cary

the takeaway chinese we have had, which we had to drive a 20 minute drive to collect,  tastes nothing like the takeaway in england!!  There is a kebab shop which is just as awful and as for indian, the only restaurant i know of is and hour from us!!! Good luck with the search,  nothing like not having to cook for the night hey???  Its near to impossible here though

our neighbour's cat has about 2 litters a year and each time the kittens are drowned!!!!  Sounds cold-hearted and is really but seems to be the way of life here and often hear of people doing exactly the same all over in our area!!! 

Been gathering chestnuts with the kids ready to roast on the fire.  Can anyone tell me how long they last and how they should be stored?? 

Been here nearly a year and our now 4 year old goes every morning, home for lunch 12-1.30, and back in afternoon til 4.15.  in the UK she used to do mornings but only 9 til 11.20 so it was strange for her. She started here for about 3 weeks of mornings only then when the teacher thought she was ready he suggested afternoons.  She loves it and interacts very well with the other children.  She does still sleep in the afternoons at school which i thought would be a problem at first as she didn't have a sleep in the UK from the age of 1, but again she was fine.  There are only about 20 in maternelle so i suppose on that side we are quite lucky.  Anyway good luck with everything, all things here seem to change according to school and place really.

I would like a young miniature goat as a pet for our children.  Anyone know or have one for sale please e mail me.  Thanks

went direct to the school,  had to show proof of vaccinations and birth certificate.  Not that it was taken any notice of as it wasn't until 5 months after they realised the children hadn't had their BCG which is a school requirement here, normally given at birth in hospital so we now have to get our 4, 8 and 11 year olds BCG's done.  Didn't initially have insurance but all was sorted out the 1st week,  the school normally gives you a form for the school insurance which is widely used, we started off insuring them with the bank but have now changed to MAE which seems to be quite popular.  Good luck with your move.    

please let me know if you manage to get this dog re-homed.  I am the proud owner of a brindle 2 year old male english bull terrier and i have been trying to convince my husband we would be good candidates but unfortunately he thinks they might fight having bred them and had them for years and he would hate to see that!!!  Sorry i wasn't more helpful but i am feeling rather sad now.  ours also sleeps in a cage as he ate EVERYTHING as a pup and my hubbie said it wouldn't be fair if the other one isn't in a cage too!!!  

pretty sure you wouldn't be able to build on it.  We won't be anyway, want it for horses grazing.  We then would have liked to build an outdoor menage on our plot of land so if the farmer only rented to us we wouldn't have that option to put the school up.  So the price is pretty variable then???  We were thinking of finding out how much land goes for then adding a bit on to ensure we had more chance of him selling.  But maybe we should just ask what he would sell it for!!!!   Don't think we have much chance of him selling anyway but its worth a try.

anyone know how much land currently sells for here in Brittany.  Looking to buy some that the farmer owns and didn't know how much to offer or expect to pay. 

"don't shout at them in english!!!"      Forgot myself the other day whilst riding on a very quiet road, car zooming towards me, put my hand up for him to slow down bu continued to speed up to us at about 50mph,  frightened the horse who ran so i politely shouted VERY loudly in english!!!!  He stopped rather quickly.  Integrated??? I think so as much as were going to be, we can't escape the fact were english and i personally don't want to, so we like cheddar and pickle and marmite and walkers, and if someone is coming over yes  i might ask for a couple of treats, i've lived with them for 34 years!!!  but we also put into the french community in as many ways as we can.  People i know take me as i am, whether they are french or english i don't see why we should act differently whatever the nationality.  We love the coutry and life here and i also love the fact that i am english!!!

totally agree about not turning down extra french.  Ours are having extra at the mo for just the language and to speak as the younger 2 don't really speak conversation french.  It was the tutors decision not to teach our eldest extra as she said at the moment he doesn't need it and seems to be learning and progressing very well on his own, and she will be able to spend extra time with our middle child who is a bit un-confident to speak in front of the class.

After living here for 9 months now the school have decided to give my 11 year old (repeating a year in primaire) and 8 year old in CE1 extra french lessons to help them along.  The eldest was having 1 hour a week and the younger 2 hours.  Well our eldest came home today really chuffed with the fact that he didn't have to have her now as after her initial hour with him decided he was good enough with the language to not need her help.  Good hey, now she can spend extra time with our 8 year old who although seems to understand the french doesn't seem to speak it that much.  And our 4 year old is having half an hour extra french with her teacher in maternelle who speaks fluent english, as she also is reluctant to speak it!!  Well i was really pleased with him and for him as he is trying really hard to integrate with all the french kids (only 1 english in the eldests school) and his hard work has finally paid off.

My 4 year old and 8 year old are told to wash their hands by their teachers.  And i also find the loo's clean although they are open plan as most seem to be.  But the children here don't seem to be bothered by that, nor by changing in front of each other.  In the uk if my 4 year old, yes 4 year old accidently flashed her knickers the kids at school, especially the elder one's would all make a hugh deal of it!!  Here the children don't seem to take any notice of it at all.

i bought a 5 year old cob in the UK and have not owned before.  Did some work in the local stables to learn about looking after horses.  Viewed her she was lovely, rode her she was lovely.  2 weeks later got her and she was not lovely.  For 5 months i struggled with her she ran away with me, scared me and wouldn't do anything i asked her to.  Got some help from a girl at the yard and luckily now here in France as i am not afraid of her anymore and will soon put her in her place she is lovely again!!  So it happens to us all no matter what breed we buy.  And us in-experienced people have to start somewhere, unfortunately some have better luck than others!!  If i had more land i would save a horse, but unfortunatley don't have enough grazing for the 2 i have.  One being a 3 year old pony bought here from a french farmer.  So i believe i have given one french horse/pony a better life!!!

thanks Motorhead, you seem to be a good source for information.  Yes i can put him outside, will do that from today.  He has been out a couple of times before but we had to shade him from the sun.  He doesn't seem ill as he is still eating really well and had great fun playing with the broccolli i put in his cage yesterday, and there seems to be no abnormal behaviour or sulking!!  He just looks a bit tatty and the stalky bits on his head look just like you described, you can also seen loose little fluffy feathers on his body.  Have put a dish of warm water at the bottom of his cage so he can bathe himself when he pleases but he hasn't gone near it yet!!  As i mentioned before when i looked at some in the pet shop last week, it seemed to be mainly the blue ones that looked like mine.

thanks alot for your replies.  Advocado's are also poisonous to parakeets apparently!!  He looks a bit tatty on his body but the main bit seems to be his head!!  Thats where the shafts are staying in!!  I also read that a parakeet has the intelligence of a 5 year old child and not sure if maybe he is bored being in the same place for such a long time so i have moved him near the window and am getting him some new toys see if that helps.  Maybe he is stressing out because he is bored??He is pretty hard to catch hold of so should i perhaps de-lice him anyway to rule out that?? Not sure if i could get him to look to see if he has lice. 

I have a ringneck parakeet about 2 years old.  Its been fine until about 2 weeks ago, it seems to be losing its feathers and sometimes just shedding the furry bit and leaving the stalky bit still on..!!  I looked at a few in the pet shop and some seemed to be the same, i was wondering if it was the time of year that maybe they are supposed to be losing feathers!!  It looks really rather tatty now and didn't know if anyone knew about this??  I feed it food for a parakeet and give it fresh fruit and vitamin blocks and things that hang for it to eat.

i have 3 children age 4, 8 and 11, i just asked them if they had loo roll and soap as nothing had been mentioned to me and all 3 of them said yes they do.  I would imagine it should be provided.  The public loo's in the village or at the beach etc tend not to have tissue paper and i have been told that as they are used by so many people they don't provide loo roll as they don't want the toilets getting blocked but this shouldn't be the case at school.

The days seem to go really quick here, and you tend to accumulate alot of pets!!!  Ok, after taking kids to school i come back and sort out the horses, normally ride then clean etc.  Then time for a cuppa and browse on internet check out my e mails.  Pick up youngest for lunch 12 til 1.30 then go shopping, visit friends just general stuff like in UK.  Clothes and jewellry seem to be expensive here though.  Its a more laid back life and you don't tend to fuss around so much.  In the UK i was always out shopping having coffee with friends and always doing things, now if i don't want to do anything i don't have to.  Where in Brittany are you moving to??  Do you have children??  As for the voluntary work etc, can't help i'm afraid.  Have made some french friends through the childrens school etc and i do make an effort of going on day trips, helping out with cinema trips etc and attending the fetes which helps integrate alot.  Hope it all goes ok for you.  Good luck

good idea,  didn't think of that!!! I have several of those bags which i ripped open right in the middle so next time i shall be a bit more careful hey???

so they should be ready to eat just in time for christmas??  Will watch for mine to fall, didn't move here til December last year and there weren't any on the floor so i reckon someone came and collected them all!!

Have a lovely big walnut tree in our garden.  Does anyone know when to pick the walnuts and how long they take to dry out??  Were not sure so thought i'de rack the brains of the living france forum!!  Thanks

i used John Parker transporter, they were very good and i know alot of others who have used the same company.  My horse wasn't used to being boxed and i was worried about her travelling this far as she used to stress alot in a box but on arrival was as calm as can be.  Highly recommended, they have a website or if you would like their number let me know.

one rule applies to one and one for the other!!!!  We have an english bull terrier who doesn't need to be muzzled nor does the staff, i refuse to muzzle him just because some people here can be ignorant and usually have no idea what breed he is anyway!!  I do tend to keep him on a lead just incase as there are alot of cows and sheep here and i don't want him frightening them.  I have seen people standing outside our supermarket with rottweilers, not muzzled, and should be.  French people here, as i have said before, let their dogs run wild and the little cute fluffly things chase us on our bikes and horses and almost bit my little boys ankles whilst cycling past one day.  So beware of the nice looking little fluffy doggies, they can be dangerous!!

all 3 of our children have had chicken pox and have not had any problems with any of them.  Seems to be a common child hood illness thatmost children get at some stage and normally once over and done with we can breath a big sigh of relief, although i have been told my numerous medical people that although very very rare to get it twice, it is possible.  I initially though years ago it was a myth you can get it twice but now have been informed otherwise.  My youngest had it her in france only 5 weeks ago and the chemist wasn't prepared to give me anything for the spots until i had seen a doctor here in France, so out came the faithful calomine.  A few have scarred at the moment but should fade to next to nothing shortly.  Joy of kids hey??