Llantony

The Petit Feuillant at Gramont, Tarn & Garonne but it's on the edge of the Gers.  It's our annual treat and alongside various duck menus, they do a vegetarian dish for every course.  The trouble is it's all delicious and there's far too much food!  It includes wine and a home-made aperatif.  Also le Canabal near Lauzerte is nice.  

You could check their website - or phone them?  I've a feeling the French don't close for long over Christmas

I'm interested how people manage who spend several months a year in each country. We have just downsized to a small house in England (to pay off the mortgage we extended to buy the French house). Now hoping to spend most of our time in France from next July but worried we can't afford to as my husband will only be 60.  I gather he would be covered by my E106 but only until the end of 2009. He would get free prescriptions in the UK but wouldn't want to keep popping back from south west France in order to renew. What happens about things like car insurance ?  Normally we are covered for holidays, but I don't think that means 6 months at a time.  Also, if we officially live in the UK, travel insurance (including health) would only cover us for a month in France.  If we live officially in France, we aren't eligible for NH S treatment.  How do others manage?  Or do they just hope they won't be ill and they'll never need to claim on motor insurance? 

What is the Connexions website?  I wonder if it is the same as the English language newspaper for expats in France?  A friend gets it and it's quite interesting at times.

We came back to Dover on 29th via P & O and there was no delay in Calais and no-one stopped us at all in Dover, we just drove out. (We had booked a £25 Speedferry crossing but our car broke down and when I phoned to re-book they said there was no availability for a week!)

" lost my virginity to Carly Simon!"  -  There's a claim to fame!  Are you still in touch with her?  

Is there any problem driving in the UK with a French licence?

We had a retired racing greyhound and he didn't know how to jump, poor thing!  The first time we went for a walk we couldn't get him over a stile and the first time he saw a real hare it didn't occur to him to chase it.   A friend's dog taught him to chase rabbits (the only one he caught was ill with mixi) and he did learn to jump but only about 3-4 feet and never got our of our garden.  We loved him to bits and it was good to see him develope from a scared creature to a loving pet.  Sadly he got cancer after only a year.

Why just the non-French?  Is this a bit of racism, picking out the Africans? In a way I don't blame people on low wages earning a bit on the black.  A French friend of mine does (mainly for English) but his official job is a low paid night shift carer's job.  It's the ones (especially Brits) who claim benefits and also work on the black.  Those of us who work are paying for them!

Thanks for the replies.  Am I correct in thinking that the French tax treats us as 1 household?  That way if we divide our income in half, it may well be less than £7000 each.  I will receive my (small) UK state pension any day now as I have reached 60 but my husband won't get his state pension until 2013. An English friend was in France for several years and never joined the French health system or re-registered her ancient car.  As her income was very low, she'd probably have gained by opting in and then wouldn't have had to pay for treatment when she broke her ankle.  Sadly she has returned to the UK, missing family etc. but partly because her very low income made life difficult, even in a tiny 1 bedroom house.  

I've just received a letter saying I'm on a list of unclaimed prizes.  Just phone this number at £1.50 a minute....   As I've lived in the same house for 17 years it's odd the prizes didn't reach me! Having said that, my friend's mother in law did actually win a substantial sum from Readers' Digest some years ago so perhaps it's worth a try.  

We hope to move over in the next year when my husband retires and gets a very modest teacher's pension.  That will be taxed in the UK before he gets it.  Will it still be necessary to complete a French tax return for my £40 a week state pension? Also I assume we'll need to pay for a mutuelle? for health care but I did read somewhere that over 60s don't have to pay, so I'm confused!

Just look at one of the route finder website like AA and RAC and it will work it out for you - with and without toll roads and giving times and distances.

Thanks for all the replies - I thought it worth posting as you're such a helpful lot!  Our house is odd in that it's small and the garden is above it, accessed by steps up the side of the house, so we have nowhere to put a container, above or below ground, to collect rainwater.   We have a pump which we have used to pump water up from the fontaines to fill 2 butts at the top of the garden and also to water our plants with a hosepipe - so pressure is OK. Hard to say what water bills will be when we live there full time.  Last year my OH left the water on (against my advice!) with a timer to water some new plants.   The water was later cut off and then presumably came back with enough force to blow the connector off the tap.  We arrived to find water coming through the ceiling.  The water bill was 100 euros more than usual.  Not that much damage luckily as not covered by the insurance anyway.  It set me to wondering if we could save on water with our alternative supply.

We had a small one in our house, it disappeared under the fridge.  Later, we were sitting reading in our living room and I felt something (very light) on my head.  Screamed and jumped up when I realised it was the lizard - possibly attracted by the light?  My husband thought it hilarious and I got fed up with him tellling people about the 'lizard on the head' incident.  I love to see them, but not that close!

We have 2 indoor wells, (fontaines really as they are only 4ft deep) which when emptied fill again quite quickly.  At different rates so presumably different sources. We wondered if it would be possible to use this free water to flush the loo - but that is upstairs so how would it be done?  Don't really fancy having a pump in the room all the time and pumping up water every time someone needs to flush!  Might be useful for the washing machine too. Any thoughts?  

'Don't let me get started on the Scotch'!  Do you drink too much of it then?

A bit abrupt!  Have you tried www.sawdays.co.uk  or Gites de France website? Good luck.    

There are agencies that supply house sitters - but of course you'd have to pay people to look after your hous rather than get them to pay the bills.  I guess it would be good for someone who had an income and wanted to live cheaply.  I wish I were in that situation and I'd offer!  Sadly still have to work for a living.

Do you really need a French bank account before you've bought a property?  We transferred the money to pay for our house from our UK account to the notaire's, went to the notaire to sign the contract, then went into the village and asked to open a bank account.  That way we have our bank about 1 minute from our house.  

'Any idea of costs?' I'd also like an idea of what sort of payment is usual for this service - but no-one has actually said!  I had an email from someone who was looking for someone to check on/prepare their house for visitors but I have no idea how much he'd have to pay. Anyone prepared to give an idea of the range.  e.g. for regular checking on a house;  for a changeover for a gite?

I missed this as I don't usually look at this thread - but have signed now.  (I was searching for Trevor the Dalmation, Maggi!) We had a rescue greyhound and loved him to bits. He was 'lucky' in that the owners gave him to the Greyhound Trust but he had obviously been mistreated in his racing career.  He was terrified of men with hats and anyone with a stick - including fishing rods, which made walking along the canal a bit tricky.  It was heartwarming to see him become more confident and learn to jump fences and chase rabbits (didn't catch them).  Tragically he got cancer after we'd only had him a year. I'd ban greyhound racing but then I suppose there'd be no greyhounds. Maz Greyhounds make wonderful pets.  

I thought the new airport was planned for west of Toulouse towards Castelsarassin - judging by the protest signs on the road through St. Porquier! Maz

Hi,  That's quite a commute! You might be better posting in the appropriate area forum (possibly N. E. France?  Maybe a B & B rather than rental accommodation for a start?  Good luck.

'I think Bobh means 'sortie' (in it's English meaning) but chose the wrong word in French and spelt it wrong' But then you got 'it's' wrong.   it's = it is.   Should be 'its' for possessive. I do agree the only way is to go and look around.  Very odd the immo making appointments around lunch time - must be hoping to earn loads of commission from you. We didn't even know about Grannies to help with house hunting when we bought but maybe they'd be more helpful?  I recently emailed a local immo as we are thinking of buying  another French house (instead, not as well), saying roughly what we wanted: village house, 2 or 3 bedrooms, garden etc. and she replied saying 'we only go by price'.  Considering the hefty commission, they could make more effort - it would surely save their time if they didn't show people houses they have no interest in - not to mention wasting the prospective purchaser's time.