DaveLister

You'll have to forgive the understandable scepticism Wally. You asked an incredibly open question then came back within three hours to complain that no one had replied. Like you most people have other things to do and don't spend all their time on here waiting to answer questions from new members. When you later received some considered responses you didn't come back so it was natural to assume you were a troll. FWIW I would advise you decide what area of France you want to live in and rent for a while. It will give you an idea of what life is like outside of the 'holiday bubble'.

Maybe he found us too 'stand offish and unfriendly' 😉

Don't worry, we'll let you off 😉☺️😀

That lorry driver is a lucky SOB.😲 https://www.lemonde.fr/videos/video/2023/08/28/en-savoie-un-impressionnant-eboulement-de-roches-interrompt-le-trafic-ferroviaire-entre-la-france-et-l-italie_6186817_1669088.html

Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth. 😁

I think having two names on the Carte Gris just means the surviving partner continues to have the right to drive the car while the succession is sorted. In order to transfer the car into single ownership I would expect that you'd need an attestation from the Notaire. Certainly when I took an old car to the scrapyard a few years back after my OH's passing they required sight of the attestation despite the fact it was in joint names. I think this might help. https://www.carte-grise.org/mode_emploi_succession.htm

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you..... RANDY RAINBOW 🌈💝😁

One not for the barbecue. https://www.midilibre.fr/2023/08/22/des-steaks-haches-charal-vendus-partout-en-france-contamines-par-des-escherichia-coli-potentiellement-dangereuses-11408908.php

It's very difficult to corrupt a Narcissist.

Not exactly the attributes you want in a world leader.

In the 2022 election cycle George Soros gave 128.5 million dollars to the Democratic Party making him the largest single donor in history. ( Wikipedia )

Not when you remember the king makers are old white men themselves.

I don't know whether of not it's because it's the holiday season but in the last three weeks there's been an error in every one of my food shops. All promos that haven't gone through properly. It's been a relatively simple matter to get them sorted because of the paper receipt. I still think they should issue them as a matter of course if you don't have a loyalty card.

Happy International Lefthanders Day

Now now Menthe, No need to have a go at ALBF. He's always agreed that there are beautiful places in France.

My neighbours used to run a B&B which consisted of rooms opening out onto a walled garden. In their terms and conditions they stated that there was no smoking anywhere on the grounds. I think you need to be a little clearer in your terms. As to banning smokers completely, I'm not sure how you could enforce that.

Might want to check the serial number. https://www.midilibre.fr/2023/08/11/rappel-produit-risque-de-depart-de-feu-pour-ces-climatiseurs-vendus-par-les-magasins-auchan-et-boulanger-11391138.php

Where I live anything up to half a dozen new restaurants will open up each Summer and just as many will close before the end of the year. They will be run by either early retirees or someone who's just been made redundant. The food will be nondescript and the service dire. At the end of the season when they realise just how little financial reward they have for all their hard work they sell up and the next set of dreamers with big ideas take over. When it comes to work, the hospitality sector is never an easy option.

It's catching 😀 https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/haute-garonne/toulouse/video-direction-toulouse-pour-les-cyclistes-tous-nus-malgre-l-interdiction-de-la-prefecture-2824103.html

My new neighbours are Belgian. Met just before Covid. Both have children from previous relationships. Bought a large, rambling farmhouse which had unsuccessfully been converted into a chambre d'hote with the intention of having an open house for family and friends. This is their first summer and as I watch them from my kitchen window I can see that the shine is already beginning to wear off. The constant drives to and from the Airport, preparation of the meals, and the changing of the sheets, all in 39 degree heat. We're off the beaten track so the slightest thing involves a drive into what is currently a major tourism hub where the supermarket shelves are empty because of all the holidaymakers. They've sank everything they have into the move and had a plan of going totally off grid but have already meet a barrage of typically French bureaucratic roadblocks. When they invited me for an Apero, I asked how many times they had visited the area prior to making the move. They answered none, they just wanted to move somewhere warm. It's not just Brits 🙄

Okay first things first, virtually all land is subject to taxe fonciere BUT the tax on non developed land in usually very small. To give an example, around ten years ago, I bought a hectare ( 21/2 acres ) of land ( mixed woodland and agricole ) and I've just checked last years fonciere bill and it was 23 euros. I remember at the time of purchase our Notaire wasn't that interested merely saying, 'it's a few euros a year'. Taxe fonciere is the responsibility of whoever owns the land on the 1st January. It might just be that the estate agent is reminding your mother that she'll be liable for the taxe fonciere bill this year if and when it arrives in November. If I were you I'd wait until the bill arrived before worrying. However if you want to get a definitive answer now you could contact CENTRE DES IMPOTS FONCIER Carcassonne Centre des finances publiques Cité administrative Place Gaston Jourdanne 11807 Carcassonne Cedex 9 tel: 04 68 77 44 44 Email: [email protected] Tell your mother not to worry, I'm sure it'll be fine.

Apparently black ( as opposed to smoked ) garlic is garlic that has been aged in a warm and wet environment that reduces the pungency and makes it almost sweet. As well as being used as an ingredient the softened cloves can be spread on bread like jam.

But what you're describing could refer to moving to any country. Some people move for work, some for a better lifestyle, some for the weather. Some people will make it a success, some people won't. Twas ever thus. I don't think France is particularly unique in this regard.

You might as well ask why move anywhere? There will be a thousand different reasons depending on peoples circumstances and life experiences. For me, it was simply going back to my roots. My ancestors are French & my partner was half French. I tried the UK for 10 years but it didn't suit me. I agree with you about French culture though😀

I too use the violet and have never heard of black garlic. I feel a google search coming along 😀 Thank you for the onion review. I'll be looking out for Roscoff's once the Cevennes season has finished.