Rob Roy

Oh well it was nice while it lasted - when I took the car for its new CT it failed, due to the headlights! The man explained that as the car had a UK registration and UK papers when he first saw it he was able to pass it. That CT was so we could French register it; so now that it has French plates and a CG he says we have to change the headlights to LHD ones. [:(]

Well, if the cap fits Sweet.........[;-)]   As Wooly says there are some of them that ought to be done!

What's the betting this animal was an entire male who went on the rampage through boredom/frustration? The French seem to have a problem/mental block with castrating their male animals; I keep donkeys and it is crazy the number of entire male donkeys people try to sell claiming they are gentle and easy to handle - any entire male animal can be dangerous but people just don't seem to realise.

When we went back and bought a car in the UK and brought it back here our (French) insurance company were willing to insure it for a maximum of three months whilst we got the CT and French registration sorted. But I don't know why you don't take the French car back to the UK with you and then either sell it there, or at a later date when you have your UK car bring it back and leave it to sell here, surely you know someone over here who could help you with that? Alternatively, have you tried putting up as a 'swap' with someone who is coming to live in France?

Cooperlola, you have a PM

That really made me giggle![:D]

[quote user="Sara"] .  Quote......." My french professor kept emphasizing to us about how money, clothes, and cars doesn't impress people from France."     The next time you see your french professor tell him unfortunately his experience of french living is out of date,,,, Since we have lived here the last 10 years it has changed. France has become another victim of capitilism and my experience the french are very materialistic . If they had more income they would be just the same as in the UK, Shop till they drop... no difference. The problem is in general the jobs are not paid as well and they have to pay more tax.. They build cheap houses (pavillions) but then spend thousands on expensive cars, where we live everyone it seems must be seen with a new car. Our local town is full of Audi 's or BMW's people do not eat out as much and the shops and market  in the local small town are suffering with trade, people now shop mainly in the super markets . Also the 'old 'wonderful family run bistro's are becoming very hard to find they are nearly all taken over by pizza or crepe restaurants (Probably because they are easy to make and more profit for them to buy a new car ) Years ago my experience of France was the complete opposite, I loved to see people drive around in old characterful cars the Citroen 2 CV (?) or the Renault 4, they looked like they had life sussed out ,life meant  family ,good quality food and eat out at restaurants often....After working in London for 16 years it was a breath of fresh air..... We could n't wait to live a new experience, we were Franchophiles.... we loved everything about France and travelled every corner of France...... We love the countryside and the architecture. But it has changed... and for the worst... Is it since Sarcozy...?  (Similar to the years of Thatcher)...  I don't know, but the truth is here( in Normandy and must be else where)  one french friend said France is having a nervous breakdown. The majority of people here are obsessed by money and have a massive chip on their shoulder for not having more..... That's my take on it..... [/quote] I can't say that your experience is the same as ours in this area. Markets are still thriving, you can visit one every day of the week in a different town if you really want to and there are plenty of small bar/restaurants (although not all are open in the evenings). There certainly aren't an excess of expensive cars around either - unless you include 4x4's, which do abound and there are even 2 Citroen 2CV's that go pass frequently![:)] Maybe it's because we live in "La France Profonde" that the more traditional aspects have survived.

What a kind comment Sweet, thank you! I agree with your last paragraph, as long as our family are well and we can feed the animals and can put food on our table for us and friends, when they come, then I'm very content.[:)]

We have never had any spare money. We managed to bring up three sons by both working hard and instilling in them the work ethic too; we enjoyed family holidays when they were younger, and even when they were older, when we didn't think they would want to be with the 'oldies'! They all stayed on at school for 'A' levels, one became a recuitment consultant, one went on to college for a BTech in Electronics and the youngest went to university and got a first class honours degress in Maths. When we moved to France, without the children, OH was able to work as his skills were transferable (panel beater - a car is a car is a car etc!). We renovated our first home here, but I had to go back to the UK for two years so that we could do so. We sold that so that we could be mortgage free and are now half way through renovating our second home. OH is now registered as an AE and when he doesn't have work money is very tight. However, the day I was packing up to come back to France after my 2 year stint (27th Dec 2005) we heard the shocking news that a good friend had suddenly died on Boxing Day. Her husband had always been the most caution person with regards to money, also earned a lot and they were much more comfortably off than us. They always promised that "one day" they would come and see us in France. That "one day" never came. I was so upset that she would never see our French home, it was always something for the future. Well, her future never came and now her husband is living alone not knowing what to do with himself and completely at a loss. We still have no money, as in savings, OH is working part time as and when, we grow our own veg, have chickens which give us eggs and we have a quality of life our friends could only dream about. What the future will bring I know not, but having seen what happened to our friends I prefer to live for the moment. Sorry for the long posting but just wanted to put my point of view.

Ah, I know what you mean now - sorry for being thick![:$]

Isn't it amazing what you can read? We had a free (unsolicited) copy of "The Connexion" delivered this morning and I was browsing through it and saw a small item which started thus: "Four leading French banks have come out of the EU financial "stress" tests with flying colours and should be able to withstand the most severe financial crisis. BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Credit Agricole and BPCE (Banque Populaire-Caisse d'Epargne) passed the tests with an average top-class Tier One shareholder fund ratio of 7.5%. The regulator looked at the banks' books with an eye to the future, to see whether they were strong enough to stay solvent and withstand losses, and to survive even if the economy nosedived." It continues a bit more, but you get the idea. That article would suggest that these banks are in a strong position, but the OP posting seems to suggest something different, or am I not understanding this correctly?  

We are full time residents and almost at the end of renovating this house (the second one we've done). OH has loaded the place with insulation using more than the local minimum requirements (in roof space, external and internal walls, between the floors) and all windows are double glazed (triple glazed would have been nice but beyond the budget). We have a large wood burner that belts out enough heat to circulate up the stairs and have electric heaters in the bedrooms, but never seem to use them. Our night time electricity is on a lower tariff which heats the water ballon and I usually only put the washing machine on at night . We are certainly not sold on the PV system yet, but will give the guy a chance to convince us. Quillan, could you explain a little more about the heat pumps you have installed and what they do please?

In this day and age how do French banks get away with making a wife liable for her husband's overdraft (and vice versa) when it is not a joint account? I wonder if it has ever been challenged through the EU, or wherever one would do such a thing?

We had a call today from EDF (so they said) asking if we are interested in this; they claimed it would not cost us anything for installation (yeh, right!). We had to be under 68 years old, home owners and not to have claimed any tax credits. I agreed we would talk to the technical guy, who will be ringing us within the next few days and if we are still interested then he'll make an appointment to come and see us (probably more likely to check if the house is suitable). We are not convinced yet either way, but thought we'd see what they say.

Just one question - what are savings?[8-)][blink]

[quote user="Jo"]Having just registered our cars, WITH a CoC, good luck mate if you can get away with it!!!! We were certainly told repeatedly, that no can do, without a CoC!!!![:D] NO CT, and NO carte grise!! [/quote] Same here, even when it's a Citreon built over here but right hand drive!

Yes, very well deserved.[:)]

Maybe the English solicitor will know where "limouges" is (the OP's French location?) [;-)]

We had a similar system put in last August. 3000 litre fosse and sand filter bed as our land slopes upwards and we also couldn't get far enough away from our well to put 'normal' run off pipes. It cost us 3,500 € for the contractor and all the materials. He started early Thursday morning and had finished Friday afternoon. During this time frame he went off and collected the fosse from the local builders merchants plus all the piping as they couldn't deliver in time; then went and collected the gravel and later the sand in his own lorry. He neatly piled up the waste soil further up the field and left the whole place neat, tidy and level. The local mayor called to check the work on Friday morning and we were advised by the contractor to take lots of pictures so that if there was a query at a later date we had pictoral evidence of the work done and materials used.

What great photos. Unfortunately my cats don't encourage nesting birds [:(]

That's lovely. I have a job to get my husband to agree to white flowers so I sneak them in when he's not looking![:)].

I've got several cats, but recently this one appeared and has decided to adopt us (for the moment!). He arrived with an awful wound round his neck, which is now healing, but the one between his shoulder blades got bigger, but has now scabbed over. The pictures were taken through a window as I can't get near him. At first I thought he had been tethered by the neck, but the wound seemed too wide for that, unless he had a collar; but he would only have that if he was a loved pet I presume. I did wonder if he had been burnt, but I really don't know what has happened to him. Any suggestions? [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Straycat-1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/2011_06170003-1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/2011_06170002-1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/2011_06170001-1.jpg[/IMG]

I'm not sure what you are suggesting by your question. It looks as though the chick is past help, but certainly not in danger from the orangutan; he could have crushed it several times, but treated it so gently.. They are fabulous animals, so intelligent and clever; I've always said if I even won the lottery I would go to see them in Borneo.[:)]

Two years ago on the 20th June my donkey had a foal. He's about an hour old here: [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Baby%20Eeyore/Mabelsnewbaby.jpg[/IMG] Of course I had to call him Eeyore! It was a tiring first day: [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Baby%20Eeyore/Timeforbed.jpg[/IMG] He became a delightful time waster for me, taking lots of pictures: [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Baby%20Eeyore/Havingarest-1.jpg[/IMG] 1st Birthday: [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Eeyore%20birthday%20pictures/BirthdayBoy-1.jpg[/IMG] He's growing up too fast! With his mother and our other gelding donkey: [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/The%20Donkeys/Justgroomed.jpg[/IMG] Happy Birthday Eeyore.[kiss]

'Hot Cocoa' [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Garden%20and%20Nature/Hotcocoarose.jpg[/IMG] 'Papparazzi' [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Garden%20and%20Nature/Papparazzi.jpg[/IMG] 'Isabelle Autissier' [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Garden%20and%20Nature/PinkroseIsabelleAutissier.jpg[/IMG] 'Pierre de Ronsard' [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i312/Bouillaguet/Garden%20and%20Nature/RosePierredeRonsard.jpg[/IMG]