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Jill<br><br>Jill (99)

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Everything posted by Jill<br><br>Jill (99)

  1. [quote]Dont see anyone saying well done to GW,here goes WELL DONE,and maybe one day the french will come round and thank the yanks for what they have done for this country I live in,with out them there would...[/quote] Sorry, but how old was GW when the Americans helped out France in WWII? Was he even a twinkle in his Daddy's eye?!? Whilst history does have bearing on what happens today in many ways, the leaders of the countries were different back then. To say that people shouldn't criticise Bush and the American way because they helped out in World War II is like saying it would be OK for GW to go and bomb Germany because Germany was once led by Hitler and was in a war against America. (I hope this doesn't give him ideas!). What about the American War of Independence? Who was against who then? It is what is happening now that matters and what effect that will have on the future. What damage will war and lack of respect for ecology do for the world we live in and what sort of world will our descendants live in? That is what matters.
  2. I've never seen butter on a table in a French household except for bread and butter for breakfast, but otherwise I've only seen it used for frying. Perhaps that's why the French are slimmer (if they really are - can't say I noticed myself). Doesn't make any difference to me either - i.e. the fact I don't have butter on bread - although I do like it when it melts on muffins, crumpets, toast, potatoes, haricots verts!
  3. Everyone seems to know (or be) American's who don't support Bush, but my daughter is on a forum where there is an American man who is absolutely for Bush and claims that people who don't support him are immature and naive! Apart from me being anti-war, the other thing that really gets to me is the speech they televised a few times where he refuses to take part in ecological measures. It's all one form of distruction or another! I really thought Kerry had a good chance of winning!
  4. There was a European Market in Nottingham last weekend and my daughter went down and bought Rillettes and Jambon de Bayonne (the latter which came in handy because we were using the last of our Raclette cheese the next day). But I have wondered how they go on about bread. After all, when you are in France, you buy bread for lunch, but you buy fresh again for dinner - at least if you are eating white French bread, anyway - especially baguette. So there was no way it would be fresh if sold over here. So I just pointed out to her not to buy the bread. The thing is, everything is pretty expensive on these markets and if you were to want to buy much stuff from it, you would probably be better off getting a cheap day return to Calais. (Please - soon - no raclette left - more to the point only a couple of bottles of wine left and turning to Argentinian - which is very nice actually, but a bit on the expensive side). They tried a French market in a market town nearer to where I live last year, but I was talking to one of the charcutiers who said they wouldn't go there again as the people seemed "poor" and were not buying. I wouldn't have said money was the problem though - more a lack of interest in anything foreign.
  5. Talking of Fondue Bourgignonne and where I'd first eaten it also reminded me of another recipe in the notebook where I noted recipes during a sejour in France. Does anyone know this recipe? It was basically ravioli with spinach in it and melted butter and cheese over the top. I was told it was a Savoyarde or Isere recipe (as that family had a home in Chambery and Laffrey). A few years ago, when staying at Laffrey again, I'd seen in a book that some sort of ravioli was a regional speciality, but couldn't find any. In fact the only regional speciality we found in restaurants was friture! I looked in the supermarket in La Mure too. I must try making it some time, but would like to verify the recipe before having a bash! I do have a pasta machine but haven't used it for years, but that would possibly make it easier.
  6. Didn't the popularity of Kevin in France come around with Kevin Costner and Prince of Thieves? I have a French friend with a nephew called Kevin and a German friend with a son of that name. I was talking to another French friend in the summer and I wondered who the hell Reechar sjheray was. It was Richard Gere! Sorry, was someone talking about Shorn Born, or is that Seen Been?
  7. The first time I had Fondue Bourgignonne was in 1976 when I stayed with a French family in Chambery. I still have the note book where I noted their version of it. They were a family who prided themselves as being Gourmets and Gourmands! The oil had herbs added to it. The steak was cut in cubes. The sauces were: Mayonnaise Aoili Tartare Ketchup with porto!!!! also cubes of cheese and walnuts were available but getting these to go/stay on the fork were a huge problem. I can't actually remember what we had with this but believe it was actually frites. A few years later I had it again at the home of a friend in Normandy. She was rather a lazy cook and served a large packet of crisps with it - yes she is French - I was surprised myself. I have seen packs of Fondue sauces in supermarkets in France, in fact I bought one one year. These included bearnaise and tartare, I think. We have Fondue Bourgignonne at home a couple of times a year. It is one of my son's favourite meals. It is also ideal when the mother-in-law visits as she likes her steak to be burnt and my husband and I like ours fairly rare. We tend to give her two forks so she has time to burn 2 pieces of steak to a cinder while we show probaby 8 or 10 pieces of steak to the oil! We strain the oil and save it until next time we have fondue. Another advantage is that if you are having guests for a meal, you might allow a normal amount of steak per person, but you are quite likely to end up with some left over. The nature of the meal just stops you eating as much. Bon appetit!
  8. I don't have an iron - but my husband does! All my clothes are non-iron - I make sure of it! Perhaps I should buy him some of this stuff. Yes, the smell of ironing is horrible.
  9. Actually, there are some people in England who never took the Christmas lights off their houses after last Christmas! Yes, there are houses with grey icicles dangling down the front, here and there. We noticed a local town had put the decorations out the other evening, but not switched on. I find it depressing. I really don't enjoy Christmas shopping, I'd rather give when I see something I think would be appropriate for someone than have to rack my brains, scour the shops and then end up giving something totally useless! I keep telling everyone not to buy my Christmas presents, as I end up with things that are bought for the sake of it. Actually, I've said this evening that I'd like my own electric drill as the one we have is past its best. I'd rather have useful things. The Tree will go up as late as possible. I wish I had a porch or conservatory so I could stick it in there and not have to rearrange the lounge into a squash to find space for it! Yep - Bah Humbug! That's me.
  10. It could be - but so do the Italian and Spanish and my Italian and Spanish books are the same way round as the English ones, as is my Italian video of 1492 (never watched). So it's just the French who are being "special" as in "difficile". When you record a video yourself though, do you think which way to slap the label on - I don't - mine vary.
  11. Returning to the first posting - I should think if you live in the Limoges area you need Lingerie shops to make life interesting - there is precious little else of interest in the region and what is there seems to be shut! (Oradour excepted.) On the other hand, wouldn't a massage parlour on every corner in Limoges be handy? After two hours walking round Limoges this summer it was just what I needed, what a painful day.
  12. Do you mean her name is Agnes in English? In which case I'd pronounce it Anyess in French. It is a horrible name in English, but as you say, much better in France. A French friend of mine is called Edith which is also awful in English, yet Aydeet sounds much nicer. Can't help thinking of the pronunciation of Edith in "Hello Hello" - always sounded derogotory - probably because it was always followed by "You stupeed wumann". Many names sound much better in French than English though - even just Mary/Marie/Marree. Helene instead of Helen although not too bad a name in itself. Boring English boys names like John and Peter become more attractive when Jean and Pierre. Unfortunately, my name just becomes a man's name in French!
  13. Yes, mine disappeared after a couple of days too.
  14. We just raked out an old video this evening (My Fair Lady - as it happens - not relevant) and after it was Leonard Bernstein's Candide. After he made his opening speech I was inspired to get out my copy of Candide, which I hadn't ready for 25 years when I did it for A level. I read a couple of chapters and was struck by the "matter of fact" style which I now realise must be where the narrative style in many French films comes from - e.g. Amelie and La Gloire de Mon Pere. Or am I wrong? Was literature written in that style before then? Reading those two chapters this evening, it struck me how modern it sounds. Hasn't French literature at least changed since the mid 18th century? I'm definitely going to read it all now - feeling quite inspired!
  15. We uusually camp, but for a Gite would probably go through Gites de France too. We have in the past, but don't tend to use Gites anymore as we find we can camp for 3 weeks for the cost of 1 week in a Gite and I'd rather be away for 3 weeks than 1. We have occasionally also used Chambres d'hote through Gites de France and have been both delighted and disgusted. On one occasion we booked a place and liked it so much that we booked a return visit - only to return and find they'd double booked us simply because the other people had wanted more days than us and the hosts hadn't bothered to phone us and just found us an alternative which was extremely basic - so basic that my husband couldn't even stand up in the room - he's 6'4" that's not huge - I had to bend in half of the room too. Another Chambre d'hote - the host wasn't even there and had arranged for a neigbour to let us in. One of the rooms had clearly had a dog in it judging by the stench and was full of flies. Breakfast next morning was served by a neighbour and consisted of stale brioche. I really should have written to complain, but hesitated simply because the Gite was in a village where friends live and didn't want to cause hard feelings. So, although Gites de France are pretty good, they aren't foolproof at all levels.
  16. I love France and would love to live there eventually, and I can't explain why I am so drawn to France - I've just been that way since I was about 9 years old. But some of the reasons people give here for leaving the UK are not necessarily reasons for leaving the UK, they could equally have been reasons for moving to other parts of the UK. For example, I do live in Derbyshire, but on the edge. Within 20 minutes I can be in Derby or in 30 minutes, Nottingham. In 50 minutes I can be in Leicester or Birmingham. If I go to those places, it is a fact that it can be busy and overcrowded. But in 1976 I was in Caen and over the years I have returned there, and I'm horrified by the growth of that city compared to the growth of places around where I live in the UK. So although I know there are very rural places in France, you can find equally rural places in the UK and equally crowded places in both countries. Also, what is affordable is subjective. There is no way I could sell my property in Derbyshire and own a property in France with a swimming pool. 20 years ago, that might have been possible, but these days, it just isn't. But it might be for people in the south of England or in the more expensive northern regions. Also, there is the fact that if we were to sell up and move, there would be no way for us to earn a living as our professions (policeman and dance teacher) are not transferrable to France. We have quite a good life in England - it could be better, but we can live OK on what we earn and appreciate our holidays in France. I've visited lots of regions in France and some of them I would love to live in. But there are regions of France that I wouldn't dream of living in or even visiting (likewise the UK). Therefore, I feel that most people could find satisfactory places to live in either country. From listening to my French friends complaining about taxes, work opportunities, education and such-like, I really can't believe that there is such a chance of a better life style for families who want to give their children a chance to get on in life, at least. Much as I've wanted to live in France all my life, it is still something I would only do part-time if I could afford it on retirement. I certainly think that there are better educational opportunities for working class children in the UK. My daughter wants to live in France as soon as she is able to find work there - I will support her as much as I can in this as it is what I always wanted to do myself. But I can only hope she can succeed in this.
  17. I agree that if I moved to France it would be through love of the country. I fell in love with France way before I could understand the difference between the price of property, booze etc here and there, but at a time when I was old enought realise that - at that time - chocolate, drinks etc were very expensive in France. So it is definitely the country and not prices. Although I do wish I'd been in a position to buy property in France a few years ago when it was cheap. On another aspect of this topic, I was talking to a man a few weeks ago, who said his brother was buying vast amounts of farming land in Poland. He is involved in farming apparently, but he was talking about problems with the EEC and farming and reckons that there is farming land in Poland to be snapped up for next to nothing, which will be worth millions in a few years. This is just hearsay - not something I could verify.
  18. Sometimes we use Lavazza. I'm not sure what we mostly use in France to be honest - as that's where we use the Bialetti mostly. My husband does the shopping and makes the coffee when we are on holiday, so I've not really looked. We did buy some coffee in Luxembourg one year and that was foul stuff!
  19. I think if friends were obviously drunk you should take their keys and insist on them staying the night. Getting a taxi for them is another option, but I'd not be prepared to pay for it for them - not unless I thought they were so far gone they might throw up, anyway. Regarding cars with children loose in the back - it annoys me intensely - especially sometimes they are standing in the gap between the two front seats! Or kids on adults knees - they seem to think it is safe! Regarding flashers - yes it does slow people down. It depends on where it is. There are some places when the speed limits are too low and people may only be going a bit over the speed limit. So, then it's not a bad thing. I know roads round here that are 30 mph when 30 miles away, similar roads have a 50mph limit! On the other hand, I was somewhere a few weeks ago and it was a road with speed humps and I was going fairly slow, but as fast as I felt I could reasonably go over the humps which was below the limit. Then someone sped past me - must have been going 50 or 60 mph! I hope they squashed their exhaust pipe on the landing!
  20. I'd just like to say that generally, the negative comments here could just as easily apply to England. What I mean is, if you are a city person - why live in the country in France - or vice versa. I lived within 3 miles of Nottingham City Centre for a year, and would never want to get that close to a city again. We live in a village, 3 miles from the nearest town, in England. That would suit me fine in France too, so if I were to move to France (I wish) that's the sort of thing I would look for. I can't believe there is anywhere in France so rural that you couldn't get to a decent town or city for clothes shopping. I live 12 miles from Nottingham and 8 miles from Derby - I very seldom go shopping to either place as I don't have the time nor the need to go there. I've visited many regions of France and there was always somewhere big enough within a couple of hours drive. At least in France, smaller towns do sell a good range of products in the little shops - compared to village shops in England, which are generally just useless and expensive. Much as I love France though, I still hope that one day I can afford to live in both countries as there are things I love in both. Oh and Helen - my heart bleeds for you with the lack of decent beer - but some of the beers from Pas de Calais are really excellent. On the other hand, I'd like to offer my services to Wetherspoons to open the first Wetherspoons in France! Not that I know anything about beer cellars - but husband could learn!
  21. Many years ago, I was very into herbalism (forgotten most of it now) but I advised a colleague to drink Elderflower tea and he said he had never felt better! Actually, it could have been for Arthritis - I never have understood the difference. Prefer the thought of Elderberry wine though - no idea if that works.
  22. Grazie. Do you wash and DRY it after use, or do you wait and wash the bottom reservoir out only before you use it? Do you use it daily? Would you recommend Bialetti if I was to buy another? I'm just thinking about if the expresso machine dies on us, I might be better with another Italian coffee pot. An Italian penfriend bought me a small one many years ago and it was tiny. She only drank half a pot of it, whereas I would have to have one and a half when she stayed. The one we have now does two mugs which is OK on holiday when my husband and I have coffee at the same time. I probably could do with an in-between size as I always have 2 "tea cups" of expresso in the morning when at home.
  23. I think our expresso machine could be on it's way out - it's over 5 years old now. Also, I wouldn't mind getting a new one anyway - can anyone recommend a good one - I don't mean an expensive one - just normal price. The problem with ours is that it has no back to it and it just squirts out all around It really is messy. The ones in cafes always have a back and sides to them. The other thing is the drip tray. The thing to tell you to empty it isn't very obvious, and we forget, so it goes all over the tray we keep it on. This one also does cappuccino, but I'd rather get one that doesn't as none of us drink it. Any suggestions? Also - and this one might be one for Chauffour? We also have a Bialetti expresso pot which we only use when we go camping as it is unbreakable. The problem is that it develops some sort of growth on the inside during the day time in the bottom reservoir. The top section is fine, we just rinse that and the bit where the coffee goes each time before we use it. But the bottom section only ever has water and it seems to grow what looks like mould (white and I think gel like in blobs, but can't get at it except with a brush to find out) just during the day and has to be scrubbed. I also think that it gives a rather rusty taste. Is there something wrong with our particular Bialetti or is there something we could do to stop this happening? Thanks
  24. Surely the school in the article must have been a private one to be serving such pretentious dishes. >>>“A few of my English friends seem to be genuinely shocked that packed lunches aren't allowed.” Yes, the French Students I worked with when they came to England on Sejours Linguistiques were also shocked that they had to have a packed lunch along with the English students they stayed with, and if they did stay for School Dinners, they were shocked at the quality of them. Having said this, the ones who stayed with us were not healthy eaters as many would only eat plain pasta and not the sauces containing meat and vegetables served with it, or if we served English type meals, they didn’t eat vegetables. We found most French students to be quite difficult to please and although I could understand that they might have problems in many of the English households they were accommodated in, other less fussy eaters who stayed with us, were pleased at the variety of food at our house and ate well. When my penfriend and her sister’s daughters came to stay, they refused my gravey and went to get the grease I had drained off the chicken juices before making the gravy – yuk! I don’t know why the French have such an objection to packed lunches – I think it is far easier to ensure that children are eating healthily. My son takes sandwiches either tuna, ham, chicken, hummous, cheese, on seeded wholemeal bread and often takes a few cherry tomatoes or olives separately. Sometimes he has leftover home made pizza. My daughter was making her own salads while she was in school with pasta, rice or lettuce and adding things like nuts, chicken, seeds, yoghurt, sultanas, ham, feta cheese, olives, peppers etc. These seem perfectly healthy packed lunches to me. My daughter attended a lycee in Annecy with her penfriend for a week, but they came home every lunch time and spent a long time over a traditional French meal. Also, when we visited my then-boss in Annecy, she “treated” us to lunch at a college (with whom her language company had an arrangement) round the corner from the office. We had what looked like an ashtray containing lentils – not much flavour the way they were done. Then we had poulet boulangere I think they called it – chicken portions cooked in red wine, apparently – it was just a thin greasy sauce with not much flavour and this was served with overcooked, slimy spaghetti. Sorry, but to me, pasta needs a proper pasta sauce with it or if it is to be served dry, it needs cheese or at least some butter and black pepper. Also, spaghetti always seems to go more soggy than other pasta shapes. There were some desserts and cheese – can’t remember what but probably it would have been camembert or something similar and I can’t stand those types of French cheese anyway. Anyway, it was the worst meal I’ve ever eaten in France! In England, my kids gave up on school dinners a long time ago as they were sick of chips. The school introduced a non chip day and served pasta or rice – but logically, a bolognese, chilli or curry ought to have been available – but no – they were to go with sausage rolls or pizza! >>>“(who will never forget the veggies boiled to extinction and the slaps for refusing them - anything has to be better, even chicken nuggets!)” I was kept in at lunchtime when I was about 6 because I wouldn’t eat salad with cold LUMPY mashed potato and a slice of orange on the potato. I wouldn’t eat that combination now! After that, the school told my mum it was a waste of money having me stay school dinners, so I went home to a diet of cheese on toast or tomato soup!!!! Anyway, I never did like salad until I first ate it in France with vinaigrette and I still only like mashed potato if I’ve bashed hell out of the potatoes and put in lots of butter or crème fraiche!. >>>“And it wasn't too bad in the 70s either” wasn’t it? Well when I was in Junior School, until 1970 – and by then I did stay dinners occasionally, the food was bought in large metal containers from a central kitchen which fed all the schools in the area. Everything was tasteless and overcooked. But when I went to secondary school, it was much better. They did a delicious Egg and Cheese pie (quiche to us now, but thicker and stodgier) and some other good meat pies and the vegetables weren’t to bad either. Nottingham Uni did a delicious “Faggot Pie” – well it was supposed to be Shepherds pie, but we were convinced it was faggots – mmm! >>>“personally I'm very fond of celeri remoulade and grated beetroot!” You certainly get this in French homes and although I’m not so keen on it as a starter, I do buy the celeri remoulade to go with barbecues when I’m in France. >>>“Re the cheese, even in France not all kids like camembert or brie” Yes, when I met up with the previously mentioned penfriend and her younger children aged 6 and 12 this summer, I was surprised to find she was giving them slices of a dutch or danish plastic looking cheese! Surprised me coming from a family which had been so traditional when I first stayed with them in 1976! I agree with those of you who didn’t like the idea of knowing the sex and name of children before they are born. Surely if a child then dies at birth or is miscarried, it must make it even harder as they child will have taken on more of a character. We chose boys names and girls names before our children were born, but didn’t tell them to anyone until they were actually born. My Finnish penfriend only told her friends and family the sex of her children AFTER they were born, but wouldn’t tell anyone the name until they were Christened – seems very strange! Sorry for such a long posting but everyone raised so many different aspects within it and no one got side tracked! Very interesting topic.
  25. Yes, my Mum is the same - a few years ago she was in hospital and said she didn't belong in that section of the hospital with all those old people. I can't remember how old she was at the time, but certainly over 70 but most likely closer to 80. She's 87 now and feels it a great injustice that she now has days when she can't walk very well. But then, so do I and I'm 42 years younger! I also had suggested a few years ago that she joined the local pensioners club, but she was very disdainful about mixing with old people.
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