charlie*

Thanks for all the cheesy tips. I will go and tackle the cheesecounter today and all those pounds i've lost eating healthily will just have to go back on! I've just come back with a barrow load of cheeses and Cantal selars ( didn't spot the plain cantal until i'd ordered ) will do it for me... a little on the salty side but really not bad at all.

I love French cheese but when I need as Delia puts it, a good strong cheese,I'm struggling. Can anyone give me advice on hard strong cheese that substitutes well for cheddar? Gruyere works well but I don't know of any others, short of sampling everything going!

The nearest telegraph poles to us stopped about 500 metres away. It took months before our phone was connected, apparently the delay was partly because FT reckoned that had to get planning permission from the Maire. FT were not good at keeping us informed but I did find their English speaking branch very helpful , the number from inside FRance is 08 00 36 47 75, you can I think email them also but keep on at them!

Wow! Thanks for all the help. I'm not sure what, if anything, the installer put in the fosse to get it going but I will try the Bio stuff as recommended .

Hi, I don't know if the website below is of any use, I've not tried it...I only found it after I'd paid for a similar service! It appears to be a free virus detector and remover.( many do a free scan but then charge you for removing the little maggots) http://www.computerrecover.com/spyware-remover/spyware-doctor.html If I've read it wrong, apologies, the rain woke me up and I'm not really with it!

Thanks, I have a sort of bent over plastic pipe sticking out of the ground in the garden, which, I was informed by a neighbour releases the smells, but clearly my sink does it better! I have been putting sachets of 'eparcyl' down both loos weekly. I will now try and find some friendly bacteria. Does being careful about what I put down my sink/ loos/ bath mean that I need to use specific types of toiletries? This is a whole new world to me!

We have a brand new house, we thought we were having mains drainage but apparently not! I know we have a leach field for some water, and we now have an invoice for a fosse toutes eaux but I don't know anything about them. Should we have such awful smelly bacteria after just a few months?

Whilst it may be 'Common knowledge ' that goods in the UK are cheaper, I can only speak as I have found and I am not trying to " misguide" anyone. As I stated I simply compared prices of the models I had seen in the U.K with those on Kelkoo. Even then there was a huge price range on the same models BUT many of the French internet sites I looked at were doing special offers or free extended warranties which made them cheaper. Also, there was no way I was going to haul my appliance back to the UK if it developed a fault. P.S .I would imagine that Palmeira 56 has every intention of checking for his/ herself!

I suppose it depends on what you want! Having a good idea of what makes models etc I wanted ( Ariston washing machine, Indesit fridge and whirlpool oven) I then looked at Kelkoo.fr and compared prices. I eventually settled on ordering goods online ( no communication problems!) from Multe pass. I personally thought they were cheaper than the UK and easier to sort out if there's a problem.

Thanks a million! I am still using the integral UK modem and it does dial up like it did in the UK ( couldn't get broadband when I was there, so I'm a bit of a broadband virgin!) I am paying by the second so I'm going to go away right now and try and get the  Live box attached asap!

I have installed wanadoo  and selected their Extense 512 offer. I thought that having paid the monthly fee by Direct Debit, this would then provide unlimited Internet access ( similar to the NTL package I had in the U.K), but my phone bill shows otherwise. What Wanadoo package is most cost efficient for a heavy user? Also, I have been sent a Live Box by French Telecom ( I was not previously aware that they are connected with Wanadoo)  Everything is working OK without the Live Box , Must I install it? I'm not sure what is for. We only have one computer and no TV at present. Advice please!    

My U.K bought computer had been very temperamental since setting it up in France- similar probs as yours. Try PC Rescue . You can find it on the internet ( if you can stay connected long enough!) I purchased and downloaded it on line and it found 150+ errors which it fixed. So far , fingers crossed, computer as good as new. Hope this helps

Should brand new houses now by law  have a Fosse Toutes Eau rather than a Fosse Septique? Can anyone please explain the difference- because I'm not sure what I've got ( long story!!!)- I just know we have terrible smells emanating from the kitchen sink after anyone has had a shower!  

At last we can start to think about the nice trivial things ! Moving to Brittany at the month, need to get a new washing machine- has anyone had tried the top-loading machines rather than the front loading ones which are common in the UK? Any comments - good or bad will be most welcome.