cassis

If anyone needs some electric adapters we have a fine collection left behind in sockets by guests. 

[quote user="powerdesal"] Normandy seems to have had absolute intense rain over the last few days. Tonight (my night) I listened to the incredible rain on the phone from SWMBO, a neighbour lost all power, phone and was flooded - needing the pompiers. [/quote] There have been localised storms mainly on the Normandy coast - inland, we've had no rain since first week of June. Worst affected in past few days have been all of the Atlantic coast, from Brittany through Loire Atlantique, Vendée, down to the south west - this according to the storm report map (of actual thunderstorms) on French TV last night.  Also a band of storms from south west up to the north east (Alsace). So far it's been a bit like last summer - unusually dry in Normandy once you get away from the coast.  We've had "unusually dry" summers since 2004, apart from a couple of years ago. Dry summers, or at least prolonged dry periods, don't seem to be unusual here any more. Personally, I don't like it - I'd rather it were cooler and we had a rainy or a showery day at least once a week. The forest stream to the lake is now a trickle and I've pumped the well dry on occasion in order to water the garden (that's 5 cubic metres at a time) but at least it is still refilling overnight. For the moment.

Depending how close to Tours you mean, you could try 9. Manoir de Riablay Rue Saint-Jean 72500 Château-du-Loir, France 02 43 44 20 20 http://riablay.chez-alice.fr/ If so please mention you were referred by Phil Graham, La Basse Cour, Alençon.

The first thing I thought was, do a lot of French visit your town/region?  Is it really a market worth pursuing?  If it is, you could try advertising on sites used by French holidaymakers to the USA.  Log in to Google.fr (rather than google.com) and do a search.  Then do the same with preferences set to "Pages francophones" and "Pages France". You might get better advice from your IVC.

UK 070 telephone number ........... nuff said.

Birds [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Spice_Girls_%286_janv%29_56.jpg/800px-Spice_Girls_%286_janv%29_56.jpg[/img] Bats [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Cricket_bat.jpg[/img]

Unless you can block every gap in the barn it may be easier to use a car cover.  Pigeons are the worst - I fought off pigeons nesting in a 200m² barn for a year, blocking gaps around the eaves, before I finally got rid of them. The other birds seem to nest around the outside, which is fine. And the odd wren doesn't make a lot of mess. [IMG]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i26/cassiscassis/wildlife/wren_04.jpg[/IMG] A neighbour has swallows each year but just moves everything out for the duration.

[quote user="Scooby"]I keep getting messages saying 'x' is following you on twitter but...I can't ever remember subscribing to twitter (though do have a facebook account so not completely 19thC) so not entirely sure how I can be followed.  All seems a little spooky........ [/quote] Well somebody using your email address must have. Do you live alone?  Maybe a burglar is sneaking in at night to use your computer.

France Magazine has tweeted today for the first time in a month - come on guys, you either do it or you don't! I was very sceptical of Twitter, thought it a waste of time for a week.  But in fact if you build up the right type of contacts, it becomes very interesting and has the advantage over forums that you can choose your own peer group.  So you only interact with people who interest you and you don't get annoyed by people you can't stand.  Plus it brings in useful contacts if you're in business, as long as you use it the right way. http://twitter.com/france_normandy

I'm just saying it may be worth checking the existing price in France before committing him/herself, as DR didn't know they were already available here. UK prices for comparison: http://www.rootrainers.co.uk/gardeners/rootrainers/rapid

They are already imported so you might want to make sure it's worthwhile by checking out the prices of the existing suppliers in France: http://www.delbard-direct.fr/tous-nos-produits/soins-du-jardin/accessoires/barquette-semis-rootrainers.html http://www.poussvert.com/godets.semis.shtml http://www.thompson-morgan.fr/seeds1/product/bww2321/1.html http://www.retourauxsourcesavesnes.com/serresrichel/page5.html I've got some that I no longer use if anyone wants them - a bit dirty and worn but free to collect.

[quote user="Jeremy Clarkson"]But I know two things. First, home is not where you live; it’s where your friends are. And second, within a week, I’d be a raging alcoholic. I’d start by trying not to drink before 12. But then it’d be 10 and before I knew it I’d be pouring gin on my cornflakes and my nose would be enormous and covered in what look like barnacles... I’d have to keep reminding myself, by reminding absolutely everyone within earshot, constantly, that I couldn’t possibly live in Britain because it’s full of bloody foreigners who hadn’t bothered to learn English. Then I’d summon Manuel and, in English, order another pint of gin. "There they were, in their chips and footie bars with their desperate eyes and their booze-ruined noses, regaling everyone with their stuck-record views on life back in Blighty. 'Don’t know how you can live in Britain. Bloody weather. Bloody Muslims. Bloody Brown,” and then, after a wistful pause, “. . . you don’t have a copy of today’s Telegraph do you?'[/quote]  [:D]  [:D]  [:D]

Red Army and Navy Singers and Dancers will be performing at the Carré du Perche next Tuesday 7th April Details here: http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/red-army-navy-choir-and-dancers-at-mortagne-au-perche/ NB Starts at 3.00pm!!!!!!!!  Must be because of school holidays, though how many families can afford 30 euros a ticket I don't know!

Depending on what's on the page: Editorial Information Webmaster Information Contact Information Company Information Website Team etc. as appropriate.  Other alternatives, swap "Information" for "Details".

French hospitals are not yet performance tested in the way that they are in the UK and USA.  There has been talk about it but nothing done yet.

I've always grown lawns from seed.  Birds may eat a bit but not enough to make a difference unless you have a huge local pigeon problem (i.e. scores of them).  Since the preparation is exactly the same, it's a lot cheaper and easier than laying turf, too.  So if you can't find your turf then all is not lost! [:)]

You could start here ... http://www.ffct.org/ and http://www.af3v.org/ They probably don't have exactly what you want but may be able to advise. For route planning, ViaMichelin has a "by bike" route planning option. http://www.viamichelin.fr/ He'll need to break the journey into 200km max. length stages to use this option.

Update - enough cash pledged for 500 British veterans to attend. http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com/

Thank goodness - I thought that Queen Elizabeth's old nurse and companion from Blackadder had been hurt.

[quote user="ErnieY"]Out of idle curiosity I've just added up what we've paid in tolls since 10/07 when we got the doofah and I wish I hadn't because it comes to €816.55 [:-))] On top of that there is what we paid in class 2 tolls before the doofah for about 8 return trips with a big box trailer [:'(]   [/quote] Cripes, Ernie - you must get about a bit!  I keep thinking our Alis doofer will be recalled for lack of use ... [:$]

I always garden by the phases of the moon.  The soil temperature, how soggy the ground is, the odd unexpected freezing spell, etc.  are all utterly irrelevant.  Just follow the moon.  If you miss the right date just wait another month.

Just in case you missed it: http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1618584/ShowPost.aspx Meantime, things have progressed a little but naturally, lots of wind and no firm promises of support: http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/british-government-reconsiders-its-decision-over-d-day-veterans/ We'll see.

IN BRIEF/ D-Day 65 Years on - British Veterans Snubbed by MoD

Have you asked if the group might have it's own insurance cover?  All the clubs and associations that we've joined who have required insurance here in France (e.g. sports, aerobics, Pilates) have had accident insurance included in the subscription. 

There appear to be a couple of étangs near you - unless they are private, they may have fishing.  Here's the étang de l'Oisellerie, down the road from us - the village often has fishing events organised by the commune council, with "lachers de truite" to supplement the ever-present carp and tench.  Why not ask at your Mairie? [img]http://www.normandie-chambres.co.uk/ima/fishing2.jpg[/img]