Gardian

You've got to believe / hope that we'll win tomorrow. France could spring a surprise  - there'll be loads of 'Day of Destiny' (for the the umpteenth time) in the papers tomorrow morning. We'll beat them.  Italy will 'dog it out' & beat Germany. Don't ask me from there on in .

[quote user="Miki"]Wen, By now, all  I want to do really, is pull my finger nails off and stick my hands in vinegar and lemon juice. [/quote] Miki - that's superb. Don't know how you stop yourself from screaming at these people.   

Alcazar ............. Without wishing to be too 'picky', it was Ian Allan. I've got my 'Combined Volume' from around 1960 in front of me - somewhat threadbare, but cherished nonetheless.  That bloke saw an opportunity ....... and the rest is history. You're down this neck of the woods, aren't you?   We (as kindred spirits) should talk.  Offline of course, cos nobody else seems the slightest bit interested.     

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"] Last week the story was, I pulled off the M4 into the services with a flat tyre.  I did the lost useless woman thing (as you do) and this guy came over to offer help.  Oh thank you I said.  He was all suited up and looking smart and apparently he was a plain clothed you know what.  It was a boiling hot afternoon and changing the tyre made him all sweaty.  In fact he looked as if he had been for a dip.  His hands were black and his hair got all ruffled. Is the hand break up? he asked.  Yes I said, with that the car rolled off the jack.  If looks could kill.  Well I acted as sweetly as I could[+o(] and the wheel was changed.  When he was lowering the jack I remembered that one was flat too but I prayed for a miracle.  I didnt come.  The tyre touched the ground and every hoist of the jack the wheel got flatter and flatter.  He did not say a word.  He just looked at me, I gave him a pathetic smile and he walked away shaking his head.  Ouch! [/quote] And I'll bet you think that train spotters are iffy.

KKK ............. Never thought I'd find myself 'in bed' with Alcazar, but I'm happy to admit that I was once a train spotter!  And yes, that (not terribly surprisingly) is the way it works. I still retain an interest, but not much time / opportunity now. There's the track of an old line not far from us - long since lifted and grown over. I'd love to know the history of it - when it was closed, where the stations were, etc, etc. It's absolutely typical of the situation in the UK in the post-WW2 period - lines running from knowhere to knowhere, serving stations miles from the places they purported to represent. It's a bit like archeology really. I keep looking on the market book stalls for 'that-book that'll tell-me-all-about-it', but never do of course. Perhaps I should research it and try to get it published?  Sales forecast: zero. Going back to the original thread, I never want to talk to strangers on trains or planes, any more than they want to talk to me.  Daft idea. (the SNCF thing, not the thread).   

Yes John, but for this question, you're a 'Southerner'. So that's one score on the door. What is it with this Forum - you ask a simple question and get 3 (or more) back? (Just a chuckle John)

Ooooh.  In principle, it may well be OK, but I reckon you need: Input from the likes of 'Will', who will doubtless post Some UK-based French law-qualified advice (to vet whatever is put in front of you) Sadly (for the vendor), you could use the situation to your advantage. There could be something in it for both of you. Tread carefully though.     

Having just responded to something from a fellow 'Southerner', I was just wondering whether James could tell us (roughly) what the % is of North / Mids / South members is? It depends of course on your definition of the above, but ............. I'll bet that we're in the minority, but maybe just quieter.  

[quote user="Lori"] Perhaps you're right, everyone over here is out enjoying the sunshine and swimming the sea or swimming pool.  Still, never too much activity in the SE section. I'm over by Avignon, so not so near to the Carcassonne folks.  And, yes, perhaps the folks up North enjoy posting a bit more... Oh well.     [/quote] Lori ........... Quite right, but we're quiet people down here. 

Oscar ...... Post it where you like. People here would (I'm sure) be interested in your experiences and you'll learn plenty from the feedback. You'll get the occasional 'sharp comment', but it goes with the territory and you'll probably get more back than you put in. Have a good (hot) Summer.    

Difficult to know what to say really, other than what you would in any other country - camp out on their doorstep (but if it's not finished by now, then it's already a gonna). If you're not resident, then you've definitely had it for this Summer and thus in to litigation.  Bad news all round.

[quote user="Lori"]I too check the SE section of the forum on a regular basis.  I guess I just became convinced that there are only a few of us down here in these parts.  I'm a bit further over from the Carcassone region, but even over here, seems to be TOOOO quiet....[/quote] Lori ...... I think that it's because we're all shy, quiet and reserved down here. Not like that lot from 'up North'. 

Our neighbours went absolutely bonkers half an hour ago.  I told my son that it was going to happen, but they never want to believe 'experience', do they?  Anyway, after that 'Smart Alec' statement, we would undoubtedly support our guys (Angleterre) but there's a lot of water to go under the proverbial bridge before we get to that. Tried to explain to Michel earlier today about England (& the flag) + UK (& the Union Jack). Lost the will to live. You've all been there, haven't you?

I don't want to (excessively) rise to the bait, but this thread is meaningless, provocative and humourless. What's the point?   Ban him someone, for those 3 things alone.   p.s. I will never be guilty of any of those things !!!!!!   

As promised: La Roue Libre, 36 Ave leon Blum, Bagnols sur Ceze   Tel: 04 66 89 91 79 According to the local Yellow Pages, there is a place in Barjac (but check in the tourist office first - they'll know for sure) M.P.L.V., Plan Long, Barjac     Tel: 04 66 25 78 55    

Ali ............... First of all, you are doing the right thing by using a professional courier. I'm not saying that it can't be done (carrying them yourselves), but you'll have 1001 other things to think about re the move. We consigned two 16 yo cats to a professional outfit who took them away 2 days before we moved out. They'd never been in kennels before, let alone transported on aeroplanes! A week later (and two days after we had moved in down here), they were delivered to Montpellier airport. No problems. They were doubtless a bit frightened, ****** off, etc, etc, but they were never going to die. Hand them over to the pro's. Try to forget about them en route. Pick them up at the other end: it'll be fine. They'll be (slightly) pleased to see you when you pick them up and blame you for a while, but that's cats. Then you can start worrying about all the things they catch or attack them once they're down here.

So...... a perfectly legitimate and informative thread posted by 'Missyesbut', and confusion reigns over whether..................................................................... she's "Blonde or not". KKK rules OK.  Long may this sort of ******** continue. p.s. I'm blonde.

Nice spot of lunch in Uzes with our younger son (over for a couple of weeks) in a very civilised place. 32C-ish, but shaded, nice restaurant owners who were very ****** off about the Coupe du Monde and the effect it was having on business. Expecting nobody tonight (them, that is). Don't know about happiest, but today seemed pretty good. Like most days, really. p.s. Thank goodness the French came through. My neighbour's merguez-like tricolour balloon (hanging from the trees) would have had to have been zapped! Pathetic thing.

Paul ............. Me again! There might be a place in Barjac, but your best place is likely to be Bagnols-sur-Ceze - half an hour or so from Barjac. There's a bike shop there which hires - about €40 / wk I seem to recall (when my son did it last Summer). I'll pm you the details in the next day or so + anything on a place in Barjac (if there is one). However, if you haven't got a car, you're up **** creek - it's a long and uphill peddle from Bagnols !!!!!  

Paul .............. There isn't.  Forget it.  Nothing to do with it being a Sunday. If you started on Monday, you'd still be en route by Wednesday-ish. See your other thread and the replies: hire a car or bite the (expensive) bullet and take a taxi. It's 90 mins. Barjac is a lovely place, but a long way from anywhere.  

Paul ................. On a more positive note than my previous post, I'll be at the airport on Sunday week, so I'll ask the cabbies there what the price would be. The problem for you might be that there are rarely more than a couple of them there to meet incoming flts - if your baggage is late off, you might be left stranded. I'll also ask in our village, which has a reputable taxi firm to see what their price might be (we're 25 mins from Barjac). Doubt if it'll be cheap though.

........ and the rest !!!! You're talking about a 3.5 hr round trip (min).  I'd say more like €150.  The cab rank boys at Nimes are craftier than a barrel load ........   Better to hire a car.

OK, it wasn't great tonight, but before we get too depressed: We won the group I'd rather we were playing Ecuador than the Germans (or for that matter the Swedes) at the weekend The French are very deeply in the ****. Even if they win on Friday (?), they could fail to qualify if the other 2 draw (conspiracy theories will abound!) Our fiendish plan is to peak late   

Re the thread, the warning is timely for all who might be using that stretch of road this Summer, but it has been a 'happy hunting ground' for the Gendarmerie for years. Many's the time I've been heading for Calais and passed by people doing 170kph+ in a pele-mele dash for the port. If they get nicked, then they can have no complaint. Re speeding in France, my limited experience suggests a healthy respect for town & village limits. Whether that's as a result of mobile radars, spot checks or whatever, I don't know. Also, motorway lane discipline is vastly better than the UK (hardly any middle lane hoggers) - OK, generally the traffic volume is lower, but still ..... Biggest safety problem here is that most drivers (tourists included) seem to think that the country lanes are one way streets and appear round a bend on your side.  Every day is a new experience.    

Mary & Cassis .............. It's a fair point, but Joanne hadn't exactly been inundated with suggestions for en route Cdh in the 2+ weeks since she posted the thread. Having been in what I think is her situation relatively recently (i.e. going on hol, long distance to travel, want the security / accessibility of accommodation), then 'chain' hotels or more to the point, 'town' hotels often fit the bill. Neither of my suggestions were 'chain' hotels (in fact, as an example, I generally avoid Logis de France places). Finding somewhere that might be a bit 'off the beaten track' after a 12 hr journey, that might well be delightful, isn't always what you want. On a touring holiday, maybe. p.s. I know that Logis' aren't really 'chain' hotels, but you know what |I mean.