GRT17

[quote]Hi, sorry should have said - we are in Charente Maritime (17)....[/quote] I believe Oysters are the traditional thing in 17 Gill

[quote]I have a weekly veg box from www.abel-cole.co.uk which comes with a newsletter (also available on line) If you look at that as well as what is included in the veg boxes each week it should give you an...[/quote] I have a weekly box from www.riverford.co.uk adn in my small box was cauliflower, swiss chard, small pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, onions and sweetcorn. When I was in France a couple of weeks ago amongst other things there seemed to be lots of tomatoes and courgettes and the last of the haricot vert. Gill

That was fun! I scored 10 out of 12, I too am unfamiliar with French Monopoly and also not well up on drug addicts! Thanks for posting that. Gill

[quote]Haven't been to Mapledurham for a while, perhaps we will take a look this weekend. Viva, I gave up keeping up with the Jones many years ago, I thought it was a more mature outlook, but perhaps its par...[/quote] Re. The Jones, who are they? Like Gay, I have no need to "keep up" with the Jones, the equivalent French family or anyone else. Gill

Lizzie 15 and anyone in the Gemozac area, there is now an English Epicerie in Gemozac, I haven't really needed anything so have not been in there yet. Gill

Just a thought, is there an Ex-pat website or newspaper for your area? if so there may be an advertisement for a Mother and Baby group. Bonne Chance Gill

"There must be a way of combining the best of both countries." An established home and friends of many years, in the U.K. and a second home in France. It helps if one is retired or semi retired. Gill Edit P.S. A good command of both languages and good friends in both countries. I agree with Gay, put on the "tourist eyes" in the U.K. and take a closer look.

Merci bien!

I have been told that there's a reclamation place nr. Limoges but I don't have any details. You could look in the Pages Jaunes. Gill

Is anyone collecting the passwords for their latest offer? I only have the Saturday one which is DISCOVER. Two for one tickets to Brussels, Lille and Paris, day trips, mid week and weekend breaks.   Gill

Dandaz You are right these places are not cheap I liked the one near Rochefort more than the one closer to Saintes; looking costs nothing apart from time and as yet we haven't bought anything. I like your idea of taking a French friend with you, I'll remember that tip for future visits. Gill

There's a great place that sells wonderful stone fireplaces, old stone walls, gates and so on. It's on the main road from Saintes to Rochefort, nearer to Rochefort than Saintes. There's another one along there closer to Saintes. If you look round these places you could probably build your own chateau! Gill

Hear, hear. LGW to BOD on BA, has to be my first choice. Have to say that our daughters live in the North of England so for them Stansted, Manchester and Birmingham are the easier option for departure airports. They have used Ryanair and BMIbaby to la Rochelle and Bordeaux quite successfully. Gill

[quote]Weighed in - but as I didn't weigh last week it was a bit futile .......not too bad this week. Saturday was BAD, Sunday mediocre but the rest of the time fairly good.Just HAVE to get on the treadmill!...[/quote] Vive la FRance in Jan if Gill goes (so she can see if there is less of me than last year !!) Gay I will most likely be there, if there's "less of you" there may well be more of me! Gill

I have been to see 4 films in the last few weeks. Recent: Has anyone else seen Peindre ou Faire l'Amour? I really enjoyed this one. (a two for one offer at the local theatre) L'Avion - also good (cheap price at this local cinema on Wednesday nights) Not so recent films: Local Cine - Club showed Jules et Jim, a geat classic imho. (This was a free performance for the start of their season.) Le Pecheur d'Islande- another really golden oldie, excellent black and white film, based on the story by Pierre Lotti, set in Brittany; accompanied on this occasion by jazz pianist / composer and a clarinette player. A superb performance. (Full price tickets but worth every cent) Gill

There is a 2nd hand book shop in Pons near the St Vivien church and the English owner has English and French books for sale. There must be others, I am sure someone else will know. Gill  

Yes one of the newer ones. Gill

Gay and Miki, as ever, both spot on with your replies! Gill

re. Brookes: I think they take students of all levels and not just mature students. I stayed there once for a conference weekend and the student flats that we were staying in smelled of something very strange! (ho hum, maybe cannabis?) Grandaughter (very shy quiet girl) of a French friend of ours went to Oxford as an assistante and loved it. She made far more friends there than she ever made in France. Gill

Bravo et felicitations! Gill

If you look at the top of the forum FRENCH HEALTH CARE F.A.Q.S there are details of people who provide this type of care in France. Perhaps you could contact them for more information. Gill

I believe Rochefort has  a Societe Thermale centre also Maison de Curiste. You could contact the tourist office there or in La Rochelle for more info.. There is a centre for Thalassotherapy on the Ile de Re near La Rochelle. As Lizzie15 said Royan would be good too Gill

We already have an information pack in each cottage that requests that outgoing guests leave the place in the clean and tidy manner that it was found in, I think this request need to be in the rental agreement which the clients sign when they book your cottage. Then if the place is left in a dirty state I would have no hesitation in deducting a sum of money from their damage deposit to cover the extra work involved. Gill

Eslier and co. We don't 'ave all these machines at our gaff! Our guests experience a taste of real French country life in an old fashioned gite. In best rural, gite tradition they bring their own sheets to go with the rough blankets and lumpy mattresses. We expect our clients go to the local lavoir to do their washing, except there ain't much water left in there due to the drought; water for the house comes from the well but that's also running dry, something to do with the water tables being a bit low. As for the privvy down the garden, well don't ask! Lots of oil lamps and candles to cover for frequent power cuts, so all in all, well catered for Forgot to mention the "welcome pack" complete with some cheap, red plonk of course and a string of organic onions but they are a bit shrivelled (lack of rain) G

"If you as owner do not want people to use your facilities then to be quite honest you should not put them in your property. Unless I were paying a very low rent there is no way I would pay extra to use the machine, just would not rent the place in the first place."  I think some of us here are thinking of the planet (not our pockets) and global warming.   Come to think of it, a lot of the hotels nowadays encourage their  guests to use bath towels etc. for more than one day if possible, suggesting that guests put the towels that need to be changed in the bath ready for collection..   Gill