JeanS

My OH only drinks Assam and gallons of it, so I always bring boxes of it with me. I prefer rooibos tea Dragonfly preferably, they also make Earl Grey which is really nice -  - no milk or sugar. Carrefour do a rooibos & vanilla which is OK for when I run out  I agree that most of the fruit teas/tisanes smell nice but the taste is lost somewhere. I drink lemon and ginger in the morning followed by Nuit Calme Drainage & élimination - which isn't too bad. 

Thanks for all your suggestions - will revert to Plan A and send a present.

Thanks for all your suggestions. It's back to Plan A - I'll send him a present.  

I want to send a cheque to my grandson who lives in Eire (Southern Ireland) - as they use Euros.  Would the Irish bank accept a cheque drawn on a French bank?  Any thoughts????  

We decided not to insure our dog(then a 4yr.old labrador) a few years ago but to open a savings account for her.  Our renewal had risen and the excess had changed. They wanted an excess of £250 plus 10% of the Vets bills.  So after 3 years we've saved because she hasn't had to visit the vet other than for vaccinations and for her Passport checks. So I hope you find something to suit you.

Hi - don't know where you are in the Centre .We use Nicholas Jackson - he's just over the border in the Creuse and advertises in the Bugle/Creuse News. He's lives midway between La Chatre & Gueret.    His telephone no: 0555 621970     email: [email protected]  Can recommend - helped us out when a large pine tree fell in the wind plus other things.  

I thought I'd try this so phoned for a quotation.  Sounded OK - slightly cheaper and also the dog could travel with us in the cabin. However, decided not to use it for the following reasons. 1: Crossing 2 hours longer that Portsmouth/Caen 2: No breakfast allowance for Owners Club members 3: For us, an additional 40 miles to drive. Taking this into consideration - it was more expensive.

[8-)]Thank you for all your help - I've now deactivated them. Below is the response to my email to Orange. Nous vous informons que le moyen de paiement Contact+ est proposé pour différents services d’éditeurs partenaires, dont GIBMEDIA. Pour des raisons de confidentialité et de sécurité des transactions, l’éditeur partenaire est seul à même de vous fournir certaines informations, telles que les éventuels bénéficiaires de services achetés ou les informations de compte ayant commandé un service en particulier. Will keep a check from now on.

Just received my internet invoice for December - usually 24euros but this time it's 58.16euros. In December when we were at our house, I found a really good meteo site - nothing to say that you'd be charged approx. 1.42euros per minute!! I have queried this with Orange because I've been charged twice at the same date and time.  So beware!!! www.infosmeteo.com  

Re. PaulT's comment.  Orange have a landline for 'maison secondaires' which you can turn on and off but not Internet. Unless it's something new.  

After 6 months of debating I finally went ahead with my implant treatment in December 2012. I discussed the time scale with my dentist (he's German but has a practice near me in the UK). The initial appointment to fit the implant posts (titanium) took nearly 2 hours. I felt really ill afterwards but this soon went. I then had to wait three months for them to fuse and bed in before they were uncovered and the remainder of the work carried out. This is when the problems arose. All the impressions had to be sent to Germany where the new denture was being made. I needed everything to be finished by mid May, which came and went. My treatment was finally finished in October.  During the waiting, I had to endure a NHSdenture which kept brteaking. I had it repaired in France at a cost of 180euros - the same repair in the UK £18. At first the new smaller denture was unconfortable but I've now got used to it. It's a joy to be able to eat an apple and chew meat.The total cost should have been £5000 for 3 implants, 1 crown and a horse shoe shaped denture. However, I lost the crown and a new one had to be made - hence the additional cost of £650.  I disputed this because if he'd kept to schedule everything would have been finished in May. I know of some one who went to Hungary for treatment which was cheaper - however I'm not sure about the after treatment. As some one has already posted - if it was Vet's bills or a a new car, they'd been no question of spending the money.  

I paid out faxe fonciere online yesterday - just ignored the bit amount setting up an account. I've had an email confirming payment,so hopefully it worked.

Wouldn't use Gumtree - had a nasty experience with a scam when I tried to sell a rather expensive camera.  

We have a 'maison secondaire' at the end of a D road and get a weekly rubbish collection. Our local commune supply bags once a year .We're billed 3 times a year. I keep meaning to query the costings but never get round to it. The total for the year 137.52 which includes access to the local decheterie. I recycle where possible, having a visit to the decheterie just before we leave.

Try the local Emmaus - I worked in the one in La Chatre during the summer and was amazed at what you can get there. I bought a really nice bed frame for 10 euros.  

Same here. It's been on the market since June 2012 - reduced twice but no takers.

After reading this thread just like to add soemthing. On Tuesday in Decathalon, Chateauroux. I bought a travel dog bowl. The ticket clearly stated 5,95euros but my receipt 6,95euros. OH said to leave it but as I had to go to Chateauroux today thought I'd call in and get my refund. 1 euro is 1euro. So thought I'd call into Bensons Shoe shop and buy some shoes I saw on Tuesday at 10euros - today's price 33.00euros - all sales tickets had been removed! So didn't buy them - but did query how they could put prices back up. Met wth a blank expression from the vendeuse.  

After alot of huffing and puffing he decided it could be fixed and so I can collect it on Wednesday. More than I wanted to pay but I really can't be with me teeth!! I checked my Travel insurance - can't claim because I didn't break them in an accident.  

Thanks all - seems most of the dentists around here are on holiday. Found one - so off now to see what he can do.  

Does anyone know of a dental technician near La Chatre?  I've broken my dentures and won't be returning to the UK until September.

[8-)] We bookedc to stay in the Charante Maritime near Aulnay - arrived Saturday - beautiful and hot as was Sunday. We decided to go to La Rochelle on Monday  where it was cold, damp and cloudy but in Aulnay it has been nice. Then around 7pm it started to rain and didn't stop till yesterday morning. We did venture out to Cognac on Tuesday but only stayed for 5 mins. We got soaked within 20 yards just to let the dog out for a p... All the  fields were swamped and the ditched full of  water. OH ( a retired water treatment eng) kept saying  'there's going to be flooding'. So we gave up and came home.  

Does any one else find driving on the motorways at night difficult? We returned to the UK on Tuesday evening - at Tours there were 'small' signs saying that the exit to the A28 was closed and very little in the way of deviation signs. We rejoined the A28 further up towards Le Mans, by then it was dark and raining. OH was driving and finding that he had to use full beam to make out the white lines on the sides of the carriage way - the ones in the middle had all but disappeared. But heyho we struggled on - fortunately the motorway wasn't very busy. We then came across a very serious accident just before the junction for the A88. All in all a terrible drive but we still managed to get ot the ferry - last on! My point - what happens to the tolls??   The stretch of the A28 north of Alencon is relatively new and the A88 only a few years old, yet they are both in need of repair.  

Good news - however, be prepared for a charge for calling the English line - last year I had to call them. I was kept hanging on for nearly 15mins. only to be told to call back the following day because the office was closed!! For this I was charged nearly 10 euros. Still over night the problem cleared itself.

We had Pet insurance for our dog uo to last year. It gave us 60 days EU cover. However, on renewal, the excess had increased plus if you did claim for vets fees, you had to pay an additional 10% of the Vets costs.  We've only ever made a claim since we've had the dog - 5 years. So we didn't renew.  We put the money we used to pay monthly into a bank account again any future vet costs, plus I took out a subscription to the Dogs Trust - they give you third party insurance up to £1million plus a 24/7 Vetline. I think there may be another thread about this.

We are advised to carry a set of lights but how offer do the Police/Gendarmes stop people to check.  We drove back from Sazeray,36 to Caen on 20th.December  and the number of cars with faulty lights was quite high which leads me to think not to bother with a set of replacement lights because no one checks anyway.