My poor car, on the news

My car was burned to a crisp last week....

that's what's left of it. Pretty disheartening, only had it since this summer, and I loved it.

Was going to work, drove up, and into the garage, luckily there was nobody else parked there... as I left the parking, I looked back, and saw a small light at the front of the car, on the wall... I thought it strange that I would have just left my parking lights on, as I'm a bit if a nutter about turning things off, and securing my car, so, i went back, and "turned off the lights"... looking at ther wall, it was still on, went to the front of the car, and saw a "glow" through the grill, can still see it now, in my head, a light yellow glow.

Ran up to hotel, took a fire extinguisher, and as I ran back down the ramp, I was thinking, "yeah, it'll be a bitch getting the car out of the garage to get it repaired." little did I know, a couple of hours later, it would be a wreck.

Tried to open the bonnet, but it was stuck, completely shut, so I still went with the extinguisher, put a good coating of foam anywhere I could, to try smother it, but, extinguisher ran out, and it was clear without getting the bonnet open, there was no way the fire would die. So, I called the pompiers.

By the time they got there, there was thick black smoke coming out the entrance of the carpark, I explained where it was, and what it was, and went about trying to work as normal, after all, the guests were starting to come down for breakfast, and checking out. In the following few minutes, firetruck after firetruck came, and the inspector, and all sorts of "technical" looking folk.

A fireman came up and told me that we had to stop the guests from going outside, because of the toxic smoke, and also to move everone in the hotel to the far end of the building, and prepare for possible explosions. Possible explosions???? Turns out there was a storage of fueltanks, garden equipment and other nice stuff in a garage not far from my burning car, which they were expecting to go up at any minute.

He then said the fire itself was out, but the heat and smoke needed to be dealt with. Apparently in the other hotel, the smoke went up the liftshaft, and into the cellar, and started to go in the kitchen. The power was cut in both hotels, so we did breakfast, lunch prep, and some check-outs with no ovens, no lights, no computer, no beer pump, nothing. frontal lamps on our heads.candles everywhere.

When they finally pulled out the wreck, all the staff of both hotels were standing along the resto window, taking pictures, saying "aiiii, la VACHE", and trying to "be there" for me. I was gutted, but, went along with the triviality of it all.

We're back to having one car."at least you've got another one" they all say.

Funny thing is, while the firemen were putting it out, and all that, France 3 came to the scene, and filmed a little, they put the real story on their site, and ran a small clip on the Rhone-alps channels.

Then, other newsfolk, without having been at the scene, all changed the times, the number of firemen on the scene, and details of the fire itself. Funny old world, isn't it.

Gladly, the insurance company have been helpful, because I think if this happened in Ireland, I might have had to go to court to prove I did not start the fire myself.

Still waiting for someone to tell me what caused it, but my guess is, either the water pump was fritzed, or an electrical fire. I can't help thinking that if I had 5 minutes more of drive to work, i would have been in a bigger mess.

So, if I've been away, that's why. I work, and on my time off in the afternoons, I talk to insurance company, and try to get paperwork sorted out. No fun and games. I'd rather be on the slopes.

lol, I see crying into pints as graceful, I'm more talking about the bitching, name calling, and complaining about every factor other than their own gameplay, in times of loss. We had a lot of that from the munster boys back in the day.

Wicklow mountains, ahhh, I've only ben up around there once. was fab. We try to visit new places every year when we get home.

As for the cold here, I read earlier that the pull on electricity is worse this week than the cold snap in december.

lol, I kept getting error messages, and so, kept re-trying. Sorry. Eventually I gave up, had a beer, and went to bed, only to wake up to the horror of seeing it all posted.

The snow is good this season, yes, this time last year, it was almost over. It is cold though, I will say that, -20 or thereabouts at night. Tomorrow night we're supposed to do night ski under the full moon, only I'm not sure I'll go.

I only remember rugby when I log on to facebook. The odd neighbour will remind me when we have an international coming up, but none of them would know I was from Munster. At the same time, when I lived in Ireland, I saw them sort of as sore losers. Perhaps it's because I knew half the team.

Dunno what happenned yesterday with my posting, but,jesus, blow up SFN much?? haha. I hope you didn't get notification mails for every one of those messages!.

Kilaloe and Birdhill are a lot quieter now, it's true, but that is a nice thing, i suppose. I think the antique shop might be gone, they used to sell a lot of crystal and knitwear.... My grandparents used to have their house slap bang on the road that goes round the back of the coopers, but the council bought them out about 50 years ago to build that road.

The lakeside hotel in Kilaloe is good for a meal if your people are passing by and wanted a change from the threshers.

Nice story, Barbara... So, you've got yer own resto now?? How wonderful. Must look it up, I don't get to move around a lot during the seasons, but might one day be in the area, and feel peckish... Whereabouts are you?

Celeste, the castle oaks house hotel, I used to work there, years ago, I did all my training there in the early days, lol> The coopers is across from the threshers, yes, very nice places... this is a trip down memory lane,lol. My grandad's folk came from around Listowel, i think. It's all changed now, birdhill is no longer on the map because of the new motorway. My grandparents have a nursery after birdhill,selling trees and shrubs, and they say nobody passes anymore, with the new road...

Well Jonathon Hayes comes from Cratloe...on to London and became a pretty

good chef.Met another chef called Barbara Deane and ventured into the

restaurant world developing his culinary skills and interest.

Then Clos des Saveurs here in France.

But he is very happy with a guitar in his hand.

My mother's people are from round newcastle west, and my grandfather came from Kerry,originally.I grew up in Castleconnell, well, between there, and a small place near kilaloe called Birdhill, in Tipp. Love Kerry too, so wild, and the people are the best craic.

I've been here in 74 for a year now, but was in Paris for a bit, and Poitiers for a bit before that. I left Ireland in 2006, and when I tried to move home, the negativity and depression got to me, so I left again. What brings you here?? And are you here to stay?

Must head up to work... the snow adds ten minutes to the trip...

Barbara, i used to love the assault course out in Cratloe woods. Was great on a sunday morning!!Used to always come home covered in muck though!

OH MY OTHER HALF is from county clare


just mentioned it.

I'm from Co Limerick originally, Celeste. Skerries is a nice place, only,sailing was never my thing. Sea fishing, yes, big-time. I miss the sea so much, to be honest, because, like you, I've settled in the mountains. I suppose the lake makes up for it in summer, but you know... the sound of waves crashing.

Hi Celeste, I'm sort of over the car now, I mean, work is so busy,I literally don't have the time to either look for a new one, or go round filling out forms for insurance (plenty of people are telling me their cars are dirty, and expecting me to wash them.)

I'm in La Clusaz, Haute Savoie. (74), I'm restaurant manager in a hotel here. we get people from all over.

Do you ski???

I fear for anyone with children,'your poor cousin... it's true that a parent or guardian cannot turn their back 30 seconds, and something, anything can happen. I think on the day, if I had children in the car, I might just have panicked.

John, The firemen I spoke to agreed that it was a hinderance not getting the bonnet open. The only other two times I fought car fires, opening the bonnet was the key to getting the fire out. As I said, smothering is with foam was impossible from below,and under the wheel arches, but... I tried my best.

I agree, everyone should know. I had to do fire training in college. When word got out that i used a fire extinguisher, all the work crowd called it stupid, reckless, suicide, and others... These are people, mind you, that would walk past a fallen person, or road collision,without calling anyone, or making sure anyone's ok. Liberté, egalité,get out of my way, as one writer i read once put it.

The chefs in the kitchen also commented that they were never given fire training, and wouldn't know their way around a fire extinguisher.

Hey Zoe it was nothing about girls, nothing further from my mind.

The black smoke is potentially very flammable and when you open the bonnet it allows oxygen in to further fuel the fire and therefore potentially a very large flash of fire will ensue, thats why I'm glad you didnt open the bonnet, or anyone else for that matter not wearing protective kit.

As for girls driving the fire extinguishers we had some very good girls in the fire service often much more professional than us blokes and personally I think everyone should know how to use extinguishers.

Cheers all, funnily enough, my stress levels are DOWN, crisis seems to bring out my inner calm>

John, as for the bonnet open, I've put out car fires before, I know that without getting the foam all over the damn engine block, there is not much hope of quenching it. Let's not come over all French,and decide that "girls" should not know how to use fire extinguishers, I've had enough of that from the guys that work in the kitchen. Meanwhile,the boss says if the hotel ever goes on fire, he hopes I'm working at the time. lol.

It's just a car... and some CDs,and a really nice jacket, but, when i think about the number of times I left my backpack,phone,hotel keys in the car, I count myself lucky i had all the paperwork needed for the police and insurance

Oh, Zoe. What an awful experience! Glad to hear you're ok, other than perhaps stress levels a bit too high? And agree with you re if this had happened in Ireland - you would probably have been held responsible, as you should have known the car was defective, or some such crap! :-)

I am so glad you couldn't get the bonnet open, that is one thing you shouldn't do, its a pain but it is only a car. Good luck in finding the next one glad yous ok.

Thank you, Catharine, I'd have been better without the drama of it all, France 3 chasing me round my workplace asking for a few words, the Dauphiné asking for my picture....while I was trying to make refreshments for the 40 odd firemen that had attended the scene.

Today was my first day off since, and, well, it gets worse, the tow-away company left the car in an open lot, in the "voie public".. basically, they had no room in their yard, so they left my wreck in a parking of an industrial estate. The snow from the roof of a nearby building has now fell on the car, crushing the roof in, and covering most of the front end of the car. lol. The assesor comes tomorrow to review, and value the car. also, as long as the car is in the public domain, any person sustaining injury from arsing round too close to it will be MY responsibility. The tow truck guy says he cannot move it till the assessor comes. In other news, the damage to the garages (electrical and smoke damage) has been cleaned up BEFORE the assesor gets to see it. I can tell 2012 is going to be full of fun and games.

Ok Zoe - you win the SFN drama of the week award! Seriously am so sorry for you but like you say, could have been a whole lot worse. Hope you get the paperwork sorted asap - bonne chance! xx

Lol @ James. i will be getting another runaround soon, just have to get over the mountain of paperwork that goes with getting rid of the old one, before I can tackle hours of looking and looking for the new one.