Fay

Oh absolutely no disrespect to Wiki at all, it's just that it's only as accurate as the volunteers that write it, and, once 'out there' it does get repeated and repeated ad infin. Gosh, this video looks nothing like what I eat in Haute-Savoie and how I cook it when trying to replicate. Gotta have some cream, imho! That was a very anaemic Reblochon too! But thanks, that was very interesting.

Just found this on a French forum, where someone had asked the difference between Pela and Tartiflette, which makes it sound like Tartiflette is a traditional dish, if not quite as old as Pela: De mémoire d'après mes cours de cuisine à Grenoble, la Tartiflette est un derivé de la Pella qui elle est tres ancienne. La Pella était une grande poêle à long manche (comme une pelle). Les anciens faisaient cuire leur "tartiflette" dans la Pella dans la cheminée, les jours où le four à pain communal était éteint. De mémoire hein? Mais sinon la recette, il me semble est la même!!

Hm, well, so it says on Wikipedia. Also rightly says that Pela is a traditional (and almost identical as far as I can see) version. But if the plan was to market Reblochon (love your version of the name, it seems to have been crossed with Joel Robuchon, no bad thing!) why would they not have called it, say, Reblochonette? I kind of hope it's not true, but once it's on Wiki it proliferates like a modern myth. But tant pis, it still tastes out of this world!

The version I make is as close as I can get to replicating the one served at Le Bachais, at the top of my favourite ski run. They cube the potatoes rather than slicing (and do parboil them I reckon) and it all seems to work better in terms of mixing it all up. Creme fraiche, no wine, cheese as per Frenchie, cut horizontally and laid skin-side up. Miam miam indeed! Mine is still never as good, but then it is not being eaten in crisp mountain sunshine, or by a log fire, with a 180-degree view of Mont Blanc, and a hunger that only comes from a good morning's skiing and the thought of more to come. My goodness, this post has actually made me look forward to the winter!

I don't - they are all around me! :D But as a solo traveller (not counting the cat) I do love my Sanef doofer as it means I don't have to keep getting out and running round the car to pick up a ticket or pay at tolls.

I would cross no other way with a pet, to be honest (actually, no other way, full stop). The cat just completed her 20th return crossing since Feb 2006 and she agrees! :-)

Really? On the A16 or the D940? I've never spotted any on the autoroute and I'm back and forth on it the whole bloomin' time, it seems! :-)

Lovely! :-)

May I suggest the Baie de Somme, either St-Valery or Le Crotoy, just over a hour down the A16 from the tunnel or a bit less from Boulogne port. Loads of wonderful things to see and do, if you like nature, wildlife (inc seals), history, culture, art, markets, food... etc. In St-Val, check out hotels Guillaume de Normandie, Picardia, Colonne de Bronze or chambres d'hotes at Au Velocipe. I don't know Le Crotoy's hotels from past experience but Les Tourelles looks lovely. Fay

Thank you all very much for your help. It's so frustrating signing off a book that won't be on the shelves for another few months... anything can (and will) happen. Can only try to deal with the foreseeable. I remember a Venice guide that went to press the day before the Fenice Opera House burned down... Thanks Fay

Thanks Will! Inevitably, as soon as the book goes to press, things will change again, but at least it covers the SeaFrance base... Best Fay

Hello gentlemen I am hoping that you will let me pick your brains. As Will may remember, I am a travel guides editor. I'm about to sign off on a France guide that includes a 'how to get there' section, and am trying my hardest to give the most current info on the fluctuating ferry situation. I've got it all up to date as far as the demise of Speedferries and the new LD routes go, but Seafrance is still giving me headaches. I've currently put: "At time of writing, the future of SeaFrance is uncertain. Please check prior to travel." Would you say this is the safest and most accurate summary of the situation? Many thanks for any help you can give! Fay

Whoop whoop! The barricades and those swooshy, wavy banners are ready....

Wooly, I think we may have reached something of an entente cordiale... something wrong, surely? :-)

I can't wait to see it either - it sounds/looks great! No Labarre in Picardie as far as I know... and doesn't he retire to grow vines somewhere rather Provencal in the one with the little flute-type instrument? I kind of assumed that was 'home'. I loved that episode. Touche pas à mon Jean-Luc Picard!?

My elderly neighbours were born in St-Valery and Amiens respectively, count themselves as Picards and speak Picard (rather randomly, to my constant confusion). There is a strong and proud tradition of Picard culture in the area. Furthermore, the historic region of Picardie was exactly this area: "The south of the Aisne department and most of the Oise department were historically part of the province of Île-de-France, while the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department were the province of Picardy proper." (www.placesinfrance.com/picardie_history.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picardie) So I don't see how the Somme and its Baie do not count as part of Picardie except by the rather arbitrary notion that they are somehow not representative of the region on the basis of being too beautiful and thus not conforming to the stereotype...

But it is, though!

I can only really speak for the Somme département, and specifically for one of the world's most beautiful bays... I love the Jura, too, Odile. I have wonderful memories of Arbois in particular, and Champagnole, and 'accidentally' riding over the top via Les Rousses on a motorbike in March, in thick snow with skiers alongside us looking rather surprised (though not as surprised as us)!

Hi Suey I always have a red, usually flickering, WLAN light on my Speedtouch router, but always have good wireless connection to the router in and outside the house (dare I say that our loud? Touch wood!). Fay

I'm happy if people who try to pick fights stay out of our beautiful region, Vin!

Dear Tulip I too would very much like to know what your brainwave was as we are having the same problem. Please, please pass it on! Thanks! Fay

I find www.lachainemeteo.com a good and reliable one, with 10-day forecasts that are updated very frequently.

CNN reports that, after the meetings, the blockade is over - hurrah! http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/16/france.strikes/

Teapot you have made me laugh SO much - thank you! I don't suppose you have a photo of it with its key...? Have you registered on www.bondbug.com? You can post your old numberplate and any other info you like (such as this story!), and with luck someone at some point will tell you what became of your 'orange wedge'. (Having said that, no-one has yet replied re RGF 960L...) Fay (another cheese-triangle fan)

Very chuffed to see a Bond Bug (our first car!) appeared in both Get Carter and Robbie Williams' Millennium video :-)