Mandrau

The problem seems to have been with the Orange network,eventually I found a message on their "peturbations " page, but all is now working again, this is the first time for a while that Orange has let me down.

Is any one else having problems with Google we can get everything else but not Google

Yes I got it today on SKY 515 at moment just a test programme and not yet fully up and running, am looking forward to a different slant on the news.

The one thing noone has mentioned yet is microwaves do a great jacket potato.

 I have a question for the silly season.............why oh why are beefburgers (steak haché) always oval in shape when the buns are always round?

We spent a couple of weeks around there just wandering in the car up and down the mountain passes it was a great time.

As far as I am aware all the rules of inheritance are about to change, does anyone know just what is proposed or should we wait for further procrastination by Paris.

I have used all the free programmes mentioned earlier, AVG, Spybot and AdAware with great results. I have also down loaded a program called Shields Up which goes through you system checking for loopholes.These coupled with XP SP2 and its firewall, with Wanadoo anti spam I have been having a very quiet life thank Heavens.I used to get a lot of problems before i ran these.

The other side of the 82 near Agen etc.(yes thats the 47 but its near) Montaigu de Quercy area there lots of expats of just about any nationality.

[quote]I think you misinterpreted what I meant....I'm not saying Microsoft Office 2003 is dodgy....just the latest update SP2.[/quote] I did misinterpret what you meant but was the SP2 for Office or for XP? I use XP with SP2 and I like it now I have got used to it, I have not tried to use my very old Office, I guess it is corrupt, any way it would not work when my PC was rebuilt.

[quote]Just out of interest Mandrau, can you give us an idea of what the monthly fee is? We would like ADSL but don't know how feasable it would be because we are not there permanently at the moment.[/quote] ADSL from Wanadoo costs me 19.9 euros a month for "Extense 512K 5Go" which I think compares well with UK prices, I also pay an extra 1.5euros a month for their "Anti Spam plus" prices do include tax (for once) Hope this is of some use to you

[quote]Steer well clear for now.....Let BG create another "patch" before downloading....Give it another month![/quote] I gave up and downloaded Open Office which seems to do most things and it works and is FREE, it was down loaded for me by the people who rebult my PC after it took objection to a thunderstorm but that is another tale.

[quote]Unsurprisingly your local Mairie is the best, and most reliable, source of information regarding the arrival of ADSL if it isn't already available.If you are already a Wanadoo customer then you will a...[/quote] I have had ADSL from wanadoo for almost a year now and although I can only use the slowest (512Kb) due to my distance from the exchange it is still 20 times faster than my old dial up. I have had very few problems with it but there is the occasional day when it goes off line and I have to reconnect but on the whole it is good. I suspect when I do have problems it is due to excessive use and they have not got the bandwidth to cope and also I guess as the traffic grows they are having to upgrade the gizmos that do the work. PS my account is for 5Go which limit I have got close to twice! The cost is virtually what I paid for dial up and using their spam filter and AVG free antivirus together with Spybot it is some months since I had a virus or any other problems.

Nowhere near you I am afraid but in the Tarn et Garonne (82) in Montaigu de Quercy there is an English library.

[quote]My understanding is that a marron and a chataigne are both sweet chestnuts. A marron d'Inde is a horse chestnut. The explanation I have been given by a neighbour for the difference in sweet chestnut...[/quote] That is the most plausible explanation I have heard after asking around .The surprising thing was that the people who sell them do not know and I have seen that sometimes the small ones are sold as marron which if the seller is reasonably honest your explanation makes sense. I shall eat my chestnut stuffing this year with a light heart!!!

I have just found an answer to some of my question on a French botanical site, It said Marron and Chataigne are the fruit of the same tree the Chataignier.In a market they are both sold and are edible being the same fruit. I think it is possible that the Marron (also know to us as the Spanish chestnut) is imported and the Chataigne is locally grown. I will try to pursue this further if I can

A question I have been trying to find a definative answer for years. What is the difference between Chataignier and Marron, I have been told they are not the same several times, even the people who sell both on the same stall cannot say what the difference is, they look the same, taste the same and are used the same way, but are different prices, Marron being more expensive!! Has anyone out there any idea????

We have a friend who used to live in wales and was almost totally crippled with problems with her wrists and arms, not sure exactly what, but now she lives in the Lot up on the "Causse" the limestone plateau and is now almost problem and pain free, she can now dig the garden, embroider, knit and do all the things she has been unable to do for years, as soon as she goes back she is in pain again. There are hills around Toulouse that could possibly serve.

I have heard that the rules for immatriculation have changed, so that it is no longer necessary to re-register when you change departement, and new numbers will be non departement specific.Does anyone know about this,? it was denied by a local gendarme but they often have a strange view of the law if it means another PV.

As far as I understand if 100 people or more ask for adsl in an area then Telecom will consider it, we came on line last year this way, but all France is supposed to get adsl in the next year or so.................

[quote]Do check who (which ISPs) can provide you with Broadband coverage in France. If you live in a city then you will probably have complete choice. However, outside the cities (where there is broadband ...[/quote] I live out in the sticks and so can only get 512K broadband from wanadoo I have had no trouble after the first week or two partly me and partly this was a new exchange.The system is Wanadoo Extense and offers several speeds if you live in right place.It also includes usage with Mac OS! Try going on line to Wanadoo.fr and see what they say. PS they do have a Wi Fi system as well  

P trap problem is quite common, sometimes the layout/partial blockage etc of the pipework causes the water to be sucked out of the trap. make sure trap is full.

Am not able to give prices but you have made a sensible decision, it can be b**** cold around here, the prices others have quoted seem to be within reason, Do get a big enough tank as ours is too small and then you can shop around in the summer for a good price on oil. Don

We live about the same distance from Toulouse and Bergerac, we always try to get our guests to use the latter as it a much nicer route. I also would love to see Agen used, but these small airports and low cost airlines do have limitations, poor winter service and if plane is cancelled for bad weather.............hard luck.  

I am running XP and have this problem but in my case the save password box is greyed out. Will this still work?