Pommier

The state sets a 'tarif' for each procedure (eg €23 to visit the GP) and doctors who are 'conventioné' charge that price, so if you only see doctors and consultants who are conventioné you only need 100% top up because your insurance will pay the shortfall on what the state has paid (less the odd charges of €1 or so). If you go to a doctor who isn't conventioné, a 100% top up will still only pay up to the amount the state has set, so if you visit a GP charging €40 you'll only be reimbursed €23 (less the €1 that's never reimbursed). If in this case you'd got a 200% top up you'd be reimbursed the full cost (but again less the €1) Hope that makes sense! 

The trouble with having any sort of dispute with neighbours, whether in the UK or France, is the misery they can then make of your life (especially if they are told off or fined by the authorities). If it's something temporary (such as the mess, smoke and noise of these trees being cut down) I think I'd ignore it. If it was something on-going which would spoil your enjoyment of living in the house, then I'd move.  I don't know whether in France (as in the UK) neighbour disputes have to be declared to buyers, but that would be another reason to say nothing. I know this is contrary to what everyone else has said, and it may well be cowardly, but it does make for a less stressful life.

Totally agree Clair. It's strange enough when these displays of public 'grief' are for celebrities who somehow people feel that they know, but where is the comfort in media orchestrated displays of emotion from people who never knew or cared about the deceased person when they were alive.

I feel sorry for the nurse's family; it must be an awful thing to have a family member commit suicide, but before she committed suicide I thought that the phone call was a rather childish prank. I don't see that anyone could have anticipated the nurse's reaction (if indeed it was in response to her answering the phone), so to me it was still a childish prank. If the DJs had had the benefit of hindsight they wouldn't have made the call, but surely no-one would have expected such an extreme reaction.

I don't think that the programme makers thought that anyone would take it this seriously.

Just an observation, but the fact that the call was made at 5.30am UK time might perhaps have been because the DJs were in Australia (where is wasn't 5.30am!)

[:D][:D][:D]

Leclerc have got some good offers at the moment on sparkling wines at all prices (from, as far as I remember €1,69 a bottle, buy 3 get 1 free!)

I used to like Carrefour as their after sales was good, but we haven't got one near us now. Conforama - well, we had great service from one (Bergerac) and terrible service from another (Avranches) so it's very hit and miss; I suppose because they're franchises and do as they please. We've had some terrific arguments with Bricomarché's all over the place - once they've got your money they don't want to know. I'm going to buy my next oven from the UK - not for the after sales, but because it's so much cheaper there. 

This site http://www.comparatis.fr/diagnostic-immobilier/38-diagnostics-plomb.html. That is lead but click the tabs at the top of the page for the other diagnostics you may need to have carried out. The site has information on diagnotics needed and the length of validity of each test. Definately phone round a few as the prices vary hugely.

I don't live far from the banana, and I agree that they're building like crazy all around here.

[quote user="Matelot"] Seems like I'll have to bite the bullet and continue paying even when I'm not at the cottage. [/quote] We're in a similar position with SFR. We're moving house with a delay in-between and (ideally) wanted to suspend the service from 30th November and re-start it at our new address in February, but it just seemed too complicated to return the boxes, plus the recorded delivery letter, and then starting a new contract at the new house, so we decided just to carry on paying the rental. I was worried about the phone line remaining operational at our old address, but SFR say that once we unplug the modem the new owner won't be able to access the phoneline. Hope that's correct!!

[quote user="powerdesal"]I don't suppose that the bar tabac is in Percy in Manche is it? Now just how did you guess correctly Pommier ??????[/quote] Ha ha - we used to live in Percy and he used to say the same to us, and with such a miserable expression on his face I always thought he was saying 'just push off out of my bar' (or worse!).  

Sweet, what you need is either an Internet radio or a Sky Gnome http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1311&_nkw=sky+gnome&_sacat=0&_from=R40

I don't suppose that the bar tabac is in Percy in Manche is it?

The Advanced Systemcare 6 is free - I think it's for making sure the computer's running at it's best (but I try not to have anything to do with the technical side of computers!)

We've got Advanced Systemcare 6 which is great for keeping the computer running as it should, and Malwearbytes. I don't know if Lobit is an add-on to either of those, but we haven't got it (as far as I know, which isn't a lot!)

We've got Livret A's, LDD's and LEP's all of which pay the interest tax free. Don't forget that you can have one of each (if you qualify) per person, not per household.

We were staying in a hotel/bar waiting to sign the Compromis on the first house we bought in France. The room didn't have an ensuite, but it did have a flimsy plastic shower cubicle at the bottom of the bed. This was so small that if you dropped the soap you had to switch off the shower and step out to retreive it. The toilet was at the other end of the corridor. Every morning we could hear the proprietor coughing his lungs up in the back yard which our room overlooked. I think we were the only guests so I don't know why we hadn't been put in a room at the front. A few years later the owner got into an arguement with the Mairie of a nearby village, pulled out a gun and killed him. The hotel has sat empty ever since.

They must have been doing something wrong (bad meat or bad cooking) to make people ill. They were given the chance to mend their ways, but didn't. I don't see what else could be done.

Poor pups! Were they handed in by their breeder or had someone bought them then changed their mind? I'm sure they won't be long waiting for homes as they are fantastic dogs; intelligent, clean, loving, eagar to please etc etc (we've got an 18 month old male GSP) 

[quote user="Georgina"] I also hate people who blow their nose rather loudly. [/quote] That doesn't bother me; it's the one's who then inspect their hankie followed by shaking it (yes, I have seen it done!)

I've achieved a (sort of) result. SFR have agreed to reduce the rental by 10% whilst we're without service, plus one month free, so hopefully we'll only be paying for about 6 weeks service which we won't be getting. It's just so much easier than recorded delivery letters and posting back the boxes, then having to start all over again. SFR have also got a mobile deal with no minimum term for €19.90 a month giving unlimited calls to French mobiles and to fixed phones in France and 40 other countries, so that will be ideal for inbetween houses.  

We're moving out of our house on 30th November and going to live in a friend's gite whilst the building of our new house continues. The new house will be finished at the latest by the end of February. What should I do about SFR and the modem? I phoned and they were suggesting sending a cancellation letter (recorded) and sending back the Neufbox and TV box. I'd be billed €45 cancellation fee. I then order a phone for the new house, for which SFR will reimburse the connection fee and the cancellation fee already paid. Is there no easier way to do this? I'd rather the line be disconnected at the old address, an order put in for the new address for late February and us look after the boxes - is that a possibility?  

Did Romney appeal more to intelligent voters? (or not!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY0M7IdNl7U&feature=share