DaveLister

Mod hats on. OK guys and gals here's how it's going to be. I too am sick and tired of intelligent debate on this forum descending into a bar room brawl. There are a small group who seem unable to exercise self discipline or only get their kicks by winding up others. My fellow moderator had asked nicely but now I'm bringing out the big stick. As of today such comments will result in the post being edited or even removed. Persistent offenders will end up having their posts pre-moderated. Make your points politely or go elsewhere. Mods hat off.

According to Wiki it's the latter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft-shell_crab Apparently there are versions of the dish in parts of Spain and Italy if you fancied trying them a little closer to home.

Well the rehearsals seem to be going well. 🤔 https://www.midilibre.fr/2023/08/06/jo-de-paris-2024-premier-gros-couac-pour-lorganisation-la-competition-test-de-natation-dans-la-seine-annulee-pour-pollution-11381728.php

I think we've both got a way to go 😀 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la6Wtme9P3I

If I'm in company around the same length of time as you. If I'm on my own it can well over an hour. What is your favourite accompaniments? Mine's thin slices of brown bread and butter and a glass of Gewurztraminer. I recently took a group of friends to Chausey and made the mistake of ordering a fruits de mer whilst everyone else went for the standard menu. Despite having one course to their two I ended up having to leave half the crab so they weren't hanging around for desert.

Having seen what he's done with twitter I not sure I'd trust Elon Musk with my data but, if it forces others to lower their prices, I'm all for it.

The security issues alone should make it a non starter. Not to mention pi55ing off the locals. Apparently they've already told the bouquinistes to move. What are they going to do? Put the whole city in lockdown for the duration? https://www.paris2024.org/fr/ceremonie/

In the case of a certified cheque the sum is deducted from the account the moment the cheque is issued. It is then held for eight days to allow for the cheque to be presented after which the sums are returned to the account and the cheque is cancelled. In the case of a bank cheque the funds are also deducted the moment the cheque is issued but this time they are held for the usual cheque duration of a year and a day. Of course the cheque itself could be fake which is why it is recommended that the issuing bank is called to confirm it's existence.

Yesterday I tried to log on to my NSandI account. It was the first time since they introduced two factor authorisation and, after entering in my id and the one time passcode, the system kept returning me to the log in screen. So I gave them a call. The phone was answered quite quickly by a friendly voice who asked what the problem was. "I'm trying to log into my account and every time I enter the passcode it returns me to the login screen" I say. "Ok" says the voice, "you're having difficulty accessing your NSandI account? Have you set up a pin number?" says the voice. "No" says I. " Well, in order to set up a pin you need to go to WWW. NSandI.com/*****" "But there's nowhere to enter a pin in the login screen" I say. " You don't need a pin in order to log into your NSandI account online. You'll receive a one time passcode on your phone " says the voice. It was only then that the penny dropped. I suppose I should have been more suspicious. The call was answered quickly and the line was crystal clear but, honestly, the cadence was perfect. The human being I was eventually put through to on the other hand was on a poor quality headset and had a heavy accent. Still can't log on. It appears that the new 2 factor system doesn't work for Linux distributions so I'm back to using good old fashioned telephone banking. Must remember to ask for a human first though. 😀

Are you sure it was a wine? The Golden's Ger I remember was a liqueur like this https://whiskyauctioneer.com/lot/43527/goldens-ger-crystal-special-liqueur The only use I ever found for it was to add some oomph to apple sorbet. I too enjoy a good calvo. A dearly departed friend used to distill his own. He was happy to do straight swaps for bottles of whiskey.😉

Yes, one wonders why it's no longer produced 🤣

Talking of this regions food and drink, for all you cocktail drinkers out there, I can recommend the Mojito Basque. It's basically a standard Mojito with green Izarra replacing the rum. Very refreshing on a warm summer evening as my guests last night will attest.

Mmmmm Gâteau Basque.🍒 🥧. Slightly warm with just a hint of Crème Anglaise as an accompaniment. 😘😘😘

gotta love them 😀 https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2023/jul/21/vive-le-tour-a-human-landscape-across-lhexagone-in-pictures

https://www.midilibre.fr/2023/07/18/rappel-produit-possible-presence-de-sulfites-dans-plusieurs-lots-de-viennoiserie-brioches-et-pains-de-mie-11348449.php

But well played Sirs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVNZRHIZVL8

https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2023/07/18/electricite-les-prix-vont-encore-augmenter-de-10-en-aout_6182457_3234.html Time to tighten your belts guys and gals.

When I moved to France I always knew that my choice of location would mean I would have to suffer the raging hoards of July and August. Makes it all the nicer when they go home.

Je t'aime. 💔

I totally agree. Have always hated July & August. Too many Bl**dy tourists. Pop up ginguettes that don't last until September. Local festivals of dubious provenance. Long queues to get into the dechetterie while the campsite owners get rid of their detritus. Supermarkets aisles filled with cooler boxes and camping gas instead of, oh I don't know, food. Roll on September!

Well I'm glad I've held off. I got the selfie message from the poor lad who's been assigned to handle my complaint. The letter is apparently in the post. Considering the comments above I'll wait until it arrives before posing in front of the camera. Don't want to waste my time doing something that could be rejected.

This is a new one on me. After emailing scanned copies of my passport & a recent bank statement to a certain UK financial institution I've now been asked to send them a photograph of me holding said passport. What does that prove? If I'm a clever enough to forge a passport do they think I'll have difficulty taking a selfie? 🤣

I was thinking more in line of the behaviour of French Customs.

It does appear, from what I've read, that it's almost become like the wild west getting stuff imported from the UK.

Mods hat on. Seriously guys I fail to see the point of this thread which is now just going round in circles. This is a Forum on France. There are plenty of other places on the internet where these sorts of 'discussions' can take place. We need to remember who is providing this service for us and show them a little respect. Personal agendas can be taken elsewhere. This thread is now locked.