Victoria

I received a private message about hiring scooters but lost it.  Thank you to whover sent it - I'll certainly look into it.

I have a confession to make - I visited the newly opened IKEA on our recent visit.  We're furnishing our house and I just had to have their loss leader - an iron day bed at £50.00 (mattress and base extra).  It looks perfect in our top bedroom and just imagine what a fashionably rusty one from a brocante would have cost! We avoided the first day and went on the third so that things would have had time to calm down and we wouldn't be trampled.  It was still a close call tho.  We had to park our car about a quarter of a mile from the store and tramp over rough hummocky ground to reach it (husband was furious!)  When we got there it was a real culture shock - some of the staff actually smiled at us (they'd obviously been on a course).  This can only be a good thing for the French retail trade - I'm sure an assistant in Castorama swore at us once - in French obviously so we couldn't be sure. As we were waiting to buy the stuff happy smiling youngsters came round with bottles of water and sweeties.  It was all a bit Stepford Wives.  I don't know that I prefer the French their usually grumpy selves now.  Contrary or what!

I have a confession to make - I visited the newly opened IKEA on our recent visit.  We're furnishing our house and I just had to have their loss leader - an iron day bed at £50.00 (mattress and base extra).  It looks perfect in our top bedroom and just imagine what a fashionably rusty one from a brocante would have cost! We avoided the first day and went on the third so that things would have had time to calm down and we wouldn't be trampled.  It was still a close call tho.  We had to park our car about a quarter of a mile from the store and tramp over rough hummocky ground to reach it (husband was furious!)  When we got there it was a real culture shock - some of the staff actually smiled at us (they'd obviously been on a course).  This can only be a good thing for the French retail trade - I'm sure an assistant in Castorama swore at us once - in French obviously so we couldn't be sure. As we were waiting to buy the stuff happy smiling youngsters came round with bottles of water and sweeties.  It was all a bit Stepford Wives.  I don't know that I prefer the French their usually grumpy selves now.  Contrary or what!

Thanks Ray, wouldn't have thought of that.

Thank you all.  I'll look into hiring a smaller one at this end (his own is one of the heavier sorts).  I'd no idea you could take them on a plane, but if, as seems likely, we're going to have to drive down with him we may need one of the fold-up types.  He says they don't look very secure but of course they would have to be. Our next nightmare now is keeping him safe.  The road to the bar has no pavement and is on a bend, and French drivers being what they are!  If only I could ground him; it really was simpler looking after the kids. 

Tried this on Health but didn't work.  My elderly father will be spending next summer in France and will miss the independence his scooter gives him.  Is it possible to rent these and if so how much?  How do we go about it?

For those of you who can remember, 3 weeks ago I asked what should I do about inviting my neighbours round, well I did ask both sets and it was a resounding success.  Husband's a bit of a foodie and they were amazed at the stuff he produced, wanted to know where we'd got it from etc. (local market), so perhaps that'll go some way to retrieving British culinary honour. Madame was very pleased to be invited as I thought she would be but I'm still not sure about him.  There were no veggies this time and he didn't come out to say goodbye whereas we even got kisses from her (first time!)  What could we have done wrong? Even tho we're only second home owners we try to join in and feel it's appreciated.  We attend meetings in the village hall when we're down even tho we don't understand everything (or anything!)  French is a bit rusty but coming on.  We went for a walk up a local mountain and were coming down feeling a bit puffed but proud when we met two local ladies on their way up.  One was 84 so we didn't feel quite so smug after that. Miki - I have a vague memory of being sat on the butcher's counter and being fed raw sausage as a treat - but I would have done the same as you. Re - housecoats and slippers, what about the washing?  We live in a village every bit as pretty as Bourton-on-the-Water and several of the ladies who live in the centre overlooking the river regularly hang their washing (including their big knickers) on a line over the river.  Imagine that in the Cotswolds! And they're lovely, make us feel very welcome and last week made sure we knew about the film show in the village hall.  We went, didn't understand a word but enjoyed the pictures and the half time drinks, food and chat.  I think I may dye my hair red.

Thank you all for your replies.  I thought it all sounded too good to be true.  I will pass your messages on.  I'm disappointed though, we really thought we had found an easy way round this next part of our renovation.  Why is nothing easy?

Sorry if this has been covered before - I have done a search but can't seem to see anything.  We have to instal 2 bathrooms next year and MOH had been prepared to do all the necessary plumbing, but on visiting the BricoDepot he spotted these electric loos.  We have encountered them in some hotels and they seem OK (if a little stained).  They are more expensive than traditional ones but it would save him a lot of digging and pipe work.  We are prone to thunderstorms and electrical cuts in our area but we will still have a traditional WC on the ground floor. Does anyone know anything about them, any drawbacks?

Yes, I'd already decided that I would make sure each knew the other was coming if I did decide to go ahead and invite them both - and I think I will have to.  But it is odd,  the French in general are so friendly and welcoming (more so than in an English village) and yet, as you imply, they seem to relish neighbourly feuds.  Is this the Latin temperament?

Regarding Phil's comment on not being too pushy and making the first move on invitations to aperos I've got a problem.  We're holiday homers, been there 3 years now and our immediate neighbours, while always friendly and polite, holding the key for us, giving us copious amounts of vegetables from their garden, have never invited us to aperos (although the wife did invite me round to view her house after I had shown her the (slow) progress we were making on ours). And I always get the feeling that he, at least, is keeping us at arm's length although I may be being a little over-sensitive here.  The problem is that last time we were there, the neighbours a few doors down invited us to aperos and we of course will reciprocate when we go next week. But what do we do about immediate neighbours?  They're bound to see us in the garden and if we haven't invited them they(or at least Madame) might feel left out, but I don't want to appear too pushy and would rather have waited until they invited us.  What shall I do?  Does Kofi Annan have these problems?

Sadly not with a Modestine of my own.   What a great idea Angela.  I haven't read the book yet, just skimmed through it but from what I can see Modestine proved very stubborn at times and Stevenson thrashed her soundly - different times! I expect it still goes on but nowadays people wouldn't dare to admit it - much less write about it. Walking with donkeys does sound like fun though, I could just about keep up.

Sadly not with a Modestine of my own.   What a great idea Angela.  I haven't read the book yet, just skimmed through it but from what I can see Modestine proved very stubborn at times and Stevenson thrashed her soundly - different times! I expect it still goes on but nowadays people wouldn't dare to admit it - much less write about it. Walking with donkeys does sound like fun though, I could just about keep up.

Sadly not with a Modestine of my own.   What a great idea Angela.  I haven't read the book yet, just skimmed through it but from what I can see Modestine proved very stubborn at times and Stevenson thrashed her soundly - different times! I expect it still goes on but nowadays people wouldn't dare to admit it - much less write about it. Walking with donkeys does sound like fun though, I could just about keep up.

MWJ Yes, sorry, it was Perfume from Provence.  I'm obviously still a novice in the 'groupie' stakes - I do envy you both all those exotic trips.  It gives another dimension to travel doesn't it?  Some years ago, before it was widely known that James Herriot's sagas were set in Thirsk we managed to identify the town and had a holiday in the Dales.  I went into Thirsk one Sunday morning with kids in pushchair, found his house where he practised with 'Seigfried' and 'Tristan' and there coming down the steps was the man himself.  Of course I should have been armed with his latest book and asked for his autograph but I don't collect  autographs.  Instead my knees turned to jelly (we're not used to celebrities where we live) and I just gibbered something about liking his books and he shook my hand warmly and went off.   My claim to fame!  

Thank you Gay - will look out for it.  We have a holiday home in the foothills of the Cevennes so I was pleased to come across Stevenson's 'Travels with a Donkey' recently.  I had thought this was out of print but have found a new Penguin Classic so can't wait to get stuck into that and then do the tour (sadly not with a Modestine of my own).   

Yes, I enjoyed 'Instructions for Visitors' - in fact it led me to Ceret - the small town where it is set.  Really beautiful place which we probably would never have seen had it not been for the book.We do this often - we're 'place groupies' - and we always have to visit places we've read about.  We went to Louviers where 'On Rue Tatin' is set and found Susan Loomis' lovely house by the church.  She was in the garden gathering up the children's things and we just walked quickly by, terribly English, not wanting to gawp (or to be seen to gawping) - in fact I think we're serial gawpers.  But at least we don't pester people - can't believe that Peter Mayle had to move house because people kept knocking on his door.  I know he made a lot of money out of it of course but still! Just finished 'Perfume in Provence' and want to go to Opio now - no-one to upset there though as Lady Laceholes is long gone.  Any more literary junkies?      

Yes, there definitely is a parallel between emigrants moving to America and Australia during the last century. Since we 'joined' Europe there has been a steady flow of people moving to, in particular France and Spain so I think you can call yourselves pioneers. Perhaps more so in that you have the language and culture barrier that wasn't there in the colonies. The big difference of course is that geographically we are so much nearer 'home' and it's easier to hop on a plane if homesickness really sets in. I watched a programme last year (presented by Nadia Sawalha) about people selling up and going to Spain. Some of the stories of how they were trying to make a living were hair-raising, but some were inspirational - the least likely-looking people showed a lot of gumption and tenacity. I suspect that it won't be long before some undergrad or graduate chooses the subject as his/her thesis - It would make a good book! (and there's plenty of material on this forum) Or does someone know better?

A word of warning re electrical goods.  We recently bought a built-in cooker from a local supplier (not one of the big chains).  When we got it home and removed the packaging we found it was badly damaged - something had obviously been dropped on it.  We took it back immediately but were told that we must have damaged it ourselves. Yes, we know we should have insisted on the packaging being removed before we took it home - we're usually careful but I think the standard of service we expect and usually get in UK lulled us - we shall be more on our guard in future needless to say. In the end, they agreed to send it away to be repaired but since then the inner glass door has cracked - obviously a stress crack.  That will be replaced but I'm left wondering what next will go wrong.   

'Current girlfriend'!    Is that like 'the present Mrs. Wogan'?

You're probably thinking about underfloor heating using water pipes which are cheaper to run and therefore more suitable for all year round use. But I think they are quite a major investment and probably have to be installed professionally, whereas our undertile heating is just mats which are embedded in concrete and then tiled over - a DIY job. As for our English piccalilli, I really don't know why they asked us to bring some over for them, my French is not good enough. Perhaps they said something completely different -come to think of it they did look a bit bemused when we gave it to them. You've got me worried now.

Bit late with this reply but just got back from 34 where we are installing under-tile central heating, much to the bemusement of the locals who haven't got it in France yet (probably won't get it either; cost of electricity being what it is I don't think it would be very popular). We just want it for warming up spring and autumn visits and because it seemed a shame not to as we were tiling anyway. Neighbours very impressed and think it might cure their damp vestibule (they think there's an underground stream). We also had to take some piccalilli for them. Nice to know Anglo-French cultural exchanges aren't all one way! While there I also, like a previous member, discovered the yellow and black Karcher thingy in Castorama. It cost about £30.00 and is charged up from the mains. Very light, like a carpet sweeper, but perfect for tiles and saves lugging the vacuum cleaner upstairs. It's made my cleaning routine very much easier. What are these poxy settings and why can't I send my message?