Cerise

Use French address for everything without problems.  Lloyds sent cards here too.  Had slight issue with Barclaycard as they insisted we didn't have a 'real' address.  Like many areas of rural France there are no house numbers etc.  Gave house a name and that satisfied them. Ocassionally when I order things on-line to be delivered to UK (presents for family and the like) the computer gets itself worked up about French billing address.

Yes Katie they normally do - and unfortunately that is why we can't accept them.  I've got two big dogs of my own, love dogs to pieces but don't ever want them on the beds.  And, sadly, a lot of owners let their dogs on the beds and other furniture and male dogs particularly are likely to do a little 'marking' if there have been previous canine occupants.  I do understand why people want to take their dogs on holiday, but many people are pretty careless about property which isn't theirs (ask any B & B owner!) and the careless ones spoil it for the others.  When I started out I thought of providing a couple of kennels for visiting dogs but this idea didn't seem popular so just reverted to no dogs.  Every single owner says 'My dog won't do that' but sadly much evidence is to the contrary. Nevertheless, hope you find a nice place with your doggie Frenchie!  

Fellow B & B ers.  I have thespians in my attic - is this acceptable as an ALD in France?[8-)]

Nothing like a good moan is there? Sweet 17 - for many years I ran boarding kennels in UK.  It was very, very similar to running B & B except that guests were more polite and were always on time for meals[:D]

Mascarpone flavoured with alcohol - Baileys particularly good with chocolate meringues.

You coming over this way?

What did you expect a Zone Artisanale to be?  Artisans are tradesmen and to me that implies businesses of the noisy, messy sort with lorries, sawing machines etc and vehicles coming and going.  Hardly a peaceful environment..  If you were told it was a zone artisanale then perhaps they thought you knew what that meant. I do sympathise if your dream has been shattered but if they told you what was going to be there then they can't be blamed if you didn't ask further questions.  As Claire  says, what resolution would you like?  Can you talk to the Mairie and see if some sort of landscaping/fencing would at least ease the problem?

Glad all is well Twinks - are you going to take her for a lovely holiday now?

Poor Nectarine.  Our estate agent in England told us a wonderful tale of selling a house belonging to a working couple who to facilitate viewing gave him the keys.  One particular day he had to show round a very fussy gentleman so he rang the doorbell to ensure no-one was in and walked in.  He was completing his tour and flung open the bathroom door, only to find the owner's very fat and very deaf granny naked in the bath.  The fussy gentleman took one look and ran screaming from the place!!  The granny just looked bemused.

I have had them just turn up with 'forgotten' babies and in one case a granny.  "Oooh look Granny sneaked into the car with the suitcases!!"  Mrs 10.00 am now coming at 14.00 mumbing 'Ce n'est pas normale'. Weddings - don't even go there!  Group of charming young men from Paris peed on bedroom floor last year and brought their copains back for showers.  Couldn't understand my ire - funnily enough French friends also just did Gallic shrug and 'C'est la vie!'  Well not in my house it isn't.  Anyone else do that and I'll rub their nose in it.

Sheets every 3 days (but might make them last if someone was staying 4 days).  Towels - I ask people to leave those they want changed on bathroom floor.  If they don't put out any I also change those which have obviously been used after 3 days. Personally I'd be happy with clean sheets once a week.  Don't change them more often than that at home!  I do tell people that if they want anything changed outside the regular periods they just need to ask.  

Anyone know which bit of afternoon 10.00 am is.  Person arriving 'late afternoon' Monday has just informed be that she is arriving 10.00 am.  Very put out that she will not be able to have room and shower at that time (well, I'll kick out the elderly couple in there at 7.00 am shall I?).  She had nerve to say that I ask guests to leave by 10.00 am so her room 'ought' to be ready!  Serve her right if I don't change the sheets or clean the loo before I put her in there and lock door and lose key!

Sensible post cooperlola.  A young man was knifed to death in Figeac (Aveyron) the other Saturday when he asked another lad for a light.  The local papers made little of it, didn't see announced nationally at all.  So it happens here too - and fairly often - but English acquaintances living here refuse to believe it.  The media makes sure they can't ignore it in UK It worries me a little that people are lulled into a sense of false security in respect of their children here.  The drugs culture locally is appalling.  Our adjoint for jeunesse on our local council has many meetings regarding the ever increasing problem and a local English 19 year old who has been brought up in both cultures tells me she thinks it is far worse here than in Cambridge.  However same English acquaintances persist in thinking their adolescents are so much 'safer' here.   I myself wouldn't think a youngster of mine was safe at some the rural raves that happen in houes full of booze and unlocked gun cabinets either. I'm not a panicky person and I don't think anywhere in UK or France is so very unsafe.  However, I do think parents should be vigilant in both countries and not assume either that all is well or that all is appalling.

Ali-cat - I know it is awful but young animals adapt easily.  I had a cat who had a leg amputated at 18 months old.  He lived to be 15 and was a skilled mouser and tree climber.  His disability bothered him very little. Good luck to you and Ellie.

Yes Toulouse region may be good (we're just a bit North of there ourselves) but do watch the broadband thing.  I have ADSL (broadband) but my friends 3km away don't.  If you tested the public computers in library you would find ADSL but over the river there is none for the forseeable future.  Best way is to ask at the mairie of any commune that interests you.  Also regarding 'posting things', I have found that post is more expensive and post offices open infrequently.  If this is important to your business make sure that it is open every day at least and that they will accept the kind of things you want to post.  Local firms seem to rely more on transporters(in varying degrees of good and bad!). The southern half of the Aveyron, the Lot, or the Tarn and Garonne might suit the climate you describe.

My suggestion.  Take every holiday you have from now on in France.  Try out different areas.  Hire cottage/flat in the town - try to find something that looks like the kind of house you can afford - and act as though you lived there.  Get food from local shops, make your meals, pop out to bar, watch the tele (French) read the local paper, and see how you feel about that area.  Being on holiday is not the same as being here full time, but if you time your holidays out of the main season i.e. November or February then you can get a feel what it is like to live somewhere.  No-one else can really tell you what it is like.  I lived in deepest rural Cornwall, but where I am (small rural village) is not really like that.    Make a list of the facilities/leisure amenities that are important to you, check whether there are clubs for your hobbies, doctor, dentist, vet, bank, post office - whatever you will need in real life - and see if your area matches up. Anyone can like almost anywhere for 2 weeks in the summer, if you are having a good time and there are other people of your own nationality to talk to.  Alone in mid-winter when many things are shut may make you feel differently.  

Hey - four times this year whilst going about my lawful business, men with guns have stopped my car and demanded to see all my papers, asked questions about where I'm going, asked who my passengers are, one time even got very unpleasant about my perfectly legal driving licence.  Oh, but that is OK then because I'm in La Belle France.  Or should I give up going out because obviously they think I'm a dangerous criminal? Daily Wail - the end of the world as we know it is nigh!  

Yes - go to Douanes, you should be able to get licence straight away.  There is no obligation to do meals every night but you can offer them if/when you feel like it.  If your first barbeque is tomorrow I don't believe the world will end if you have it without the licence.  I know this is heresy, but in 6 years NO-ONE (including Tourist Office, Mairie etc) has EVER asked if I have a licence (I do) and I know several B & Bs who do meals who don't have/didn't have licences.  When I mentioned it to one French lady she looked blank and said no-one had ever mentioned it. Hope the sun shines!  

The pillows - I just bin them.  Have one French and one English shape at each place.  Keep a stock in the cellar (cheapish but reasonable quality) chucking them out if they don't look clean works out cheaper than cleaning them.  New cheap pillows are nicer then old expensive ones!  Quilts I take to DIY laundry with monster machine and sit and read while they are going round.  During busy season I now pay someone to do a couple of hours ironing a week - cheque emploi so we get some of it back.  Mosly do it myself - I'll come back as something lovely in another life for having done this penance.

I don't have mine in the kitchen and even then one of them managed to nick all the starters one evening.  The lucky guests got some of our Xmas foie gras and were none the wiser.!!  I am amazed to hear that we are srving 'high-risk' food.  Look out for dangerous low flying croissants everyone!

Un cake can be used for that kind of cake.  Cake can be sweet or savoury and is the loaf shap.

Glad to here you are back home and in good spirits.  Hope you both recover well and that you don't have too many forum queries to deal with just yet!

Children (moderators included).  There is a bickering thread.  Go forth and bicker there.

Et, en parlant des gaullois, cette Twinkle ..... et pourtant c'est VRAI!

6 pathetic pages of bickering.  Is that all you lot can manage.  Honestly.