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napoleon

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Everything posted by napoleon

  1. Paul,       Your pictures are very helpful and clear, not only to answer the original question but also to guide any other potential builders like me. Could you please explain what happens to the supporting acros as you get from picture two to picture three?       A builder in the UK gave me an account of how you knock a secondary hole through the wall above the opening and support the wall while the lintel is put in place. I have never needed to try it but is this your method?  Thanks, Alistair
  2. I use the Gare d'Austerlitz to Limoges line regularly although my journey is to/from Chateauroux, just a little North of Limoges. The process is simple and safe. The trains are comfortable and seem to be very punctual. The plan of the train is displayed so you know exactly where your coach is found. I have never bought a ticket at a station and always book well in advance to be sure of a seat at busy times. My first journey was made interesting by total lack of any experience on French trains and without my wife as interpreter. My French is poor but I try hard! The advice from earlier members would have been so useful especially about the "composter" machine. I still have trouble getting it to print on the correct side of the ticket but the inspectors don't mind if it is stamped a few times. When you have a pre-booked seat make sure you get into the right coach and use the correct seat. it may have a small ticket pushed into a slot on the luggage rack. If you don't have a booked seat, find a seat that does not have a ticket in its slot. These tickets mean that someone will eventually get on the train and want their seat. I asked the whole coach load of travellers what the tickets signified. (Yes it is obvious) The booked tickets are not totally inflexible either. I arrived a few hours early and was told that I could use my ticket on any train that day if I could find a vacant seat. Your journey will be about three hours so take a meal with you. I think there is some food and drink on the train. It appears very safe and is definitely convenient.                            Alistair
  3. I keep getting caught this way and losing cheap fares overnight. There is a lot of sense in trying various permutations of dates and times but being a Scot it is very hard to part with the money early. I am also trying to use up my "Traveller Residence" points with P&O and gambling with all sorts of deals. The main problem is to avoid finishing with unused points which will be lost after September. Unfortunately I am caught up in the Portsmouth-Le Havre catastrophe which is our perfect route. Have you noticed that the £75 each way also only works for a return trip. If you try to book a single journey in costs more than a return! Has anyone discovered a way around this problem?                                     Alistair
  4. Hi Zeb, Just checked your route using the TGF site (seems to use SNCF booking site though!) and found the outward trip is about 47 Euros provided you also book the return trip costing about 87 Euros. The total was 134 Euros. Maybe it was the times that I had chosen. Please check and let me know if your figure is for a particular day or time as I much prefer that price! The Ryanair prices always hide the airport taxes and so the final costs are never that good. I usually use the Limoges-London route.  Regards, Alistair
  5. This real progress Clair. Well done. I usually plan my orders before we leave for France but, being human, there are many items that are forgotten. It would be so convenient to have goods delivered in France. I have completed the questionnaire.                               Alistair
  6. We have had a water softener for over 20 years in the UK. It has operated reliably throughout and we consider it to be indispensable. The manufacturer is a US company called "Kinetico" and the model is "Mini Kinetic". Current price is about £750. The main advantage over all other water softeners is that no electrical/electronic control is needed; its control system is a water driven turbine that monitors water flow and switches automatically between the twin cylinders. Our old softener has been retired to our house in France and we have bought a new one for UK. This is even more expensive (>£1000) but is more economical on salt. You will find other types for sale at around £500 at B&Q, such as the Permutit softener and I would expect them to be just as effective in transforming your water.  Don't forget to keep a separate source for drinking/cooking in the kitchen. It is usual to have a small tap dispensing un-softened water.                       You won't regret installing it.   Alistair
  7. Industrial area??? Never!! You are moving to a very rural, beautiful area and close to many lovely sites of minor interest. This is an unspoilt part of France that retains most of the charm that we love. It is quiet and easy going. The A20 is very handy to get to Limoges airport or to Paris. The downside is that it does not have the "cache" of the Dordogne or Provence but this is reflected in the prices. It is not near the sea or mountains for winter sports. You are close to the reservoirs (used for water sports) created in the Creuse for hydrolectricity. There are many electric pylon routes leading away from the generators but they are not too intrusive and many people don't even know they are there. I am sure you will love it. Good luck, Alistair
  8. We had a similar problem four years ago when we were moving furniture from UK to France. We had free tickets for the Moulin Rouge and so we thought we could drop in on the way to our new house. I didn't want to drive the Ford Transit into Paris so decided to leave it on the outskirts and use the local trains. The plan was to travel from Le Havre to Paris on the A13 but leave the autoroute at St.Germain-en-Laye. I found a public car park in the centre of the town, paid a very reasonable fee, and caught the nearby RER train (line A) into the city. We returned the next day and continued without any problem. There were many places St.Germain, slightly further (1/2 mile) from the station, where free parking was possible on the roadside. Your visitors would find this solution very easy provided they are either willing to pay for parking or risk leaving their car on the road. I would do exactly the same again. Regards, Alistair
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