zeb
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Posts posted by zeb
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We all coucou our female friends here...verbally and in emails....seems normal to me.
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We came here for it...and we've got it...yippee!
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I think many folks just live the same way that they've always lived and think nothing of it, and they are very very careful with their money. We have some elderly farming neighbours who dress and live in a similar manner to Dave's neighbours, and work on their smallholding/take hay along the road to their two cows daily. They really appear very very poor, and, when we started using the washing machine that I'd brought here with us, I offered them the fairly new machine that had come with the house. They very politely declined it saying that their daughter took their washing, and suggested that I offer it to the locataires round the corner (which I did). However, then I heard that when they retired from farming a couple of years back they had sold the tumbledown farm and land along the road for 300K and also sold their farm land to other local farmers and various plots around the village for the newbuilds. They've bought a house in Toulouse for one daughter and another house in Dax for another (they've also bought the daughters a car each over the past couple of years). ...but they still look very poor, thin and chilly, so I sometimes take cake or home-made soup over to them...and they bring me pumpkins and eggs!Also, when we were house hunting for a little cheap ruin many years ago, several of the old houses the agent showed us that had absolutely no mod cons, were still inhabited. We felt very rich in comparison with our 30K to play with...and quite humble.
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No snow here, but I can see it on the mountains! Sunny forecast and a barmy 4 degrees for this afternoon.
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Wow - have the bankers already got their bonuses?
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You could check whether your commune or a neighbouring commune is holding a repas. The local St Sylvestre do is usually good fun, so that's what were doing this year.It's great...dancing between each course.....waiting for your dessert at 1am....walking home singing with the neighbours!!
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I can't see that there would be an insurance problem by fitting a British chimney top, but you may like to follow local traditional chapeaux and enquire at a builders' merchants rather than brico sheds. Try Point P, Reseau Pro etc.
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Hi, if you are the Confolens side of Bellac try Tim at www.charentetree.com
If not, have a look in the classifieds section of www.angloinfo.com (Limousin)
Nice one, Richard!
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Well, it looks like I'm joining your club.
Just come back from a short trip to the UK. How come I sleep like a log for 8 or 9 hours there, but can't do the same in my lovely cosy bed here?
.....and my lurch objects to me being up, so I have to fumble about making tea by the cooker hood light and trying not to make a noise!
Edit: CF clock is wrong
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There are many horrific accidents every year Edward, and anyone who doesn't wear protective clothing is just plain daft in my book.
There's all sorts of gear available in France from outlets such as Gamm Vert, but I have no idea re price comparisons - sorry.
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Sorry, can't help with Luchon, but you could try this one at Salechan
http://www.chambresdhotes.org/Detailed/9728.html
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[quote user="Quillan"]But its always commonly referred to as Chambres D’Hôtes, anyway what is it that you want to know you still didn't say?[/quote]
Maybe you should study your signature line, Quillan
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Yep, develop a strong stomach and a liking for eau de vie!
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The weekly fruit/veg/cheese/meat market is on Saturday mornings, but it's held in the market place in Confolens rather than in the streets.
If you mean "vide greniers" which are held in village/town streets (the French equivalent of UK boot fairs), it's nearing the end of the season, but yes, go to Tourist Information and ask there. Also ask about local monthly markets - most towns and villages have them, and they usually have more varied stalls than the weekly market.
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Have a look at mountain based gites on www.gites-de-france.com or www.abritel.com They are usually reasonable priced and extremely well furnished and heated.
We usually spend Christmas at a gite near Peyragudes (but it's booked for Christmas this year) just past Arreau, although we only live an hour away. Skiing on Christmas Day, or even sitting about at Peyragudes drinking hot wine and people watching, is brilliant before going back for a full roast turkey dinner in front of the log fire.
Where ever you decide to stay, in or near the mountains, you'll have a great time as everything is open at Christmas and the scenery is fabulous.
I'd avoid the apartments at the ski resorts though as they are tiny with few facilities for cooking etc. and six beds in one room
![Angry [:@]](/cs/images/emotions/angry.gif)
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Mmmmmm - I use the honey and mustard marinade for all sorts of things, even as a quick salad dressing! Here's a delicious starter or lunch dish that my French neighbour made for us last summer.
TOMATO (and COURGETTE) TART
Bought roll of Pastry - I usually use patè feuillettèe
Dijon Mustard
Sliced ripe tomatoes ( and sliced courgettes if you have a glut)
Finely chopped half a red onion
basil (or small handful of mixed green herbs)
slug of good oilive oil
handful of grated parmesan cheese
Fit pastry into a large flan case (I leave the paper underneath and just trim the edges so that the pastry doesn't stick to the dish - don't cook it on top of the gas flame though!!) Don't worry about trimming the pastry case, flute it so that it stands up; it looks good rustic!
Spread a dessertspoonful of Dijon mustard over the pastry
Cover the pastry/mustard base with a spiral of sliced tomatoes (and alternate with the courgettes), season with salt and black pepper
Sprinkle with chopped red onion and herbs, then sprinkle well with olive oil.
Sprinkle with parmesan, or add a few slices of goats cheese if you like. (You can also add flaked tuna or a few anchovies)
Bake in medium oven until pastry is brown and tomatoes are cooked.
This is nice hot with a crisp salad and brown bread, but is absolutely delicious cold.
Enjoy.
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[quote user="teapot"]Ikea matresses are their own size so you will have to buy everything from their too.[/quote]
Are they? Hadn't noticed a difference as our beds are not Ikea and nor is most of the bedding. The mattress we bought at Ikea Toulouse fits our UK single bed nicely, although we had been told that there would be a difference.
All the rest are French beds that came with mattresses, so no problems. I did find it a bit of a nightmare when I first came over with bedding, but we have gradually changed our duvets to French kingsize so that we can buy all our bedding here, and we bought a supply of UK fitted sheets for the English bed.
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Doesn't happen like that at Confolens. There are various set start times that are about 3 hours apart. You choose one and book for that time (unless they are fully booked, so you book for another day/ set time that suits). Everyone is seen off by the volunteers at short intervals and as a previous poster says, if you catch up with someone, you swap peddle carts.
At Manot there's a super little cafe run by the velo rail volunteers who, once everyone has set off from Confolens, meet you at Manot and serve refreshments from the cafè. There are tables and chairs set up, and a donkey in the field! My favourite cafè in the Charente!
Some peddlers go on to Roumaziers, and the rest who are returning to Confolens have their carts turned round by the volunteers.
We've done it several times with adult guests and we've all taken it in turns to peddle (you can change seats in motion); great fun. But....I'd never do it by myself with young children who hadn't got the strength or stamina to peddle 7 kilometres (up a slight incline in places). It's a good idea to have a couple of fit young guys with you (4 people can sit on the cart comfortably - 2 peddle) then you don't have to peddle at all....ho hum!!
Good luck, and have a great time.
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This is something you will have to ask your Mairie as many communes are quite strict about homemade signage.
You could ask them for some official signs (you'll probably have to pay for them). Just point out that your CdH will bring much needed revenue to the commune from tourists, as well as your taxes.
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Have to agree.
The bread I made in my Panasonic in the UK always looked and tasted great - white with a crusty top; but here (with a Lidl machine) - yuk.
So I ditched the machine and make a couple of small loaves every other day in the oven. I, too, use the Francine flour but Pain de Campagne, so it's not white, but rises and tastes OK. I make one loave in a loaf tin and the other in a round white china Ikea pot (the bread looks likes it's been cooked in a flower pot!). I find the results much, much better than using the machine, but I do use 2 packets of dried yeast to 500 grams of flour; and no paddles to fish out (there should have been a little wire hook with your machine for hooking the paddles out).
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Probably any of the long sandy beaches south of Arcachon. Maybe a bit too far from you but the surfing capital of France is further down towards Biarritz at Hossegor beach - it's absolutely great there (and next door at Capbreton) but can get crowded, especially when there are competitions on.
Have fun!
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No brainer.......Stihl everytime!
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Wow, how sad am I! I've just wasted 4 minutes of my life watching that!
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Blimey Quillan, how many piccies of fabulous beds do you need to see?
Builder recommendations
in West (Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charente)
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