Robbo

[quote user="Pads"] when in france I can say bonjour in my normal voice everyone understands me , on here it wont except it unless I copy the tone as well .[/quote] A really interesting observation.  I use RS to try and improve my french and I generally don't have any major issues with it recognising what I say (the only misses I attribute to my irish accent).  Many moons ago when back in high school my French teacher was a native from Dijon and like your experiences with RS she would accept nothing less than the exact pronuciation and intonation.  Maybe my experiences at school make me naturally try to copy tone when speaking but another interesting thing is that my friend who had an native Irish, French teacher turns to me to communicate when he fails... funny thing is that I can understand what my friend is trying to say in French and even though I say the same thing the french understand me better than him. Maybe its because in English you mock someone by copying the exact way they say things, doesn't really happen the same way in French because although you think you are copying exactly, to a native French speaker they will obviously identify you as a foreigner but not trying to mock them. Anyone support my hypothethis?

How are these testers supposed to be used?  Are they a money saving exercise in that the Gendarmerie no longer need to be supplied breathtesting equipment because they will use the devices every driver is required to carry?  Are they purely used as a personal indicator for oneself to give you an indication if you are below the limit before you drive. If its the former whats to stop someone counterfitting/tampering with the device to give a low reading? If its the latter then its mainly going to encourage those who normally wouldn't drive at all to drive believing they are under the limit?  Those hardcore offenders won't take any notice anyway... the result more intoxicated drivers than there would have been otherwise

Thanks pachapapa My friend is a complete technophobe... he has no interest in the interweb or those new fangled computer things so unlikely to ever see him in a forum I'm afraid. The 2 properties are semi-detached and arranged in an L shape (I think that it may have been a single property many years ago). The land behind the building has been divided into 2 roughly equal rectangular gardens.  Directly outside the backdoor of my friends house there is a 3 metre wide section of wall to the immediate right which is boundary wall of the neighbouring property... it is in this wall that they want to install windows and as a result will be looking straight down onto my friend's garden.  Since the wall is a boundary wall using my mediocre abilities in french your second link suggests that they may only have a fixed frame translucent window a minimum height above the floor. I'll report back to him

Hi all. My friend has had a holiday home for some years in France.  There is an ajoining building/barn which has been purchased by someone for a renovation project.  The owners have told my friend that they would like to open a window for natural light in the party wall directly overlooking his garden. My friend is worried that because he only visits France for holidays that he may return to find the neighbours have constructed a massive window in his absence.  He is quite open to oblige his neighbours and permit a non opening window with frosted glass but only if its not going to cost him financially. Does anyone have any knowledge of party wall regulations in France?  Is it similar to UK where constuction can only happen by mutual written agreement?  Would a Notaire be the first point of enquiry as to drawing up a contact of permitted works to a party wall and if so does he need a letter from the neighbours confirming that they will accept all legal costs in the negotiations? TIA Robbo

Thanks for information Pachapapa I was worried we'd be basic rations for a few days. All we need now is a spell of pleasant spring weather and everything will be pucker.[:D] Many thanks again

Hi all We a travelling to Parthenay in Deux-Sèvres at Easter. Unfortunately we are travelling on Saturday so wondering if anyone knows if there are any shops/markets, within reasonable travelling distance, that may be trading on Easter Sunday morning, where we can get some provisions to last until the supermarkets open on Tuesday? Robbo