Jump to content

auxadrets

Members
  • Posts

    113
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by auxadrets

  1. Thank you. Brilliant! On the first website the photo of the bee-eater in flight is exactly the profile I am seeing and the second song is spot on. A small flock flew over this morning, much lower, making it easier to see their silhouette. On the second Website the first sound track (Spain) is what I'm hearing. Angela
  2. Thank you both. I haven't seen a single one today. I've had another look in my Barthel and Dougalis European Bird Guide and I too had wondered about Bee-eaters. The in-flight illustration is a good match for what I've been seeing. The Kite doesn't have enough matching points. Now all I have to do is wait for them to fly the other way in the Spring! Thanks again. Angela
  3. Hi, We live in the east of the Var, almost in the Alpes Maritimes. Every September we see flocks of birds migrating in a south-westerly direction. They fly throughout the day, several dozen at a time, calling to each other non-stop. They are so high that it's difficult to identify them. They are probably the size of a jay, have wedge-shaped tails, longish bodies and curved wings a bit more angular than those of a swift. I know that's a bit vague, but I was hoping that a knowledgeable twitcher out there may have some suggestions. Thank you. Angela
  4. Hi Sweet, Have you tried taking out the inserts that came with the boots? Assuming they are not integrated, that is. I never had trouble with my feet until this recent episode. I shan't be taking them for granted any more. Love those feet! is my new motto. Regards, Angela
  5. Sweet: I've had 'semelles' for a month now. At first it felt like I was walking on pebbles straight off Eastbourne beach, but now I've got used to them and they are fine. I have Morton's syndrome, which was very painful and was getting worse, but is now much better, as is my knee which had 'side-effect' pain. My 'podologue' also sold shoes, but as she is in 06 that won't help you. Look under 'chaussures orthopediques' in pages jaunes and you might find a supplier closer to you. I bought some summer sandals and some indoor shoes. Both are made so that you can take out the insole and insert the prescribed 'semelles'. They also fit in the Mephisto sandals that I already had. I was very resistant to the idea at first, fearing I'd end up wearing 'old ladies' shoes, and I'm only 66! However, they are quite good looking. Regards, Angela
  6. auxadrets

    Mole

    In my case, no! The dermatologist asked me to make another appointment, and to ask for a 30 minute one. It was not at all painful, just itched as it healed. Good luck and don't worry. Angela
  7. Hi Teapot, This is a link to the relevant page on the La Poste site. http://www.laposte.fr/Particulier/Utilisez-nos-outils-pratiques/Outils-et-documents/Calculez-le-tarif-de-vos-envois  Just fill in the form and wait for the calculation. I find it very useful for sending letters and parcels to our far-flung family. Angela
  8. auxadrets

    Eye Tests

    I have had a rather different French experience from yours, Dragonrouge. I started by going to an optician and, after testing my eyes with her computer-based equipment, she asked when I'd last seen an ophthalmologist. When I said 10 years ago she suggested I had better see one to get a prescription as my eyes should be checked properly, for health as well as vision. She gave me the address of a specialist, who, two weeks later, duly tested my eyes (computer-based test) and gave me a prescription. I went back to the optician who then had my glasses made. I can now see better than I ever have with glasses prescribed in the UK or Holland. So I have nothing negative to say about computer-based testing in France. French opticians usually give at least one month's guarantee on new lenses and for top-of-the-range ones, six months. I'd be interested to know what Specsavers' tried and tested methods are, as I have never been to one of their shops. Angela
  9. I manage to buy gluten-free products locally, but it is also possible to buy on-line. Try http://www.graine-de-bonne-sante.com/graine-de-bonne-sante.html Click on 'boutique' then 'sans gluten'. I had a look at alpro.com and they have no listing for France, which is a pity as I have enjoyed their products in Sweden and Holland. Good luck with your search. Angela
  10. Hi Nigel, We have a Gnome, bought on eBay. It is a very handy little gadget, particularly in terms of portability. I take it outside, I take it to the ironing board, and it occasionally comes into the 'bathroom' with me. It usually gets recharged overnight. However, it does have a couple of disadvantages. Firstly, the TV and Gnome have to remain tuned to the same channel. So it's no good me wanting to sit in the sun and listen to the afternoon play, for example, while my husband watches something else on the television. Secondly, we are less than impressed by the sound quality. Spoken radio programmes are tolerable, which is fine as I mainly listen to BBC Radio 4, 5 and the World Service, but anything musical is quite painful and better avoided. Hope that helps a bit. Angela (83)
  11. Assuming that you want to record from your Sky box why don't you use the Sky EPG and the "synchro rec" function on the recorder?  Regards JB
  12. During the day we receive TMC loud and clear on terrestrial TV via a small caravan-type antenna in the loft. Hercule Poirot is currently solving yet another crime. Nevertheless, I'd still be grateful for some feedback on tonight's programme. Angela (83)
  13. Every time there is a thread on this forum dealing with fraud, it arouses all manner of emotions in posters. Tonight, at 20.45 on TMC, there will be a programme called 90' Enquêtes.  It will cover fraud in its various guises in France: health, unemployment, family allowance, working on the black.  Unfortunately our (terrestrial) TMC reception goes all fuzzy in the evening, so I would be grateful for feedback from anyone who watches.  I see that it's a repeat, so some of you may have seen it before. Angela (83)  
  14. auxadrets

    Hospitals

    Two years ago, in a clinic in Nice, my husband was operated on for an enlarged prostate. When his admission date was discussed with the specialist's secretary, she said 'Et un lit pour Madame?' I turned round to see who she was talking to then realised she meant me. I was not relishing five days of a long, return drive to Nice from the Var, so accepted her offer. We arrived on the appointed day and while my husband was shown to his hospital bed in a single room, I spotted a folded z-bed in a corner. The next few days were exhausting for both of us. He was, inevitably, checked at all hours of the night and day, with the lights full on. I felt every pain that he felt, except that he was high on pain-killers. I couldn't sleep and the food was awful. I took to going and sitting in a nearby park and lunching out. He was 'let out' on a Friday afternoon, but was back as an emergency admission by the evening with a blood clot preventing him from urinating. Once again I stayed with him, too worried to sleep. In the morning I asked if I could have a towel. No I couldn't, I hadn't paid anything. I was advised to dry myself on a sheet! The staff were very good with my husband, and the emergency was dealt with efficiently, but I felt surplus to requirements. It had seemed a good idea at the time, but I would never go this route again, I would look for a B&B nearby. I think it would have been better for my husband too. Angela
  15. My husband was on his way to the recycling bin, but I stopped him just in time to retrieve Femme Actuelle. So here's the link http://www.hopital.fr/html/hopital/index.html Angela (83)
  16. Sorry about that. I did post a link in the original, but it seems to have self-destructed. I'll see if I can find the magazine and post again. Angela (83)
  17. Muriatic acid is the historic name for hydrochloric acid. Be very careful handling this acid, use gloves and googles, and beware of the fumes. Regards JB.
  18. I was thinking more of a small surface pump such that you do not have too strong a suction, which might damage the liner. My syphon is made from 15mm garden hose attached to a rigid tube and a corner nozzle from an old vacuum cleaner. The height difference is between 0.5 and 1M and this gives sufficient flow/ suction. I collect the water in dustbins, leave it for a few days, to reduce the chlorine, and then use it on the garden, trees and flowers not vegetables.  Hope this helps. JB  
  19. I also have a Waterair pool with a similar "problem". I think the dust is carried into the pool by wind, especially from leaves getting into the pool and /or rain. The water flow with the filtration running is concentrating the dust at the seams. As Chris says you will not get rid of it with chemicals, rather vac to waste using the pool systems, or better, a syphon, or a separate small pump which will cope with some particles. I use a syphon You will probably have to do this once a week. It seems to help if you regularly brush the walls and the base of the pool. Take care with the Easypool 2, and any other product containing stabiliser (cyanuric acid). The concentration of the stabiliser should be kept below 50ppm. I am also not sure about the liquid component of Easypool 2 since I could never find out whether or not it contains copper ( it is a nice blue colour) which I do not want to use. (Google "toxicity of copper"). Hope this helps. JB 
  20. In this week's Femme Actuelle, in the health section, I found the address of a very useful Website that describes just about everything you might want to know about French hospitals. It is, of course, in French. Angela (83)
  21. You can buy calcium hypochlorite, granules and sticks, from: Techniques Piscine, 1400 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 83700 St. Raphael. Hope that helps, John
  22. Merci beaucoup Claire and Cat. Your answers will be forwarded to Sweden for my grandson. Angela (in the sunny Var)
  23. My daughter lives in Sweden. Her son, three years old, is bilingual. He recently came home reciting the Swedish version of 'Eeny meeny miny mo' (probably non-PC  these days) or 'Dip dip dip', both of which were used for choosing when I was a child a hundred years ago. Does anybody out there know the French version please? Thank you in advance. Angela (83)
  24. Hello again, The laptop is back from the guru and working like a dream. The young man insisted on explaining what he'd done in English, which made it rather hard to understand. It did indeed seem to be a start-up problem. Too much old, redundant stuff all trying to start up at once, so I imagine that WinPatrol might be just what I needed. I still had Norton and Norton uninstaller and Norton something else on the desktop. He ditched them all. He also suggested that I let Norton run to the end of its current subscription and then load AVG Free. He didn't charge much so I'm very happy, I just wish I understood more about computers. Thank you all for your suggestions. Angela (83)    
×
×
  • Create New...