chrisb
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Posts posted by chrisb
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This weekend it's the Ballooning festival at Balleroy for those wanting to get up up and away!I always hope one of them might make an un-planned landing in our meadow so I can rush out shouting the French for "Oi! Gerroff moi land you b*******". Tee Hee.
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Also in September is the fair at Lessay which has a heavy emphasis on horses. It's also notable for its "Avenue des rotisiers" - load os different stalls cooking lamb over wood fires - absolutely delicious!Haven't come across any held at the same time as the English early Summer ones.One warning about Lessay fair - it's very popular. It took us nearly 2 hours to drive there from St Lo!
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The best ice cream we've had in France has been from local patissiers who make their own - but it seems as if very few of them now do so.The supermarket stuff is pretty universally pants imho. In fact it does seem easier to fnd decent "artisan" ice cream in UK than in France.edit - just reminded by Mrs chrisb that if you live in an area where Eismann frozen food deliver they do some lovely vanilla as well as other flavours.
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From Grove Art Online...Alfred Sisley was born into a family of Anglo-French descent, the second of four children following the marriage of William and Felicia Sisleywho were cousins. His father was director of a business concerned withthe manufacture of artificial flowers, which collapsed as a result ofthe Franco-Prussian War (1870); his mother is said to have beenmusical. Sisley inherited Britishnationality from his father, but he made two unsuccessful attempts(1888 and 1898) to become a naturalized French citizen. He lived inFrance all his life, apart from the years 1857–61 when he was sent toLondon by his parents to train for a business career.http://www.oxfordartonline.comif your library subscribes just pop in your library card number and you can view it free.
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You can just go to www.eurostar.com then select FRANCE from the Where do you live? list on the homepage. Presumably from that point it wil assume you are travelling to GB.
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[quote user="Meeper"]
Does anyone know if there are regulations that mean you have to have your second hand ride on mower "biologically" cleaned or hermetically sealed? Someone at the auction where we bought in England thought (after we'd already bought) you might have to have it professionally biologically treated and cleaned so there is no risk of spreading plant and animal disease across EU borders, which made us concerned about being stuck in a french port with a mower the douanes wouldn't let in.
If it does have to be "cleaned" then does anyone know where you can get this done in the UK, preferably in East Anglia?
[/quote]Welcome to the forum!Did you by any chance buy it at Aylsham auction? If so I think you might be the victim of the famous Norfolk sense of humour.You'll find that in France as well - try Normandy. -
Probably the leading iris experts in France are to be found at Cayeux Iris.They're predicting that the dwarf and intermediate types will be at their best from this week until about the 16th and that the tall bearded types will be in full bloom from around the 20th.You can go and see them - their nursery is in the Loire - we'll be back in UK by then but are planning to make the visit next year. They also exhibit at Chelsea.
Their website is at www.iris-cayeux.com.If the corms are showing at ground level don't cover them in soil - they like to 'bake' in the sun and this is needed if you want flowers next year.
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[quote user="Russethouse"]
I have mentioned this before and keep hoping that it may have changed, but you have to careful when you book that your party is all in the same compartment. We shared with friends going, but coming back there were four of us and a couple. A lady I met on the station while waiting for our car to be unloaded, shared with her daughter plus an elderly couple, their grand daughter, who was a baby, a dog and cat (complete with litter tray......)
Our friends who traveled back separately also had a bad experience as their daughter was unwell and the couple they were with kept switching off the light making it difficult for them to get to the toilet along the corridor, then get her settled etc......
Having said that, when it goes well its really pleasant......
[/quote]I believe that they now guarantee that you won't have to share a compartment with strangers.It's several years since we did it (since buying our holiday home in Normandy we've not been south) but always found it a good experience. Expensive - yes, but ideal if you've only got one driver and limited time. -
Nah - we'll stay put thanks WBB - after all what's the worst that can happen? .......aaahhh.
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[quote user="Bugbear"]A Kentucky Fried Chicken meal.................................................[:$][/quote]not necessary in an increasing number of locations - see http://www.kfc.fr/
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We have a jay that constantly attacks his reflection in our office window - which has its upside in that it's a chance to get a really close look at these beautiful birds (yes - I know they have rather anti-social habits) it also scares the **** out of visitors, including my boss.
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Last Summer I planted a new bed of iris - a long held ambition - and having spent a small fortune on them I made sure that I stuck labels in so I can remember what each is.However, I now find that most of the labels have been pulled out of the ground. I was all set to blame humans (this might pass as vandalism in Normandy though I don't think the Essex yobs at home would think it very impressive) but on closer inspection I discover that each one has got teeth marks on it. The few that were left in the ground also appear to have been gripped with teeth and pulled at - but were obviously more firmly planted and didn't come out.What do others think might be responsible - we have all the usual rodents present and my money is on our old friend Mr Mole - but why????
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There is one version of the rubber seals that has a lighter colour strip running to the edge of the tab - and in the strip is a hole that stops short of the edge. To release the vacuum you just snip through the coloured bit.Trouble is I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere. One of our local producers of potted everything uses them so I will enquire.The other trouble is that the seal can only be used once - not that anyone would dream of re-using them of course!
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Following the settlement of the ferry strike Kent Police are saying that they hope the motorway will re-open around 9.00pm.I certainly hope so as we're heading for the tunnel first thing tomorrow.
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I've used Paint Shop since before it became part of the COREL package and have found it more than capable of doing everything I want - and certainly cheaper than Photoshop.I recently got an Epson scanner and the free software that came with that is also pretty good at a basic level.
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[quote user="Hoddy"]There's the Musee de l'Automate in Souillac (46). It's quite small, but well worth a visit. The exhibits include an entire life size inpolitically correct jazz band.The adults in the family found it more interesting than the children did.HoddyEdited for spelling. H[/quote]There's another of these in Falaise - about the same size and similar content. Most of the automata were originally made to grace the Christmas widow displays of big department stores.
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That should get people walking pretty briskly! As we will all remember, the definition of a gentleman is "one who knows how to play the bagpipes, but doesn't".
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2008 is actually the International Year of the Potato - which for some reason doesn't seem to had much media coverage...http://www.potato2008.org/
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Mail order catalogues offer International Kidney and Royal Kidney which seem virtually indistinguishable to me. I must try growing the Noirmoutier - have bought them to eat and agree that they're delicious.
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In the UK (from Waitrose) you can get pretty good concentrated (reduction I think is the proper term) stock - chicken or beef - made in France by Joubere. Yet I've never found it on sale in France!
We always make our own poultry stock these days, but resort to the bought product for beef and lamb
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There's a much wider choice of chicken in France including boiling fowls that we never get in the UK any more. But you do have to make sure of what you're getting! For roasting you'll need to go for the more expensive ones on offer.
I think it's easier to spot the differences when buying at a market where the birds are not all wrapped up and sanitised - and if they still have their heads on (and they will) you can choose one with a nice face.
The boiling birds make a really good chicken stew - which we can never do properly "at home" because the chicken is just too young and tender for the job.
As for beef - we just avoid it when in France.
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[quote user="Jonzjob"]
Now if you are talking 'proper mince pies', where is the minced lamb???[8-)]
[/quote]Probably only to be found in Pezenas.As to trying to find packet suet - don't bother. Just ask your local butcher for some fresh (you may get it for free if you're lucky).You'll not want the packet again!Sorry veggies! -
The metal flues (we've got one) are certainly a cheaper option and work very well. However they're not that attractive - always reminds me of a fish and chip shop. Ours is OK as it's on a 'dead' wall so not much of a visual intrusion.
I bet when the wind gets up at BC your stove will fairly glow! Lovely little town imho.
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or perhaps a sensible solution, if you've reached that level of dissatiscation with "them" would be to consider whether your future is really in thier country?
Pea shortage?
in French Food and Wine
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