Cendrillon

A brilliant film, do go and see it.

[quote user="Cathy"] As soon as you arrive, you feel as if you are holiday (unless the mice have chewed the furniture or there's been a water leak)...   [/quote] It's not just a second home it's a second life and if you're lucky a whole set of local friends and social life to catch up with when you're staying there.[:)]

Ian I think this is one of those "how long is a piece of string" questions and everyone will have a different set of circumstances. If  I understand it correctly you plan to buy two homes for yourself but both will be in France so it would be easier for you to come and go more often as you won't have to consider the cost / hassle of long journeys and channel crossings each time.

[quote user="Weegie"]Frenchie, "A bit on the side"  Perhaps - "Quelqu'un avec qui on a des relations sexuelles non suivies"[/quote]   Une cinq à sept peut-être [:$][;-)]

How about Kif-kif ?   http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/g/kifkif.htm

[quote user="dwmcn"]I was born in 1940, in the US, and my mother had a Singer sewing machine like those I saw. I know that a bit of looting probably took place, but was nobody interested in taking the sewing machines? [/quote]   Probably the metal was distorted and buckled by the fires, any wooden parts would have been damaged or completely burnt and these old machines were very heavy so not easy to take.

I am not quite sure what you have in mind but Sesame and But sell the small (2 seater) marble and wrought  iron Bistro tables (oval or rectangular) and they are very sturdy and  reasonably priced. Edit I have just read Sue's reply and I think the ones I mentioned above also seat 4. (probably they are the same) PM me for details.[:)]

et voila! http://www.en-charente-maritime.com/vacances-charente-maritime/restaurants/saintes/la-guinguette/19992-21 [:)]

[quote user="sweet 17"]Merci, Clair.  Je crois que les guinguettes sont "good fun", n'est pas?[/quote] Sweet 17 En été il y a une guinguette à Saintes (17) [:)]

Nice pics   Bravo les filles!

ClarkKent Thank you for posting this sensible and balanced reply.

Good replies from all who have posted.   For the sake of research the OP could look on the various Gite websites to get an idea of how many there are already in the Charente. It's also possible to have a quick look at "availabilty" and see how many weeks are booked in various properties.  

What is the nearest airport? Katie Bordeaux would be the nearest

Stefan Thanks for posting this information, it needs to be saved and could be very useful for others.

Well anyone who registered on-line for tickets will probably receive a questionaire to complete so you will be able to let the organisers know your views on the show.[:)]

[quote user="mooky"] . These poor young gendarmes; what they must have thought ar bra and dog collar together in car. [I] Mooky. they probably thought you were on your way to / from a Tarts and Vicars party! LOL[:)] I always carry my legit clerical dog collar with me; you never know when it may come into use. Valuable for wearing in planes, trains, noone ever sits by you! sorry just couldn't resist that. I will calm down now. [/quote]

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1142547/ShowPost.aspx [:)]

I can recommend Le Bal another great book by Irène Némirovsky (author of Suite Française). It is quite a short story but nevertheless another book by this author that I could not put down.

Celine dumped Nigel, then he managed to get his English girlfriend to come over and slave away in the B&B for him. He also got her to share his tent as well! [:$][Www] [8-)]Was she mad, or was was she mad?

Re. TV series with Nippy and Nigel: I believe the Indian restaurant only lasted for the Summer season and then closed down. The next T.V. series showed the original house being sold and Nigel trying to run a B&B (without much success) in a rented property with a chicken farm close by.[8-|]

Definitely smaller No fashion show Fewer regional stands, infact hardly any Pricey Brocante stand but then I guess that was to be expected Lots of agents trying to sell houses and those stands took up a lot of space in the main hall. There was a lot of what you might call  "chair" rage as everyone tried to grab chairs the minute they became vacant so that they could sit to eat their lunch in the central area.   Can-can dancers were really good The group with the Piaf like singer were also good as were the string quartet ( but unfortunately they could hardly be heard above the rest of the noise) I bought the France calendar and a few French books so was pleased with those purchases. We watched part of a film but the noise from outside the cinema area was a bit distracting We found that we had seen nearly everything by 2 p.m. and didn't stay for the rest of the afternoon.

Did you go? Did you enjoy? Would you go again?

[quote user="Frederick"]"You are ALLOWED a stand at one Vide Grenier a year "..!!.......Who decides you can only try and sell your old crockery once ?... What a country !.... Is there is a " Citizens Sale of Old  Tat and Junk Department "  full of functionaries in Paris?......I suppose there must be ....and its them  instructing gendarmes  to search out and keep in their place  these "try and  flog it again " criminals .[/quote]   Well at the local Brocantes and Vide Greniers that I have been to in 17 you will often find the same "locals" week after week traiding at them all. It is quite useful when there is something you realised afterwards that you really "needed / wanted" and didn't buy the first time! LOL[;-)]

[quote user="JayJay"]Renaud, the directions are on your www, so folk can just click on that can they not? Save you some time typing. [;-)][/quote] omg !!! watch out Renaud, you might have a rave on your hands![8-|]

[quote user="mooky"] They are also called International. A Jersey is not a Jersey if not grown there it is the soil there that makes it a jersey. A similar potato that can be brought in France is the Isle Noirmoutier. Vey yummy ; [/quote] Like Champagne then![:)] Ile de Ré new potatoes are good too.