chouan

Ryanair Customer Services advised me recently that flights between Nantes and East Midlands Airport would recommence in March 2012. Perhaps for the Summer Schedules only henceforth. Chouan

Well done to all the team at the salon, and bonne chance in the next round!! chouan

Félicitations !! Good job ladies. Do his listeners understand the concept of  ' listening ' ? Clearly many of his respondents hadn't listened to what had been said and went off on a rant against ex-pat entitlement to ' free ' (ugh!) health care in France. Maybe they're just as empty-headed as the vacuous caller from the Pyrénées. Well done, a noble effort and good luck henceforth. chouan

I thoroughly endorse your Jenlain recommendation. I also like Leffe and am happy to quaff its Blonde/Brune/ or Radieuse varieties. I noticed a local paper advertising a new product from Leffe...........a 9 degree blonde !! Sound like it'll be worth a gargle or 2. chouan

Pork Boulangère is a tasty little number. Rhodes and Novelli, amongst others, have versions of this very easily-cooked traditional dish. Pre-heat oven to 160ish. Score the flesh of a 1 kilo lump of belly. Smear lightly with oil, and salt well, rubbing in to cuts. Sit joint, skin side up, on a rack over a roasting dish. Slosh a generous glug of white wine in dish and put in oven for an hour. Towards the end of the hour, slice a couple of onions into thin rounds, do likewise with enough potatoes to feed the diners. Upon the hour, take the pork out of the oven, and spread the potatoand onion mix around the bottom of the roasting dish. Pour over a good half litre of stock(chicken/veg) replace pork on rack above the mix, and return to oven for a further 2 hours. Voilà. Simplicity itself, resulting in the crispest crackling you can imagine, succulent, tender, juicy meat and tasty tatties. You could jazz the tatties up a bit whilst you rest the meat...............tad cream/béchamel sauce/cheese over the potatoes and place under a hot grill, whatever.......................indulge yourselves. chouan

I found some a while back at a store called, I think, ' Le Piment Rouge ' in Nantes. I fancy I spotted a new branch had opened at street level in Les Halles at La Roche sur Yon. May be worth a search. chouan

The thought has just struck me......... Do any of you ' Cagouillards Charentais ' know if LRH is back up and running? Any changes to terminal or car park, or did they restrict the up-grades to the runway? Chouan

Unable to help you directly Mbt, but I posed an identical question seeking help approaching Rochefort Airport from the North. I have to say that the clarity of signing the airport from that direction was quite simply magnificent. I'm not totally au fait with how you arrive in Rochefort from Cognac, it's many years since I travelled that route, but certainly from Rochefort Centre, you require direction Royan, D733 I think, and if signage is anything like as good as from Northern approach, you can't go wrong. I'll be there myself for Weds. flight, if I'm right, I'll take a small rouge, If you've had hassle, I'll buy you a large Cognac. chouan

I couldn't agree more.!!!!!!!!!!!!! With Will, that is, and not those unfortunates who can't loosen their corsets/belts/braces and spend a few €s on a couple of bottles of Primeur by way of a joyous celebration of the vendange. What better way to brighten up a dark autumnal day than a few good swigs of this year's first press. Never mind the quality.......feel...........and taste the memories of summer days spent walking thro' the vines, in expectation of their ultimate bounty. Sure the best is yet to come.....but get the Primeur drunk ( not get drunk, note, in keeping with current French PC counsel, consume alcohol with moderation!) and lighten up..it's to enjoy en gouléant, not to analyse ad nauseam.!!!!!!!!!! chouan

I'm very tempted SB....vive la Revolution.!! Like you, I can't imagine how a small garden shed is ranked the same as ' garages, ateliers, buanderie ', but there you are. As the parcels of land within the lotissement were all sold by the Commune, they have a list of rules of their own, " reglements ne s'appliquent qu'aux espaces privatifs; il fixe les regles et servitudes d'interet general imposees dans l'assiette fonciere du lotissement ". So Albi, in this case, without benefit of legal opinion, the shed may well contravene the local rules, but I ain't going down without a fight.!!!!!!!! chouan

I recently submitted a plan to erect a small wooden garden shed to the Mairie under the ' Déclaration de Travaux Exemptés de Permis....'. The proposal has been Opposed by the Maire on the grounds that lotissement rules stipulate outbuildings must be constructed and finished in the same materials as the principal building, brick and tile. I understand there are 2 avenues of appeal open to me. ' Recours contentieux '.....take my case to a Tribunal, and ' Recours Gracieux '.......plead my case to the Mayor. It would appear more sensible to appeal firstly to Mayor, and if necessary appeal subsequently to Tribunal. Does anybody have experience of this kind of Opposition/Appeal process? What chance may there be/not be of having an initial decision changed? Are there any Agencies in existence from whom I could seek advice? Any help or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. chouan

It's early days I know since Ryanair flights to La Rochelle were diverted to Rochefort, but are there any members able to offer advice on Rochefort's facilities, and particularly its parking arrangements, both short-term/pick-up and longer term durations? Any information will be warmly received as I pick up visitors next week, and will need to park long term next month. chouan

Hélas for your friend's wedding guests, most informed opinion is that the nouveau/primeur wines are very short-lived. They're a cheery, swiggable celebration of the new vendange and don't have much depth or complexity. Drink them before Christmas, and forget them from January on. Roll on the third Thursday in November. a la votre......... chouan

I'm no expert and when I had some timber to treat recently took advice from brico-confident voisins who recommended a product called Lasure. There are umpteen different brands and it's widely available in DIY outlets. According to its label, it colours and protects the wood from insects and fungi, and is ' anticryptogamique '! Don't ask! One litre covers 12-15 square meters, and as you might expect, this all-singing, all-dancing treatment was on sale at €80 for a 6 litre tin. It is suitable for interior and exterior use. I don't know if that helps at all? chouan

Yes, but each transaction will of course be subject to a commission....somewhere between 1.5% and 2%, according to terms of your particular card. chouan

Is any relief allowed by French Tax authorities in respect of mortgage/mortgage interest repayments to a French Bank, on a property purchased as one's principal home in France? chouan

Many thanks for your clear directions and advice, Sue. chouan

Thanks, Pushkin, it's good to know the airport is well-signed. I've tried briefly, and so far unsuccessfully to locate airport around Saint Agnant. My failing memory tells me I used to pass the old air base on the N137, South of town.......is that right? As I shall be taking same route down from La Rochelle when Ryanair flights transfer, any tips for best ' land(ing) approach '? chouan