Judith-aka-Judith

You couldn't make this up, could you?

Sorry, Lori, busy day. Yes, NormanH is right, it is not that far away.  La Redorte, in the pictures offered above, is not Rieux Minervois, but we do have to drive through La Redorte to get to it from us .. we are a bit nearer to NormanH in Beziers .. It is a pleasant town, though I have not stopped much, usually drive throught it, it is close to another village  Peyrac Minervois (both quite large) all three ribbon developments.  Rieux is well known for its 7-sided church.  Cannot honestly say about flooding, but all this region in the plain of the Languedoc can suffer.  Its largest nearest big town is indeed Carca, but it's not as bad a people make out, I have known worse, including NormanH's Beziers (my bête noir). Since I cannot determine which house you are referring to, I cannot judge the price, but then, since I have not looked at house prices now for 10 years, I could not judge their accuracy now.  Ask more if you want .. plenty of retirees, plenty of ex-pats (or whatever you wish to call them!) but that is typical of the whole region.

You can go to a food shop more than 10kms away (not during curfew, but during the day) but over 10km, you need the attestation.  That's all. Yes, I went to a friend's today in one of our neighbouring villages, I got to 10km just as I got the outskirts of the village .. she's at the opposite end .. so yes, it's not as far as you thnk, especially in the country, rules made for the townies, as ever.

Mint, you speak so truly, chaos all round .. we wait and see, though teh message on Doctlib has changed form what it was .. saying rdv will be available soon ..!!  Ha Ha!

Lori,I shouldn't hold out too much hope, if 80 yr olds cannot get appointments, what chance 60yr olds.  It comes back to supply - every time, never mind the planning of appointments!

Every time they say there are more vaccines avialable, there are even fewer around here ... cannot get an appointment for 80yr old OH, locally, in spite of all the pub saying they are avaialble.    Not 'ere they are not!

I had a new kindle delivered to me here in France.  I have a UK and an French address saved on my Amazon account.

DD,Thanks, most interesting. What is becoming evident is that each prefecture is operating in a different way, ours, Beziers (34) followed the recommended procedure, for 10yr permanent existing cards. But most seem to expect a meeting to hand over the "old" card, take fingerprints etc, so doing it all by post is the exception, but not unknown. Ken,Using the word interview is in some respects correct even for what we did, short visit etc, as we did not know whether they would take fingerprints (they didn't) but that I believe depends on whether they already have them on file. They are supposed to verify ID regardless, so that means some sort of visit. But this being France, of course the fonctionnaires interpret the rules each in their own sweet way.

We supplied what was requested, showed passport, 1 new photo, signed on piece of paper it was stuck to, reuested to hand over old but still current CdS, that was all. I have scanned images of the CdS, and so far I have never used it.

Had our rdv to exchange current 10yr cards, last Monday in Beziers.  They said 2-3 weeks, we shall see.

MInt,I find the pins are slightly (not much but enought) too far apart .. for a French socket .. size is less important, that's why you nee dhte UK shaver socket versoin (we seem ot have loads pf 'em!) and I am not sure that the one illustrated by Idun would work .. I have a Swiss socket adaptor similar to the one Amazon one (gosh the Swiss have odd sockets!), I'll check it when I am next upstairs ..

Idun, There are times when he can be a cantankerous old g ... Richard Wilson has nothing on him!  Though he has never been known to watch that programme and certainly never been known to say "I do not believe it!". I have though plus a few more choice words .. sotto voce of course!

No worse than "la plume de ma tante" the other way  . .. I cannot be the only person who has NEVER needed THAT phrase!

Idun, He'd cope .. probably ... or get a friend to help .. who can speak French.  Seriously, he did manage before I came, and he does if I am not here, but the older he gets, the lazier he gets.  Sometimes, I rebel, and say he has to do it, but hang around as he usually gets stuck, he doesn't hear / understand what they say back .. it's comprehension, not deafness. [Edited to correct my typos, I really should not post so late at night!]

Mint,I use an electric toothbrush with a UK shaver socket.  I plug it into the French socket with a standard UK shaver adapter for a French socket. Works perfectly, just have to remember to take the adaptor with me when I travel in France!  

[quote user="mint"][quote user="Judith-aka-Judith"]Well it's obviously had just the effect they desired (said tongue-in-cheek).  Today I looked at all the sites I had bookmarked during the search for my RDV, now doingit for for hubby, who has decided that he may have to have it (so that he can travel, I'm sure is the only reason, anti-jab as he usually is), and suddenly ALL of them but one say phone this number, and the one which doesn't has no availability when you get to it!  I think I shall suggest he speaks to our GP!  He's 80 so could have it ages ago, but wouldn't! [/quote] Judith, I heard on the news that the govt is going to set up a dedicated phone line to be used to contact people the age of your OH to offer them the vaccine if they haven't had it already.  It will also be the number the person themselves can ring if they should have had the vaccine on the grounds of their age but have been unable to obtain a RV. As the roll out from Saturday will include anyone over 70 without comorbidities, I believe that the special phone line will include all the ones aged above 70. As to the topic of the thread, I would have thought that, if anyone would understand what greed or capitalism is, it would be the great BJ himself?[:D] [/quote] Mint, it was the usual Doctolib phone number.  And it is the phoning which is the problem, he won't, his French is not good enough ..

Well it's obviously had just the effect they desired (said tongue-in-cheek).  Today I looked at all the sites I had bookmarked during the search for my RDV, now doingit for for hubby, who has decided that he may have to have it (so that he can travel, I'm sure is the only reason, anti-jab as he usually is), and suddenly ALL of them but one say phone this number, and the one which doesn't has no availability when you get to it!  I think I shall suggest he speaks to our GP!  He's 80 so could have it ages ago, but wouldn't!

I got my first jab (Pfizer, not my choice, Doctor's) by taking a cancellation, arm felt like I'd bruised it, but could feel a slight muscle pain when lifting it.  All gone in 48hrs.  Suspect I got my second appt by taking a cancellation too. NOt had it yet though, mid-April.

[quote user="mint"][quote user="Judith-aka-Judith"]Mint, Divided loytalities, indeed, even though I am not Welsh, I have a great love for that plucky little nation, have much of the Celt in me, and would love to see them win .. all to do with large against small .. and nothing to do with patrimony! And how they can sing .. to raise the spirits and the heart .. [/quote] And TWO lovely, rousing national anthems[:D] Ken, I will tell you a little anecdote which made me smile.  The last time I saw my ophthalmologue (?spelling) he was explaining to me how I have some astigmatism in my left eye and he will have to decide whether I should have an adapted lens for that eye or whether a "standard" implant will do.  He said my left eye ball was the shape of a rugby ball but that the right one was like a football.  So, there you have it, in case you have ever wondered what astigmatism is! [/quote]Missed the anthems, and not watching it, too stressful .. but I do know all about astigmatism .. rugby ball would do it,yes, just without specs print has wavy lines ..  and I gatehr it can change too, even when vision doesn't (due to having cataracts done!).  He didn't t ink about correcting the astigmatism when he replaced my lens, said I was used to wearing glases and yes, I am, but it's so nice to see without them until it comes to good detail, I can walk around quite safely which is more than I could before ..

Mint, Divided loytalities, indeed, even though I am not Welsh, I have a great love for that plucky little nation, have much of the Celt in me, and would love to see them win .. all to do with large against small .. and nothing to do with patrimony! And how they can sing .. to raise the spirits and the heart ..

From what I heard, the speed of start, through trials, to production (which also started before permission was granted to produce) was because all big pharma worked together and forewent immediate profits, and yes, part funded by governments.  Looks like Pfizer has now reneged on this, and thus the backlash .. and some of it must be political because all the science proves the argument for using the AZ vaccine rather than against. I had the Pfizer, but it was my doctor's choice, not mine.  Which might prove other fingers in pies too .. I'd have been very happy with the AZ. 

Mint, I have a Reglo mobile account.  Yes, you have to set up a regular payment on  your credit or bank card, don't think DD is possible.   It doesn't have to be much, I think mine is 10€ when it drops below a certain amount. I don;t use it much, it's the "emergency phone" currentnly with hubby who never uses it! And I think you can state at what level it kicks in .. but don't hold me to that.  I've had my account a long time and only had to change it when the credit/ bank card changed (ie ran out and new one arrived!.  It is where you would go to put more credit in, yes. This might be what Euro Tr@sh said, but does no harm to have confirmation. 

Listened to a talk from an epidemiologist who also took part in the AZ trials.  The vaccines, including the Pfizer were brought into use very quickly because of international research efforts, combining results rather than competing, and because the trial results were so good, they brought it into use whilst the final stages of the trial were ongoing .. simply because the need was there ... and I believe the results from the UK already show what a good impact it has had on both reducing spread and reduction in severity if the virus did strike ..

Interesting article, yes, but who is the author .. no attribution given, always suspicious.  Clinical trials were completed, whatever the article says, the vaccines would not otherwise have been given authorisation. That is not to say that further ones are still ongoing.  I know I would prefer a vaccine to catching the virus .. and yes, any death is sad, any adverse reaction unfortunate, but if you read the list of possible side effects, on even standard medications, they would frighten you to not take them.  The points is that these are RARE. We are talking about possibilities only - and given the number of vaccines already administered against the number of (extremely rare) deaths, and (almost as rare) other side effects, I know what I would opt for.

Teapot, I'm sure it will be - eventually, but until I can be sure that my longer journeys (like to the UK) are feasible, I'm still hesitating, a couple more years might see big changes, and I was thinking of looking at automatics too, starting to think next year  ... car I've got will be 8 yrs old by then, and whilst not old, I'm finding it harder to use the pedals now .. plus the second hip is on the way out.  Hoping that by the time I start looking there will be greater choice around.