Monika

Je dis encore une fois bravo � tous ceux/celles qui contribuent ici en fran�ais. C'est bien gentil Odile de dire ca et votre encouragement (on dit ici vous ou tu?) La premier fois j'ai ecrit ici en francais je m'ai fais assez de soucis a propos de mon francais scolaire, mais vous etes toutes tres patientes. Oh LOL veut dire ca! Merci! Merci aussi pour la programme de television.   J'ai aussi entendu de la tempete dans la Sud Ouest et trois victimes en Espagne. J'espere que la tempete ne viens pas chez nous, nous habitons en bord d'une falaise et nous avons eu un glissment deja!

Deux questions: Est ce que vous pouvez me dire, ca veux dire quoi LOL? Et aussi est ce qu' on peut voir  le Stephen Fry Programme en Angleterre et  quel programme?  

Quand nous avons achete notre petit maison en Suisse Normande on devait aller dans une petit cabanon dans la jardin pendant plusiers mois, il fait parti de notre vaccances (on peu dire ca?)  Maintenant nous avons renover le maison et bien sur nous avons une toilet dans la maison, mais je m'en souviens avec une bonne memoire. (je suis desolee mais je n'ais pas des accents)

Thanks Krusty, I wondered when the Baby was due, well it will be definitely a girl! Although France will be more expensive for us Brits, we must not forget that houses are still much cheaper also the tax d'habitation and fonciere. I have calculated that our holiday cottage in France costs us as much as keeping a Campervan (roadtax, service, insurance and yearly habitation check!), so that is still very good. So I think I will keep my holiday cottage in France rather than buy one in Dubai!

That would be great, Bluecat, thanks a lot!

I am looking for a copy of "Sous les vents de Neptune" by Fred Vargas. I want to try to read it in French. I have read it in German, where it lost a lot of its atmosphere and I thought the translation was very longwinded, I also read it in English which was slightly better. I am sure the french version would be very atmospheric!? I would be very happy to pay something for it and also for postage.

I have been on Statins for years (40/10) but I have never suscribed my vivid dreams to them. I sometimes have such good dreams I could use the plot for a novel. I have no side effects and the same goes for my sons and my sister and children who are all on statins because of inherited cholestrol. The latest victim in our family is the 5 year old son of my niece in Switzerland and her doctor was interested if a Statin exists for children in America or England?  (please send PM as no advertising is allowed!)  

I have been on Statins for years ( now on ezetimibe/simvastatin 40mg&10mg) and I have very vivid dreams, sometimes I wake up and think this would make a good plot for a novel, however I never put it down to Statins. I have no side effect at all nor has my sister and my sons (it's all hereditary) and this combination drug has very good results. (I asked my doctor in England to put me on this about a year ago after my sister and familiy showed such good results in Switzerland). 

[quote user="Eos"] I sold a house 12 years ago for what was, at the time, the highest price to have been achieved on the street. Even now in these straitened times, it has just sold for about 8 times what I got for it. As I got out of it what I needed, when I needed it, I am not "sick" as one of my acquaintances suggested I might be! Not an "informed" response I know but an attitude that helps me sleep! [/quote] This is such a good philosophy  you have Eos. I am trying to remember this in future, it would certainly make life easier and help me sleep too, especially in this Credit Crunch-depressing times.  

I have just been listening to You and Yours on Radio 4. The Credit Crunch and a "flying fatigue" brings good news for Northern France. The inquiries for Ferry Travel across the channel are up because more people want to go on holiday nearer to home and suddenly have remembered Northern France. Let's hope it will be a good summer!

Thank you to all of you. Great dutch website/forum Pads, and I will have to contact Mrs.Wills. Of course the Southern Irish could be a prospective buyer with a regular ferry service from Cherbourg.

I would think if you would want to sell a house in France now an Estate agent with Dutch connections would be better than English connections? And what would be the likelihood of finding such an Estate Agent? Anybody - any good ideas? Also if you instruct several Estate Agents, does the fee go up? And am I right that if we find a buyer ourself  (we are thinking of placing an advert in "French Property News" and possibly a Dutch magazine) we would not have to pay the Estate Agent, would we need to agree this specifically with the Estate Agent? Thank you.

As heard on Radio today: (Not sure if I can fully endorse it) If you invested £1000 in shares a year ago in Northern Rock you now have £4 If you invested £1000 in shares a year ago in HBOS  you now have £16 If you invested £1000 in shares a year ago in Excel Airlines you now have £5 If you invested £1000 in Aluminium Cans of Lager and drunk them and sold the empty cans to  a Recycling plant you would now have £200.  So the investment advice is: Drink heavily and recycle.  (Figures are not guaranteed)

Thank you so much to both of you. This Forum is great, there is always somebody willing to help.  

I know, this has nothing to do with French Books and Literature, but Forum Members are so clever and might know of a place (like Amazon) where I could order Portugese Fiction Books. I have been searching the net, but no luck.  

I am sorry about both of your experience Jaw and Britgirl but for  me a very interesting posting and easier to understand as it is a real life example of inheritance in France. May I just ask you a question as I would, most likely,  be in the same position (we have two sons, and no previous marriage). Do the sons get a quarter each? I always thought it would be divided by three, i.e. me one third and each of the sons one third? 

Thanks so much girls, why did my mother not tell me,  I "chucked" them all away, but know better now.

I have collected a whole lot of Blackberries (so early!) from our nearby hedgerows and wanted to make a Blackberry and Apple pie, only to find that each Blackberry had a Worm crawling out of it. I have never seen this before. I hope this posting does not spoil the Blackberry Season for you, but why would this occur? 

Le Plombier, we never have our VMC running because in the otherwise wonderfully quiet location, when "one" is in the toilet or the bathroom it feels like we live next to a motorway and the constant "humming"  is irritating! (we don't have gas) However being on the subject of bathrooms our "group de security" (is that what the tap beneath the ballon is called?) had to be replaced (because a continous stream of water was escaping), and the plumber said it had deteriorated badly (in two years!) with calcaire, this in a very soft water area. Could you tell me dear Le Plombier or any other knowledgeable person, why this happened and what we can do to avoid it (the house is a holiday home and quite often unoccupied for several weeks). (It's not because we don't have our VMC switched on?) Thank you. And sorry for hijacking the thread.  

This is quite an "old" thread which came up when I searched.  You are so knowledgable BJSLIV and may I also pose a question to you (or anybody else as clever) regards this subject of having to pay TVA. When we bought our Maison secondaire it was a very modest four wall affair, also a maison secondaire, with one room, kitchen water and electricity (no bathroom etc.) We have had substantial renovations and an extension done, increasing 35 square meters to 90 square meters (we paid on everything 5,5 % TVA). Would this be classed as a conversion or renovation and would we have to pay TVA if we sell within five years?

I unfortunately can not take part in this very interesting discussion (holiday cottage) but I have sent you an e-mail Odile regards retiring in the Swiss mountains, one of my dreams!!

Yes, once I had taken of my scarf and large sunglasses! [6],

I agree with you, we are part of the EU and the passport controls are becoming ever stricter. I was asked out of the car (while they searched my friend's tiny Fiesta) and body searched at Poole in front of everybody and I look really innocent!

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Normandie - tell me more about the Vire fair, please. Usually we have to be home by the end of August for the start of term - but not this year! [/quote] Very happy retirement!

I feel "a bit" sorry for Chambers, he has really regretted it and he should now be allowed to take part, especially as other countries' rules are less strict. Apparently this tough ruling does not deter certain young sportmen/women to take drugs (not even the certain knowledge that it shortens life substantially). And who knows what medals have been won before the Seventies by sportsmen on drugs? I love some of the postings!  But I will just have to endure it; what with a very sporty (armchair) husband and mother in law I will get full exposure.