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Phoning any sort of organisation is more or less a no-no these days because you press what you guess are the correct buttons and you get to the switchboard-of-multiple choices yet again. As for getting to speak to a person who has the answer to your questions, that requires superhuman efforts of persistence and patience. Of course, you can cross your fingers and write an email. That is not always a solution but, in the absence of anything else, you do write emails marking them high priority. The problem then is how do you address an organisation rather than someone with a name? It's easy in French as a simple "bonjour" does the trick. In English, however, we usually like to write Mr Mrs Ms or Name plus Surname, don't we? Nowadays I write "hello". Similarly, to sign-off is simple in French, "cordialement" does nicely. I notice that in English, people seem to write "kind regards". I don't feel able to write kind regards when I am frustrated and complaining about something. Plus I don't give kind regards to people I don't know. "Sincerely" seems gloriously old-fashioned. These days I translate from the French and write "cordially". I'd like to know what others write as greetings and sign-offs?

Not yet seen anything that's got me excited and jumping up and down. I agree with your predictions. But there IS something about this year's 6 nations...not up to expections;

The difference is that you put a hare in a jug but a rabbit in a pot? Sorry, here is one article of many I found: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/141219-rabbits-hares-animals-science-mating-courtship Light-hearted enough for the forum and after looking at the photos, I lean towards hare.

Thank you, rowland, but I wondered if there were a real life equivalent? I have seen cucumber like veggies with lines and knobs along the length in some Asian countries. I think they tasted bitter.

Mashed swede are only good with lashings of salted butter! What are snozzcumbers?

Good gracious, Lehaut! So my instinct to have a small piece of cheese for breakfast and my own unrefined bread serves me well. Have to hoot with laughter because I don't reckon my choice of breakfast makes my face look more attractive after breakfast. Maybe the large café au lait cheers me up somewhat and brings a smile to my face?😝 Mind you, when I go on holiday with French friends, I am amazed at the amount of jam they put on their bread, not to mention the spoonfuls of sugar in their coffee or chocolate. As for the inevitable fruit juice.....who could happily drink fruit juice from a carton or bottle? In fact, I never understand why people drink fruit juice instead of just eating fruit.

How right you are, rowland. I have yet to find a way to make them taste even mildly acceptable.

Forgot also about those fat white asperagus; simply not for me but I really like the green ones. When I am in a Grand Frais, I see plantains and wonder what they taste like. I know you fry them but does anyone have any tips about how to buy them? I mean do they have to be ripe or do you buy them before they are ripe. Are they sweet like bananas? I have had banana fritters and they are lovely if a bit greasy.

Topinambour! How could I forget! Yes, that's my least liked. Compared to them aubergines and kale taste positively yummy! Oops, sorry, DL had already named them. Topinambour IS jerusalem artichoke! I got what he said mixed up with celeriac which I also do not like.

I like beetroot but I must confess I have only started to like them since I read that they are good at lowering high blood pressure.

I agree about Jerusalem artichokes but peppers I adore and add them to lots of cooked dishes and to salads in the summer.

But I have never particularly liked that dish and have never made it. Do you use lamb? If so, I don't normally eat lamb.

OK, so the topic doesn't fill you with enthusiasm. But, NO new topic for several days so here is one that should be non controversial and nobody is excluded from putting in their tuppence worth! Mine has to be aubergine which is on an equal footing with kale. How do you make either of those tasty? And don't mention ratatouille because I have lots more interesting things to do with onions, tomatoes and peppers than making that. As for kale, there are literally dozens more tastier green vegetables than that! Over to you...and do try to put some sort of life into the forum, svp...

Would it be easier to leave your dog in a kennel back in the UK? Or can your host suggest anywhere near him/her? Do you have transport, for example, to go to where your dog might be going? The people I know with dogs all have their regular nounou de chien with whom to leave their pets. Or they have helpful neighbours.

This is one for gym bunnies but others are welcome to join in the laughter. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/picture/2024/mar/02/perils-of-sports-bras-edith-pritchett-cartoon

The French can get very touchy about their flag! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13146809/imam-French-flag-satanic-arrested-deported-Tunisia-Britain.html

You don't have to watch the break dancing! There are lots of real sports and, in any case, if you put the tv on at all, you'd not be able not to see something!!

Here is a short video about the village: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=images+of+olympic+village+in+paris#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:e9cc8e63,vid:OOHcYYMTAtM,st:0

Well, I managed to see some pictures of the Olympic Village. The buildings look interesting and are MASSIVE! The athletes' bedrooms (2 per room) are NOT air-conditioned. They said that they face away from the sun and that special materials and high tech insulation are used. But Paris' heat is, I believe, not like heat elsewhere! Also there might be a transport strike......I'd never forgive these strikers if they ruin everything for the competitors and visitors...what horrible, disgusting spoilsports!!! Do they experience no pride and no joy and not want everyone to have a good time?

Only saw the headline, so not yet watched it on the news. Great it's at Seine St Denis, might give the area a bit of a boost. I have a friend whose husband was a policeman there for several years so I could imagine what life could be like there. By the way, for lovers of walking, there is a Grande Randonnée à Paris. I have signed up for it on 18 March. And, before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am NOT walking all the way to Paris; merely a stretch as far as Périgueux. Hope my knees stand up to it as I haven't done much walking for several weeks due to incessant rain and flooded footpaths.

How they do it, Wools? Perhaps with a bit of self-discipline?

Loiseau, thank you for the pictures. I haveI always loved the looks of bentwood chairs, especially the rocking ones, but I have also wondered about how comfortable or otherwise they are!

Lehaut, thank you, yes, I filled in the cert of cession and sent it with the cancelled carte grise, etc to the people liaising between me and the assurance. At the time, I was thoroughly confused. The car was picked up from a garage near our house. Then it was sent to the car expertise tens of kilometres away. After, I must say, a very thorough and fair assessemnt, including comparison with other cars of the same make and model for sale, I was given the choice of having it repaired at my own cost or scrapping it. I thought the expertise bods were going to repair it but, no, it would have to go to another garage for repairs. Then the administration of the reimbursement was handled by yet another company in Nantes. At one time, I had 4 different places to ring for information about different aspects and choices. As you know, I felt extremely ill and frightened (nothing to do with the accident) and all this phoning and explaining and being explained to gave me much stress and many sleepless nights. To cut a long story short, I let the car go to save my sanity!

Hectorsdad, I thought I'd better remind people to cancel their policy. As it happens, the insurance people have been very quick. I explained the situation this morning and, by this afternoon, they have emailed to say the contract is now cancelled and that my reimbursement would be by direct credit to my bank account.

I thought it worthwhile to revisit this subject, although many on here would already be familiar with the process I am about to describe. There might be others who could benefit from my experience. Last year, I mentioned here that I pranged my car and damaged it so badly that it was uneconomical to repair. The damaged car was transported to "experts" and was thoroughly assessed and a devis for repairs was provided. So far so good. The next stage concerned my health because it was during a time when weird things were happening to me. I was falling about and hurting myself and I stopped driving for the safety of myself and other road users. I had no easy means of getting to the garage of the assessors and reluctantly decided just to let the car be scrapped. I simply couldn't face all the hassle involved. As far as I understood it, the car was sold in its damaged state to the insurance company who suspended my contract about a fortnight after the sale of my car to them. All reimbursements due to me were paid and in fact it was pretty smooth as these things go. However, what I didn't think to do was to also resiliér the contract. I assumed that as they had the car and I had told them that I had no thought of buying a new car and therefore there was no need to keep the contract to be used against a purchase, the contract would be automatically rescinded. This is NOT so. Therefore, if you ever get into a similar situation, don't forget to résiliér your contract, as well as all the other stuff you need to attend to after your car is written off. Doesn't make sense to me but just do it, otherwise no return of the unused part of your policy.