Richard-R

[quote]Speed cameras even in France have a warning sign that one is approaching them. So in some ways they self advertise, that they are on the web is not a problem.[/quote] Our local speed camera's got a very clear sign...facing the wrong way for the camera.

I passed a speed trap today, nothing out of the norm, i thought little of it, until a little way along the road the police where pulling over all the driviers who had flashed warnings to on coming cars. Over 20 cars and a few trucks on the side of the road, geting a good going over.

It's passing through a village near us this year, so we plan to pop over there and watch the stage. Whats the best freebies that the promo vans hand out? so i can keep my eye's open for it. Another win for Lance ? No wonder the French are not that fond of the U.S.A.

"Living in France is like having a mistress. The more money you have the better" It's no place for the poor. Sorry i can not finish the quote, it's not for family viewing lol

We live in coastal Aude and get it fine with a 80cm dish.

Have a look on there marie site, lost the address but seem to remember the be ads for services. LAso the Phone book. Sigean is just up the road and there are a couple of sparks there. Rich Near Durban Corbieres

It is now a blue badge and i.e. a Euro badge. When my mother in law visits we just park in the disabled bays and pop her badge on the top of the dash board. We get a few funny looks, a blue badge and the nature/type of car we have lol. I think the spots are signed ccg or some like that. They are painted blue on the road. Very easy to spot and in cental locations. If in doubt ask a police man.

Not in my back yard. The difference is in the U.K. sad old people with nothing better to do go around raising a petition. Here in France they blockade main roads, set fire to things, this may be because the French love to see the riot police in action.

A better deal if you make and recieve a lot of mobile calls is to buy a sim card in the counrty you are visiting and than leave a message on your regular mobile answer phone, giving your new number and the dates it will be operation.

I have never seen it. Seems to be wood or charcoal. Funny thing i thought Abli was a coal area of old?

Footless, well i know a lot of locals who like to get legless. Neck braces seem to be the medical fashion item of choice around here. The French like to think they are a cut above rest rest, not this shows that they are a cut below the rest.

You could try www.autoplus.fr a motoring mag like autoexpress in the U.K.

Wonderful man. He's change there entire social structure. He's made the rich, a little poorer and the poor even poorer.. Tax and spend. A good few people would like to know more about the spending bit ( like where and on what?). The tax bit seems straight forward. Only a fool try's to repair an economy by incresing taxation across the board, time and time again. It seem s like the 70's in the U.K. at times.

I am always amazed the things the French stuff into jars and then sell in the gourmet section in the supermarket. I have only ever seen 1 person buying a jar ( Duck in fat and god knows what) in the 2 years we have been here. Food wish you can not beat the French for there salads, if you like lardons that is.

It all depend on you. We are on hello'ing terms and the odd chat with people in our village, but have good friends now in both Narbonne and Perpignan, These people we have more in common with. The art's, night life ect and i teach fenching for free at a local sports centre. Since living here 2 years we have nort spoken to a British person( well once). We have never worried about fitting in. People have to take us, has they find us( drunk, outside a night club's the norm, lol). The fact that we do not have loads of Brits visiting us in our village, at first seemed odd to the locals. Now they know we have friends from the cities near us and others popping up from Spain, Italy ect they are more relaxed with us.

Autoroute is about 1.20€ + for 95. Supermarket pumps area round 1.04€ at the moment.

[quote]And I thought the Spanish strawberries I bought in Auchan in Sete on Saturday were devine at 89 cents per 500 gr, when Hubby asked the lady doing promo what the difference was between the more expens...[/quote] Ditto. 5€ per kilo for French ( and not that good) Strawberry's and only 1€ for Spanish ones that have a good taste. I can also see the wine issue. Even very cheap( 1€ litre) is better than French ( 2€+ litre) wine at the moment. We buy most of our wine in Spain now. The only stuff we buy in France is Vin de Table and thats only for cooking.

What we are seeing in my part of France is real economic growth and not just second home owners. It always amazes me, the number of young people and children even in the smallest villages. Given to location there are very few old cars on the road, houses are being 'done up' by French workmen for Franch people. This is very unlike a simular region in the U.K. We have a place in Cornwall and most of the residents are now well over 60 and 50% plus have moved form a city. The village's become a little time warp of what the incomers think it should be like, flower boxes and no signs of the 20th century. Thank god our village in France in not like that.

One of the 'old men of the village' saw me releasing a couple of scorpions on the river bank at the front of our house a few weeks and told me he they are out and about before the 1st May, this is a sign for a long hot summer.

Setting up direct debitss with a french banks sorts this out. The only bill we need to pay by cheque is for local water and thats about 150€ per year. If you are not using the property for long periods of time, it's a good idea to have someone look in on it now and than, in case of leaks, mice taking up residence ect.

I for one am quite happy to blast away a pigeons and other vermin birds ( they know who they are) that come within shooting distance of our land.

My Amex covers me for this, not sure about my CA card but i think it comes with travel insurance so it may well have CDW cover. There may be excluded countries. I have a mastercard ( Chase) issued on my U.S. bank account that does not cover most Europen countries for CDW.

I good thing i have found is village creep. lots of new homes being buit in villages up and down the south coast, and not just holiday homes, but housing for locals. All of the local ( 50km) towns and villages here seem to be expanding. New homes going up and old houses being done up. Wish i had invested in a trade brico, they must be minting it.

With all cities can can be very expensive if you do not know them. London is no worse than Paris/Rome/Madrid. Prices aound tourist ares are always ott. I saw a burger van in London selling a can of coke for 1.70 pound on my last visit there.

Income is a hard thing to pin down. Bill wise we spend more here in France than we did in the U.K. If you have only just retired i would double what you spent when working. You will be home more, so use more power, water ect plus you may drive more to explore your new home and use more petrol. Food wise we spend about the same. Think what amount you would need to live on in the U.K. and you will be fine.