Gardian

May I first of all say that I'm neither a cyclist myself, nor one of the 'I hate em' brigade. It just struck me this morning on the short drive back from the village that at this peak holiday time, the roads are inundated with cycling holidaymakers who are neglecting to wear a protective helmet. What's more, they usually ride two-abreast along roads which are full of crazy drivers at the best of times. Without exception, the 'serious' cyclists (you know, the full Tour de France gear) wear a helmet. Are these people mad?

[quote user="Cassis"]What you could do is buy a property inland and dig a large trench to bring the sea up to your front door.  Nip down the coast with a trailer, fill up with sand (look out for the gendarmes) and dump that outside your front door as well.   Presto - instant seafront accommodation in the location of your choice.  You could even buy a house at the end of a runway to solve your transport problems. [/quote] Cassis ........... With this one and your one that followed, I reckon you've missed your vocation!  Love it. As Miki said to Egger / Eggar in one of the other soppy threads, "Youre having a larf". (I trust I haven't misquoted him). 

[quote user="egger"]think i need to find out where we living in france, before i book a flight back. [/quote] Don't worry about the details - just think of the 'big picture'.

Cassis .............. Same for me: more or less same timescale. Written twice, rang once.  Nothing. Oh well, carry on dancing!!

[quote user="Deimos"] I did (by a UK RICS surveyor). Same reasons as Le_Jars - reassurance. Never actually got the survey report through but did spend quite a long time chatting to the surveyor after he had been over the property. Trouble with survey reports (in my experience anyway) is that you tend to have very little "come back" as there are normally such broad sweeping exclusions and "could not ...", "recommend ..." (weazle words) that legal recourse must be very difficult. What I really wanted was a knowledgeable person to look over the property and pass a judgement on its condition and problems - which is what I got (over the telephone). I actually had the survey done before signing the CdeV to avoid difficult conditions in that document. Ian [/quote] Exactly the same for us.  Put it this way, you'd never forgive yourself if you didn't employ sombody and then there was a big problem.  I guess that nine times out of ten, you'd spot the real nasty that they would - but the other one occasion?????  

Apologies - rather off thread, but slightly relevent nonetheless. Down to the airport and back today.  On the way down, Gendarmerie in the 'middle of knowhere' doing document checks at 11.00. Radar check in a local village on the way back (though on an RN road). They're very, very active just now.  I've no particular problem with it and it's a bit late for any high season holidaymakers to note, but just watch out.  Speed, docs, drink.  "Moderate", "have them", "don't" is the best advice. 

I reckon that the name change was a (failed) plot to get her posts 'zeroised'. 

Gay ................ Be assured that it is ......... in a sort-of back-handed way! I say again, if this isn't a wind-up, I'll eat nothing but tripe and gesiers for the rest of the month!  

I too meant to record the program last night but forgot. A very good friend / colleague from over 25 yrs ago is married to a lady whose family is in Mousehole.  I can't recall her maiden name, but several of the men lost that night had the same surname. (Did the name begin with an 'M'?)   Two cousins I seem to remember. Very sad: such bravery.  One can't begin to imagine the effect on such a close-knit community.   

As Chris Head said very early on in this mini-saga, my money's on a 'wind-up'.  100%. Candidates on a postcard to James, c/o Archant.  (or better still, to Gay)

Daily Mail / Midi Libre headline: "Welsh woman jailed for cutting (vital) bits off man who stole her makeup".  "Extradition sought".

Very chilly down here: bit of overnight rain, then a mere 30C today with a few whispy clouds.  Hot enough in the kayak down the Gardon though - getting too old for that lark, but wonderful scenery and a great view of the Pont (which one never tires of)  Definitely a bit parky this evening - just checked the temp and it says 23C, but it feels a lot colder than last week's 25C. Poppy - if Sept & Oct turn out to be warm, that'll suit me.  Bring on the rain in Aug I say !!!   

[quote user="France23"]We are looking for a CARAVAN in good condition .   19ft long or over.  Must have cassette toilet, shower, hot and cold water.   If anybody can help would they please e-mail me.  Willing to travel for right van.[/quote] Suggest you contact Mrs M  Beckett c/o Westminster.  Believe that she's otherwise engaged.

Miki ............... I don't know you, never met you, never will.  Don't know what you look like.  But I'd love to have seen your face after this charade. I'm told that our pharmacie does a very good line in blood pressure pills.   

Re the catering, I understand that (in anticipation of my dire warnings) they took M & S sandwiches!  However, our son was additionally tempted by the 'Quiche & Chips'as a fill-up - rated at 5/10. It's a shame really: captive audience, opportunity to serve something halfway decent, no real effort on the part of the operator. Plus point: a 16.30 dep out of Avignon means a decent lunch in the town prior to setting sail. Dad (as usual) pays! p.s. Ryanair report significantly increased Q2 earnings today.  By my (back of a fag packet) calculations, they and the other l-c carriers are moving 20k+ passengers / wk in to France (excl Paris).  Where are Eurostar in this? 

Your friend may well have provided a good 'rule of thumb', but as St Amour says, there are so many other things to consider. If it's a complete renovation from a ruin, then you might need to factor up by 2 or 3 times.  You must take it step by step, i.e. architect, builder's estimate (if you're not doing it yourself), material costs, etc, etc. It's no different here to the UK: just another country. If you don't want to land in the ****, you cost it properly, add a big contingency for (inevitable) unforeseen expenditure ................. and then decide where to make the compromises !!!   All the best.

John - they've talked for years about direct services from the Midlands and the North and this will become feasible once the St Pancras terminal is operational in 2008 (I think). Thus services will be able to connect in to the 'Channel Tunnel Rail Link' at London, but only from places currently served by 25kw overhead electric supply - this would rule out the MML to the likes of Leicester and Nottingham. Kathy - I've used the 'change at Lille' option myself and agree that it's no particular problem. My point in the original thread was that a direct service from London is particularly attractive, especially for those who haven't tried it before and who might fret about these things. Judith - the reason you were given for them not running the service out of season does, I agree, seem to be complete rubbish. There isn't an unlimited supply of available 'paths', but there is some spare capacity. As for the early start, their rationale is no doubt the need for the train to be back in London by 21.30.  Fair enough. However, the turnround is currently.nearly 2.5 hrs at Avignon - if they got their act together, that could be easily cut to an hour, thus enabling an 08.30 start from Waterloo.  Crew rest time shouldn't arise, because it's a French crew from Lille, thus it needn't be the same driver taking the train back up. It all goes back to the original point: poor Marketing and an apparent lack of product development. No wonder Ryanair and easyjet have swept everyone aside. 

Yes & max log diameter?

[quote user="Cathy"] It's 2.30 am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning and I can't sleep, hence this post. Anyone have any cures? [/quote] I can recommend a bottle (or so) of CdR Rouge.  The 2004 vintage is 13.5%+ and tends to blur the senses after a little while, especially if preceded by a stiff Pastis.  Maybe some food along the line too. Forget all that dodgy medication - bad for the health.

Just a frustrated whinge really. Our son & niece travelled down here on the Sats only non-stop service ex Waterloo to Avignon yesterday.  They loved the trip: much nicer than flying (both of them are iffy about it) and just 6 hrs. Civilised.  £200 each round trip. However ............... I was staggered to learn that the train was barely half full, and at one of the busiest weekends of the year!  I expected it to be packed to the gunwhales. What on earth are the Marketing people at Eurostar doing?  This service has been running for 5 yrs unchanged: that says it all really.  They need: A midweek round trip service to complement the Saturday (thus offering 'long weekend' options) An extension to the current July - early Sept schedule (many potential short break travellers want to come in May / Sept. A competitive pricing structure that will ofer an alternative to the l-c airlines. A sensible start time ex Waterloo (07.00 is too early for most except those in C London). A website for booking that matches their competitors - the current one is hopeless. Anybody else feel the same way?   Is anybody from Eurostar listening?   Did I retire too early?

Sorry: double post.  Impatience.

[quote user="Dotty Trois"] Thanks for the reply Ian, but what are flageolets???? [/quote] Flageolet beans: pods roughly the same size as 'French beans', but you strip out the beans for cooking. The beans are 'baked bean' size, but don't need husking like broad beans often do. The plants grow to about 35cms high and can be grown quite close together. Cook for 5 mins max, drain and a knob of butter and / or a spoon of creme fraiche.  Good gear.   

[quote user="Dotty Trois"] Thanks for the reply Ian, but what are flageolets???? [/quote] Flageolet beans: pods roughly the same size as 'French beans', but you strip out the beans for cooking. The beans are 'baked bean' size, but don't need husking like broad beans often do. The plants grow to about 35cms high and can be grown quite close together. Cook for 5 mins max, drain and a knob of butter and / or a spoon of creme fraiche.  Good gear.   

D-T .......... Much the same.  Tried feve this year, but pathetic. Similarly my flageolets were burned to a cinder - just a couple of meals off them. My new theory is to seed flageolets again mid-late Aug and see what I get come late Oct / early Nov - they seem totally unaffected by the 'bad guys' and are very tasty if you can get enough of them. Have come to the conclusion that trying to grow anything (other than toms) down here in mid-summer is a waste of time and water.

So, to be clear, when do we vote? Well. you've got mine anyway. Forget the other forums - James isn't back from the pub yet.