HoneySuckleDreams

[quote user="suein56"]Hypothèque is a mortgage or a loan; which could explain a lot. Did anyone have a loan or mortgage on the house which needed to be paid off or 'undone' at the transfer/sale? [/quote] Nope...we didn't have anything like. I don't think the other couple did either, but satan will be putting his ice skates on before I speak to them again. I'll have to wait until Mr Notaire gets back from holiday (september probably) and ask. I shouldn't really have a moan until I know exactly what's going on i suppose.

Hello has anyone any experience of very late invoicesfor house buying? we bought out (very acrimomoniously) our share of the house from another couple in June 2006. We received a bill from the notaire today which dates from a debit on the account from August 2010...he has only just got round to doing his books obviously...or been out playing golf for the last year I expect. At the end of the process in 2006 he actually sent us a cheque for 86euro as we had overpaid. I think (as i'm no not at home) it says Hypothetique for something or other. It's not a lot of money, but it worries me that the process wasn't done properly. Plus it brings back some nasty memories. Could there be any other invoices I might be faced with? many thanks

yes, I saw it in 3D over the weekend. It's OK (only 1euro more for me). But I don't really like 3D, you get the feeling that you're watching it alone and not along with the audience, which for me, is part of the cinema experience. Most of the film you wouldn't know it was in 3D. I've got a collection of 3D glasses now, I really must remember to take a pair whenever I go away...as you never know when you might need them!  

[quote user="NuBeginnings"]Why When a celebrity dies, everyone makes a big %^&ng deal about it. But when a soldier dies protecting OUR country, no one cares.[/quote] I've just visited the American war memorial in luxembourg. I think there has been a lot of care gone into that. Very moving.  

[quote user="Frederick"]fly kilometres out above the ocean and you can chase boats. And why would anybody want to do that ?[/quote] 3 teenage boys and their dad !   Dog: I take your point re: Fish, but it's free food, and we only fish for what we can eat.

Tip-top tips folks Many thanks...keep them coming La Torch looks fab and is quite close to where we are staying The kite surfing looks great, one for the kids I think as I if I try it I won't be able to move for a month!

Hello We're soon off on a 2-week holiday near Quimper. We've never been there but the area looks great. I've got 2 weeks to be "active" with kids, so... does anyone have any tips of places to go things to do? I fancy deep sea fishing for a day, some kite-surfing, sailing ...that sort of stuff. I can look up on the t'interweb about various places, but I was hoping someone might have first hand experience of the place. Any beaches best for surfing/body boarding? Businesses that offer fishing trips? That sort of thing...when you're new to an area you can spend an age going this way and that only for someone to say later about an amazing place they know but we had never found. Much obliged

It depends on a number of factors. Our french friends have done this, although I believe the contract price EDF will offer you is lower than last year. I think they currently "earn" 2-3k per year. The cost is nowhere near the cost of 30K posted above. I think we were looking at 16k with a large amount of that coming back from the credit impot Where you live is pretty important, south facing etc. Is there still a Credit Impot when you get them installed? The banks offer interest free loans (I think...although that could have been last week, not this week) If you intend to live in the property in your old age , then it's a pretty good way of getting free electricity (if you a) live that long and b) are young enough now) We looked into it and I think the payback was pretty good especially as we don't have big pensions, we thought it was a good idea for when we can't afford electricity

we did like Sid did....filled our form in with all the neccessary luxuries we had when we bought the house....two sinks, hot and cold running water, indoor toilet, central heating. And got stung with a massive (and i mean 300 to 1200 euro increase) in fonciere. All because, according to the functionaries, the house hadn't changed since 1970. I suggest you tell them nothing. It's the last time I fill in an H1 correctly!

Has anyone experience of learning to fly in France? If so, do you have tips? I'm hoping to start next year (funds permitting)   Many thanks

It does say DUPLICATE on the C of C Our Citroen was born on August 1999 and I didn't even know about certificates of Conformity until we decided to move to France as we never had one. I think you found a jobsworth, don't take it to heart too much. Can't you go back when she's not around? Maybe the rules have changed? Wait for a definative answer from Sunday Driver about the rules.  

She was being awkward, is there a french eqivalent for "getting out of bed on the wrong side"? surely any certificate produced by Citroen is an original? For my Citroen I got my CofC from citroen before we moved here, if I remember it cost me £80 or so. For the CofC for a Suzuki i bought in the UK I went to the DRIRE center here in France which cost around €65 I think.

Thanks Anton It ties in with him doing the school run first thing this morning.  Apparently, so the kids say, he's a grumpy so-and-so as well and they don't like it when he drives them. According to one of the Athletics coaches, at one competition, the bus driver said in the middle of the afernoon that if they didn't leave before 16:00 they would have to stay until 20:00, so they made the decision to leave and some of the kids, who had only gone for one late race, didn't get to compete. Another nail in the coffin of customer service  

Here is an interesting question. We had a coach (bus...not an "Athletics Coach" although there were plenty of them as well) yesterday for an athletics competition. The driver picked is up at 07:00 and we got to the event at 10:30 after a 15 minute break on the way. When we were ready to leave after the event finished 17:30, he said he wasn't allowed to move the coach until 19:30. Consequently (as he got lost on the way back and we got to see some lovely french countryside in the Tarn area) we got back at midnight. Does anyone know why he has to park up for 9 hrs? All he did all day was watch DVD's. I asked our French athletics friends and they did the usual shrug and said it was a law. No harm done in the end, just a very long day.

Hello It's wifey's 50th this year and she has just started getting interested in photography again (after 20yrs). She borrowed a friends camera the other weekend to take some photos of an athletics competition and everyone remarked on how good/professional they were. So.....easy choice for a birthday present would be a new digital camera. (The more difficult choice is where to take her to get away for a weekend break!). Does anyone have good buy/bad buy information they wish to share? As with a lot of electronic gadgetry the choice is enormous.   Much obliged  

is that the declaration de travaux? it was called that in 2006, it might have all changed now. It was quite easy. Name and address of you, address of where the pool will be. Cadastre number  and in Nature des travaux say Piscine and give the size. I think you might have to do a plan of your house with where the swimming pool will be. Failing that, just go and see the mayor/mayor's secretary and ask which bits to fill in. Our mayor is reasonably helpful and fills in the bits you miss.

Go for a leak (for want of being polite). This happens quite a lot and it's one of the things that I just can't understand (can't stand either). Cyclists out for a cycle getting caught short mighte be acceptable but not what happened this morning. I was at the petrol pump and a bloke came out of the shop opposite, had a look around as he was undoing his pants. It was pouring with rain, so, what did he do? He made for the only thing under cover out of the rain...the bit where you park your shopping trolley... Had a piss and then went back inside the shop. I actually find that really offensive considering all those shopping trolleys will now be dragged around the shop by unsuspecting shoppers. Is this a social/macho thing? Does anyone else find this offensive?

No 3 Son came home a little annoyed about not getting any marks for a question he thought he had answered correctly in his English class. Question: Does Anne have a Tennis racket? His answer : Yes, she has one. The answer the teacher wanted was : Yes, she's got one. Apparently his answer was American not English. I'm not berating the teacher, after all, she's got a diploma in teaching English so she must be right and he accepts the fact that he has to put down what they want to get the marks (no matter how much he thinks he's right) However, can anyone tell me (pedants especially) what the difference is? I must admit, my English language theory is a bit wibbly wobbly and I couldn't explain to him as to why one answer is right and one is wrong.    

Nickp : Cynicsm is fine by me, everyone has their own point of view. My kids are into their athletics in France. No 1 son has a chance to be Olympic(ish) standard in the next 4-6 years (fingers crossed), so from a motivational point of view I'm trying my best to help him along. I'm as big a cynesist(?) as the next brit, especially when FIFA are in the mix.

They are a delicasy in the Gers apparently http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_ragout-de-ragondin_11286.aspx

I thought the norm was the other way round: The French get paid but only work half the hours they are paid for [Www]

We tried to get tickets for the athletics, only the cheap morning events (pentathalon etc..), normally you see the stadiums empty for those sort of things. But nothing doing, so I was wondering if anyone else has been successful

I've just been into Feuvert for some wind screen wipers for my citroen....can't be too expensive I thought. €49 for the drivers side and €16 for the passenger side. They're having a laugh! £14 delivered from the UK for the same Valeo parts. Has anyone got a logical explanation as to why things are so expensive in France?

I think you get an "honorable mention" if you survive but aren't capable of reproducing

[quote user="Will"]It is indeed complete and utter couilles. You have to ask yourself whether the electrician you are using is a clown, an ignoramus or a con man. [/quote]   I now feel embarrassed I had to ask the question.    Yes an ignoramus more than anything else. i.e. it's not bought in France/not French so It can't possibly work. They (and this is a generalisation, but based on my own experience) can't think outside the box. It sadly goes for plumbers/car maintenance/washing machine repair guys as well.