idun

Nothing wrong with Flunch, one can have a perfectly balanced meal there if one chooses. I used to have rows with other parents when my kids were in primaire, as I said that there would be nothing wrong with them bringing a packed lunch. Mais NON ma petite Idun,( evidently more sottise from the anglaise), children MUST eat a hot meal at lunch time. As I pointed out, to the parents carping the most, that they  had no idea what was being served at home at lunch time, but apparently they believed that a good balanced french meal would always be on the table. I do know that if I called round to see friends, often at around 8pm the children would be eating then, a plate of cooked but dry pates or rice, no sauce, no butter even, with say a couple of fish fingers or piece of ham(cold) followed by a yoghurt and to bed. I have eaten at these people's homes and we have had lovely meals, but everyday  and that is what the kids got. And since I have returned to the UK once when I was back, I called in at my old neighbours and they asked if I wanted to stay and eat. Frozen chips and ham (cold) again, some salad and yoghurt, and their kids are no longer there, so that sort of meal is obviously a staple. She uses the canteen at work on a lunch time and he is on the road and uses motorway cafes or the likes of Flunch. French everyday food is not always what it is cracked up to be. But the weight of folks, well, most of the french women I know smoke or smoked. They would eat less and smoke more and stay slim. The truth is that fatty foods, that are easy to eat are tempting and once one starts with them, a sort of craving can start.

Johnson is a politician, so is Macron, the information they have will be basic. They are not scientists. Macron's studies were not in the sciences and as he went to the Science Po, it was to study the Po, and Johnson studied classics. So who is the 'whisperer' who tells them what is what, and they may be equally unqualified to impart proper information, we don't know........... taking the donald as an example. And look, Johnson and Johnson have a new one jab vaccine coming out, will Macron find a Dupont et Dupont vaccine that he will have confidence in. Incidentally which vaccines are being developed in the EU? I don't know that either.

Ah mint, what can I say but simply wear two masks, or a mask and a visor, keep your distance and keep using your gel. There is nothing else you can do. AND the vaccines apparently take several weeks to work, so even if you could get one tomorrow, it wouldn't help for now. If you know of any relaxation excersizes, do yourself a favour and do them, clear your mind and take yourself off to another world. There is nothing you can do other than not take your appointments and hunker down at home, and that I reckon is not what you feel like doing. Worrying, I have done enough of that in my life, but life is too short for me to worry about the things I can do nothing about. Good luck for your appointments.

 In fairness wooly, when I moved to France, in my region, which in fact was not that far from the italian border AND a lot of it was in fact italian at one point....... pasta was the base starch. I know folks would have rice and potatoes too from time to time, but pasta was usual. There were next to no fatties. I do remember when they were going to close a lovely 'cafe' in the centre of the city and open a McDo's. Great debates and everyone french we knew was up in arms, wouldn't get anyone in they said. Well they were wrong about that. Supermarket pizzas, beurk, although I rated several pizzerias in our regions, they did very very good pizzas. Lovely thin bases and just the right amount of toppings served with a lovely bottled chilli oil to go on top, if required!

ALBF,  apart from some wanting Macron impeached, pray tell me why France in particular is becoming third world? I suppose that this could be, light the blue touch paper and stand well back, but I would rather like to know. And these folks, well, surely as they have a property in France, will have been 'keeping up' with developments........ and have known about the service public france web site. And they have the internet, honestly I just do not understand how people can even ask such things. Another thing I am curious about is and there are a couple of 'ifs' here, if they own their own home in the UK, which insurance company they use which allows 6 months cover, if ofcourse their home in the UK is left empty. 

Caution. How does that work, when folk can catch this and die or be seriously ill for months or seem to get better, or not even have been ill and then still be ill and very unwell with long covid? I know a few people with long covid now. They hadn't even realised that they had had covid last year and yet started  feeling awful a few months ago and long covid had started.

Well, if you end up making good malt vinegar, and in quantity, you could offer it to your french friends and neighbours. As I said, we know a french lady who loves the stuff, so some do, in fact some french people even put vinegar on their chips. And frankly IF I have no other vinegar in the house, I use it in my vinaigrette sauces,  it changes the taste a little, but still very very nice on salads.

 Not easy to get it done in where I live in England either. One has to be called in to be vaccinated. As I said lots are being called in, so that is good. The only thing anyone can get done pretty easily is go and get a covid test, if one is asymptomatic, or just wondering if they have caught it, and with few symptoms.

No NH I didn't get anything wrong there. I used to be a wages clerk and had taken everything into account. No idea if the 10%'s had been taken into account either from those figures. The advantage of anyone moving to France, with a gov pension is that everyone in the UK is taxed individually. So on those gov incomes, around £12k will have been issued as a personal allowance leaving very little to pay in this case, £100 or so, but next to nothing. IF ofcourse they moved back to the UK then it would be different and they would pay a lot more tax in the UK. Certainly over £2k I haven't worked it out, but I could, that would be their joint tax bill. IF all their income was declared in France, then they would what, probably pay around €1500 or so in impots. I do not believe with the current rules, that they should have paid anything in France, unless something has been ticked wrongly or the tax office has made a mistake, although, that rental income came into play and maybe they are paying something on that, that I do not know. Becareful what you wish for Laurier,  you have one heck of a financial advantage if you have a gov pension and  would end up with a biggish tax bill in France if this changed. IF we moved back, well, all would be taxed in France, and we would pay CSG etc and need top up health insurance, and frankly that little lot would cost a LOT more than just UK income tax does now. And that is how I compare the systems in our case. I must add one more thing that was told to me in my very very early days in France. Never ask anyone how much they earn. I suppose the ancienneté was one reason. And I never did ask or was told in all those years. Apart from once when one of my oldest friends tentatively told me that their joint pensions would be €2600.  AND that was the only time such a thing was mentioned. So a suggestion, do not post all your details about your income on the WWW. Not a good idea really.

 I cannot remember the last time I had pilchards, I know OH had sardines on toast about five odd years ago, so not part of our regular diet. Yes, I agree that malt vinegar is good, but as with long life milk, I adjusted to different tastes. Also when we moved to France there were no choices, no british food at all where I lived intially, it was quite a big city.  I bought what was available in the shops, and made a lot of stuff from scratch which I had never done before. But not malt vinegar. Does this live link help:https://www.themadfermentationist.com/2010/02/making-maltbeer-vinegar.html I would imagine that you have at least one neighbour with a mere de vinaigre. I was often offered one, but never felt the need to have one.

I have had to go to my GP's a couple of times recently and they are next to our local hospital. For the last week, really long queues of people waiting for their jabs. Most of those in the queues were older than me, but some were younger, I suppose that they were  essential workers. No idea when we will get it, but they seem to be getting on with it. Also, I know quite a few people who have had their jabs now, including the second one.

I never found it whilst I lived there. There was never anything I found that was the same. I do know a french lady who brings it back from England when she visits. I never found that I 'needed' it, so curious, why malt vinegar, what exactly do you use it for?

Blimey no wonder lots of french folk think that brits are rich. AND ofcourse, what with the international tax agreements being as they are, it means that little tax in paid in either country, on very good incomes. We never win with these things, we always pay full whack no matter where we are........... tant pis, just the way it is.

I had probably been in France for about 8 years when we were on holiday in England and I called in at a friend's home. She was saying that she could buy bottles of wine in France for, well, 2 or was it 3ff a big bottle. I said that I have never seen anything at such a low price. So when I got home, I did a recce at my local supermarkets and lo and behold, you could, but NOT with the 'wine', but round the corner, both cheapo bottles and plastic barrels where people could bring their own bottles and fill them, even cheaper[:-))]. The floor was quick slick with spilt red wine too, where I suppose people had been trying to fill these bottles to the very very top and it had debordered. That was my friend for you, trust her to find such stuff. And that was the stuff you'd see the sans abri or beggars quaffing in the streets. And talking of beggars. When I first got to France and it was my first winter in the Alpes, there was someone begging and I gave him money. Never again. About half an hour later when I was in a mini market getting some bits of shopping he was there buying booze. I have never given money again, but always give food to those begging.

I cannot say I have never been drunk, I have, although, most would still appear sober whilst I was staggering, and that was A VERY LONG TIME AGO when I was nowt but a lass. I wouldn't say I don't drink either, say 4 or 5 units a year, or there abouts. France and drinking is a rum old do, if you will excuse the pun. We would have 'pots' and many of the women would pass on the wine, taking orange juice etc instead. AND yet, these ladies, who were refusing alcohol  in public would smell of it when they dropped their kids off after lunch time. And some would smell even more of it when they picked them up from school at 4.30. I could smell it, along with the stench of their 'clops' because I have never smoked and hardly ever drink. And the men, well, would drink a lot at home, and spirits to boot. So how does this research work, as if someone gets blind drunk at home, well, they sleep it off on the floor, settee or bed....... and no one knows it is happening. I do think that where we like to drink is a prime factor to be considered. The bars in our village closed early, but were open very early morning and plenty of blokes would boire un canon along with their expresso. What a way to start the day. So this, well, each country is very different. Alcohol sales in France please in comparison to other european countries, both from retail and bars. Because that is one thing about booze, no one buys it and chucks it, like they would a lettuce that is going off in the fridge.

And this post has made me think of another tv series I used to love watching, La Belle Anglaise. There was some good french tv, just some of it was awful. ie  Dorothee, or Chantal Goya for the kids, truly truly dreadful both of them.

Wooly I often watch series from all over europe on All4, which you may be able to get if you have VPN and say you are in England.

  I used to watch Arsene Lupin  donkey's years ago and enjoyed it. Glad an updated version is good, something to look out for.

 OK, just wondered.[:)]

I may write about my life hors de la couette, but I don't think sous ma couette would be appropriate for this board[blink]

We bought land next to a ruisseau,  well, it went from a stream, to what looked like a small river, to a raging torrent sometimes, and we had lots of mosquitoes during our first two years.  And then our neighbour built a pond, and we never had a mosquito problem for the next twenty odd years. They had frogs in their pond, but we never heard them as we were far enough away, and even if we had, well, we would have adjusted, of that I am sure. No mozzies would have been worth it. I feel so sorry for  this family. I think I would be contesting the first decision stating the grounds of the scientists and ecologists.

LOL Mine would probably be the Perils of Idun, things happen to me that really should not, as I have been telling mint recently! And yes, Wooly's lovely post has made me think about when I moved to France. I did write quite a bit last night, but then changed my mind about posting.  Trouble on here is that my first posts led to a bit of a nightmare, which also, has not happened to anyone else, that it made me very cautious about what I say on the internet.

Where does it say that you need proof of ownership in 2009? Lots of things are not easy in France, they never were and probably never will be[Www] that's LBF for you!

 Thankyou Wooly, thoroughly enjoyed reading that, shouldn't  it be called an op-ed? I have just typed a long piece about my life in France that I don't think I have said on here, but no, not today for that.

 Over the years I have often cut my own hair, but when I did two weeks ago, I did the worst job of it I have ever done. It is growing ofcourse and as we will be seeing exactly no friends when we go out, or they come to our home, then it doesn't matter, as it is mid winter and I wear a hat when I go out occasionally for shopping. [:$]I dearly would like to see my hair dresser to redress my odd cut though! So Wooly, when was the last time you had your hair so long.......... because long hair was the thing for men in the late 1960's and 1970's.