val douest

No personal experience but friends were happy with the Hotel de Pau (right in the centre and I think part of the Logis de France chain) a couple of years back. Val

Trailfinders (www.trailfinders.com) offer single or multi-trip travel insurance for people resident in any European country (except Russia).  Their premiums are very competitive, everything is in English, and their claims procedure is in our experience (just one claim made) straightforward. Val

Maybe you have already checked them out but there are several possibilities in the Angloinfo forum for South Aquitaine (http://southaquitaine.angloinfo.com) under the garden services and property& estate management headings. Val

One of our three cats is allergic to the carrier fluid in which most vaccinations are administered.  We only found this out after he had very bad reactions to his third annual rabies jab and then a few weeks later to his routine vaccinations.  He had a mild reaction to the first rabies jab but then his reaction was increasingly severe so now he has nothing - on the vet's advice - and his file is plastered with warning stickers as we nearly lost him on the last occasion.  It means he will never be able to go to the UK but he is an old cat who mostly stays inside; we have no plans to return so we just hope he lives out his life happily here.  It would certainly be worthwhile raising the subject with your vet as if it is an allergy, these reactions tend to get worse each time. I think it is possible to give an injection ahead of the main one to lessen the side effects but I don't know if that is for vaccinations in general or for some specific ones.  Our cat has had antibiotic injections recently with no problems - it is the vaccines which seem to cause the reactions.  Anyway I hope your little chap recovers completely - he certainly sounds as if he is a real survivor! Val

Auto E is short for Auto entrepreneur which is one of the regimes under which you can register to work in France, thus gaining access to the healthcare system.  For more details try a search in the 'Earning a Living' section of the forum. Val

What a fantastic story!  And how wonderful for little Spirou that he is going home with Merlin.  Please keep us up to date with his progress, Merlin, as we are all rooting for him to make a full recovery. Val

Just curious - if 95% of the beef sold in shops is female, what happens to meat from the jeune bovin, boeuf and taureau? Val

Just recapping on the Livret A - you can each have one so the maximum amount you can invest between you is €30,600 (excluding any interest).  The interest is tax free and exempt from social charges.  Although the rate of return is under 2% at the moment, it has just gone up so at least is heading in the right direction. Val

It certainly does seem that the printed version is only available by order from their website (http://boutique.routiers.com/pagetype.asp?reference=GUID2009).  I've no idea why it's impossible to buy it in bookstores any more.  But you can consult the whole thing on line at  http://www.relais-routiers.com and print off the info for the departments or areas you are interested in. Val

Advocate is certainly available in France (our vet stocks it): I seem to remember it was suggested as an alternative to Frontline as the cat concerned needed treatment for ear mites as well as protection against fleas.  On another occasion I was given Stronghold by the same vet, which from reading the product description also attacks fleas, heartworm and intestinal worms and mites of all kinds.  We have one cat who roams further afield and he occasionally picks up tics although he is treated with Frontline Plus.  Presumably without this the problem would be a lot worse! Val

I came across this recently but haven't tried it out yet; it sounds good though. http://www.fussyfoodie.co.uk/foodie/2835/sugar-free-chutney/ Val

How about les écuries de pierre?  It just means the stone stables but it rather hints at a bit of history (who was Pierre??) Val

I usually buy a dozen or so cards at a time from http://www.greetingscards.co.uk - no personalisation (except for Christmas cards) but a good range and reasonable prices.  Delivery to France used to be three - four days but the last batch took a week so I think it must be the postal service which is responsible.  Another site with nice cards (all at £1.50) is http://www.kangarookards.co.uk/ which has free postage (including to France) for orders of six cards or more. Val

Merlin - sneaky as it may seem, would it be possible to use someone in the Lot as an intermediary?  In other words they could go to Figeac and 'adopt' little Diouk and fill in all the necessary paperwork but with a home elsewhere already arranged, as it appears that there are people in other parts of France ready and willing to take him.  Not how one would want to do things but sometimes some deception is necessary to counter a truly desperate situation.  I don't know how much checking up there is after an adoption but I am sure with a little cooperation everything could proceed smoothly.  If you think this plan could work, then all that is needed is someone living in the Lot who is prepared to help initially, with an onward escape route to get Diouk to a permanent new home. Val

Maybe a pet sitter would be a possible alternative if he hates being left.  If so, the following post may be of interest http://the-languedoc-page.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4003 though I have no personal knowledge of the services on offer. Val

We are just about to lnvestigate Assurance Vie as a savings option.  I found an article on the internet http://www.expatica.com/fr/essentials_moving_to/essentials/Assurance-Vie-_-An-expatriate_s-guide_11550.html which explains the concept quite well.  I gather that anyone under 70 who invests in one of these before they move to France gets extra advantages so maybe it would be worth having a look before you move, Chardie. Val PS Pickles, the assurance vie you mention with Generali - could you please tell me if is this in a very secure low-risk option or something else, as I gather there is a great deal of choice of products, depending on how adventurous you want to be.

Can anyone please give me more information (or direct me to the relevant documents) on 'green' investments which apparently attract tax relief of some kind here in France?  I was not sure from the rather fragmented conversation over lunch whether the relief is on the return from the investment or on the capital invested. Val

OK, I stand corrected - I've just looked on the map and Stansted is further north than Bristol, so I'll amend my previous statement to say I believe there are no year-round flights from SW France to anywhere north of Stansted.   In fact there are year-round flights from Pau to Stansted, too, but the flight from the UK usually leaves at 6.45 am which means an overnight stay at the airport with an alarm call at 4.00a.m.  So we're hoping bmibaby decides the Manchester/ Lourdes service is worth a trial this winter..... Val

I was delighted to see that bmibaby are continuing this twice weekly service next summer (April - October).  It flies every Monday and Friday at sensible times (14.35 from Lourdes) and there is ample free car parking at Lourdes airport. If you pick your dates you can fly for just over €100 return inc taxes this month which isn't bad for the school holidays.  Now the fight is on to get them to continue it through the winter (they have been canvassing passengers to assess the demand) which I think would make it the only direct service operating all year round from south west France to anywhere north of Bristol. Val

Just a thought, if you are not averse to heading further west, our visitors last year who spent a few days in Bordeaux were so taken with it as a holiday destination in its own right that they have been back twice since for long weekends.  Lots to do, plenty of history and cultural activities, and the added interest of a port location.  I can't comment usefully on your last para but wherever you decide to go, a little internet research on likely places to meet people with shared interests could certainly do no harm! Good luck, Val

Sorry - the information which came up in Google gave the impression Chats du Quercy and Les Amis des Chats were affiliates of each other.  I stand corrected and as Peachy says, I just hope someone living rather closer to Automne is able to give her a home. Val

Peachy - I'm concerned that your kind offer of a home for Automne might not have been picked up by the person who posted from Chats du Quercy.  They may not have realised that the system on the forum does not allow for direct e-mail or phone contact. I hope you and Automne get together! Val

Fantastic news, Merlin.  Their initial rescuer must be so relieved that they will both be safe. Val

The only bits of the Adour we have walked along are the section just to the south of the junction of the D946 road from Plaisance and the D935 (Riscle to Maubourguet) which is very attractive with quite a lot of bird life.  Also the south bank of the Adour, walking westwards, just on the outskirts of Riscle.  This featured in one of a series of walks leaflets we picked up in the Riscle tourist office, though it was the only one to take in the river bank.  It is worth going to the tourist offices in several of the towns along the Adour as much of the material they have on offer tends to be very local and covers walks in the immediate vicinity of that town.  I keep looking out for a walking book which covers the riverside on a bigger scale but so far no luck! Val

Fingers firmly crossed, Merlin - let's hope the visit seals the deal, as it would be a happy solution for everyone involved. Val