Tarrot

I've had the same experience.  I guess many have.  It's very embarrassing to be holding up a queue of people while your card bounces.  In my case, after a furious telephone call to the card company (made the more furious by the rather patronising tone of the replies) I calmed down and realised okay it's in my interest.  It was a (slightly) unusual transaction and if that's how they might stop someone using my card after a theft, then I'll live with it.  There was one lesson learned, however.  My card company has a facility where you can call them and tell then to change the sensitivity of their software to unusual transactions.  At your own risk. AK  

SAGA I think.  But you have to be old enough!

I just checked by re-entering the details of a trip booked many moons ago.  I couldn't get exactly the same cabin (which suggests they are busy enough), but the cost came out more or less the same.  What worries me is a potential "general strike" next Tuesday.  No fun with a dog on board.

We get the same, always just after arrival.  I have concluded it's dissolved air in the water.  I hope I'm right. Anyway, the phenomenon always vanishes after a few hours (a day at most).

I think it's always been illegal in France to pay for things in cash above a quite modest limit.  That limit changed recently - I forget in which direction. AK. 

Sign up for FREE or FREESURF (or both, for that matter).  You can do it while in the UK (google will get you there).  Take all the info (logon codes and passwords) with you and set up a dial-up connection when you are in France.  It's not "free", of course - but it's not that expensive either, if all you want is email. AK  

Ian I think you should look at Moneybookers again.  It's awkward to set up because the site isn't very intuitive, but I'm sure you can do what you want, viz send an instruction to your bank to deposit into a Moneybookers account.  Then (three days leter usually) send that money to your UK account number (you need the sort code and A/C number, not an email address).  I know it works and it really is cheap.  Someone on this site has even suggested how to make it very cheap by juggling which is your "primary bank account".  

I'm pretty sure wood is okay (an architect fitted wooden ones for me).  There is a norm, to do with the separation (I think it's 11 cm) and there's also a height norm.  But the problem with wooden bars which are both quite close together and strong enough to be useful is that they can look very heavy in your average window.  Were I doing it again, I'd fit iron bars. 

There is useful information on "concubinage" at: sos-net.eu.org/famille But the best advice is certainly see a French Notaire.   

I've had some bad experiences picking up hire cars at airports, maybe because I'm usually stressed out and tend to sign whatever is pushed in front of me.  My strong advice is to use a travel agent (I know it will cost just a little more) and arrive with a voucher.  You then know the level of insurance cover etc that you have.  At the airport only sign the boxes that are necessary.  I think the agency voucher is a good idea anyway, because it gives the hire firm a little bit of confidence.  They have only ever asked me for a credit card and driving license.

The time isn't all that tight.  E.g. If you have a night ferry on Friday, get the treatment done around 1700 on Thursday.  It will then become "valid" at 1700 on Friday.  Which is fine for boarding later that night.  I don't know about cats, but "jabs" may not be necessary.  Ask the vet if a wormer tablet is okay (it is for dogs - DRONTAL) when you do the SPOT-ON. 

Eucalyptus is an excellent idea (look for other than the Gunii variety which is what is mostly sold).  If the place is windy, top them after a couple of years.  Salix Alba if it really is reliably wet. Don't want to be depressing (on my first posting) but you may be under-estimating the work involved.  Digging the necessary holes is a big task.  Worse still is fitting protection against deer.  Although there are alternatives, a proper wire enclosure for each tree is probably the best long-term solution.  To cap it all, watering 70 trees in a hot summer can eat into your time.  Count on five years!  AK