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Patf

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Everything posted by Patf

  1. Suspension bridges have always looked very fragile to me - hanging on thin steel ropes. We used to live near the Humber bridge, one of the biggest suspension bridges in the world. I refused to drive across it for years. Partly because I'm scared of heights now.Tyne bridge is an arched bridge - not sure what that means but it hasn't got any ropes.Nomoss - we had an  identical bridge near us in France . A few years ago it was closed for weeks for repairs to the walls etc, but still had a low weight limit and it was definitely too narrow for any big lorries etc.
  2. Hope this link comes out, copy and paste:https://www.ladepeche.fr/2019/11/18/un-pont-suspendu-seffondre-dans-la-riviere-au-nord-de-toulouse,8547999.phpIt's very worrying. The Tyne Bridge here needs maintenance work,  but it's not a suspension bridge. Increasing volumes of heavy traffic.
  3. Poppies have very deep roots so are difficult to remove if you decide you don't like them.Another reason why they're survivors in the plant world.
  4. Very good link, Nomoss, thanks. And I've heard the tip about putting in the freezer. We often saw the little moths flying round the kitchen, searching for a place to lay their eggs. Mint - your infestation could have started before you bought whatever it was. ie the eggs could have already have been laid before packaging etc.
  5. Jerusalem bus drivers are well known for their sociability.ALBF - I'm not surprised.Maybe it's mainly as Lehaut says, the media and the shock/horror effect. But also it's real, town and city people have lost the desire to care for their neighbours.
  6. Yes that's it, Wooly, Ibis.  We stayed at the one in Auch several times when we were searching. Comfortable clean and good food not too expensive. There must be several around Toulouse
  7. We've used the longterm carpark at Toulouse many times, I don't think it's expensive. Especially compared with same in UK.As for where to stay overnight, there's a chain of basic hotels which give good  cheap overnight accommodation and decent food - I've forgotten the name, will look it up later.Something like the Holiday Inns in UK.
  8. I think Spider's taking mick, or that other impolite phrase.
  9. We used to get pantry moths. They loved all dried goods such as couscous, laid their eggs which turned into tiny worms. Plus cobwebby  stuff. So you had to keep all dried goods in closed containers.That's assuming they weren't already infested, like yours nomoss.I haven't seen pantry moths here yet, but you never know, with global warming.
  10. Idun - obviously a sensitive topic.Personally I don't think any of us from the UK, arriving in middle age or later, can ever be as fluent as native born.One advantage you and I have, Idun, is that we have the NE England broad vowels, more easily understood by french people.My friend in France came from Devon and the locals couldn't understand a word .  Though she gets away with it because she's such a cheerful sociable person. They're still there, after 30 years.
  11. I used to make couscous from the Carrefour brand, medium, when we were in France. It was so easy - a measure of couscous, same measure of boiling water or stock, fork up and that was it. I added other things later.But the couscous , and bulgar wheat that you get here (Tesco) seems different. I have to microwave it to get rid of the extra water they say in the recipe.I still use it for a salad in the summer. After 'cooking' and cooling I add a tiny amount of salt, lemon juice and walnut oil, and parsley and mint from the back garden. A few raisins and chopped cashews. And chopped dried apricots.We have it with cold meat or chicken. But back to basic casseroles now, less work.
  12. Chicken oysters are one of my favourites too.Another tasty thing - I usually make cheese and tomato toasties for supper, Some of the filling always leaks out and gets nicely browned - never wasted.
  13. The SA team deserved to win imo.They've always been strong, (not sure why), but since they've let more black players take part they're almost invincible . There was always that speedy black winger Habana, but they didn't go beyond him. When we lived in France we had white SA friends who came to our house to watch TV for all the important RU games. He has a french name. He and husband had other connections with sailing etc.I looked up the info on the SA  no 10, Faf de Clerk and see that he is Francois. Our friend in France also had a french name. What's the connection?
  14. Never heard of a tilde.I thought you meant the Tilda range of grains, which I buy often. Available in France and UK.
  15. I wish you well with your health problems, Mint. I thought you had been more quiet recently, but thought you were being your usual positive self.Many of us find our strength in music.
  16. I've found some of R51's posts deliberately provocative and too personal at times. Especially on the Palestine/Israeli conflict. Which imo can't be discussed on a forum like this.I think Wooly likes a good argument, but is never nasty.As for who else could be a Mod, I don't envy your job, HoddyWhat happened to Russet?
  17. Wooly - I thought you were getting all romantic, from Gershwin's Summertime. The last few phrases sometimes include those words.
  18. @ Cajal -Could be, but more likely Moscow. Which is more inland. I think St. Petersburg is on the Baltic coast. My GG grandfather was master of 2 ships sailing from NE England into the Baltic to trade coal for pine trunks for pit props. And I know he got as far as St. Petersburg.
  19. @ BritinBretagne - I've got the sequel bookmarked to order:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Place-Italy-Eric-Newby/
  20. I agree with Idun, especially on the rights of way issue which is so complicated in France.We sold our first house to a couple from Holland and they brought their own lawyer. They did an inspection of the house with him, and all he did was check the light switches and other electrics worked.For our second sale, to a french couple, we weren't there, gave the notaire power of attorney.The only slight query which came out later was that they hadn't realised the significance of the provided adverse report on the fosse septique. They were from Paris, so only used to mains drainage.
  21. I'm not very good at geography - never knew there were 2 mountain ranges in that area. I thought it was only the Alpes.Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby is a good book - he found the rural, poorer folk in that area very kind and helpful. Though there were fascists around too.I wish we had been able to do some exploring there.
  22. What's the area at the north of Italy which is densely populated? I thought there were mountains there?
  23. She's late 20sYes she did say a few words in english which made me think that she's a fast learner.But I'm beginning to wonder now if she IS Romanian, I had assumed it from her way of dressing - long skirt, light jacket top, long hair tied back. Maybe she's from Bulgaria or some other Balkan country.
  24. Loiseau [:)]Well, she came and did a good job, except that she made me realise all my sloppy 'cleaning' in the past. Standards from rural France. I tried some of the phrases but she seemed to still rely on her english-speaking friend on her mobile phone for what to do.I found non-verbal communication more effective. Perhaps language will come later.ps I asked her about french and she more or less said "Aa divven't knaa  what yer taalkin aboot!"
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