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Thank you, dear Loiseau and thank you Wools. Won't take long but not permitted to do anything "trop physique". Everyone nagging me about not doing things. Will ask when I can act normal again when I see the surgeon in a couple of weeks' time. The great man is even going to take out the stitches himself!! Can't have better treatment anywhere in the world, I reckon. Canicule has, if nothing else, stopped me even attempting to leave the house....too damn hot to move! Just telling OH we should have moved to the Somme.... Everybody, PLEASE look after yourself and be sensible🙂

Thank you, ssomon; that is very kind and is most appreciated.

I have had rather a lot to do with mutuelles the last few years, as in asking them for money, rather than the other way round. I looked at those mutuelles solidaires ones that Lehaut has mentioned but didn't find one that had a better price than an existing one that we had. A couple of years ago, AXA had a "recruiting" customers drive and I went for the talk and a few of us in our village signed up. Best thing I ever did; we got 30% off the first year and the same percentage off EVERY year after that. What Norman has said about getting older and paying more and more companies refusing to accept older folk is spot on. That is exactly what I have found. So, if you are of a more advanced age (yes, the "cut-off" seems to be 70), it's worth looking to see if the new company would accept you before asking for a quote. We have the basic 100% for most things and a higher rate for hospitalisations. This has been brilliant for me as most of the "honoraires" over-and-above fees of specialists, anaesthetists etc have been covered. Earlier this week, when I returned home from hospital, the mutuelle had arranged an aide domicile to come to the house the day of my discharge. I was pretty chuffed when the AD finished my ironing and washed the floors while I went out to the pharmacie to get the pills, potions, bandages etc.

Goody, goody, Cassy....someone to talk rugby with?

Yes indeed, I have been looking at dry fryers but still undecided whether I want or have place for yet another gadget in my kitchen. I reorganised and refitted my kitchen a few years ago and now it is the most clutter-free room in my entire house (including the sous-sol) Do you have a dry fryer, Wools? Are they as versatile as the advertising hyperboles claim? Serious question;

Don't know if you include Scotland by the "north". As for frying Mars bars, I am not sure which oil they do use. Trouble with cheaper oils is that I can smell them frying and think of the Fun Fair in Porthcawl (where I last lived before France) or Barry Island. It always smells like cheap, stale fat. I don't do deep fry but shallow fry quite a lot of foods.

Harnser, I'd happily buy a large bottle of spider oil, except it is now unavailable where I live. Not Leclerc, not Intermarché and I don't know what other oil I would want to fry with. Also couldn't find any huile de pépin (is that what it's called?). That also has a high boiling point and doesn't smoke. All the oil available seems to be sunflower or colza and I really do not like to fry with either as there is always a smell of frying with them. Might try some bigger supermarkets when I make one of my rare forays to Périgueux later in the week. Happy Spider Oil hunting!

Thought I'd finished my yearly tussle with the déclaration. On the very last stage, I was asked to fill in 2042 NR. I understand that this is for people who have left France permanently or for a period of time. Is my understanding correct? Thank you in advance

Thank you, yes question fully answered. Brilliant link. Once more into the breach......now going to be able to finish the declaration?

Like a laugh at something silly? I heard that the queen went for her annual visit to the Chelsea Flower Show on Monday and was shown round by the president of the Royal Horticultural Society. Nothing funny about that except that the man's name was Keith WEED?

Well, do YOU know anyone who speaks like that? Or am I moving in questionable circles?

Can some knowledgeable person please tell me what constitutes "montant des revenus exonérés de CGS and CRDS" please? What could possibly be exempt and could you give examples of the sorts of revenue we are talking about? What do you put, if anything in the box? Fervant thanks...

Thanks for that little gem. It tickles me that people really did used to speak like that! Not so funny these days as, instead of tea at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, it's apparently "wine o'clock" at any time after 10 o'clock in the morning?

Yes, Harnser, storms destroy lives and property. I wasn't trying to make light of that aspect of storms. As Chessie sounded enthusiastic about storms and I do like watching them, I wanted to ,well, figuratively stand by her side and admire the show. It's more about not letting her feel all alone as no one had replied to her post at that time. She'd had a difficult time lately and I have always treated the Forum as a way of connecting to others.

Sorry, don't know how to edit mistakes. I meant half way through the first SET when things were pretty evenly balanced.

Roalnd Garros season is here! All excitement chez moi... First Sunday yesterday so settled down at 11.00 to watch the first televised game. All was great, Ons Jabeur the women's number 6 playing the Polish quqlifier Magda Linette. Half way through the first game, the clock approached 12 midday. Magic Hour in France? Mai bien sùr, time for, what else, le déjeuner?? Would you believe it, the transmission en direct stopped, the TV went on to something else (don't know what) and resumed about 2 ish when, presumably all the French were replete with Sunday Lunch and ready to watch tennis again. Can you imagine the BBC doing that in the middle of a match in Wimbledon? Well, do you have experience of anywhere else in the world where this is a likely occurence? I was more amused than annoyed because after all I have lived here for several years now and have become used to many quirky little French customs ....and yet, and yet, WHY???

Unfortunately no storms where we live. The sky did get dark early and I was popping in and out of the house into the garden looking out anxiously for the storm to arrive. Nothing, most annoying. We have a long glassed in veranda extending the width of the house and I always hang out there when there is thunder and lightening. We have huge skies and uninterupted views so the show can be spectacular. My best storm ever was when we stayed in a hotel in Sorrento perched up on the hills. The storm was massive and lasted about an hour. I opened up the floor to ceiling windows and let the rain pour into the room. Vesuvius loomed in the distance, giving a nice scary feeling. I have thought about that particular storm many many times through the years. It's the only one particular storm that I remember vividly. Also sleeping next to my mother as a young child and listening to the rain on the roof but those memories are vague and all those storms are all mixed up in my head.

Thanks ssomon, now I know!? I use groundnut oil (peanut oil doesn't sound right either?) for all frying, olive oil for salads and roasting and the "quatre d'huiles" stuff for making cakes. I used to wonder a bit at "profiter" to mean take advantage of, make the most of as in "c'est le beau temps, on en profite". But now I can see how nice it is to mention "profit" with no reference to anything to do with money!!! The other word I like is "insister" to mean, persevere, keep at it, etc. I think I make wonderful and often amusing discoveries in the French langue everyday.

Wools, I had quite a bit of advice on this some years ago. I have tried but I can't for the life of me remember who it was who gave me links to the form you need to fill in. I have also searched the forum using the search engine but goodness knows what babies they have thrown out with the bath water on here. Is this link of any use? http://www.europe-eje.eu/sites/default/files/pj/dossiers/france_petit_litigeenglish.pdf

Has anyone noticed how much bigger their supermarket bills are? Is the climb as steep as I think it is? Are fresh produce such as lettuce and other veg, meat and fish more expensive by generally about 20%? I thought that our inflation rate in France is just over 5% so are retailers simply whacking up prices and hoping customers with little or no choice will carry on paying out? If you have any personal observation or experience, I would be interested to hear it.

Castex was also a technocrat. I have read that some of these technocrats run things very efficiently. Many technocrats through the years have been responsible for "making things work" in large cities. They become mayors. I believe that Grenoble used to be held up as an example of what a modern French city should look like. Mind you, the book I read was written a few decades ago. I don't feel on such firm ground talking about present day France.....simply do not know or understand enough.

Elizabeth Borne it is then, Harnser. Some commentators in the French media are calling her a Mrs Thatcher figure!!! So is Macron really lurching to the right? Can he still call himself a centrist?

Did anyone see the match today, semi of the champion cup, between Leinster and Toulouse? Such a passionate, fiercely fought, energetic game you'd ever wish to see. Football fans can keep their football, if all rugby matches were like this one, there will be rugby fever instead of Wagatha Christie gripping the imagination of so many!

I agree with your thinking re Mélenchon, Harnser. Macron has a healthy majority and doesn't need "cohabitation". Harking back to history again, has a president ever re-appoint the same PM after winning a second term?

Thank you, Hanser, precisely the information I was asking for.