sid

Good suggestion about the Cat5 cable Pierre; faster than the WiFi too! Sid

Sweet17 Have you had a look at the LAPEYRE catalogue (or visited one of their showrooms)? You can browse the e-catalogue online www.lapeyre.fr (e-catalogue/l'interieur/escaliers) They do a good range of staircases with options for made-to-measure. If they fit it the TVA will be 5.5%. There have been some criticisms of they LAPEYRE installers but I find the actual products to be good. Sid

Hi Sue As BB says, any good make will be OK; if it's sold here it should be compatible with available services. NETGEAR do have a good reputation. I have used their products for the last 10 years without problem. Here I use a DG834 which I brought with me from UK. They are available in France and it would be better to get one here so that the power supply has a French plug, just a convenience thing really. The DG834 works with ADSL2 and is downwards compatible. See this link http://www.netgear.fr/produits/produit.php?prod=DG834v3 The USB dongle should be OK. Sid

Confirmation there from Maude that some of the mods may not be required. First step: speak to DRIRE. Take some photos of the 'van and whatever documentation you have and go and have a chat. Don't take the caravan on this visit! Good luck Sid

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] No doubt Sid will be along soon to confirm this, having got his van done last year. [/quote] Thanks SD. [:(] Actually, we completed the registration in July this year after hesitating previously because it all sounded too complicated! In actual fact it was very straightforward, if a little tedious. I think you have to ask yourself whether you will use the caravan here; we've been here just over 3 years and haven't felt the need for a holiday at all until this year! The documentation problems depend on the age of the caravan and if it's an older model, as ours is (1989) you'll need some help from the manufacturer. In our case Lunar were excellent! We needed to make some modifications to the lighting and add orange side reflectors. I had to make an identification plate to mount on the front rhs of the drawbar showing make, model, VIN (chassis number), unladen, and maximum weights. The chassis number also had to be marked (punched) alongside. I then had to present the caravan for a gas/electrics/internal safety test at Bureau Veritas (179,40€) and later for a roadworthiness test at DRIRE (86,90€). It passed with flying colours and the registration then cost 48€ at the Prefecture. I also spent about 70€ on bits and pieces (external lamps, internal power sockets, new regulator etc etc). We had brought the caravan over here when we came to complete on our house, and left it here in the barn. I hadn't even realised at this point that a separate registration would be required, it was something I had never even thought about about. To have overlooked it seems so stupid now! Anyway, once we had moved into the property it became clear that we wouldn't be able to tow the caravan with our new French car until the 'van was registered. We'd had the 'van from new, and it is in great condition and that's why we decided to keep it and eventually get it registered. My first word of advice would be to consider selling it in the UK. Obviously caravans are available here but not to everyone's taste, particularly in the internal layout (fixed beds etc). The resale value here will be quite low too, the French prefer their own models, not unnaturally. However, if you're determined to keep it, the procedure is straightforward, just don't expect to do it in a day! It would appear that different 'départements' have different interpretations of the rules, so the place to start is always at the local DRIRE office. I found all of the officials to be very helpful and polite; it helps if you you are polite, use your best attempt at French. [:)]  If you need any more details please pm/email me.   Regards Sid  

Thanks MBK, but not much info there. This is a much better forum! [:D] Sid

[quote user="Bugbear"] Thanks everyone, for confirming my thoughts. I'll be ringing them today. Gary. [/quote] Please let us know what the outcome is, Gary! Sid

Have you got a link? 100€ sounds a bit steep but I don't have any objection to a CT; I've always thought that it's a bit odd that they don't have them for bikes here. Sid

Ernie, it sounded as though you hadn't read it because there wasn't an English version; not a complaint, but an excuse maybe? Apologies if I misinterpreted it. Anyway, have a look in the bookshops or the larger supermarkets, and browse a copy of the Michelin C de la R (there is another one, but I can't remember who by). You'll see that it is quite good, and easy to follow. Armed with a dictionary it's even easier and good for your French too. I can't understand how anyone can expect to drive here and not know the rules. Sid

[quote user="ErnieY"]If there were an English translation of the C dl R then I would buy it but ......[/quote] We're in France, why would it be published in English? I bought a copy of the Michelin C de la R 15,90€; it is a cut down version in that it doesn't contain all of the regulations, and it's aimed at learner drivers really. BUT it has lots of photographs and diagrams and is very easy to understand. It certainly covers all of the basics. For SD's overtaking question my copy says "le dépassement est toujours interdit à l'approche d'un passage piétons si quelqu'un est engagé" (my block italics), presuambly allowing it otherwise. We attended a meeting recently for UK ex-pats and organised by the area council; one of the Brits stood up to complain that all of the forms he's required to fill-in are in French! Enough said. Sid  

Hi Shimble I bite my tongue [Www] and suggest that you do a search of this section. The subject has been covered many times before. Look for the definitive replies from Sunday Driver. I've been through the motorbike registering process myself (1998 Honda VFR); it's not difficult. I suggest that you use "register" "import" "motorbike" etc and you'll come up with several threads. Sid

Good idea, I must make a note! Sid

Julia It's what I said it is; a field of crops with a radial watering system! [8-|] If you zoom in you can see further concentric circles made by the wheels which support the arm of the water 'sprinkler' system. Like this example... http://tinyurl.com/2vn4zn Sid

Hi ebaynut The link wouldn't work for me, and I think its length has caused a display problem for this thread (I can't see the full page without scrolling to the right/left). Never mind, I've had a look on the Geoportail site and found the circle; I think it's probably a field of mais (maize) which relies heavily on being watered. In this case the water is supplied by a radial arm which rotates around the centre of the circle. I've seen other examples in the area. Sid

Sorry Georgina, I can't suggest anything better than calling a plumber. I don't know why you'd have to wait 6 months though. Perhaps we're just fortunate but ours lives just around the corner and would at least have a look immediately. Ask around for recommendations, I wouldn't recommend someone who takes 6 months to turn up. We had a problem here with freezing, and it turned out that the main pipe was only a few inches underground. We finished up having a new main from the road to the house; 89 metres of plastic piping buried at 80cms, if my memory serves me right. Sid

I decided to phone the CPAM office for clarification. It turns out that all we have to do is sign a declaration (which was enclosed) and return it, not the Carte Vitale or Attestation, whereupon a new Attestation will be issued and the Carte Vitale can be updated in the usual way at the pharmacy. Phew! The declaration relates to incapacity benefit received from UK. Sid  

Thanks SD and Ian My wife has regularly had her card updated at our local pharmacy, but I think your suggestion, SD, is good; we'll take it, and perhaps mine as well, into the pharmacy tomorrow. We worried about this last year, wondering if there was a more sinister reason behind the request, but they were returned together with a new attestation after about a fortnight. Surely we can't be the only ones in this situation? Here's hoping we get them back! Sid 

For the second year running our CPAM (Niort, Deux-Sevres) office has requested that we, or rather my wife, returns her Carte Vitale and Attestaion whilst it is updated. This seems very odd to me; why not just issue new ones? My wife is not of pensionable age yet, but has an E121 because of a pre-existing incapacity. With all the headlines about withdrawal of health cover it's a bit of a worry sending these things off and not knowing if they'll definitely come back. Obviously last year they were returned, after a couple of weeks. Has anyone else had to do this? Sid

Welcome to the forum Tony. I live in Deux-Sevres about 100km from you, as the crow flies; perhaps we'll get to meet up on one of our ride-outs. Sid

[quote user="Georgina"]I don't think anyone really knows how much they use unless they are a miserly type and don't have kids.  As I said our meter is not possible to read because of the moisture under the face and it involves looking down a ruddy great hole.  The swimming pool did not get a look in this year so next bill should be less.[/quote] I don't think anyone would complain UNLESS they knew how much they used. Water is after all a valuable resource, although many people don't think anything about washing hands under running taps etc. You should try a summer of water shortages! [:-))] It's in your own interest to check that your bill is correct. If you can't read the meter perhaps you've been the victim of a misread? Don't you know how much electricity you use either? Or how much fuel in the car? Oh to be so rich (or foolish) that I could fritter my hard-earned cash away without a second thought.

It's all very well to say that water is expensive... 500€ or whatever, but the important thing surely is the amount consumed. 500€ may not be expensive (relatively) you've had tap running all summer [:)] Water bills normally show the price the per cubic metre, well at least ours does, although ours varies quite widely between the 2 invoices we receive each year, from around 50 cents to 1.40€ !! The best thing to do is read the meter yourself. It can't be that difficult if the man (or woman) from the water company manages it. Slightly off topic but with regard to filling a swimming pool it's also advisable to check that there are no restrictions in force; for Poitou-Charente for example, this website shows any current restrictions. http://info.eau-poitou-charentes.org/ At certain times it is forbidden to fill swimming pools (or wash cars etc etc). Thereby saving you money [:)] Sid  

Yes, it's "bizarre"! [:D] Sid

My Honda 800 has the factory silencer and is, in my opinion, very quiet. Personally, I dislike that whingeing noise coming from the Berck & Le Touquet direction. [:-))] I can't help but wonder about the OP's intentions in posting on here; it's not going to change anything is it? Sid 

[quote user="cartref"] ... Also, the Windows Vista is all in French unlike XP which is universal depending on the country you buy from. There is no apparent way to get the English language on this PC and so I am returning it to Auchan. [/quote] The operating system is usually installed in the language of the country where the pc is retailed. It's not amendable once installed without a total re-installation. Other software like Office has options for other languages. You will find that XP is just the same; it's not a Vista quirk. When you buy the pc you need to specify English as the operating sytem language and if preferred, a UK keyboard. You could always obtain an English OS and install it yourself, but it can be a hassle if you're not sure what to do. As already mentioned, Dell can supply systems with English OS and keyboards but I'm sure you'll find they're dearer than the Auchan special bulk deals. Sid

Hi Gary One of my friends is into this RC aero-modelling lark, I'll pm you. Sid