couple of goes to get the on-line contract sorted out with the new company and they'll take 30-60 days to get us “live”, hence the time lag with our current suppliers billing, and we'll have a new telephone number issued and no doubt we'll not remember that one either. That will be 3 land line numbers and 2 cell phone ones in 6 years, no wonder we're confused.

We had a minor problem with a computer that needed a new plug in card but as our system is over 5 years old finding the cards is a bit of a problem. On the off chance we called into a computer repair shop we'd seen but never been in before in town ans asked if they had one. Here said the chap, try these two I've not had a chance to test them out yet so if any work pop back and pay me. Incredible!

The election fever and the popes sudden resignation announcement dominated the tv and headlines but for us there was a more pressing matter that grabbed our attention, we had a water leak and the water was running down our road at a rate of about 50 liters an hour or more. As the pipe problem was before the meter we contacted the water board, after 2 days an engineer popped in and said, “sorry its on private land, its your problem. It used to be ours until recently but things change.” We said we'd get hold of our builder in Sarteano. “I live there” said Rito “He'll have to speak to me to get us to shut off the mains. “ We said Massimiliano “no problem” and with that he rang Max and they agreed to meet up at our place the following day.

Max plus mini digger and water-board man duly arrived. After 2 hours of digging, found gas, mains and drains then the water pipe and leak were located and it was bad news. The new alcathyne pipe had been connected to an old steel one, pre war, which had rotted and broken and needed replacing. Would our insurance cover this? Our water leek turned into a major event instead of the simple, "just put a new bit of alkathyne pipe in....." 2 days later (about 8 hours with a mini digger, swearing and side effects) later Max filled in the hole and trench but with so much water in the ground he advised we not try to walk on it until its dried out in about 10 days or so. He said we ought to try to get insurance to cover a second failure as the old metal pipe is pre-war and if it (when) happens again lay a new plastic pipe to the gate, build a little box and apply to the eater company to move the meter as they don't cover anything inside a gated area. Unfortunately its not covered on the house insurance, only internal pipe failures, so as we've to renew in May we've asked if it can be. They tend not to cover garden stuff here, earthquakes probably.  Then at the weekend we discovered part of the fence towards the grotto had collapsed, so off we went to fix it thinking the deer had knocked it and by gum what a shock the land had subsided, about 100m had dropped about 2 foot taking the fence with it. The water must have been running for a lot longer than when we'd discovered it as the ground was extremely soft and very unstable. Fence repaired and hopefully it will dry out and stay put but its an area we don't utilse and try to ignore as far as work goes as it drops to the old overgrown road that disappeared about the same time the water pipe went in.

The last week was just as eventful with a telecom engineer arriving suddenly one morning to announced he intended fitting a new line for our new provider. Then he said he couldn't until our old contract was closed. We called Annie on the cell phone and she explained our old provider was in dispute with telecom and the lines had been cut, so he went off to the exchange and returned with our new number and said the modem would arrive 1st of March. So here we were 30 days later with a phone and no Internet instead of the other way around. So new year and the phones, electric and water have been the 3 things so fingers crossed thats the lot.

Snow and rain also arrived, in mourning for the pope who was retiring they said or perhaps because the voting didn't solve anything and no-one was elected.

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