Loiseau

Hi Angela Sorry, I didn't mean to be mystifying about how to turn off the ADZapper...  It's just that with my UK PC, once I had clicked on the heading "AdZapper", there was a chance offered to permit popups for specific pages - so that's what I did; and it worked for my BA, BF and other interactive pages. Just got to my house in the Vendee today, however, and have turned on my *other* PC, to find that on this machine I do not have the AdZapper heading that I mentioned above, below and to the right of the URL slot. :-(  So I guess maybe you do not have that either on your computer. I have done a Google search for "allow popups", and come across a forum where the question was posed: Q "How do I allow PopUps from sites that I trust ?" A  "You can allow any PopUp at any time by simply holding the Control Key (CTRL) while you click the link that creates the PopUp." I wonder if it could be as simple as that? If that doesn't work, perhaps you should try re-posting in this forum, but this time asking the knowledgeable LF forum folk how to permit popups  I bet somebody will come up with the answer. Bon courage Angela (85; not my age!)

I had something similar occur when I was wanting to book flights on the British Airways site, and also on Ryanair and some ferry sites.  It was infuriating. Eventually I happened to notice that a name, "AdZapper", which appears on the right-hand end of a toolbar just below the URL slot on my browser, would give a little flutter when I tried these sites.  So I clicked on this AdZapper, and found it was something that prevented pop-ups - even *useful* pop-ups!  There is a way either to switch it off, or to make exceptions of certain sites, so that you *do* get these essential pop-ups. I wonder if this could be your problem? Happy New Year Angela (another one)

Thanks Elayne - I did get onto the Mayenne Granny straight away after making the first post, and have since passed her details onto the vendors.  She sounds very efficient. Sally, I guess the best thing is for you to get onto the Mayenne Granny too (link in Elayne's post above).  But I will also pm you.   Angela  

Hi there, A couple of queries here (I hope they are "legal" in the forum sense) : 1.  Some French friends have asked me if I know of "English estate agents" in the Mayenne - specifically for selling a house in the Craon/Pouancé/La Guerche area. Any suggestions out there that I could pass on to them? 2. Some more French friends with a house in Carnac (56) are anxious to see the large next-door property (currently on the market) go to a private buyer rather than to a property developer who would probably build a block of flats on the site...  If anyone is looking for a big house in Carnac, do pm me and I'll pass your details on. Angela  

Looks like December 2005 for opening of this section of the A28. This site will tell you more than you want to know about it! http://www.alis-sa.com/index.php Angela

Do you know, I think there *is* a word "stretching" in French. There's certainly "le lifting" for a face-lift! Oh, and just remembered, seeing the earlier mention of a "top ten" (which I seem to recall in French - concerning hit records - are "tubes"?), how fond the French are at the moment of doing a "best of" (a round-up of old clips, re-runs of old articles etc)..  That's it. "Un best of".  Though they almost always write it "best off", 'cos that's how they pronounce it... Angela

Blimey, Dick! That was one quick reply!  Thank you very much. Angela

Just to say another big thank you, Paul!  I felt irrationally pleased today when I powered-up the computer, to see that NumLock light glowing all ready to type every accent my heart would desire... Sorry that the pop-up connect box has even *you* defeated.  Never mind. I have learned to live with it. Angela  

Maybe somebody has already made this observation (I'm afraid I just *can't* bear to load each page of this discussion to find out), but it makes me smile when I am waiting (and waiting) for a page to load to read the URL as www.livingfrance.com/instantforum.... ! Sorry to read that it is all going to be even slower to load once I have signed up to broadband.   Angela

Just posted a question for railway enthusiasts on the Sports and Pastimes forum, but just in case you don't look there, here is the link to it... http://www.livingfrance.com/instantforum/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=30&MessageID=50279 Angela

I am trying to write something about a museum of military rail transport, and have come across the expression "voie de 60".  I imagine this would translate as "60-gauge" railway - but that is just a guess on my uninformed part.  Can any train buff please tell me if this is OK?  And also whether this could also be referred to as a narrow-gauge railway? Many thanks Angela

Hi Paul, Thanks very much!!  I tried the steps you suggested - although my computer did not in fact have the pages of black-and-white that some have during start-up. Eventually I managed to capture Setup - couldn't see anything about "bios", but you gave me the key and the courage to continue. Eventually in Advanced-Device Options I found that "Num Lock State at PowerOn" was, indeed, set to Off.  Tried everything possible to turn it to On, and eventually found that L or R cursor keys did the trick!  Brilliant! THANK YOU! Now my cup of happiness would overflow if you could tell me how to stop my small Dial-Up Connection window opening up on start up.  I have tried ignoring it, but it seems to upset all sorts of other things if I don't turn it off before starting to open files I want to work on.  To make it go away, I have to click "Cancel" 16 TIMES! Graham re accents, I use: Alt + 133 for à Alt + 131 for â Alt + 135 for ç Alt + 128 for Ç Alt + 138 for è Alt + 130 for é Alt + 136 for ê Alt + 144 for É Alt + 137 for ë Alt + 139 for ï Alt + 140 for î Alt + 147 for ô Alt + 150 for û Alt + 151 for ù Alt + 129 for ü Alt + 164 for ñ You must type the figures on the number pad, to the right of the keyboard, and you *must* have the NumLock light on, or they won't work!! Angela

Yeah, caméra is for taking moving pictures - film or video; appareil-photo is a still camera (digital or otherwise) Very confusing that with telephones mobile in French means cordless, and portable is French for mobile phone. Would also offer groggy and K.O. And who gave them leave to make nouns out of so many of our present participles? Parking, footing (already mentioned), camping, jogging (=tracksuit), brushing (=blow-dry, at hairdresser's), shampooing (pronounced shom-pwung) ?   Angela

parrain / marraine filleul /filleule

Doesn't sound like a French-related problem I know - but I need to have the "Num Lock" light on so that I can do French accents (Alt+130 for é, for example).  On my old PC I pressed the NumLock key just once, and it seemed to always be alight whenever I turned the PC back on again.  Now using a slightly less old PC (running W98) I discover, whenever the computer has been off and I turn it on again, NumLock is no longer illuminated.  I have to remember to do it each time I switch on. So I tend to find I have rattled away typing something in French . . . and then - curses! - NO accents have appeared. Anybody know how I can fix this? Angela  

Hi Felv, Yes, as Neil predicted... here I am!  http://www.the-vendee.co.uk (rather easier to communicate than the more primitive url above). Everything from cultural events to Anglican church services, routes from Channel ports to Vendee Globe info. Have always found all Vendean neighbours to be the kindest people on earth. From bringing the tractor along to jump-start our car, brazing some tie-bars to hold a wall together, getting rid of unwanted bees' nest, to blitzing our garden in a time of dire family emergency. Not sure what we have contributed in return: had them round for bizarre English experiences (Pimm's) and strange meals (curry, lamb with mint sauce, exotic Jamie dishes and Delia desserts), introduced them to parsnips and decent baked potatoes, taken round fun UK toys for their kids, thrown confetti at their weddings and wept at their funerals... Oh, and given them endless sources of conversation among their friends and family to fill in those long winter evenings, along the lines of: "Well, you'll never believe this, but *our* English do .........."  I imagine them cackling at our incompetence, like those robots in the old "Smash" commercials ! I'm sure you'll love it.   Angela http://www.the-vendee.co.uk  

To go back to Rescue France, with whom I still have a policy valid up to July 2005, I phoned the CityBond number to check if my policy was still good if I should have cause to call on it, but the girl on the other end knew nothing about RescueFrance at all.  :-( However, I then rang the "non-emergency" number listed on the back of the RescueFrance policy - a company called Connect - and they said that Yes indeed, City Bond have bought RescueFrance "after Andy Paul retired".  And that current policies were still OK. It would have been rather better PR if RescueFrance had written to policy-holders to explain the situation though, wouldn't it? Angela  

The UK directory Salvo! also lists French reclamation places. Try http://www.salvoweb.com/France/forsale.html?key=&match=&prevarea_id=321 for some possible locations.   Angela

There's a branch of Marques Avenue near the Tunnel entrance, at Coquelles (S of Calais, 62).  It's mostly clothes shops, and a good shop for bedlinen & towels. Perhaps about 50+ shops?  I didn't count. I tried Googling to see what others there were, and here is the result: ... dans cinq villes, à Troyes, Romans (Drôme), Talange (Moselle), Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais) et Ile-Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis)... so nothing very near Normandy. There are quite a lot of designer outlet shops around Cholet (49): mostly at a manufacturing area called La Séguinière just to the west of Cholet, and a few a couple of km south, near a roundabout on the bypass.  Clothes (Mat de Misaine, good kids' clothes such as Sucre d'Orge) and sports shoes (either Nike or Adidas, can't remember which). The stores are close together, but separate, if you see what I mean - i.e. they are not under one roof like the Marques Avenue place is.  That said, Cholet is soon to have its own Marques Avenue - against huge local opposition! In the Vendee, at Junction 7 of the A83, there is a very good "New Man" clothing store on a new industrial estate just by the motorway exit for Sainte-Hermine (85).  Just the one shop though. I think it's signposted "Relais des Marques " Angela http://www.the-vendee.co.uk 85 & UK

Well from where I am sitting, in the UK, that doesn't sound too bad an option !! Angela 

I have put a few November events on the Calendar pages of my website.  They're mostly madly cultural ones (gleaned from the "Spectacles de Vendée" programme for the most part), but you might find something there - depending how long you're staying.   Angela http://www.the-vendee.co.uk

La Paludière à la Jède............Hmmm - maybe its got something to do with 'pulling with effort' the figure it describes is harvesting salt from the sea which involves a 'raking' like action.......   Well, the "paludière" is obviously the saltmaker's wife/lady saltmaker - but you probably knew that bit already, Gay... (In the Guérande and Batz-sur-Mer area of Loire-Atlantique a saltmaker is known as a "paludier"; in Noirmoutier and other salt-making areas of the Vendée he is called a "saunier".) The long-handled rake-like tool that they use to lift the newly-formed crystals off the top of a salt-pan is called a "simouche" in the Vendée. If the figure appears to be raking, then perhaps "jède" is the word for this instrument in Loire-Atlantique?   Other necessary equipment would be a large woven basket (don't know if it has a specific name) in which to carry the newly-raked up salt to the growing conical pile (or "mulon"), and a wheelbarrow to transport it further. I just found a link with pictures of the process: http://www.batzsurmer.com/index.php3?rubrique=culture&sous_rubrique=sel_paludiers&page=travail_paludier   Angela http://www.the-vendee.co.uk

With a friend, I dithered between the same two last week - and finally went for the Long Dimanche... Apart from lots of WW1 carnage (interesting to see from French perspective though), the Audrey Tatiou bits were directed in very similar winsome style to "Amélie Poulain" - which was amusing first time around, but less so on second viewing. Many of the soldier characters had similar moustaches, mud-spattered faces etc, so I confused them a bit - which tended to make the plot a bit hard to follow.  We compared notes afterwards, and just about made sense of it - though neither of us was sure about the significance of the officer dropping the list of executees' names in the bath...  Angela

What about giving it a new life as "sloe gin" or "orange liqueur" ?  (Obviously cherries would be the ideal fruit - but hard to find at this time of year...) Sloe gin: 1lb sloes 1lb gran sugar 1 75cl bottle gin or other alcohol. Prick each sloe several times with needle, put into dark-coloured bottle with the sugar. Pour alcohol on and shake up. Shake regularly for 3 months, and store in dark place. Ready to drink by Christmas.   ditto for orange liqueur (though you need a kilner-type jar for this, as difficult to squeeze a whole orange through the neck of an ordinary bottle ) 1 large orange 1lb sugar 1 75cl bottle gin or other alcohol. Prick orange all over with skewer or large bodkin. Put into kilner jar. Add sugar and alcohol. Shake up regularly for three months.  Enjoy.   Angela

I did a "northern France" meal for some Vendean friends last week, including "carbonnade de boeuf à la flamande".  I followed a recipe by Mapie de Toulouse-Lautrec, which was fairly like british stew except that one didn't roll the meat in any flour.  I bought the best braising steak I could find in the supermarket, browned it (ditto *lots* of sliced onions), poured in real Flemish beer - and then got cold feet and added a beef stock cube...and simmered for three hours. The result was really tasty - in spite of no flour.  But I think the pre-browning is vital.  Perhaps my French guests were so enthusiastic *because* I had browned the meat first!  I did find the meat rather fibrous compared to British braising steak - though admittedly tender. I did "flamiche aux poireaux" to start; then accompanied meat with cauli and braised chicory (both produced in vast quantity in the north); followed up with Maroilles cheese; and finished with "tarte au sucre" (recipe from internet!).  Yummmmm.   Angela http://www.the-vendee.co.uk