Brian

Some years ago Gerald Ratner let slip his real feelings regarding his customers. The latest press release/email from Flybe offers a enhanced service, Economy Plus, (at a enhanced cost no doubt) in order that "for a just few extra £s fly like the other half...    ...why huddle with the masses"  - Do they mean us?? As regards Clarkkents comments re payments methods, I also have to count cash, bank cheques, etc and feel that the banks are coy about how much they profit from all methods of payment, while large organisations ignore the advantages they get from these types of transactions - perhaps card transactions should incur no charges while other methods do! Debit / credit card transactions do not involve actual handling of assets which may be misappropriated or otherwise involve security risks. I well remember (in the 60s) when I was in the RN how the fortnightly transfer of cash from the bank to the pay office was shadowed by a naval helicopter to the naval base to deter any attempt to steal it on the journey. Brian

As long as your French is up to it, you could always try the official website for Gites de France - we've used this site for several years with excellent results (including a two week stay in Boersch, near Obernai last June) - the prices are usually competitive and quality is closely monitored. http://www.gites-de-france.fr/fr/index.htm Regards Brian

I agree that this is a very grey area. I recently booked flights from Exeter for myself & my wife next year to a certain European capital city. Flights at £4.09 per person each per leg plus taxes. Total cost with taxes for two return flights c£110. However checking later on for flights from Bristol with Easyjet (similar timing) to the same destination, the flights offered were £15.00 each leg but with taxes the total cost for two returns comes out at c£83! The Flybe website even adds the following comment ; "Additional taxes and charges are made on the basic ticket price to cover Airport Departure Tax, Passenger Service Charge, a Security/Insurance & Fuel surcharge. For promotional offers, Flybe may pay a portion of the taxes to offer the lowest possible fares" (My underlining) Oh yeah! how generous of them. Brian

The following endings may help (letter endings always seem so formal) Je vous prie de croire à l'assurance de mes salutations distinguées / Je vous prie d'agréer l'assurance de mes sentiments distingués / Veuillez accepter l'expression de mes sentiments distingués. However I  note that endings in emails are becoming much less formal with 'cordialement', 'salutations' becoming more the norm. Brian

I see that Flybe have today announced their intention to introduce a £4 charge for each item checked into the baggage hold. This is justified in stating that their aim is to improve (speed up) turnaround times and eventually lower their prices! At the same time the carry on allowance is doubled so I hope thay have thought to increase the size of the overhead storage bins as I can see this causing even more problems as passengers fight for the available space. What will we see next in these companies increasing desire to gain increase revenue by ostensibly lowering their prices but loading all the other items (choosing you seat, etc) to effect an real increase. Thoughts please Brian

The vast majority of intercity services do allow walk up passengers to buy a ticket and travel on the next available service, although it will often be more expensive than cheaper advance purchase tickets which specify a specific time and date of travel. Pretty much like most airlines and ferry companies operate. Tonight I had to clear up after a middle aged well dressed gentleman threw up (red wine by the aroma) in the waiting room of the station where I work - I would be more than willing to support a ban on alcohol. Brian

Check out the map on the following website http://www.alis-sa.com/index_gb.php The new section of A28 will have 5 junctions, including one at Orbec. Hope this helps. Brian

SAPN website quotes date of 27 october http://www.sapn.fr/ Brian

Been there and done that! Other than installing a GPS system (they seem to be getting more affordable these days) try inputting your start and destination points into the RAC route planner http://rp.rac.co.uk/routeplanner and selecting the detailed information and maps, and then printing out the instructions. Hope this helps Brian

Having used Michel Thomas' CDs to get by in German/Italian and recommending his French language course to others, I now have been asked by a French friend  - did he provide similar courses in the opposite sense (French learning English) or, if not, does anyone out there know of a French/English course which uses similar techniques. Thanks Brian

I have just finished Iain Pears' novel (in English) "The Dream of Scipio", Set in Provence (Vaison la Romaine and Avignon), the story weaves together three separate characters from different periods of history, the Roman occupation, the medieval period of the Popes in France and the Second World War occupation. Not a novel that can be read quickly but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Brian

Coco, An "élagueur" is a tree trimmer - derived from the french verb "élaguer" - Hope this helps in your quest. Brian

[quote]Is that the one about the wolves? It is a pity it is not a good translation, the original is very contemporary. I too looked on the amazon site, and I did wonder whether it was an American translati...[/quote] I've enjoyed a few novels/policiers by Didier Daeninckx - the first being Le Géant Inachevé - mainly set in northern France and written in the 1980s. That said one of my all time favourites (not obviously a crime novel) has to be Le Petit Nicholas, especially the illustrated version.   Brian

A fairly frequent dedicated bus service will take you from the ferry terminal at Cherbourg to the town centre/railway station (about 2k) from where you can board a train to Caen (c1 hour) and change for one to Bernay (a further 40 min). Otherwise a bus (No1) will take you from Ouistreham into the centre of Caen (15k) for the direct connection to Bernay - not sure how frequent this is. You need to check ferry arrival times against train timetables. The train timetables can be found on the SNCF website or better still in the (German) DB website -www.bahn.de select the English version. Brian

Spending a few minutes on the Hyper/Super U website seems to indicate that Hyper U's are pretty much non existent in Normandy/Brittany; more like to be found in the south. As the group is a co-op or franchise operation (like Leclerc?) it may be that not all outlets stock exactly the same range of goods (ie Laguiole cutlery). I now know that the trade mark for Laguiole is not a fly or cigale but is actually a bee! Like Gay I couldn't believe the prices on their US website. I seem to remember coming across their knives and forks many times in Logis de France restaurants. Brian

Andy, You might even encounter a hiccup in your membership level and drop back to the beginning as I did a few months back. Regards Brian

Hello Gay About a year or so ago we purchased some Laguiole spoons, knives and forks very cheaply in a newly opened "Hyper U" hypermarket somewhere close to Agde / Sete. The insect on the handle is meant to represent a cigale (cicada) and acts a trademark for items produced in the town of Laguiole. I guess that there are varying levels of quality as I also have a lovely pair of cheese knives (Xmas present) which were just as equally expensive and (as I have found out to my cost) extremely sharp. Not sure if there will be a Hyper U near your destination but might be worth checking their website for locations. Regards Brian

Last night I watched Le Diner de Cons (again) but this time on DVD. Among the options are a dubbed version - a most unpleasant experience - american accents seem really out of place and strange translations whereby "diner de cons" becomes a "jackass roast" - makes watching the whole film this way almost unwatchable. As others have already written, the English subtitles are really a precis of what's actually being spoken but one thing struck me as very odd. In the film a football match between OM and Auxerre is taking place on the TV but when it is being discussed the subtitle translation for Auxerre is Paris! Brian

Hello The link below will get you the (current) bus timetable from aeroport to the gare SNCF http://www.airport.cci-brest.fr/download/HorairesNavetteHiver2004.pdf Regards   Brian

Just an idle observation. I have a mixture of books on my shelf - mainly tourist or beer related - but why is it that with books published in English one has to lean your head to the right to read the title on the spine whereas those in French you have to lean your head to the left? Should there not be a European standard! Brian (with tongue in cheek)

Hello All, Having just checked my points plus statement again there is no sign of any exit bonus credited to my account - maybe there are other unspecified criteria to be met. We have been "points plus" members for the last 3/4 years. Perhaps an email to Eurotunnel may get some clarification. Brian

We too have used GdF for several years and always considered them to be excellent value. Website address is http://www.gites-de-france.fr/fr/index.htm A basic competence in French helps though. On our last holiday in September (to the Gers) we noted that a teapot had been added to the inventory prior to our arrival! Brian

[quote]Even some stores over in the uk with the chip and pin machines cannot get it right..... I have a chip and pin and do not mind signing the reciept in France....Although I would love cash machines t...[/quote] Using my Nationwide debit card to draw cash in Spain earlier this year the receipt always showed the remaining account balance in euros - guess it won't be too long before other countries do the same (or will it?) Brian

On a recent visit to France with my new UK-issued chip & pin Visa card I was able to use it as such on several occasions, but oddly enough a visit to Carrefour required chip and pin at the supermarket checkout but a signature when buying petrol at their service station and vice versa at Auchan a few days earlier. It seems that a French terminal that requires a pin from a foreign card will not accept payment any other way (ie a signature). Part of the cashiers procedure is to select the nationality of the card being presented. I understood that for French-issued cards to be used in a swipe machine in the UK (or elsewhere in Europe?) the magnetic strip had to be enabled specifically for this purpose - is that the definition of an international card? Brian

A useful site for all things connected to professional cycling is a Dutch website (but written in English)www.cycling4all.com Up to date information on the TdF route - teams - results etc. Sad to see that with David Millar being banned from riding this year that it will be the first time there has not been a British rider at the start for many years. Brian