Ian Hoare<br>All the best<br>Ian<br>La Souvigne Corrèze<br>http:www.souvigne.com

Hi Arnold, You said:- >That's all very well saying that you can't add a supplement but given the price difference between a "normal" menu and some fish-based ones, it's not going to be viable to maintain the same price if you've someone staying for a week or more (or a series of such people). I agree, it's a problem for those of us running B&Bs. But you've got no probs, you're running an Hotel, so you are playing by different rules. We reckoned that we should have been charging around triple our normal price for the fish selection a few weeks back. Hmm. I do think you're exaggerating slightly. As I said, I think I make a loss, but not to that extent. My personal situation, due to my policy of not cooking for people except on the day they arrive, or when someone else arrives, is that I rarely would be faced with the dilemma more than once and I can face the loss. For a TdH to maintain the same price, they would be losing money for such people and would be forced to reject bookings from such people which can't be within the spirit of the CdH/TdH rules. Certainly it is. It may go against the grain for us, wanting to maximise our turnover, no matter what, but the whole concept of the limitations imposed by these rules, is that they ARE limitations. We aren't restaurants, and we have to put restaurant type thinking out of our minds when working out how to deal with Table d'Hôte, I feel. >Also, it isn't the case that a family would necessarily have >the same menu for themselves at a single meal. So what, Arnold? You aren't bound by these rules, your thinking isn't and doesn't have to be that of Table d'Hote.But please stop trying to wriggle on MY behalf!! The rules say (amongst other things), "There must be only one menu". > Perhaps 50 years ago when the rules were set about 10 years ago actually, and the lobbying by hoteliers and restaurateurs is as powerful as ever it was. >that isn't because we have a hotel - we had a selection in >our previous life too). Look, I'm not saying one should be utterly rigid, - this evening, for example, I had some left over Armenian dried fruit compote, as well as the soufflé glacé aux noix that I'd planned. I asked which they'd prefer (they all chose the soufflé, so Jacquie & I finished off the fruit). But that's a completely different ballgame, it seems to me, from offering a completely different vegetarian menu. Or a special Muslim menu, or a special Jewish menu. Can't you see that this is "restaurant thinking". The questions at the back of our minds HAVE to be, "will this ONE menu be viable, both in financial terms and in terms of preparation time", and "will the majority of our guests feel constrained by it". If the answer to the first is "no" then we have a difficult decision to face between our needs and our wish to be good hosts. If the answer the second is "yes" then I think we shouldn't do it, out of consideration for the majority.

Hi Mike, you asked:- >That's a very kind offer Ian, would it be OK to email a scan >of the letter (150kb) to your booking email address? Sure. No probs. I can't guarantee I'll answer tomorrow/today (monday) but I'll try.

Hi Steve, you said:-  My wife and I have been looking for a hotel to buy in the Midi pyrenees for the last eighteen months without success, but have just received details on one that may be suitable but is located just outside Gramat, north east of Cahors. Trouble is we have not ventured this far North in the region and have no idea what the area is like.  Gramat is a town on the Causses as others have said. It's about an hour south of us and we drive through it on the way to Cahors etc. The Causses are limestone plateaux. Think of a cross between the Downs (chalky plateaux) and the lake district with fields delimited by dry stone walls. About the only viable agriculture is goat farming to make milk for the AOC Rocamadour cheese, a variant on the "Cabecou". I find the town itself entirely uninspiring, though I love the causses as a paysage. That said, I've not visited their "parc animalier" where the wolves are.  Wonderful orchid country at this time of year. I'd not be surprised to hear that it has an 8 month season, though. Rocamadour is the second most visited site (after Mont St Michel) in France apparently, though I hate what they've done with it. I would be hesitant about buying a place there, if you don't know it. How old are the existing owners? If they're not at retirement age, in effect, you're saying "We could do better than the French" That may be true, of course. If they ARE at retirement age, it is highly likely that they've not been doing the renovations needed to bring the place up to modern requirements, fire proofing, sound proofing, safety lighting and so on. So be deeply suspicious. "Caveat emptor" is still very much the binding principle in property purchases. Ask yourself why so MANY small family run hotels are closing (A friend of ours runs walking holidays and is finding it increasingly hard to find suitable places). Sorry to be negative, but I would be dubious about Gramat.     

Hi Lorraine. The nearest equivalent to strong cheddar is the cheese which some say was the model for it, brought by the Romans way back when. It's called cantal. Like cheddar it can be soapy and revolting or strong and subtle. Go to your specialist cheese merchant and ask for "Cantal Vieux" or possibly even "Cantal Croûtard". We have it all the time. It's NOT as good as Jamie Montgomery's Somerset cheddar, but it's not bad at all. What I'm not sure about, is how well it travels. We're quite near (20 kms) to the Cantal. As for bacon, beware the rolls of cured pork sold under the name of "bacon". They have about as much in common with the real stuff as those revolting orange slabs found in supermarket fish counters have with a real Arbroath Smokie. I have never found the "Bacon gout anglais" in OUR local Super U, so if you do manage to get some, best of luck. I have to admit, it is one of the few things I find really hard to live without, so visitors chez nous are asked to come laden with smoked streaky from "The Ginger Pig" in Borough Market.  

Hi Buns, You said - I do have a slight problem with the thought that a vegetarian would specify non meat at a non veggie place and not be prepared to reciprocate if they ran a CdH for all comers - I do cook veggie and eat it at friends; The rationale is that they are taking a moral decision and we as meat eaters are deemed not to be doing so. So we are expected to respect and cater to their high moral principles when they come to us, (or try to be all things to all men, as good little hoteliers) but accept their high moral principles when we go to them. Now I'm sorry but first of all I do not concede the moral high ground over eating meat. Secondly, I think there are several quite important considerations where politeness and respect for fellow humans should take precedence over respect for animal rights. For example, no matter how strongly one might feel about foie gras production, one does NOT fire bomb restaurants who serve it. That's an extreme case, but several places in California DID get such threats to property and even to their lives. I've tried to explain my resolution of this problem in so fas as it impinges on my CdH. What I do with and for my vegetarian friends is entirely different. If I invite Penny & Dave, knowing she's a vegetarian and why she decided to become one, it's done with my eyes open, and I'd not DREAM of serving her meat, and I'd take pride in offering them something delicious and entirely in keeping with their diet. However, I'll repeat that one of the essential pre-conditions of accepting money for meals as CdH proprietors in France, is that the meals fall into the category of Table d'Hôtes as defined by the Ministry of Tourism. All the stuff about being good businessmen, about the lack of vegetarian options and so on have absolutely nothing to do with it, in my view. WE must, as foreigners, be meticuous about keeping to the rules. What the French do or don't do is their business. What are the rules? We all (guests and owners) eat at the same table, all eat the one same menu and never have more than 15 people.  As I have said before, I really do fail to see why the moral position (which I respect as being entirely valid for them) of one or two of my guests should be imposed on up to 14 other people. By the same token, If I had a party of 10 vegetarians, and two who ate meat, I'd certainly not impose meat on everyone else. I can find a compromise in fish, if that is acceptable to the non meat eaters. Although with the cost of fish today, I know I'll lose money on the meal. (TdH meals are fixed price and we can't offer fish at a supplement).  If it isn't, and they will only eat eggs and dairy produce, then IF they are the first to order, I may consider planning a suitable meal. But it is MY choice and if I get any feeling I'm being pressured, there is NO WAY I will go along with it. As a good host, I'll try to accommodate my guests, but the converse must apply. They must be good guests and not seek to bully me. I know this sounds hard nosed, but it is MY reaction to the increasingly strident behaviour of a small minority of "animal rights" activists.

Hi Mike, Without seeing letter and form, it's a bit hard to know what they want. If you fax me the form and letter, I can tell you. In general, if you increase the livable surface area, your hypothetical rent (were you to rent out the house) would be higher and as I understand it, taxe d'habitation is related to the price you could get for renting. You can find my fax number on my website, though I'm often on line, I'm afraid. You could always call me and tell me to disconnect, if your fax machine gets fed up!

Hi Missyessbut You said >If you lived in France you would have gone to that naughty >naughty patisserie in the high street and got their gooiest >chocolate cake! >and plenty of Champagne! try to splash out on the real thing >for your friends, CAVA just WON'T do!!!!!! Nor will Champagne BRUT. If you serve a bone dry rather sharp wine with anything sweet it's instant indigestion. If you can get it, a Banyuls goes well with Chocolate cake and that's what most french wine lovers would serve with it. If you really want fizz (not that I think a light white goes with a gooey pud) then a decent Moscato d'Asti is excellent. If you MUST spoil a champagne then let it be a demi-sec, which has some sweetness.

[quote]I would agree with the comment that you should tell the Mairie. If it is anything like our village (61) the Maire will find out anyway. Much better that he/she finds out from you than a curtain twit...[/quote] Hi Tony, Exactly!!! Because it's perfectly possible that the neighbour will get the story wrong too! Like it or n ot, we live in France and it's intelligent to be meticulous.

Hi, What fun. Potage Parmentier (That's a Leek and potato soup) Terrine de Campagne (get a slice at Sainsbury or Tesco) Cassette d'Auvergne. Roast leg of lamb cooked on top of a bed of sliced potatoes mixed with lardons Green Salad (not too sharp. 3 french cheeses Crème Caramel or Choccy Mousse. recipes for these are all available. (Yup even the terrine, though I don't think you're going to want to make it as it's expensive and complicated, which is why I suggest buying it!) That's very much the sort of french meal we serve here. Iy has to be admitted that soup isn't fashionable any more, but it's easy, cheap and nourishing.

Hi, Basically , outside and inside surface area. For example, if you are constructing a house, the brute would be the overall exterior surface area measuring round the outside of the walls. The nette, would be the inside, in effect the sum of the internal floors on one storey. So in the case of an extension, it may be as well to give these figures for the extension alone. Hope that helps.

Hi Buns, A point that no one else has raised here in the pricing issue is that of charging extra the more people there are in a room. Our price is for 2 people sharing a room and includes breakfast. Yup. Same here. However, we have one room large enough to take a third bed and in that room, we charge a supplement of €12 for a bed or €6 for a cot. This covers the cost of laundry, time, hot water and food for breakfast. The other day we had a lady who wanted to book that room for she and her husband and their 8 year old. When told the price (€49 all in) she said "That's too much extra" and put the phone down on my wife. She was pretty dumb actually because she'll have not found anywhere else at our price.

[quote]Well I am not to sure about any of this. Do they get the worlds top 500 industry experts, hire a Jumbo Jet and take them round all these placed all over the world, I think not. Im afraid the statemen...[/quote] Hi Chris, While I entirely share your cynicism about the validity of the "best restaurant" awards and the methods whereby they decide, I must take issue with you on one thing. You say:- But seriously, the quality of cooking in England has gone up but not by English chef's, its more to do (in London anyway) with the fact that you can get any nationality of food you want. Gordon Ramsey, Gary Rhodes, Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver are all British. yes, I know they're all media hyped to death, but they're fine cooks, and most have worked for years in restaurants, making their reputations. Then there are places like "Chez Bruce" and "La Trompette" (Not forgetting Angela Hartnett at the Connaught) where British cooks are cooking magnificent food. I think that there's been a revolution in the quality of (restaurant and home cooked) food in the UK in the last 20 years or so. Yes, it's perfectly true that one can also get world class Chinese, Italian, French, Thai, Indian food in the UK, though I'd argue that you could get much of that for many years. What I find more impressive nowadays, frankly, is the fact that there are now many British trained chefs turning out excellent food from all over the world and making a good living at it. Restaurants no longer need look for foreign chefs to be sure of having decent food.

Hi Buns again, You said:- This season alone I've had (after the gentle reminder!!), and remember I set out my stall in booking confirmation as to how to pay me. Oh thought you'd take sterling cheque; or I've got sterling in cash as it's going to cost me to change it to euros (Not going to cost me of course) and sterling is useless to me been here too long, I've only got travellers cheques in sterling, Oh can't you take switch or electron - see the pattern yes; it's our fellow compatriots.  Is it really that much I've only got 100 euros left (for a 5 day stay).  Good heavens!!! That's really amazing. Seriously. OK, only around 20% of our guests are British, so proportionally, we'd not expect so many problem guests Nevertherless... Do you mind telling me how you get these guests, how they find you? Because in the 7 or 8 years we've been with Sawday, we've never had any such nonsense. I'm sure you're just as clear how payment should take place as we are, and so on... Very odd.  And of course If I'd had your experiences, I'd no doubt do the same as you do. Makes me glad that when we started we decided to target the French and then when we decided to diversify, to use Sawday as our only English speaking guide.

Hi Miki, I'm sorry if I've touched a raw nerve. I'll not post on this again. However it seems as if you've not been reading what I've said. Here we go again, shift the goalposts. You stated that you run your B&B to suit your lifestyle and the pension is not even taken in to account. Well try it without then and let’s see how you get on ! Of course you must take your pension in to account, otherwise you couldn’t buy or do many of the things you do. I've not shifted any goalposts. I set my CdH prices to maximise my long term CdH income. I don't take my pension into account when setting my CdH prices, why should I? My pension pays for my life here - all of it, while the Cdh pays for our holidays. If we didn't have the CdH we'd have the money we invested and would use that for holidays, what's the problem in understanding that? You can clearly see that your pension is fully involved in your lifestyle Of course it is. It pays for my lifestyle, as I've said consistently. And your pricing structure has to "marry in", so that it supplements your pension. No it doesn't marry in to anything. It doesn't supplement anything, it pays quite separately for my holdays/travel. 2½ months down the West coast of the USA last autumn for example. Next trip will be down the Andes from Venezuela to Ushuaia.  Take the pension away and the whole income structure goes out the window, simple as that. Well of course it would. But take our CdH income away and things would be much worse, we'd not be able to take our glorious holidays. As I've said consistently my CdH income has no effect on my day-to-day lifestyle.

Hi Stéphane, I was pretty sure you were french speaking from your accent!! If your wife wants to work as a Kiné, then as Cerise (?) said, she too will need to be able to speak fairly good French. Be sure to check up that her qualifications will be accepted here. As for what kind of place to buy, there's some good sense in what Arnold says, though not (in my opinion) for the reasons he gave. Prices of property in need of some restoration (as opposed to ruins) are not THAT much lower then the prices of places that you can move into. However, Arnold bought an hotel, and that's a completely different animal from a B&B. If you DO manage to find a place in which all the conversion to a B&B has been done, then by all means go for it, if the price is right, however, it would have had to have been converted for that purpose. It's no good thinking that you can run a B&B in an old hotel, for dozens of good reasons. I would question whether a swimming pool is a good thing to have in a B&B. At least in the sort of image I have of a B&B anyway. It all depends upon who you want and what you expect your guests to do. Personally I don't want my guests trailing around the place during the day. I want to be left alone to look after the house, the washing and drying, the shopping and cooking and all the rest. If you have a swimming pool you're going to attract more families with kids (whose noise around a swimming pool has to be heard to be believed, and who may irritate the neighbours), and you will encourage them to be hanging around all day. They'll then want to picnic in the place at lunch. I have quite a few friends who have had to declare their swimming pools out of bounds, because of the noixe, mess and nuisance value. To say nothing of the new regulations. In my part of the world, luxurious 4 épis B&Bs are relatively rare, and prices there are pretty high. However, the demands made are also pretty high, and a number of people I've known who were running them have stopped, because they simply couldn't bear the life. Remember that to be able to be part of the largest grouping of B&Bs in France, Gites de France, (which I most heartily recommend, as it is the sign of a properly inspected and professionally run place) you cannot be in a town of more than 1500 people. They don't like properties beside a main road, and regard 5 rooms as about the largest number. To get 3 or 4 épis (essential) you must have private salles d'eaux in every bedroom. They don't much like a cabinet de douche anymore. There's some talk of having separate WCs and shower/bath rooms, though I personally think that's going too far. You get many more clients if you offer dinner, though it's a great deal of work for very little profit. I VERY strongly recommend that your guests can have their own entrance. Then you won't have them coming back at all hours of the night and tripping over you as you go to bed, or while you're sitting peacefully. You might also like to set aside a room where they can take breakfast, and perhaps sit in in the evenings. If your own rooms are used for that, you will find the lack of privacy to be very oppressive. Honestly, I think you would stand a better chance of finding a large private house in fair condition which you can convert, than ready to be used. But you should certainly TRY to find one that's ready. Arnold is right that a house that's ready would start bringing in money more quickly, but against that, I feel it's better to create something that's exactly right, rather than muddle along with something approximate. As for employment for your wife. I'm afraid I've no idea at all. You should visit the area, decide if you like it, and if you do, ask around about work. But your first decision ought to be to find an area which suits you. Hope that helps

Hi, I agree with Deimos, I don't think you need to get a Déclaration de Travaux. However, your plumber should certainly know, and it costs nothing to ask at the Mairie. I certainly would, if only so that they don't feel all left out and unloved!  

Hi, Arnold said:- then people will essentially be forced into using higher prices for that period and I think that in general such places would correspond with high demand over that short period. Which, means, as I said. "Demand outstrips supply in high season, so we can get away with higher prices."  That's what I said is the rationale behind high season prices. Miki says exactly the same thing, with more heat and umbrage. I reject the idea that relative to the number of rooms occupied one works harder in summer. In fact, I would argue that by applying higher prices in summer, one would tend to get shorter stays and therefore CREATE more work. Of course we  work harder in Summer, but by renting more rooms we get more money for it.  The ONLY reason people increase prices at times of high demand, is to make more from people who don't have much choice but to pay. Miki produces the argument that because Airlines, Rome hotels and Ferries do it, it's OK for Chambres d'Hôtes to do it. That's a non argument, in my book. I know they do, and I don't like that either. Ask your clients when they come across the Channel what they think of the Ferry companies' summer vs winter pricing policy?  NO one likes paying "high season" prices. But because demand outstrips supply, people do. You all know that's the simple truth.  You have your ideas of whether it's right or wrong, I have mine. You're perfectly entitled to say what you think, so am I. Miki says that I do pay high season prices. Perhaps, though if I can choose between two places, suppliers or whatever, one of which does apply seasonal prices and the other doesn't, I'll choose the one who doesn't. If I can't then I'll do my damndest to go out of season. Because that's the way I think, as a customer, then I'll not make other people do what I hate doing myself. One final point, Miki. I don't live off B&B, it pays for my holidays. I started it up with that aim, and I pay all my B&B income into a separate account just for that.  However, I have expensive tastes in holidays, so I do my level best to make sure my lettings income is as high as it can be. I've said it many times, I think one has to be extremely lucky and hard working to be able to live off B&B. If we didn't have the pensions we worked hard to earn, we'd not have been able to come here. We never had the slightest intention of doing B&B when we came, it was a complete accident. However, it does pay for the most magnificent holidays, and long may they last. But I'll tell you this, Miki, if tomorrow our pensions disappeared, so all I had to live on was what we could earn here, I'd not charge high season prices, even if I did think it wouldn't harm our turnover, or if I knew it would boost our income. It's clear you don't agree, so let's drop it.  

Hi, I'm ignoring all the bickering - and am going to try to answer the question. I don't think a university degree as such is as highly regarded in France as it is in the UK. That said, an appropriate professional qualification is absolutely essential - for a young person. I think there's a fundamental difference in the two countries' approaches towards higher education. In the UK, professional non degree qualifications are seen as  being somehow cheating, while that's not true here. What I meant in my reference to the age of the person is this. In France, they pay great heed to the dossier that you can amass to support your job application. When someone's young, they don't HAVE much professional experience under their belts, so just about all they can offer is academic qualifications and various training courses they have been on. As one gets older, so one's success in getting jobs and doing well at them becomes more important than paper qualifications, though in France, I suspect that more jobs are tied to those qualifactions no matter what age you are, than in the UK. I hope you don't mind that I've gone rather wider afield than the scope of your question, but I suspect that your question was somewhat skewed by your being British. What I really don't sympathise at all with, is the somewhat truculent attitude by many British people without degrees towards those who do. I know of no other country in the world (with the possible exception of the USA) where this kind of sillness exists. I suppose it's a reaction to the equally silly attitude that equates value as a person with high academic qualifications.

Hi again Stéphane, you said:- Thank you for the the answer who will guide me through my quest. I hope it's some use. However, you need to be aware that running a B&B - especially if you're counting on it for serious amounts of money, is very hard work. The main problem for us will be to find a job for my wife, otherwise I think it isn't a good adventure to start. I quite agree. You said in English that she's a physical therapist. Is this your translation of Kinésitherapeute? If is, I'd have expected that there's always plenty of work for one. Certainly there is around here! Would she be intending to set up as a self employed person, or is she looking to be an employee? It might make a difference as to where you should look. I could imagine that trying to run a Kiné and Chambre d'Hôte in the same house might be tricky. You'd need to ask the local office of GdF, as they may not like the idea. Equally, I'd have thought that your needs would be pushing in opposite directions. A self employed Kiné would need to have their treatment room convenient to enough people to make their business viable, while GdF won't approve a CdH in a town of more than about 1500 people. But otherwise we will go further with your information with a budget of 300.000 euro's That's a pretty generous amount of money, though you would have to think about whether you would need to invest part of it to supplement your wife's income while your income from CdH builds up. Our income was pretty low in the first full year of being open, but then increased by 33% after one year, and a further 25% the next. After a little glitch, it continued to rise by 20% a year for a further two years. So after 5 years it had gone up to three times the first year. Subsequent changes have been relatively minor. Best of luck.

Hi Miki and Arnold, I've been doing some checking up. Out of 103 places listed in the Corrèze, only 2 definitely DO charge different prices in and out of the high season, and 3 may do (I can't find precise information). The rest don't. So can we say that 97% here don't do so? I don't think I want to be in that small a minority, whether it would bring me in more money or not. Miki, my pricing policy is not affected by pensions or lack of them, it is done for entirely commercial reasons. I want to maximise my income, that's all. By keeping prices down, I keep my house full. When I compare my occupancy levels with the averages (which of course include my own place) for the Correze, we are about 2½ times the average. When I compare my length of let with the average we are about 1.8 times the average. Correze isn't Normandy, and what is commercially sensible for you, would probably be unsuccessful here. If one charges one price for 2 months and another for 10, it is distinctly specious to say that the "real" price is the 2 months price and that the 10 months is a discounted price. The fact is, have the honesty to admit it, that in high season there's more demand than supply, so you increase the prices because the market will bear it. I prefer to set a price that I feel is honest, and keep to it the year round. Arnold. You say it's better to make 1000E by having 8 rooms at 125 than 10 at 100. I can't say I agree, sorry. Because although in high season, those may be the figures, outside it, you'll find you have 2 rooms at 125 while your colleagues have 6 at 100. Finally, Guide Routard. My prices as advertised everywhere, and to everyone - including GR are as they are. IF people arrive with the GR in hand, ask for the discount and stay more than 2 nights, they get 10%. This is not adding 11% for everyone else, that has to be pretty obvious. As for whether GR is worth while... I suppose that about 25% of my total turnover comes from them, of which perhaps 20% would NOT be filled from elsewhere if they didn't come, as they are mainly out of season, while GdF are mainly in season. I'd not be in GR, if I were a lot more expensive, that's certain. So for sound commercial reasons, and because I want to be able to continue to take 2-3 month holidays all over the world, I do my damnedest to keep my income as high as possible by NOT antagonising my largest single source of clients.    

Hi Buns, (Hey if you're a bunny in winter, what are you in the summer? ). You said:- Payment up front - well not so much runners I don't expect these, but more in the unpreparedness that Coco experienced.  They know how much the room is going to be, they know how much the meals they've had are, but low and behold on the last morning they haven't had the nous to keep sufficient money back from their spends.  It can get embarrassing as to how they are going topay, no cash machine in our village etc..  So it seems to help them them budget.  It's frankly sheer bad manners not to have enough money to pay the bill, but it does happen.   Interesting. In all the years we've been doing B&B, we've only ever had that happen once!  Of course, about 70% of our business is French, they pay by cheque and that's an end to it. So although we did have one "foolish virgin", I don't think it was enough to justify requesting payment up front. I don't know.... I'm not criticising anyone who wants to do it, but it leaves a slightly unpleasant taste in my mouth. I do remember on Britanny Ferries once, being asked to pay for dinner up front and having done so and eaten it, my feeling was that they had to, because no one would have paid afterwards. And I suppose that experience has rather coloured my feelings. I agree entirely with you that it would be bad manners not to take the trouble to have the money. When people spend one night only, the question's irrelevant, paying when they arrive or when they leave makes no difference to their cash (if they're eating chez nous). If they spend more than one night, what I tend to do is to remind them gently on the morning before their last night, that they'll need to have roughly so many euros and that the nearest cash point is at ... That's if I get the vibes that they might be that disorganised.   

Hi Diana, Obviously no one can tell you what will happen, all we can do is tell you what could happen. You could be required to put it all back the way it was, at your expense, and get fined. That would be about the worst case scenario. The best case is that they say nothing, making allowances for the fact that you're ignorant foreigners, but you can be sure they will make a note on your dossier, and God help you if ever you need to get a Permis, or help from the Mairie. My suggestion is that you put aside Brit thinking. In the UK they scrabble desperately through the rules to find some reason to stop you doing what you want, here they tend to search diligently to find a way of allowing you to do it. So trust them. Go down to the Mairie and explain what you want to do and ask their help in filling in the form. That's what they're there for. If you take a sketch of the lean to and wall as it is, with a sketch of what you want, you'll probably find that's fine. If not, two photos, one as it is one with the window and door drawn on, will probably do fine. If you're not confident in your ability to speak French adequately then ask your french speaking friend to come with you. These forms aren't THAT hard to fill in, honestly. We've had to do two or three since we've been here. The Mairie will be able to explain to him/her the info they need. Courage. And please don't be one of the Brits who think they can get away with driving a coach and horses through the rules and regulations. In France, you have an absolute obligation to find out the rules as they apply to you. Ignorance is no defence.  

Hi Stephane, This is an almost impossibly difficult question to answer. I believe that there's always room for competition. If your place is better and your prices competitive, then as long as you go in the right guides, you'll succeed in carving a niche for yourself.  But you need to be prepared to work harder then your competitors, and probably have something really special if you're seeking to open up in an area where there's a lot of competition. But I don't think that there's anywhere in France that's truly saturated. You would need a place where your wife can get a job (so not too for from a fair sized town). It's got to be a place that's either got an excellent long tourist season, or one where it's developing. I would suggest that you should also look to an area where there is good road and/or rail access from major conurbations which are about 5-6 hours away. You may well then get people who have left home, driven for as much as they feel like and are then looking to overnight. Once they've come once there's a possibility they will want to discover your area on another visit. Lastly it would be perfect if the area you chose had decent stocks of reasonably low priced housing. Does such a perfect place exist? I don't know. I might be tempted to look near Cahors in the Lot. There will soon be an international airport off the A20 just south of Brive, so you would be within 3/4 of an hour of there. Rodez is reasonably reachable with cheap flight from the UK. The A20 is free from Vierzon to Brive, therefore almost all the way from Paris and the distance is right. You'd be under 3 hours from Toulouse, and about the same from Bordeaux. Lyon would be 5 hours. There's a lot of tourism in the Summer, and quite a lot in mid season. There would certainly be the possibility of developing a specialised business with Cahors wine estates. Best of luck.

Hi, Being in GdF implies not booggering around with the prices from one minute to the next as you have to fix them one year for the next. I actually think that's very much more ethical too.  I thought that GdF rather disapproved of  different high/season low season prices for B&B, not that this would discourage me if I thought it was right. Yet again I seem to find myself in a minority of one. I don't like places ramping up the price just because they can get away with it. I won't go to places that do it and so I won't do it myself. In fact, by keeping my prices stable year long, I am offering an off peak discount. I ought to charge for heating in the cooler times of the year. As for other discounts, we are part of the Guide Routard 10% scheme, so when people come, using the GR, for more than 2 days off peak, we give a 10% discount if we have had sight of the Guide and the client asks for it (that's the way the scheme works). Apart from that, we don't. However, with people we really like who are staying a good while, we may very well do them a free meal. But it's our choice to do it, and doesn't feature in our publicity.

[quote]"Kirsch is virtually unknown here where the dish was invented, and in any case is FAR too expensive to be used in the quantities needed." Obviously not lived here long...move in the circles I entert...[/quote] Only 16 years. !00 mls of Kirsch is far too extravagant for what is - as you so inelegeantly put it - a peasant dish. Don't say you use "Fantaisie" in place of Kirsch. The real thing costs well over E30 a bottle, and no Limousin peasant would have dreamt of using it. Gnole is the stuff they'd use here.