Breakdown!

Today has been a day I'd rather forget.  It started off well enough with packing up the remainder of our things before taking the tent down and packing it up. We checked out at reception and then, with the use of a paper map, plotted a nice route around the island towards the ferry port at Bastia.  Our route would take us southwards towards Bonifacio and then up the west coast before crossing over to Bastia at the 'neck' of the island, just after Saint-Florent, or continuing up to the north tip of the island and down to Bastia.  We had quite a few hours to kill before our ferry departure at 10pm.

Disaster struck..

As we drove southwards towards Bonifacio and then started our journey up the west coast the car started to have a few problems changing gears.  It got worse, more so whilst starting to climb up hills.  Something was not right.  Paul decided it would be best to turn around and head back towards Porto Vecchio to look for a garage.  During the journey back Paul had to pull over and stop the car because it wouldn't change gears.  He got out and had a look under the bonnet.  It wasn't good at all.  Everything was covered in oil, inside and outside on the grill.  Something was very wrong.  Paul got the car started and she managed to grab a gear, so we crossed our fingers and carried on down the road at a slow pace with our hazards on, just hoping we didn't have to go up too steep a hill or have to slow down.  Occasionally the car wouldn't get into a gear and we would glide along until it could get a gear.  We finally got to Porto Vecchio with the car gears becoming less responsive.  On the ring road we caught sight of a VW garage when the gears stopped working.  Fortunately we were going downhill a bit so had only just enough speed to glide into its carpark.

Paul, with his limited French, managed to explain to a very patient receptionist that we had a problem and that we needed it looked at and fixing today, if possible, because we have a ferry to catch at 10pm.  The garage was fully booked with appointments however they would try their best to fit her in today for a look, but no promises were made.  Otherwise they will take a look at her tomorrow.  We understood.  We packed a small rucksack with clothes for an overnight stay and took a walk into Porto Vecchio and its harbour to wait out the rest of the day before making any decisions.

I had a sense of humour failure, being hot and bothered/angry/frustrated/disappointed and footsore.  Paul took the brunt of my anger, poor chap.  After having a smoothie and pancake I decided to get my hair cut short - we had the afternoon on our hands with nothing to do so we might as well do something.  We walked up the hill to the old town and found a hairdresser there but it was extremely pricey.  So we headed back towards the VW garage where there is a shopping centre nearby.  In the end we found a hairdresser whose prices were reasonable and she could fit me in.  After a few minutes wait my hair went under the scissors and I felt better for it.  By now we were thirsty and went into a supermarket to get something to drink.

The afternoon was well along and we still hadn't heard from the garage - it was now after 5pm.  Paul wanted to go back to the garage to find out what was happening.  I almost went into meltdown - it meant another walk and I was very very tired and footsore.  I had also assumed that if we hadn't heard from the garage - that they had not been able to look at the car and that we would have to find a place stay overnight and that is why we took a change of clothes with us.  So why had we taken our clothes with us and spent the day carrying a heavy rucksack?!  I threatened to stay put and wait for him but in the end I ended up going with him to the garage.

The garage HAD been able to look at the car and showed us the damage.  It was not good.  There was a hole in the gearbox oil cooling radiator and all the oil had leaked out - so no gears.  A previous garage who had put the radiator in had put in a screw where it shouldn't have been and it punctured the radiator.  The previous garage also did not secure the radiator properly so the radiator moved around causing the hole in the soft aluminium of the radiator to get bigger and so we lost the gear oil.  We knew who had put in the radiator a few weeks ago - Kwikfit in the Netherlands.  Paul has got video footage of the rocky radiator and a few pics of the screw piercing it.

Unfortunately VW didn't have the Taureg's part in stock so it has to be ordered in from the mainland.  The earliest they can get it in is, hopefully, next Wednesday morning.  Depending on when it arrives, we will either get the car back next Wednesday afternoon or next Thursday afternoon.  We were not happy.  Paul had taken an extra 2 weeks leave so that we could attend friends' wedding vow renewals in Italy (this Tuesday!) and we would now have to miss it, all because of someone's mistake at Kwikfit.  And it is a very costly mistake - over €2000 for parts and labour.

What to do?!  Porto Vecchia is expensive for accommodation so Paul rang the campsite from where we had checked out this morning to see if the had any bungalows available.  Yes, a basic one. Getting a taxi was like 'pulling hens' teeth.  Paul made a few calls but with no success.  Eventually took our suitcases and walked to Porto Vecchio's harbour in the hope of finding something there.  There was an information office at the harbour and they helped us with some numbers for a taxi and eventually we got through to a chap who was able to take us to La Chiappa.

We arrived at La Chiappa (http://www.chiappa.com/en/) just 3 minutes before reception closed (8pm).  The receptionist was just about to go home, gave us the key to our chalet and simply asked us to come back in the morning to pay our bill.  Campsite policy is to pay the bill upfront so it was nice that there was an element of trust.  Well she knew we wouldn't get very far without a car and she had our previous stay's details, address, etc.  We had to walk to our chalet with our luggage because staff had gone home, except for security, so we couldn't get a lift in an electric buggy.  In the dark it seemed an awfully long way but we found our chalet in the end.  It was dinner time and we were hungry, and with the campsite shop closed, we had no option but to go the the campsite's restaurant.  Before we left for dinner though, Paul tried to cancel the ferry/change ferry booking but it was too late.  Paul couldn't get our money back and we will have to make a fresh booking closer to the time when we know when the car will be ready.

Dinner was a simple affair.  We went got a pizza and split it.  It was so big that I'm glad we only got one!

After all of today's saga - I'm emotionally drained.  Time for bed.

Feeling lighter & a wee bit better.

Our car in bits