Im thinking of giving up the gites.

[baypond]

Anonimity seems to bring the worst out in some people. But it does keep out the tempo of the chats!

[Steve]

[quote user="dave21478"]Why would I make this up?

seriously - think long and hard about this steve.....what possible motivation would I have to make up a years worth of comments about imaginary gites?

You misinterpreted something I wrote several months ago and have never managed to get past this fixation of me not owning these gites. I have never once claimed I was the owner and am perfectly happy to tell people that I run them for someone else, but you just cant accept this for whatever reason.

Bear in mind steve - I dont particuarly care what you think. Some random on the internet doesnt like what I write! well boohohohohoo. Im hardly going to be crying myself to sleep for the next few nights.

You say you arent jealous - maybe so, but your last paragraph there, to my mind, makes you sound like a sad, bitter sarcastic old fart who doesnt like it when someone else does something popular.

Get over it steve. Read my posts, or dont, Im not bothered either way, but quit your whining.

[/quote]

Not too long and hard I'm afraid dave....... no idea but sadder things have happened.

No fixation at all, you did several months ago state you were the caretaker for the Gites you write about. There was no misinterpretation prior to that.

You clearly do care what is thought of you  otherwise why get so touchy and irritated. When you write your book you will need to prepare yourself for the poor reviews as well as the applause.

The last paragraph was a parody of your posts paragraph, you know Sarcasm & irony, the stuff you write about all the time. What do they say, if you can't take it don't etc etc etc.

Incidentally, we actually have had a record year but the rest, I admit, was made up,.... apart from the great guy thing!

Sad, no your getting me mixed up with someone else,

bitter, no,

 sarcastic, em YOU are accusing me of being sarcastic!!! OK yes, when pushed I admit it I can be sarcastic but I think I cover it up quite well.

Old fart, well no, not really.

There you go mentioning your popularity again. You really do feel important don't you. Ranked 128 on number of posts.I'm helping you break into the top 100. How many of your 520 posts are about you ?

Steve

 

[dave21478]

Touchy and irritated are about as far off the mark as you can get steve - I honestly dont give a damn, but am merely curious about your reasons or your thoughts on my reasons.

And yes, Believe it or not I did spot you making a pardoy of my paragraph, but thanks for pointing that out anyway.[:P]

[Cat]

I can't help feeling that someone must be having a bad weekend.

As has been pointed out several times, there really is no compulsion to read a thread that displeases you, unless you're a real sucker for punishment and it actually pleases you to be displeased. 

Dave's posts break no forum rules, and many members evidently enjoy his writing style and content.  Perhaps you feel that you could do better Steve, why not start your own thread?

[AnOther]

I think maybe somebody would be happier in another forum [Www]

http://www.grumpyoldgitsinfrance.com

You keep writing Dave and we'll keep reading, I for one enjoy your posts and personally don't give a monkeys if they're sprinkled with a bit of creative licence or not. [;-)]

[Ladoix]

Just another vote for keep on writing Dave.  I've worked in tourism for nearly 15 years and can relate to so much of what you write.[:D]

[just john]

Another vote here[8-|] - but trying to be reasonable and see both sides, perhaps Steve should seek a check up from his médecin to have his humeur bypass reversed, maybe take more water in that vin rouge[blink].

[Clair]

[quote user="just john "]... maybe take more water in that vin rouge[blink].[/quote]

I was going to suggest the opposite

[dave21478]

Its a midweek changeover this week for the large gite....Guests are supposed to be here by now, but have been phoning every few minutes asking directions at each junction they have come across. This isnt unusual for folk who get lost in around the village and need guided the last few km`s but these guys are still well over an hours driving away. It would seem that they decided to travel a significant portion of France without bothering with such clutter as a GPS or even a map.

On the up-side, the guests in the small gite are leaving a day early, and the new folk arent arriving till monday, so my weekend is completely free! This occurance is made even rarer seeing as this weekend also hosts an autojumble at Colomiers. I will actually get to do something on a saturday!

[glacier1]

LOOOL, we have guests phoning us non-stop to find directions to our house even-though we are located 800m from the National 7, spending 160 euro on some idiot proof signs for the road, with writing and a picture of a bed.....nobody can miss my place after.  I just feel bad for litering the countryside with signs, I try my best to avoid eyesores.....

[dave21478]

I have successfully managed to cancel or re-schedule all of Novembers bookings. I need time to do the repairs to the floor in my appartment, and I quite urgently need a holiday.

[Cendrillon]

Dave, enjoy the break and do keep posting once the clients return.

[dave21478]

I havent had the will to write anything here for a long time. Its been a rather rough time for my personal life, and things have not been going well.

Anyway, that holiday I talked about last time.... Im still waiting for it. Repairs to the appartment have proved to be significantly larger than anticipated and they have been taking up most of my time. Im still a long way off completing it too.

We accepted a long term booking for november and december too, which I didnt want, but was over-ruled. So despite my protests since early Nov, the large gite has been home to between 4 and 7 lumberjacks who are working on "deplacement" nearby, stripping a large tract of woodland. So the parking area is home to several muddy vans and 4x4`s, the terrace is covered in mud and sawdust shaken from their boots before going inside and things are generally in a right state. They are away all day though, so I have been able to continue with my drilling and hammering without disturbing them.

I had feared the worst and expect loud partying in the evenings, but they have turned out to be very well mannered and amongst the quietest guests to ever stay here,so its not all bad I suppose. They are due to leave around the 20th, which leaves me a few days to get the place prepped for the xmas and new years bookings. Due to circumstances, I temporarily handed over all bookings to the site owner a while back and he has made a right chuff of it all - the bookings for both gites are all over the place with several stays in the run up and during the xmas and new years periods, with odd arrival days, the occasional empty day here and there and various short-length bookings. Its easy enough for him to add dates to his calender, but its muggins here that has to get the place ready for the arrivals amongst everything else that needs done.

So, with the xmas and New Year period finished and hopefully the majority of the repair work done, I might even get my holiday - In January. If you are going to go to the north east of Scotland, January is not the time to do it but thats a pretty minor irritant by current standards.

[Cendrillon]

Thanks for the update.

Sorry to hear that the vacation did not go as planned and hope things will be better for you in January.

Meanwhile bon courage and I hope the guests over the holiday period do not cause too many headaches.

[suein56]

[quote user="dave21478"]I havent had the will to write anything here for a long time. [/quote]

It's great to hear from you again. I, for one, have missed your in-depth appraisals on the minutiae of gite rental. You always seem to have an interesting/acerbic view of life which makes fascinating reading.

In the hope that things-in-general take a turn for the better very soon.

[Chris Jewell]

Hi Dave

I'm amazed your still here, an interesting read of a long lived thread.

With only two years in the business I can't yet match your enthusiasm, 95% of our guests have been great and there'll always be the exception.

[dave21478]

I apologise in advance for the language I am about to use.

so, the ABC family have been staying in the small gite and left this morning. Its not filthy but will need the usual cleaning routine. I didnt do this upon their departure as the XYZ family are not due to arrive untill late on the 26th. The plan was to relax today and tomorrow and clean the gite slowly and hung over on the morning of the 26th.

With nothing else to do, Xmas eve was spent doing the traditional blokes past time - fighting round a city centre doing all required xmas shopping. The plan this evening was to wrap the gifts and then spend the evening with friends - a not unreasonable expectation, I think you would agree?

But no.

Upon my return from Retail Hell, I have just found a message in the gite email inbox along the lines of....

Hello, its Mr XYZ here, we were booked to arrive on the 26th, but after seeing reports of the bad weather in your area (12 degrees and sunny today ) we have changed our plans. We will now be arriving mid morning on the 25th. We are visiting friends this evening (thats a nice idea eh?) so will not be able to check for a reply to this message before our arrival tomorrow. We hope this is ok, and that you read this message in time to prepare the gite for our earlier arrival.

Regards, Mr selfish, ignorant, arrogant fuckstick XYZ.

Well, thats not how he signed the email, but thats certainly how I read it in my mind.

He hopes its ok? well, no. Actually, its not ok. its pretty fucking far from ok. screwing up my plans for xmas eve and xmas day are about as fucking far from fucking ok as this arsehole is likely to get.

While he conveniently mentioned he would be out of email contact, he failed to mention that he would also be refusing to answer the mobile phone number he put on the contract. I think that once finished saying what I planned to say, he wouldnt be coming at all, but that option is off the cards for now.

So here I am. While I should be putting on my lucky shirt, heading out to friends houses, going to the pub, getting drunk and hopefully finding a buxom wench to tuck me in tonight, I am instead suiting up to clean mr ABC`s piss off the toilet seat, and the rest of the gite chores, including stocking up the firewoood. In the dark.

Ordinarily, I would be of the opinion that he could get fucked when he turned up tomorrow, and could wait till the afternoon of the 26th as agreed, but tomorrows plans include having 11 people round to my house for the day and the last thing I want is to be remonstrating with this twat infront of my friends and family.

What an abolute and utter.........

well, you can imagine the final word to that sentence for yourselves.

Merry xmas.

[steve]

Well, sod him. Dont do anything other than your plan A. He doesnt answer his mobile then its not your fault. If he turns up tomorrow, then tell him to come back on 26th - if he doesnt like it then find somewhere else (impossible I would have thought?). Bloody grockles!

Steve

[krusty]

Love you tales Dave , you should write a book .

Happy christmas ....when you can get to it. [B]

[Quillan]

Yes but you are happy to take his money.

It's quite simple you make a choice you either open or close for Christmas. We decided long ago to close because its our time. This year we have had loads of enquiries for reservations but hey we need a break and some time to ourselves. Your in the service industry, thats how it is, work with it or simply close for Christmas, simple really.

[steve]

IF you needed the money desperatly, then lick his boots, if not tell him to get lost and turn up at the agreed, signed for, payed deposit for time! Is he going to find somewhere else tomorrow? I doubt it - if you do agree to let him in its got to be + 100€ per person.

Steve

[Catalpa]

How did the incoming family know that the gite would not be occupied by ABC family until Saturday morning - is that the normal changeover day? Or have they paid for a period that includes Christmas day even though they weren't planning to arrive till the 26th?

If Christmas Day falls into the period for which they've booked / paid, in the absence of any statement in the contract that specifically excludes their arrival on the 25th, I don't think you've much option but to smile sweetly - but briskly! - and let them in. If their booking commences on the 26th and not on the 25th then you can choose to make life difficult for them... but you'll be dropping down to their behaviour levels then as you can accommodate them. Yes, they're ignorant muppets but they're not the first and won't be the last.

Happy Christmas!

[baypond]

Just my luck he will be a banker as well.....

Does he know you have read his mail? If not just leave him hanging for 24 hours until his agreed check in time.

[Saucedecochon]

Just like to say we thought, then thought again, and gave up in favour of long term rental.

That way we only have to "muck out" once in a while.

Brilliant!

Best one for us was some Parisiens, who rented our "Gite Rurale" with an advertised emphasis on nature and wildlife, who took off after one night when they found a small bat, all of 1" long on a curtain.

Finished it for us.

[Quillan]

More and more people I know or know of round here, especially the English owned Gites, are going down this route. Those that only advertise in the UK market place found it quite hard last year and decided that to have a lower but constant income was better than sitting by the phone hoping somebody would make a booking. Likewise with the B&B's who advertise exclusively to the UK market found it tough and we now have 4 up for sale all within about 5km radius of us. This of course is good news for us in some ways but we advertise all over the world, we don't care what nationality they are, its bums in beds that counts. At the moment, well till this morning when one couple left, we are full and will be tomorrow for the next week but then its school holidays in France and all our guests are French.

We have been looking at expanding our business to include Gites but have now come to the conclusion we would be better of buying as an investment and renting out long term. There is definitely a market, I have noticed that the adverts in the bakers and tobac for houses and apartments to rent don't stay up for very long.