Alcazar

Disjoncteurs are faster acting, more accurate, (a 10 Amp one will trip at 10.1 Amps, a 10 Amp FUSE however, may carry up to 16Amps before it melts), and resettable. They also, if you use new ones in France, cut the phase, (live) AND the neutral at the same time, so no shocks from wrong-way-round wired sockets etc! Most French installations also have "Disjoncteurs differentielles", which are RCD's, and there are two types of those, IIRC, type A are for circuits with large electric motors on them, eg washer, tumble drier,  and some large hobs, (Induction hobs?). Type AC are for everything else. I'd suggest you search out and buy "L'Electricite Pas a Pas", and "Maitriser l'Electricite", both paperbacks from Leclerc, around €5 each, plenty of good diagrams, easy text. Alcazar Alcazar

[quote user="Val_2"]They keep advertising the fact on the Uk TV here that all vehicles registered to the DVLA are computerised with all the details of insurers and MOT dates and they can find out instantly who is not bothering to keep their vehicle legal. Surely they will pursue those coming to France as well or if there is an accident here in France, surely the gendarmes will check with the UK side of the paperwork as well. I really don't understand these folks who break the law as the penalties here are a lot more severe in terms of punishment.[/quote] I'm pretty sure that that comes under the same banner as the "TV License Detector Van" myth. I forgot to re-tax our Xantia last year.........I was certain it was taxed for a year, but I'd taxed it for 6 months to get it out of synch with my car. I hardly ever drive the Xantia. Imagine my shock when I glanced at it in the drive and noticed the tax disc 4 months out of date. Wife, who drives it daily, hadn't noticed at all[:$] We got neither a reminder, nor the much advertised £80 fine.[:-))] I rang DVLA to ask what to do, and then asked WHY we'd not had reminder or fine. No proper answer was forthcoming, but a lot of bullsh*t WAS! Alcazar

Agreed. Not to mention the possible mechanical damage to cable threaded through a rough hole, over the years. My copper pipes even go through PVC ones for protection, here in the UK. Alcazar

That's the system, for cashless transactions of smaller denomination. I don't pay for it, (at least I don't if I ever get my money back![:@] ), and it's via Caisse d'Epargne, in 87. Alcazar

You used to be able to get climatic comparisons off the Meteo.fr website, don't know if it's still available though. Be careful, however, as there are quite a few micro-climates about, due to land contours etc. Our property is in Southern Haute Vienne, (87), about 4km from the Dordogne border, and 20km from the Charente (16), border. We have friends in Chatrente about 40km from us, they get less rain and warmer winters. Go figure. Alcazar

Could people who haven't already done so, please have a look at my post "Moneo" in the Finance section. I've only had 85 views, and no response as yet. Thanks to anyone who looks and double thanks to anyone who can help. Alcazar

Tried ringing Ryanair etc, and explaining the situation? If hubby is coming/going back, then he'll have no luggage, just a cabin bag? So check in OUGHT to be easier? You don't lose owt by asking. I know they aren't the esiest people to deal with, but when I've dealt with them, they have been VERY helpful. Could the kids not TRAVEL alone and be met at the other end? I know airlines have facilities for that. Alcazar

Can't answer your question specifically, but when my wife wanted a range type cooker last year, we ended up importing: the French ones were poorly specced or horrendously expensive, or both. Our dishwasher came from the UK too, a Bosch, it's available in France.........if you fancy parting with an extra £150!!! Alcazar

Just got back from our place, where we renovated two large barn doors, around 4m x4m. We didn't take 'em down! Plenty of elbow grease to fetch the loose paint off, sous-couche universelle diluted 4:1 with white spirit to make it go into cracks, French green (vert lumiere) glycero brillant paint. Job (seems to be) a good 'un! Alcazar

Genesis ch3, verses 14, 15: "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmitybetween thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." So now we know............ Alcazar

First post in this forum section. Thanks in advance for any help. Went over early April and picked up credit/debit cards for our account, which have been waiting for us for 6 months at the bank. It took that long as we haven't been able to go for a while. Anyway, while I was there, I asked if I could have the €100 I charged onto the Moneo part of my old card, back into my account, as I've never used it. The lady tried to do it, but my old card, being out of date, wouldn't play. The bank lady told me she thought that money was now lost. £70? Just like that? I told her I thouight not, and left the card with her, on her request, so she could look into it. She told me it would appear as a credit on my next statement, if she could do anything. So far, it hasn't. Should I wait until the NEXT statement, (due soon), or ring the bank and try to find out what to do? Or TELL them what to do? If so, what? Surely, the money CAN'T just disappear? Where does it go? You'd think some French folk would be caught the same way, and SURELY the English who only visit a few times a year? Any help gladly received, Alcazar

I'd be inclined to give Rail Europe a ring. They are in London, VERY knowledgeable and helpful. Beats the hell out of websites. I thought I knew my way round a timetable, but thewy spotted something I hadn't when my wife had to do Valence> Waterloo, and Ashford> Valence a few years back. Alcazar

Just got back, 2am this morning. The "Peages" turn out to be toilet blocks! NOT going to post regarding speeding, cameras or owt related. Anyone who's read any of my posts before knows my feelings. The French don't call 'em "Boites a sous" for nowt! Alcazar

Interesting thread this. As one who has an ABSOLUTE phobia of snakes (against snakes?), I can see people's reactions to them as being very like my own........run like hell if you can, bop it if you think it's threatening your kids (as was, mine are 17 and 20 now). Regarding natural selection, not intervening between animals, not choosing one over another, not favouring one etc etc. I can understand this to a point. Where do you draw the line though? Would you stop your cat/dog attacking a snake? Would you stop a snake from biting your dog/cat? Would you stop a wild cat from attacking your cat? Do you intervene if your cat attacks your budgie/pet hamster/mice/goldfish? Do you intervene when dogs are fighting? After all, these are ALL natural things. Not being cynical, just trying to see why some people WOULD intervene, whilst others would not............or maybe would in certain circumstances? Alcazar

No bus link that I know of, plus the only train is a tourist train, so of limited use. It's a good hour's drive in high season too. I've done it from Castelnaud la Chapelle about 8  times now. NOT my fave drive, even in an Impreza. Alcazar

The snake is only a bit like it, the black bands werer equal sized to the red and yellow. The only one I've seen EXACTLY as I remember it, was a North  American Corn Snake. Unfortunately, my youngest, whop also saw it, was only 4, so his memories are hazier than my red-wine hazed ones. Alcazar

Have to agree with Chris here. I'm another who rarely kills anything, even flies get trapped and put outsdide, only for the blighters to come back in! Releasing animals into the wild has nowt to do with nature taking it's course, indeed as Chris says, it CAN'T take it's course under those circumstances. And I STILL reckon it was something to do with people releasing stuff into the wild, the two snakes I saw in the River Tarn upstream of Millau, about 12 years ago. Red black and yellow bands! One about a foot long and thin, the other around 3 feet long and thicker. Alcazar

Where we are in 87, we've had amazing service from little garges, one did a job on the old Xantia, nd has since welded the lawnmower grass box, and refused payment, GIVEN me a relay I needed, and LENT me a tool to remove my caravan wheel bearing. Meanwhile, however, the local Carrefour refused to fix a defect on a brand new bike I bought the day before, as we had lost the guarantee. Everyone remembered us, but "desolee" without the ticket! Did it myself with a new part form Chain Reaction in NI when I got home. Alcazar

Bookings are down because prices went up too far. P&O and Seafrance are "in the same boat". They thought that we were a) all stupid, and b) a captive market, about five years back when they put prices up by between 50% and 100% every year for three years, with the excuse of losing money now the duty frees were gone!  Full stop, end of story. Alcazar

Not that rare, really. They apparently eat lizards. There was a small colony near us, at the Chateau de Cromiere, in between Cussac and St Mathieu in 87, last year. Over a period of 4 days, French drivers killed 5 on the road there. What a shame. Not seen any this year yet. Alcazar

Yes, you can buy stick on lead, certainly in the UK. MFI cupbords with "leaded" doors use it, good effect, available from DIY stores. Probably from larger DIY outlets in France too, they do the coloured stuff to stick on to make it look like stained glass too, and glass paint for the same purpose. Not cheap though. Alcazar

"connasse" ???????????? Can't find it in my dictionary. Alcazar

I have a similar experience to Vervialle, only mine concerns railways. I'm a keen rail enthusiast, so one summer, decided I'd like to visit the depot, (engine shed) at Avignon. Could I find it? No chance. Summer traffic didn't help either.Eventually, I rolled up at what turned out to be a wagon repair depot, and asked there. The chap I asked wanted to know if I had a map, (of Avignon, I assume), but all I had was the Michelin atlas. He then told me to follow him in his truck. I was a bit surprised, so asked him if he was going there, and he responded, "I am now". He led me across Avignon, took me into the depot, took me to see the "Chef du depot", who immediaetely detailed one of the blokes to take me and show me round! It didn't end there. When that bloke found out I knew a bit about French railways, he actually got some of the locos I wanted to photograph, moved so I could get a better shot! They are rightly proud of their railway. I've since had similar at loads of other depots. Rude and boring? I don't think so. Alcazar

It's nonsense, as is the statement about Italian food[:)] We were in Rome for four days and it was rotten, expensive and over salted. My sister and her husband went too, four weeks later, and 3 out of a party of 4 got food poisoning! Alcazar

The southern stretch of the A1, around Paris, and the Northern parts of the A10 less stressful? Than what? A visit to a dentist with no anaesthetic available? Take my advice, give Paris a miss[;-)] Did it last year when the wife fancied Hull-Zeebrugge, it took 1 hour 40 minutes to get round it! Less than 20 miles in that time! The last 20 miles on the A1 and the first 30 on the A10 were horrendous. Not for me, I'm afraid, I prefer the open, empty A16 and A28. Alcazar