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Swissie

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Posts posted by Swissie

    Another con?

    in French Satellite TV, French Internet and Telephone

    Posted

    That word   'con'   gets me confused every time! Converse trainers have never been popular in France, as it is hard to go around with the word printed on your shoes! I once took a group of French students to the Robbin Hood museum in Nottingham, and they all insisted they should get in at reduced rate as advertised!!

    How did 'she' get your details?

    Ancient House

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    lol  no Patf - quite a long way away indeed - but I suppose fires from public bread ovens must have been very common in those days - anyway, we were ahead by 3 years. The oven was in a separate house originally for VERY GOOD reasons!

    We have a cat called Pudding - but that's another story (if I ever caught the b*****rd who left her by the M69 in a taped cardboard box with 10 kittens, I'll cut his ****** off).

    eye test

    in Health

    Posted

    If you buy glasses with your prescription on the net, or from an optician in France - do make sure that you get tested for Glaucoma every couple of years if over 50. This is never done by an optician in France, and has to be done by an ophtamologue, although it is routine with UK tests. Glaucoma is easily treated with drops if caught early, but irreversible if not - so just not worth the risk.

    The 'other' France is also approaching boiling point

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    If you've never seen it - watch the film  'La Haine'  by Matthieu Kassowitz. Made about 12 years ago- but still so relevant. NO excuse for rioting, looting, burning - and yet - the French police do seem to provoke, aleniate and disrespect - especially kids of Arab or Gipsy origin, in a way that would be totally unacceptable in the UK - where generally the Police do anything they can to defuse tension.

    In this context, banning the Burka (however disguised into something else) - may well add insult to injury, and just be one more attack that will inflame matters further. A friend of mine teaches Gipsy children in the Pyrenées, and she says the attitude and behaviour of many French towards those children is appalling. Maybe re-read or watch 'Chocolat' - and also study the way the Vichy regime treated Gipsies, and sent them to Concentration camps. Resentment runs VERY deep and can ignite at any time, sadly and terrifyingly.

    Anyone with Thyroid problems?

    in Health

    Posted

    A friend of mine had part of her thyroid removed 3 years ago, and is now on Thyroxine- and perfectly fine. She was always very thin and realises now that she must have had an over-active thyroid for a long time. She was clearly distressed when diagnosed - and had read all sorts of horror stories on the net - which made matters worse. The internet can be a wonderful tool - but is also full of rubbish. I wish you the very very best Rose. The medics will probably try to  stabilise your thyroid function, perhaps with iodine or other drugs before operating. Problem is, that each case is unique, depends on age, medical and family history, weight, smoking, and a whole array of other factors - so it is VERY difficult to comment. Please tell us how you get on.

    THE WEATHER THREAD

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    Yes, Vosges and Jura are very alike in many ways - With the school where I taught in UK, we used to organise 1 or 2 exchanges a year to Epinal, our twin town - so know the area well- and when I was a teenager had a boyfriend from Gerardmer.  Love our autumns too - colours so crisp and wonderful - and lots of mushroom hunting.

    Oh, and forgot - love I Springs too - although quite short. How many kinds of greens can there be? And if the price to pay for all this beauty is a few days of 'bise noire' - well it's very good value indeed. Minus 19C is nothing though - here we got last year was -26.5 with -34 up the road in 'Little Siberia'. But strangely enough, it doesn't feel that cold because it is DRY.

    Very hot again today 30C in the shade- but with a lovely breeze - main thing being, that it does cool down at night, so we can sleep.

    THE WEATHER THREAD

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    Yes we do sometimes - the worst is 'la bise noire' that goes straight through you like a million swords! But it is rare, truly. Our winters are very cold but DRY and very bright - huge blue skies and crisp crisp snow. And Summers are warm, but always with a little breeze, DRY and nights are always cool after sun down - brilliant. Born and bred here - and love it.

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