val douest

Sorry Paul - it was in such big type I missed it!  Anyway, the following entry in the Daily Telegraph's "things to do in France' gives the date, and other references seem to indicate it is usually the second weekend in August so you should be able to plan for next year. France: events and festivals in 2009 (Daily Telegraph 3rd Feb 2009) No. 38. If you have a talent for imitating the various cries of the pig, or for eating black pudding very quickly, book into the Pig Festival on Aug 9 at Trie-sur-Baise, north-east of Tarbes (www.pourcailhade.com). There are points for both, and points mean prizes. Be warned, however: competition is international and tough. Val

According to this link http://www.triesurbaise.com/news/pourc.htm, this year it will be on August 10th. Sounds like fun! Val

You might like to try the following http://www.france24.com/fr/ World news in French. (You can also read the same news in English on the website if you get lost, but it is not a word for word translation).  France 24 is also a news station (English and French) which we receive via Satellite in France though I am not sure if you can get it in the UK. http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com The full title of the magazine is Nouvel Observateur. A good general interest weekly magazine covering a wide range of topics: lots of shorter articles which might make an easier starting point. Good luck. Val

I have cooked the recipe below several times now and although it looks a bit of a palaver to do it is great dish for entertaining as it can be cooked the day before and just reheated and finished off when you eat.  I have given the recipe exactly as it appears the book, but I have at times varied the herbs, substituted a cheap local fortified wine for the Banyuls and on one occasion forgot to add the lardons (and I don't think they were missed!).  It's a lovely rich full-flavoured dish and goes well with plain rice or creamy mashed potatoes.  I also cook the pintade for slightly longer than the 40 mins given in the recipe (making sure there is plenty of cooking liquid left) as we like it almost falling off the bones.   Enjoy! Pintade au Catalan (from French Leave by John Burton Race) Serves 8 2 pintade 100 ml olive oil 2 large onions, peeled and chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1 celery stick, trimmed and chopped 1 leek, washed and chopped 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped 2 sprigs each of fresh thyme and oregano 1 bay leaf 1 kg tomatoes, quartered and deseeded (not skinned) 330ml Banyuls wine 750 ml strong chicken stock 200g parma ham, cut into small strips 75g unsalted butter, diced Juice of 1 lemon Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1.  Cut each pintade into 8 pieces.  In a large frying pan heat the oil and when hot add half the pintade joints, browning them on all sides. Remove to a large lidded casserole and brown the remaining pieces in the same way. 2.  Add the vegetables and garlic to the oil in the pan and fry until golden.  Add the herbs and continue frying, then add the tomatoes and wine.  Boil to reduce the wine, stirring continously, until it has fully evaporated (takes about 15 mins).  Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. 3.  When the tomatoes have turned brownish and become a syrupy pulp then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and then carefully pour the contents of the frying pan over the pintade in the casserole.  Cover with a lid and place in the preheated oven to cook for about 40 mins. 4.  Next, heat more oil in a frying pan and fry the lardons of parma ham until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain. 5.  Remove the dish from the oven and transfer the pintade to a serving dish with a slotted spoon.  Keep the pintade warm while you finish the sauce. 6.  Pour the sauce remaining in the casserole through a sieve into a saucepan, pushing it through to capture all the flavour from the vegetables.  Bring the sauce to the boil, removing any sediment.  Turn down the heat and add the butter piece by piece, whisking it to dissolve.  Add the lemon juice and then season.  Pour the sauce over the pintade, sprinkle with the lardons, and then serve.

I have checked the flea tablets (Johnsons 4fleas) and they are available from www.chemistdirect.co.uk at £3.02 for 3 treatments).  They don't sell the Mark & Chappell treats but you can find these on www.petplanet.co.uk.  It might be worth googling both items to see if you can get a better deal on delivery for them elsewhere, though the Chemistdirect people will send any size of order to France for £7.49 and it would not be hard to make up a worthwhile total from general pet foods plus all the sorts of things you would normally buy in Boots if you were in the UK. I have often wondered about our feral 'persian' but there seem to be quite a few very longhaired farm cats around here, usually black, and I assume someone locally once had a particularly active longhaired male whose descendants have populated the area!  We think our chap is quite elderly as he walks quite stiffly sometimes; at the moment I think we will leave him be but if he becomes obviously unwell or is in discomfort we may try the drugging route and have all his problems looked at in one go.  Having heard the tale of your little cat being terrorised in her garage by the other feral visitor I can quite see why she much prefers being locked in to the perils of a cat flap! Anyway, good luck with administering the tablets - let's hope she likes cheese! Val

I'm pleased to say that I heard from Phoenix today that Picasso now has a new home. Val

So glad you have managed to find a carer for Venus.  But Sandra, the poster above, is obviously very interested in giving Rufus a good home so maybe you can work something out with her?  I do hope so as he looks a lovely dog. Val

Looking at the SDA-Nice website, I see they even have a dog for adoption called Kiwi!  Anyway I hope you find the right dog to join your family.  Please let us know how you get on and post a picture of the dog you choose - everyone loves a happy ending! Val

As far as I know the only carrier which will permit animals to travel in the cabin with their owners is Air France.  Here is an extract from their website In the cabin Animals accepted: only cats and dogs under 6 k (container included), guide dogs, regardless of their weight. Transportation rules: the animal must travel in a specific container that must respect very specific standards. The container must be sufficiently ventilated and allow the animal to stand up and turn around. In no event must the animal leave its container during the flight. The carrier is considered as a baggage item Practical information: in order that the animal travel peacefully, we recommend that passengers administer, after consultation with a vet, a product to prevent the animal suffering from air sickness or any negative reaction during the flight. In order to avoid any unpleasant surprises, remember to find out about the regulations in force in your departure and arrival countries (vaccinations, quarantine, etc.). For any further information, or rate request, please contact our booking department. Of course that means you or your daughter would have to do the journey in two stages to get from Manchester to Toulouse but it would probably work out cheaper than using a courier and the cat would be with you at all times. Val

It seems you were able to drug her in order to take her to be neutered so I wonder if it would be possible to do the same again and to have her thoroughly examined by your vet.  He would take some blood which could be tested for feline leukaemia etc, and he could frontline and worm her at the same time.  Hopefully he could sort out the cause of her skin problem, too, which sounds as if it could be some kind of mites or mange.  With all that done at least you would not have to worry about her passing anything on to your other cats.   We have been feeding a feral cat for a couple of years now but he is much warier than yours and won't allow us to come closer than a couple of feet away.  I tried to worm him with powders mixed into his feed but had the same reaction as you - complete rejection. I then discovered by accident that he adores cheese and for a week or so he had a few little balls of St Paulin (it's very mild) scattered among his croquettes.  I then rolled a worming tablet into one of the little cheese balls and he ate it with no problem; he now has a Drontal worming tablet once a month and also a Johnsons 4 fleas pill, both popped in a cheese ball.  I think it's because his dish has a mixture of soft and crunchy things in it that he doesn't realise what he's having.  He is very long-haired and I would love to give him a good grooming as in places his fur is very matted - I don't think that will ever happen though.  Maybe you could use the cheese technique with your visiting cat, though you would have to get her well used to it as a treat first (if she likes it, of course! ).  It might be a way of drugging her for the vet visit, too.   However, if your other cats are totally indoor cats then I don't think you need worry too much about what diseases she may pass on.  She is obviously an outdoor cat and although she would like to be in the house it is not practicable to have her as an inside/outside cat while the others are shut in. I am sure she will come to no harm with dry and comfortable quarters and regular meals.  Another thought to help her skin and fur problems: there are some croquette-type treats specially formulated to help.  They are called Mark & Chappell Skin and Coat treats for cats and kittens and are available from many of the internet pet supply sites; I don't suppose they will work miracles but maybe worth a try. I was surprised that she is happy to be locked in, as our feral moggy gets totally panic stricken if he can't get out and away.  He can now manage the cat flap (much to the consternation of our two full-time felines) but goes completely to pieces once he's in and has to have a door opened so he can rush out.  He's only after the other cats' food and as he is now fed regularly and is never really hungry he doesn't  bother much any more. I hope you manage to sort her out - good luck! Val

I have just had an e-mail from Phoenix who are desperately looking for a new home for the handsome chap below. [IMG]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc147/valeriewest/Picasso.jpg[/IMG] The message reads: We’re hoping and praying one of you will be able to offer Picasso a home, or know of someone who could do so. Picasso met with a nasty accident and has had to have his right back leg amputated at the thigh. He’s now fit-as-a-fiddle and able to do virtually anything a 4-legged can do. He’s a truly beautiful, neutered, 8 yr-old tabby-point Siamese – extremely laid-back and affectionate. Unlike the majority of cats, Picasso is absolutely fine with dogs and other cats….a real cool dude! Picasso’s current owners adore him, but are terrified of taking him back, as they have already had several other cats killed on the fast road in front of their home. After having snatched him from the jaws of death, we can’t bear to think that this fate awaits him too. We have attached a photo of him. Fingers crossed that you can help. If anyone can assist, please contact Phoenix via their website at http://www.phoenixasso.com/ Val

Just had a nasty surprise when I went to make up the beds in our guest cottage for the first time this Spring.  The beds had last been used in January and afterwards I stripped them, folded the blankets, threw over the quilts and covers, and then covered the lot with plastic sheeting which is there to protect the beds from the odd bird which finds its way into the building and can't get out easily. Under the quilt in the first bed was a food store, mostly empty acorn shells and a few droppings which could have been mice.  Right under all the covers on the other bed was a nest, made of shredded pillow casing and assorted fibres, which I would have said was also mice except for the presence of large very un-mouse like droppings.  Looking on the internet, they look like red squirrel droppings - certainly not mouse or rat droppings and not elongated enough for fouine.  We have plenty of red squirrels round and about but it doesn't seem like a very squirrel-like place to nest. Whatever our visitor was, its debris was not at all pleasant.  Fortunately the mattesses were encased in very heavy duty detachable covers, one of which will have to be disposed of, but the mattresses themselves are undamaged.  One pillow and a blanket will also have to be thrown out.  I am just so glad I went to make up the beds a few days in advance so we can at least sort out what needs to be replaced. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Or maybe you can suggest what animal it might have been.  We still have no idea how it got in though I am sure there are small holes high up in the roof lining which can't be seen from below.  Any info welcome! Val

In answer to Cathy's query, Easyjet has been running flights to Toulouse from Bristol all through the winter which I think were daily though I can't swear to it.  Of course whether they will be running them next winter is anyone's guess but as Pads says, the Airbus connection and consequent to-ing and fro-ing of staff may have a lot to do with the frequency of service. Val

As Pads says, there are flights from Bristol to Toulouse all through the winter.  If you aren't able to drive from there to Bordeaux then there is a bus every 20 mins from the airport direct to the rail station and the TGV from Toulouse to Bordeaux takes just over 2 hours and costs from €17 per person (maybe less if you are over 60 and have an SNCF discount card).  A good site to look up everything about trains is The Man in Seat Sixty One (http://www.seat61.com) which has links through to all the other relevant sites. Val

Very many thanks for that, Craig - exactly what we were looking for! Val

I too am so sorry that you had to have her put to sleep and I know how very sad you must feel.  But it sounds as though in the end her deterioration was very swift which left you no choice.  When you really care for an animal you cannot bear to see them suffer and the right course of action, albeit hard to follow, is quite clear.  You will have so many memories which may make you sad at the moment but as time passes there will be lots of happy ones of her time with you. Thinking of you tonight, Val

Many thanks for that, Les: the links from FFMC through to the Legifrance page are particularly useful. But the one thing we can't seem to dig out, even from the text of the Actes, though it may be buried in there somewhere, is the position of voitures de collection which already have a CT which is coming up to five years old, or indeed was done more than five years ago, as part of the re-registration process on coming to France. We think we heard - but can't now remember where - that all such vehicles will be required to have a new CT within the next two years, with those whose registration numbers end with an odd number (presumably disregarding the department suffix) being required to conform this year and even numbers the next. Or was it the other way round?  Or was the whole thing an urban myth? If anyone can shed any light on this particular aspect it would be much appreciated. Val

Can anyone please direct us to the new regulations concerning voitures de collection which I believe come into force round about now?  We are having difficulty finding chapter and verse on exactly when a new CT is required (our car had one when it was reregistered in France about four years ago). Thanks Val

I think it is a bit worrying that the vet merely said there is something wrong with your cat's lungs and that it isn't going to get any better, without being more specific as to what the problem actually is.  It might be worth asking if there is an animal heart/lung specialist in your region who you can be referred to.  Our cat has always had skin problems but shortly after arriving in France they became so severe that he was having to spend most of his time in a plastic 'lampshade' collar to stop him scratching himself raw.  Our vet suggested referring us to a 'local expert' (local turned out to mean a 200-mile round trip to Bordeaux!) for specialist advice and treatment. I can't pretend this produced a miraculous cure but the specialist and his team did succeed in establishing it was a dietary problem and over the last  couple of years we have modified his food intake according to their suggestions and his skin is much better.  We were bracing ourselves for the bill, but including some very expensive drugs to kickstart the healing process, the whole bill came to under €150 which being used to English vets' charges, we thought was very reasonable.  I assume you have the x-rays, test results etc which you could take along to a specialist, which should save the tests having to be repeated and so save unnecessary expense. Good luck! Val

Here's a way to make those cheap strawberries from Morocco (€1.79 a 500g punnet in our local SuperU today) into something special as they are not very sweet or flavourful eaten just as they are.  It's actually one of Nigella's recipes. Put 500g hulled and halved strawberries in a glass bowl and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and five tablespoons caster sugar. Cover with clingfilm,  give the bowl a shake to make sure all the berries get some sugar and vinegar and then set aside for at least three hours.  Serves three to four: good on their own or with madeleines or shortbread. Val

For those of you who don't already know it, there is a fascinating website called the Cottage Smallholder (http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/).  Its subheading is Stumbling self sufficiency in a small space and apart from being a fascinating read it is full of inexpensive but interesting recipes, advice on growing and using garden produce, keeping poultry etc, all so well written (the author is a a journalist turned smallholder) that they are worth reading for their own sake. Although it is UK based, lots of the information is just as useful here in France. Good photos too!

Bigbadbob - if you go to  http://www.relais-routiers.com/   and choose the departments you are interested in, there are descriptions of all the restaurants which carry the relais routiers approval, together with an indication of type of menu, prices and opening times.  Hope this helps! Val

I thought I'd posted this earlier today but it seems to have disappeared - sorry if it's duplicated somewhere else.  Can anyone please give me a link to the new(ish) regulations for the storage of domestic central heating oil in above-ground and underground tanks?  In French is fine. Thanks Val

Hi Scoobie I've sent you a pm in answer to your posting on the Moneysavingexpat forum. Val

Hi Scoobie I've sent you a pm; if you can't open it then let me know with a reply to this posting and I'll try again. Val