Catalpa

LAST EDITED ON 09-Aug-04 AT 06:49 PM (BST) Entrail-y things are always a problem and much messier to translate than runes, I find. More helpfully (perhaps) http://www.oncfs.gouv.fr/ This is the website of the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage and, this being France, they produce a very helpful leaflet entitled: What to do when you find a wild animal wounded or killed (tho in French, natch). Its a very comprehensive leaflet covering discovery of poaching and poisoning of wild animals as well as the presumably more common roadkill. It suggests that roadkill doesnt become the property of whoever runs it over. But Ive a sneaking suspicion that anyone knowing what to do with a freshly killed deer isnt going to turn it over to the local Mairie. Therere relevant FAQs answered on this page. http://www.oncfs.gouv.fr/faq/questions/questions09.php Otherwise, substantially I hope accurately prcis-ing part of the leaflet: Whether the animal is protected or not, wounded or dead, notify Notify the Marie, or the local Fdration des chasseurs, or the ONCF which seems to be well-represented across France or the Gendermerie. Obviously if the animal is alive and wounded, speed of notification is key. If the animal is not protected, is dead and weighs under 40kg (scales in the back of the car, anyone?) you can bury it. If its over 40kgs, it should go to the quarissage which Im translating as the knackers yard. If the animal is wounded but non-viable, the Marie will authorise someone to deal with it; if it can be saved, an authorised person will take it to a wildlife protection centre. I can find no mention of a maison de retraite. Which I think Im slightly relieved about. Maybe your neighbour used a colloquial phrase for knackers yard?! Carole

We've just bought a diesel Peugeot which has a Pastille Verte sticker. As I was about to rip it off and bin it, it occurred to me that it might have some practical use. I know what it is - indicates the car meets low pollution guidelines, or did when new - but is the sticker of any genuine use or relevance in 2004? Carole

Hi Coco - we watched the light show - no thunder but the lightening flashes illuminated cloud formations above the hills - until midnight-ish and then woke intermittently through the night to hear thunder and torrential rain. One of our dogs was a gibbering wreck this morning though she's okay now. She's less than enchanted by Normandy anyway as she can't get her head around (literally) the electric fence we have keeping sheep out and, it appears, dogs in. A very spectacular show around the Mortain / Juvigny area - but I can never wholeheartedly enjoy this sort of electrical storm - as a child, reading the Day of the Triffids had a longlasting effect on me! Carole

We've just imported shotguns via Portsmouth / Cherbourg and we took the information on what we should do from earlier posts on this forum. So... Contact the police office that issued your UK shotgun certificate. By phone and then confirmation letter, we asked for European Firearms Passes and Wiltshire didn't charge us for them. They EFP arrived about 3 - 4 weeks later. On arrival at the check-in booth at Portsmouth, we announced there were shotguns on board and that we needed to go via Port Security. The P&O staff advise Port Security by walkietalkie, issue you with a sticker on the dangly thing you have to hang from the rear-view mirror (boarding pass?) and you make sure you drive into Port Security (the same place that spot checks on cars are done). Port Security will chat nicely to you, remove the guns, arrange to transport them onto the ferry and on disembarkation, P&O staff will arrange for them to be delivered to you at the P&O desk in the terminal building. Obviously, go and make yourself known to the staff at the desk and tell them what you want. Don't assume the purser will remember to send the shotguns over to the terminal without being prompted by 'ground' staff. So, that's the process... the practice... We announced to the checkin staff we had guns on board. They duly radioed Port Security and gave us the dangly stickered thing. Not many passengers on this particular crossing so we drove straight down the empty marshalling lanes towards Port Security waving our dangly wotsit enthusiastically. All marshalls waved us straight through and the guy at Port Security also waved us straight past the security bay despite our best efforts to go in. Odd we thought. Bit casual. An hour into the voyage, there was a PA announcement asking us to go to the Information desk. At the desk waited the Chief Officer looking faintly embarassed. "I understand you've shotguns on board..." Yes," I said, "and we did tell the staff at checkin." Oh I know, we heard the radio traffic, Port Security weren't (my paraphrasing!) on the ball. We retrieved the shotguns from the van (this was a 'how much furniture and stuff can you pack into a transit van-type trip' and the shotguns were cunningly hidden in their metal gun safe underneath a large and surprisingly inflexible mattress) and they were locked in the purser's office. On arrival at Cherbourg we retrieved them as per the official process from the terminal building. We took cartridges out in a separate trip last week and again, these should be announced at check-in and viewed by Port Security. We had less than 250 cartridges which were well hidden and they were permitted to remain in the vehicle. We understand that more than 250 cartridges would be removed and transported as per the shotgun process. Port Security did say they take very little notice of the stickered danglies so it is the responsibility of anyone carrying a declarable item /items to ensure they go via Port Security. In Normandy... We've now tried twice to register the guns with the local Gendarmerie but (surprise!) either it was too near lunch or too near August and we've yet to meet anyone sufficiently interested to take any notes. We will persevere. Apparently when we do register, someone will come out and photograph the gun cabinet to ensure compliance with... something! Carole

We're dithering between buying a second-hand LHD diesel Passat or Laguna - in Normandy, if that's relevant. Oddly (to us) Passats seem cheaper to buy than Lagunas - similar spec, age etc. Does anyone have a view on whether servicing and parts in France will be more expensive on a non-French manufactured car? Carole

What's the closest equivalent to the UK mail recorded delivery and registered delivery services? Chronopost seemed to be the only option on offer at my local post office this morning (Manche). And Chronopost seemed more like a Fedex or DHL-type delivery - at least by the cost quoted... Eur36 for an A4 envelope with 1 x A4 sheet of paper in it. Carole

LAST EDITED ON 12-Jul-04 AT 10:57 PM (BST) Years ago, in the UK, one of my cats went missing for 8 days, late May / early June. I was very upset. (Understatement) She then reappeared, considerably thinner, immaculately groomed, very hungry and thirsty and voluntarily stayed in for several days. We assumed she had been shut in somewhere (garage, shed, greenhouse) and been released, perhaps when someone returned from a weeks holiday. I think you've done all the right things... perhaps also you could post a note through neighbours' doors asking them to check sheds, garages etc? It's unlikely that a fox would have taken him, especially if he's a robust, healthy cat. A bird of prey (falcon or hawk rather than a buzzard) is a possibility, but it's not *that* likely. Badger is totally unlikely. If you've combed the immediate area on foot, you'll probably have heard him complaining if he's stuck up a tree. Good luck, I really hope he returns and please don't give up looking for him yet. Carole

Hi - has anyone found... is anyone using... a gym in, say, Avranches or Vire? France - or relatively provincial France - doesn't seem to have gyms attached to local leisure centres... or maybe I've not been observant enough. Has anyone joined a gym in southern Normandy? Or is the thought just too exhausting to contemplate?!? Carole

Having just been fishing in the Finance File here hoping for an insight into the workings of Blevins Franks, I found the above message requesting exactly the info I hoped for... but no responses. So, 6 months on, I thought I'd reiterate the request: has anyone used one of these France specialists for advice? If so, has anyone any thoughts they want to share - either via the site or via my inbox? And if so: thanks in advance. Carole

When the dog is happy with the car as a playground, before taking the animal for a drive, get a large bean bag which fills the area in which the dog will lie. Don't have it too heavily stuffed - take some beans out if necessary. This - so we were informed by someone who ran puppy social evenings - evened out the motion of the car and solved the balancing problem for the dog. We've had to resort to this remedy twice over the years and it worked immediately for both dogs. The other 'must' is fresh air - even if that leaves the human occupants of the car a little chilled. Tough!! Carole

LAST EDITED ON 01-Apr-03 AT 03:52 PM (GMT) ew... I don't know what your insects are! But I leave our furniture covered in cotton dustsheets in between visits as that allows everything to breathe. I'd be worried that the plastic would trap damp so wouldn't use it. But maybe your house is thoroughly dry, so you don't have that problem. Carole