Chocolate

I fell about laughing at this thread. Yes. This green newcomer did the same thing. A kind Dutch friend gave me a secret recipe for a certain walnut product. It entailed picking unripe walnuts in late June, then cutting them into small pieces. Hubby was away, so with nothing better to do, I duly picked and began to cut up the soft little nuts with a small kitchen knife. It occured to me at about nut 12 of the necessary 40 that there was a very green juice coming out over my fingers. By nut 40 I was very green. No matter. Just rinse it off. Then I watched in horror as my green fingers, nails and hands quickly turned black. And I mean black. In fact dark, nutty, walnut black! As an ex-teacher I had often had coloured hands from water colour paint used in school (!) or from dyeing in art and craft sessions. Just do the same I thought. Keep washing and it will go. Huh! Even a dip in concentrated neat household bleach didn't work. In the end I had to cut my nails short and apologise to everyone and say that I had washed my hands that day. It took over 3 weeks to have even remotely normal skin colour again. Next time  -  rubber gloves. Hope the recipe turns out well and was worth it!

We too have hazelnut bushes/trees. They are purple-leaved and very bushy. About  4 meters high. they were planted a long time ago by previous owners and have not been pruned or cut from day one we think. The problem is that last year we were told to leave the nuts until September but by then they had all dropped, full of worms, or had been eaten by squirrels by late August. They look very ready now with brittle papery dark brown/black frilly covers and well-formed nuts.  Is this due to the scorching weather? Do I trust all will be well? Or do I pick as many as seem adult and dry them(not really needed at the moment!) in the sun.  I can see a repeat of last year coming up with no harvest at all. They stand as individual plants in open spaces on cut/mown grassland, very exposed to the sun. Advice needed please.

Errrm. It's me again. Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but here goes. Just read Christine's post. We have two cats with British microchips and they and we live permanently here in France. At no time has our , (excellent) vet suggested we should register them into the French system. If we should/did, does it affect their British 'number'? If so what would happen if they travelled with us back to England for a visit and were lost? Does he do the paperwork or should we do this via a website or by contacting someone? By the way, we were delighted to know that the microchips inserted before leaving England also registered the cats' temperature. No more thermometers we thought! Forget it. Our very high-tec French vet doesn't possess a micrchip reader that can cope with this. Poor cats. No gain there.

Thank you Betoulle and Bevvy for the informative replies. I understand it now and am just a little anxious about our position. We have not used SAFER and have not spoken to the Notaire until the final signing for the house. He was very agitated about it and called the person who was farming the land into his office to sign various papers. We should have taken greater care since. We truly thought that as the person and ourselves all signed a waiver then we were home and dry on this. We will go into this further. Thanks.

Thank you Deimos for the useful and helpful reply.  I have just tried the site you have given and had no problems with access. Hope it will be helpful for other confused and worried 'finders'. (The little dog in question is now back in Belgium with her ecstatic owners.)

Just found mention of SAFER in another thread and think it must have something to do with use/farming of land. We wrote an agreement with a local man last year which he and we signed to say that he can grow a yearly crop on our 3+ hectare field, but he must have no interest in gaining rights over the land. He also cuts for hay, for his animals, our top field in return. This year was the first year and he only got two boules of hay from it. Is SAFER to do with use of land? Is it an agreement? Can anyone tell me please?

Could contact details be posted please for tracing the idenity chip number of lost animals. Once scanned it should be possible to check the number on a database but with several 'nationalities' of microchip to be found now it can be extremely difficult to return a lost animal to it's owner. The following situation actually happened a few days ago. A neighbour has been trying to trace the owner of a small, hungry, lost dog which wandered into his house a few days ago. He took the dog to the local vet whose receptionist scanned it, stated it had a Dutch microchip, shrugged her shoulders and wanted no more to do with it as the dog was not in need of veteriinary care. An unexpected and unhelpful reaction which shocked my neighbour. After several unfruitful visits to a local Dutch-based campsite, various neighbours and local shops for 'lost dog' posters he returned home to to try the internet. Quite by chance he stumbled across a site which took him in a complicated way to the opportunity to type in the microchip number. Up came full details of the dog, which was Belgian not Dutch. One 'phone call to a very relieved ex-holiday maker who had lost the dog two weeks before has settled the problem. Unfortunately my neighbour cannot remember the name of the site for future use, or to give it here. Perhaps someone might know of a central, International database or would it be possible to offer several contacts for several countries? I feel sure that with so many animals travelling with holiday-making owners that there is a real need for members of the general public to be able to access details and so re-unite owners and pets. If the details are straightforward could they be posted permanently in this topic by someone and so be quickly accessed by anyone finding a lost animal?         

Just a suggestion. Our removal and storage co. said they often deliver rugs etc. on a one off basis if they have room in their vans and the delivery date is not exactly crucial.They would negotiate a charge for this. Is it worth checking to see if any removal companies could transport your kitchen for you. I assume it would be delivered to their depot rather than Dover. It's all business after all.

These recipes all sound really good but can anyone please tell me how to get the little perishers out of their prickly overcoats before we get to the peeling stage? We have lots of them too, but do we wait until they split and drop like conkers do at home, or do we pick them (ouch) then cut them open or leave them to pop on a sunny wall? There are an awful lot of them but they seem to fall to the ground still in their prickles. Or aren't these sweet chestnuts at all?

I need to find out what the exact creuses hours are for our house electricity supply. When we arrived an EDF chap came to upgrade the power as the house had been empty for over a year. When I asked him in stumbling French what the hours were, he wrote them on a piece of paper for me. These were 1.30 am to 7.30 am then 12.30 lunchtime to 2.30 pm. From then we have used these cheaper hours for washing machine etc. However, we have been told by the plumber that the water softener fitted before we arrived begins to clean itself, and therefore uses power, between 12.00 midnight and 2am. Also I often hear a switch click over on the large fuses board in the sous sol with a big noise at 2 in the afternoon. These do not fit the times given to us. Also I met someone today who is also on the  creuses tariff , lives locally and her times for the afternoon slot are 2pm to 5pm. I have been on the EDF site and cannot find times, only costs. I seem to remember someone asked this before and there was a detailed reply but the forum search keeps kicking me out! Is it the same everywhere or do different communes have different times to equal out the demand? Where can I go to get the info and how do I get someone to check our system to verify the hours? Sorry to ask for repeat information.

OOOOh yes! Fig icecream sounds yummy. Found a tree with very small figs down in our field yesterday, so this year will freeze as suggested and put into a casserole in the winter. Just a silly question- what type or flavour of casserole is best please? Next year will make the icecream, but on the other hand have just seen figs in the supermarket............

Thank you. Have now found Levure Chemique in the supermarket. Also L.C. Alsacienne, (spelling?). Is this for something special? Also thanks for the tip about dried fruit at the market. Never thought of there.

We have shiny brown with greeny yellow tinged clouded effect tiles in one bathroom which are vile! However as they run behind the loo, two radiators, around the bath, around the bidet and in and out of the shower,(all floor to head height), removing them is not an option as the whole room would have to be gutted. Too much money I'm afraid. We also have the black tile skirtings mentioned in another place and very 70's big beige tiles with a HUGE blue flower in the centre of about every other one.  Oh and all the rest of the walls and ceilings are papered in very strongly patterned and vivid coloured wallpaper. Should count ourselves lucky as one house when hunting had wallpaper up the walls, across the ceilings and straight down the other wall opposite irrespective of the right way up design of the pattern. We also saw a 30 year old house that had brown tiles in every room including all the bedrooms. Soooo depressing! French taste is very special and often of a particularly brown type. I can sympathise with Saligobay. It most certainly could be enough to depress anyone, or is it because it doesn't show the dirt and doesn't have to be redecorated too often given the cost of paint, wallpaper etc. in France? If anyone has the answer would they please, please cough it up now! There is a whole bunch of us out here who would like to know.  

I too have found French flour 'different' to British SR and have had several disappointments when baking. I used the Francine Gateaux flour mentioned above also but the resulting cakes were flatter and looked all wrong. If I were to go the old fashioned route with plain flour and baking powder can anyone tell me exactly what baking powder is called in France? There are several varieties of little packets of powder on the shelves with the flour in the supermarket, but which name and variety is the same as British Baking Powder? I can recognise Bicarbonate of Soda in the list of ingredients, but that is in ALL of them! Also which (name of/variety of) flour do I use please? I really would like to make fruit cakes and Maderia cakes again not to mention Victoria Sponges. How sad am I; but Winter is coming and thoughts of fruit cake by the woodburner are heaving into my head. And..................... a moan. What stingy little packets of sultanas and currants are available in supermarkets! Where is the mixed peel? I really am losing it now. Should have left all this behind in England but it is only a little thought of home. End of whinge. Sorry. 

I think the returned cost info is correct. After advice on this forum in July we decided to buy a Jotel woodburner and to ask the supplier to quote for fitting. When the estimator came, she measured, quoted and also told us that we would get 40% of the cost back, as this was our main house, when we completed and returned the tax form next year. After calculations, the saving allowed us to buy the next one up in the range. We assume she was correct and the payback concerned the stove and not the whole package of stove, pipe and fitting. The professional fitting would also satisfy our insurance company in event of a fire.

The answers to our problems have to be French-based I'm afraid. The problem is that we have moved here lock stock and barrel as they say and we are so far down, (just Midi Pyrenees in 46) that we probably will only return by car about once in (?) years! We did ask a friend to bring down 10 litres of Dulux white when they visited us, but we felt uncomfortable about it. Felt as if all we wanted was their courier service and not their company! Those 10 litres are very precious and probably a one off. Most people fly home from here but of course can't bring paint with them. Many of them visit for 3 - 6 months and bring supplies in their loaded cars. Again we can hardly ask for paint in the quantities we need. It isn't fair. We just can't ask. The cost of driving back home, plus ferry fare and return journies just make it economically unviable to do it ourselves. Also there is the thought that we ought to get to grips with the indigenous paint so to speak as it will be easier to get and we are supporting the local economy. However, altruistic thoughts don't get the walls painted. Hence when I saw the colourants it seemed the answer, but of course raised more questions. I have come across a British-goods based shop on the Internet about 2 depts away  who say they sell Dulux paint but I have no idea of price, (probably a lot to cover all the importing costs to them). We can get to a Bricomarche from here. Thank you. Now we have to solve the base paint problem as Homebase is out of the question for us. We really do have to find a French answer I think. All ideas and experience welcome.

Does anyone have experience of, or advice about, colouring white French emulsion for interior rooms please? Does it work/is it satisfactory? Are the colours stable in this climate (SW France)? There are several brands and types of colouring tubes on the market, so which is best? Which brand and type of white emulsion do people suggest as the base? Can satin and white kitchen/bathroom paint be coloured as well as matte?  We have just paid the proverbial arm and leg for white paint for the sitting room from a shop which supplies to the trade; we thought it would be cheaper from them in bulk. So far we have needed 25 litres for two coats. What a price all told! We now have other rooms which need to be painted but this time with coloured emulsion. However, it is not a case of pick up a Dulux card and choose here in France. I am aware that there are machines which mix the shade required, but the outcome on the wall could be a nasty surprise. Hence when I have seen tubes and jars of colourant, I have thought they might be the answer. All advice and comments welcome please.

Just don't expect to buy curtains or carpets here. I have hunted in vain for any places that sell curtaining fabric by the metre or ready-made curtains, as is normal in the UK. The French tend to buy net curtains and make do with shutters for privacy and to keep the cold out. Also they do not line curtains either. Heading tapes are not in evidence and the only rails seem to be uncorded wooden poles. We brought all our curtains with us as well as corded rails. However, all the 54 inch curtains are far too short for our windows and the long 90's will have to be chopped to fit the smaller windows here. We should have measured the windows before we bought! (Only joking.) The walls are solid stone so we have the joys of hammer drilling to get the rails up. I love making curtains, cushions etc. but am suffering withdrawal symptoms as I cannot get the raw materials to do this. I even took a professional course before leaving the UK to be able to make to a better standard. A waste of time it seems. Our search for carpeting met with a blank too. We are now choosing ceramic and terra cotta tiles for rooms with concrete floors and searching for carpet tiles for those with uneven and mixed floorboards previously covered in nasty stuck-to-the-floor foam backed carpet. We have a mixture of British and French electrical goods. As an old friend gives up, so we replace with a French one. You can't really cover all eventuallities before coming furniture-wise. We have learned to go with the flow. It's all part of the fun.

Really pleased at the successful outcome to your problem and that most of all you and your cats have come through with a reduced stress level. You followed your instinct. Glad you and the cats are happy. Well done. It can take courage to vote with your feet, (or paws) !

We also bought a property with land. In our case part of the land is a 3 hectare field which the previous old lady allowed a local man to plough, sow and reap on a verbal agreement. When we signed the final act the Notaire threw a fit, became ultra serious and 'summonsed' the wife of the chap immediately to sign a paper waiving all rights to the land. We felt very sorry for her but he also made her  initial every page of our contract. All very serious as I say. As there was a crop of winter wheat in, the paper stated we would allow access to the chap to reap and end all activity by the end of this month. This was in April. Then we looked at the field after he had harvested and realised that it was an impossible task for us to return it to a sit -on mower state. The man approached us again and between us we wrote an agreement that he should continue his activity as before, but in return he would tractor mow another of our fields which is also far too rough to mower cut. We felt this was a good step as two separate people had approached us wanting to cut this field at an astronomical, (but we later learned at the going rate), price. We all signed and kept a copy of this paper. Incidently it states that he has not, nor wants, any claim on the land and that the agreement only runs for 12 months from the date of signing. It has to be renewed each year. He has assured us that the crop is for his chickens which we thought highly unlikely. However when it was cut and rolled into those huge cylinders we could see that the wheat was very poor and the 'straw' was 90% of each bale. Definitely not a wheat baron! He is recently retired from a factory and has taken over a small farm locally, but insists that he is not a farmer. As long as we keep a grip on the agreement, and it continues to state that he has no claim on the land and has to be renewed annually at set dates, we feel that that is our best route. We could not cope with over 4 hectares of fields plus garden and small woodland otherwise. He also cuts several other people's grassed fields for hay, but they have crossed their fingers or put their heads in the sand and have a 'gentleman's' agreement. Perhaps our 'contract' is no better but we have done the best we thought would make us safe. Really I suppose an agreement written by the Notaire each year would be best, but we are trying this first.  

As newies to France this year, we also investigated the options for heating just like you. I also posted queries on this site and got so much helpful and experienced advice that we were able to make a final decision. What did we go for? Well the consensus was that a 'foyer' would not kick out enough heat for us and there were comments about the often noisy fans which send the heat out of the grilles. We settled for a Jotul freestanding wood burner, (a poele it's called). However, having got a written quote for supply and fixing a well-known make which made us go cold (!) we took this to the Jotul supplier and said, 'If you can do all this at less than this quoted price, then you have the job.' Needless to say he did come in at a reasonably lower itemised all-in price. We had been told categorically by our French immobilier that 'Everything in France is negotiable'. She was right in this case so negotiate! Incidently the fixings up the chimney are expensive anyway, but think of a house fire! Think of the insurance company's reaction if, God forbid, your chimney went afire. There had also been very positive comments from people on this forum about the Jotul poeles so we feel reasonably safe. The only word of warning is don't necessarily go for the biggest if you intend fitting central heating within a year. We came down one model from the biggest after being told about this. However do buy one big enough to put off commissioning the central heating into the Autumn, depending upon where you live. One bonus was that the supplier has told us that as this is our main home and we are choosing energy renewable and eco-friendly heating, when our taxes are sorted out we should get 40% of the cost of the burner back. Hope this is true. Would be good if he's correct. Our burner is to be fitted in October so we cannot definitely state we have chosen well yet. Good luck with your choice; one of many I am sure.

Have you tried Chat Sensitive ? It's a liquid and stopped hubby's rash on his chest. Experimented and it really was the answer. Biological powders always set him off, but wasn't aware they were sold in France. We are newish, and when I asked an assistant and her friends in the local Ecomarche if there was such a thing as biological powder in France they vehemently denied all knowledge of it. Not done. Not sold. Shame really as even though OH ( and daughter also when we lived in England) reacts badly to biological clothes washing products, it is fantastic for cleaning oven shelves with just a 5 minute soak! Don't know why therefore he should come up in itchy rashes with French products, but he doesn't with Chat Sensitive. I think it is also sold as a powder but haven't tried it. Isn't Bold a biological powder in England? If it is Dash, then is that biological too?

Just a thought - what about that scourge of the British garden a la Alan Titchmarsh:- decking?  Smooth  or ribbed for 'grip' with the paws, will drain if narrow gaps left between the boards, scrubbable and if raised slightly on stretchers with weed fleece or a thick layer of gravel underneath should eradicate the grass problem. Choice of wood your own and it can be made to the measurements and shape. of your dog's run very easily. Could even give him a raised low platform made from box shapes that could be moved around as you wished and to give him interest. It is a large area so perhaps deck part of it and use exterior paving for the rest. Would pea shingle be too hard on a dog's paws? Not gravel which is sharp and chunky and often used for driveways here, but the smooth tiny stones which seem to bond together when walked on.

Chezshells the amount of blood to be drawn is not as much as your vet is stating for the test. We had our two cats rabies jabbed at the end of last year and then blood tested in England by our English vet in preparation for our move to France. I held my quite large male Bengal whilst the vet inserted a needle into the front of his chest. An assistant stood by in case, but there was no need. The vet was quick, efficient, gentle and obviously though young, knew exactly what she was doing. Not a sound or a wriggle from my big cat. The other cat is a female Bengal; small, lithe, slippery with a smooth coat and easily frightened. The assistant wore gloves and held my cat at the front end and I held the rest of her,(the cat not the assistant!) but without gloves. Again, smooth, quick and efficient. About a syringe-ful from each and gently back in their baskets. Efficient, quick and over and done with. I might add that the vets practice was one we had used for 16 years with our cats. They were recommended to us, though eight miles away, by another cat-owning friend in our village in GB shortly after we arrived there with two lively Siamese kittens. I took them to the local vets, but was very unhappy at the way they were handled and the comment that they were 'exotics'. This practice mainly dealt with the local farms and stables and had only a limited 'small animals' clientele. The recommended one we changed to, though much further away, proved to be superb through all the joys and inevitable traumas and tragedies we experienced with all our cats and a rabbit. They were treated extremely well, the practice was totally up-to-date and even though there were inevitably a series of young and older vets over the years, they all gave a caring, modern and professional service. We felt totally confident with their care. On moving to France this year, we have not gone to the local vet that people have said 'Oh they were OK with so and so's dog'. After checking it out the place was smelly, dark, very hot and just a little basic. Instead we have begun to use a vets 20 mins away which is light, modern, air conditioned and sparkling clean everywhere. Our female cat has already had her teeth cleaned there and came home in fine form after the anaesthetic. This has become really long. Sorry. What I am trying to say is that perhaps a vet who deals mainly with small animals rather than farm animals is better equipped to handle and treat cats. They will do so confidently, have a more intense understanding of your cats health and well-being and will treat them in a way that will reduce the stress to your cats and you. I do hope that your cats can be blood tested without the need for anaesthesia. Perhaps, like us, a change of vets would make you and your cats more comfortable. If so, you could talk over your worries with them and ask what their procedures are for 'drawing blood'. Good luck.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Especially thanks to Ecossaise for the clear instructions. Haven't replied until now as there has been sooooo much work to do, then I couldn't find the 'phones as they were packed away again out of the dust and grit. Yes they do have an un-pluggable plug! Hadn't thought to look before. Off to the shop tomorrow to try the first option of a French cable rather than any rewiring. I will post back if all goes well.