Cerise

Yes, that is a bit how I feel idun. 3 people have been killed, just down the road, and no one is making anything of it. How could you take such a crime anything but seriously?

It's seriously unpleasant but what I find a little odd is that it seems fairly unremarked. Even though it is our Prefecture town it is not the talk of the village.

Failed - 42%.  Will have to sneak in the back door.  What daft questions - most people would neither know nor care about such things..

I'd go for Dalis in Villefranche too.  If you want to be nearer Cordes the Hacienda which is on the main Albi- Cordes road about 3km before Cordes on the right is slso nice for lunch.  Cordes itself is very ^pretty but a bit touristy and the restaurants are much of a muchness.

http://www.montleviaur.fr/   Very pleasant and definitely open Saturday lunchtime http://www.lebellerive.fr/restaurant.html   Nice restaurant with terraceby the river and underneath the castle   If you want some more just shout!      

I'll check a couple in the morning to see if they are open and post then.  It's a bit late now!

Is your wife the sort of lady to whom friendships are important.  If so, I wouldn't recommend rural France.  There is difference between 'friendly' and 'friends'.   The local people here are perfectly friendly but realistically I have nothing in common with most of them.  Friendships seem to take years to develop and socialising is mostly in couples in the forms of aperos etc.  Talking about the weather and local gossip can lose its charm after a while. I have noticed that very, very few English people have any real French friends.  Let's be honest an evening where you can hardly speak to other people may be entertaining at first but soon becomes hard work.  In rural areas ladies are generally expected to be housewives, mothers and grandmothers first and their own social life comes a long way down the scale of importance.  Family life is sacred.  Most retired ex-pats do seem to move only in a circle of ex-pats. If you have a hobby which you love and you move somewhere where there is an association for that hobby it may be easier.  Thoses who settle best are those who like each others company best and don't seek too much outside life to keep them cheery.   PS just noticed that this post is quite old and you are now thinking of renting.  Very sensible.    

What proof do you have of that Cathy?  Did you meet Albert Einstein - where is it written that he was not a penguin?  Or his cousin for that matter?

Lottie - can you please let me know who would like books in Villefranche.  I've a lot to get rid of but have to confess that they are mostly things I'd never read myself (Danielle Steele and like)  so hesitate to offer them to others, but someone may be interested - perhaps French folk who are looking for something simple in English.   A lot have been given to me for the chambre d'hotes, I hate to throw books away so would like to find them a good home.

Cheers my dear.  Just realised where the venue is so will pop along and find out when I'm in Albi next week.

Where, whenwhat time - where can you get tickets Katie?  Albi is a place near us - and there aren't many places near us[:D]

Annual tariff for P5 is 450€ pretty reasonable I thought and navette is every 10 minutes from 4.30 am.   I know this as friends had abonnement in P2 which is being improved so have been advised to take out new abonnement for P5.

I'd go for bringing a cooker.  The only thing that I really regret not bringing from England is my lovely double oven.  My very expensive French thing is **** useless as the grill is in the oven so not only is there only one oven, but you can't use the grill at the same time as the oven.  If you do bring a decent electric oven you may have to get the power rating for the house bumped up as otherwise every time you have a roast dinner all the lights go out![:)]  The problem could be if it goes wrong I supose.

Having large dogs as pets and actually taking them for walks on leads.  All my neighbours keep telling me it is OK I can just let them run down the road. Not minding if people pop round without phoning and not doing a spring clean before every visitor.  Not polishing my windows all the time (actually I don't think they think that is quirky, I think it is probably a mortal sin)

Drinking the wrong things at the wrong times.  Bartender in our local café nearly has a fit when les anglais order café crème at 11.45 (everyone knows you have aperos then).  Local restaurant owner - very drole - brought me a stale croissant when I ordered a large coffee with milk after dinner, and announced to all and sundry that as a nation we had no idea what time it was!  Friends get frightfully anxious if I have a glass of wine after dinner - just not done.  Whilst in UK with French girl friend some people came round to the house we were staying in just before lunch and were given tea and biscuits - she then went in to panic mode as she was sure that the hostess was not going to give us any lunch if she was handing out tea and biscuits just before the approved time.  She now tells everyone that we are so 'brave' because we eat or drink what we like when we like without worrying about rules - very wierd.

Cheers Suze - something to go with the leftover turkey curry!

Lte's have the recipe then Suze - Mr Cerise loves sprouts.  Wish he wouldn't insist on calling them 'budgie [+o(]heads'

It wasn't last Tuesday - but there are still roadworks so guess they could start it up again.  Leave enough time to be safe.

OK - friend Peter went there in a group - he says all courses are superb and the 5 he would recommend are Biarritz in the town (but difficult to book at short notice) Ceignosse - his favourite 40 minutes north, Moliets 50 min north links course, 2nd favourite, Makita 20 minutes south superb but hilly, and Chiberta near the town.  He says all courses are suitable for players with that level of play.   Went on to say that the tour his group did in Biarritz was one of the best they have done - and they go all over the continent playing.  He says all the courses have websites to help you book. He has not played Pau but says it is probably worth the detour as the town is so nice so a jolly stop anyway. Hope that is a bit of help.   Maggi  

Have golf mad friend in village who has been to that area several times.  Will ask his opinion and get back to you in next day or so.

I find they usually ask for my husband - on finding he isn't available (he never answers the phone[:)]) they then ask if I am his wife.  At that point I cry "The swine, is he married?  He promised he wasn't"   They usually go away at that point  .... can't think why[6]

You must advice French insurers IN WRITING BY RECORDED DELIVERY that you wish to terminate a policy.  Make sure you give sufficient notice - exactly how much depends on the company.  If you don't do this you are liable for the following year's payment.  In my experience they never let you know next year's premium in time to cancel, so you need to ask.   Maggi

Naps - get down here.  Yesterday gave away 15 kilos of cherries and this afternoon will be stoning another 15.  Guests have started pleading not to have cherries with their meals and there are still another 2 trees to ripen.  Wouldn't mind if they came slightly more spread out.  May change my name Not-Cerise.[:D]

Try the tourist office in Toulouse itself, or one of the other towns - not sure where you are?   Maybe Castres, Lavaur?

What are the Government doing about it?  Will there be grèves?  Will there be trains next week if I want to go to Toulouse?   Should we be wearing any protective clothing?  What about chickens not yet affected by bird flu if they touch the stuff - even worse what about ducks?   Mr Smith you have a responsibility to say somthing other than eeeek or gorrocks, utter or otherwise. Yours, seriously perturbed - having drunk tea before reading this post.