Noisette

That's easy to sort out ? A week in Eymet just before the big day will provide you with all the carol singers/services that you could wish for., as well as a couple of pubs that are probably more authentic than anything in UK. Then spend the big day in the Pyrénées. I believe that they have snow there ? As for your birthday, I do sympathise. I've had to organise everything myself for the last 40 years, if I wanted to mark the occasion. It's a straight choice, really. You either do organise it and enjoy yourself, or not ...and mope ? Life's too short for moping!

Why is that a problem? There are bars and restaurants for those that want to eat and drink outside the home. And before you start on about French bars not being like UK pubs, trust me, in several parts of France, enterprising Brits have created atypical bars that would do justice to Thame or Woking. But as you have a deep horror of Brit enclaves, you wouldn't go there.....? Just out of interest, what is your definition of 'the Christmas spirit'?

I am sorry, WB. Can only wish you a much happier one next year and that 'things' get sorted out asap so the travelling can be resumed ☺️

The commercialism was/is there if you seek it out, if you want it, but it was much easier to avoid it here if you didn't!

Well what a couple of miseries!! ? Since I first came to France, I appreciated the (relative) lack of commercialism, the fact that it didn't actually start in September as in UK, and the 'two for the price of one' reveillons a week apart. D'accord, after a few years of the incessant publicité around food and drink, I started feeling like une oie après le gavage without even getting as far as Christmas, but even that turned out positive as I sat there with my green salad and Perrier ? OK, not Perrier, champagne.... But it's all about the people you spend time with, isn't it? Perhaps it's actually an advantage not to have to spend the festive season with family that you haven't chosen but with friends that you have?

Nothing does seem to dissuade certain sections of the Brit ex-pat community from carrying on as they have always done, right throughout the pandemic. Rules, testing, financial constraints, Gov advice.....nothing seems to get through to them. They're also quite frequently the first to point the finger at others (especially on social media) about perceived irresponsibility! Perhaps I'm missing something, but in this day and age we have access to technology which enables people to see, hear and talk to family and friends on the other side of the world, never mind the Channel. I'm not unfeeling, but surely if you care about your family, you'd make do with that rather than putting them and yourself at risk, as wel las prolonging this situation for everyone else ? I'm sorry to read about your grandson, and your, hopefully just delayed, Christmas, Gardian. But I do applaud your responsible decision.

So....not many thus far ? @Betise....why would he? FWIW, having come very close to being disenfranchised altogether, I'm looking forward immensely to exercising my democratic right as a citoyenne ? It's no use complaining about things if you're not prepared to make the slightest effort to change them. What would/will seriously tick me off is if my preferred candidate is sabotaged i.e. assassinated before ever getting as far as the election. There's nothing remotely democratic about political hatchet jobs on the opposition! ALBF, do you honestly believe that the 'choice' in UK is better? I'd struggle to find the motivation to vote there, truly.

One way around the glitch is to compose the message in Word, or Open Office or whatever, save the file and then attach that. A faff, but better than nothing. Mind you, having the courtesy of a reply is a whole autre chose ?

Just out of interest, how many members of CF will have the right to vote in the Présidentielle next year?

?

Top tip: Look for an 'icing bag' type of truc in the bricos, or failing that, make one by cutting the corner off a strong plastic bag. Pros have a sort of pistolet affair for pointing, but I've never seen one for sale to particuliers. It speeds things up considerably, and there's less waste than with the trad method of trowelling or raclette-ing. ?

?

Stop generalising...?

Just for once, you're right about that ? It's because the Maire is red-hot on applying and enforcing sanitary measures against Covid. Has been right from the outset. With the number of Brits in the area all flitting to and from the UK, who can blame him? Anyway, back on planet Earth, our house name is a Lieu-dit as are all the others not actually in the village. We're soon to have a road name and number, but doubt anyone will use those. The only confusion that arises with the old system is where there are two or three properties all under one LD name, but the regular posties don't have any problem.

Do you think France is ready for a woman leader? It's noticeable in this area that many Maires are women, and the Prés of the Département is female, so perhaps the entrenched chauvinism is weakening. It's early days, though. If Macron does stand again, there's plenty of time for further political assassination, which is what happened to François Fillon. In Zemmour's case he wouldn't have to do much as the media have already decided to do it for him.

Beautiful job! I am reliably informed that jointing is the OHs work. At least, that's how I was conned into grouting about 500m2 of floor and wall tiles during our renovation. I still get flashbacks if I catch a glimpse of a bag of grout ?

Speaking as someone totally sane and well-balanced, no really ?, I can see why Zemmour has garnered so much support so quickly. He's come up with some very populist ideas, designed to appeal to French people who regret 'the old days'. From what I've seen so far, I'd probably take a punt on him carrying them through. BUT....5 years ago there was a bunch of self-interested politicians in a little island not far from here who promised the electorate much the same thing. They appealed to the middle-aged and elderly voters, promising them a return to a golden age and look what happened there! Sadly, I don't think there's a politician on earth that can turn the clock back and undo everything that's wrong with western civilisation. All we can do, as voters, is try to put the brakes on the more obviously rapacious and hypocritical ones.

Arggghhh no! Anything but Bing!

Don't you believe it! They lash themselves to the stems! :-))

B.T. can be used as a preventative, as well as a cure ;-)

Um...what you're calling racism, ALBF, well it's rife all over the place. Sooo many times I've heard offensive, nationalist Scots, Welsh and Irish decrying and insulting England and the English. Usually when French people have mistakenly referred to them as English. I wonder if it ever occurs to them that there are English people who resent intensely having to define themselves as 'British' rather than English? Still, there'll always be morons who cling to the past, can't let go and can't move forward. Closed minds......

To a better place with sane, intelligent and agreeable admin, I'm sure :-)

Just a long shot, on the offchance that M. Aardvark glances at CF. Try tapping in 'paiement en xx fois sans frais' on any French site. They'll soon tell you if it's possible ;-) Good luck!

Silly me...I thought this thread was about gardening, not yet another 'my region is better than your region' playground competition. I'd have said, gardening-wise, that each region has it's strengths, weaknesses and challenges. What is surprising is how few Brits come here primarily to garden, despite often buying huge swathes of land. The classic case I remember is someone in Dordogne who was the proud owner of 4 acres, which were promptly turned over to the neighbouring farmer to deal with. Then proud owner had the brass nerve to complain about the crops said farmer grew 'because he didn't like the colour of the flowers'.. Classic! The most recent amusing trend (religion?) is that of the no-dig' zealots. I'd love to know where they get the vast quantities of cardboard and compost that seem to be required!

Ah...green with envy over the soft fruit! I grew blackcurrants and raspberries fairly successfully 15 years ago, but it's definitely become hotter and drier here in 47 over the years. They hate it! The current bugbear of new arrivals round here is the failure of sweet-peas. Best solution is to grow them like the edible variety, as overwintered spring-flowering plants! Won't you need permission to take water from the stream? I've got 9000lts-worth of water recuperation tanks buried in strategic points, but they're not enough, either :-) I'm sure your Heucheras will pull through. They're pretty tough. Of course, I haven't heard you sing! ;-) You could cut out a lot of hard work by chucking a thick mulch over the dahlias, non? It used to work in the UK, even on clay soil....