Lori

Wedded bliss. 😉 I'm sorry, you really did make me laugh as I can so relate. It certainly isn't funny at the time, but I chuckled when I read that comment as it can be very similar round here.

So true !

Very pretty roses Noisette. Ours have begun blooming too.

I know, I have always said that type of thing. Yet, I have family members who have never encountered my bad luck.

I had such bad luck on flights that whenever I arrived to my destination, my family and friends would always ask - so what disastrous thing happened on this flight. It was a rare, rare moment when I had no reply. And I did leave off the flight from Germany to the USA where, upon arriving, winds decided to play havoc and we had an incredible touch and go (back up) attempt at landing. Many screams were heard. The poor German gal sitting next to me grabbed the barf bag and well, .. used it.. I make a point of eating little if anything on flights. She had enjoyed everything served to her.

I know Menthe. What can you do? You are a captive on a contraption in the air. It does do a number on any idea that your fellow man might have any redeemable qualities. Far too many of today's humans have no regard for anyone other than themselves. Sad state of affairs.

I think I've seen that one, amongst a few others. As tempting as retaliation might be, I'm not willing to risk the fist in the face I might get these days - or worse. Yes, I think Business Class seats will avoid most of these 'people.' On our last flight from the U.S.A. to Paris in January 2019 (just as the pandemic soup pot was beginning to boil), we flew first class. I'd never flown a long haul flight in first class. Lie down sleeper seats, exceptional service, outstanding food (can you imagine) and top notch wines. Worth every penny. And, the cabin was quiet the entire journey.

Oh I have many stories about the horrors of long haul flights and sitting beside arm rest hoggers or oversized bodies are some of the lessor horrors. I've unfortunately had to sit behind a smelly, long haired pre-teen (I'm guessing) who kept her seat back down the entire trip and flipped her stinky hair on my tray table. Then there was the other time that I was stuck beside a family and the, again, unkept pre-teen kept falling asleep on ME. Then, there was the flight where the traveling family allowed there (2 to 3 year old boy) to be passed from the row in front of me to the family members sat in my row (behind them) multiple times with him knocking his feet on me at each passing. Then same boy was allowed to roam up and down the aisles unaccompanied and then dropped his pants and pooped on the aisle floor. Then on yet another, I was sitting in an aisle seat, the male sitting opposite me in the aisle seat of the same row, removed his shoes and propped his feet in my direction as he laid down taking up the empty seat beside him. I've never smelled worse foot odor in my life. Others seemed to take note of it too, but nothing was done. Then, there was the family who decided it was a good idea to pack a family picnic of some of the stinkiest foods possible and unpack them early on in the flight, stinking up the entire cabin. Or perhaps the couple with the baby that decided that changing his extremely bad smelling diaper on the tray table was a perfectly acceptable thing to do. I've seen this same faux pas on French trains too. I'm sure I'm leaving a few things out. I avoid long haul flights as much as possible. This was a wise man. I agree completely.

Had no idea Lehaut. I'll certainly give it a try. I've just looked at Whatsapp and they have the same option. Never noticed any of this before. My age showing..

If booked in advance, the IBIS is normally reasonable and worth it to me. I've always found it clean, quiet with good beds and clean linen. Food choices are not great, but there is a decent supermarket and boulangerie just around the corner from the hotel (5 minute walk from your room).

Oh I hate driving on autoroutes too. I'll also avoid them whenever possible. As to CDG, I have found that to ease the stress of airport manoeuvres, I arrive the evening before travel date and stay at either the IBIS or Novotel at Roissypole. And easy CDGVal shuttle to the terminal(s). I'm used to CDG, but arriving the day before (no matter what time my departure flight is), still eases some of the stress.

So true. Yesterday, on my way back from the Dentist in Montignac, the return road I normally take had decided to become a one-way (the wrong way for my return home) since my last travels there (no idea when or why). So, I took a different route (Rte de l'Escaleyroux); seemed to be going in the right direction (no GPS). Tiny, winding road heading uphill (what a shock round here 😉). After a km or 2, I came upon a parking turn off and wondered why the heck would anyone want to park here in the middle of nowhere (no houses, no businesses). Just after the parking spot, there was an observation point built out on the left (cliff side) of the road. I turned my head to see that I was WAY up a small mountainside and the sweeping view from the observation deck was jaw dropping. I have a dreadful fear of driving on tiny, mountainous roads, so I would have been better off never looking towards the view point... However, it was so incredibly beautiful and in the middle of nowhere, yet I've driven around it (yet not taken this particular road) a dozen times. So many hidden beauties. And yes Menthe, we too managed a walk yesterday around 17h00. Only got slightly sprinkled on. Came across a beautiful, very large hare, that jumped into the surrounding fields once he saw us coming. Also enjoyed the gorgeous, green rolling hills all around us. So pretty. Don't know if the google map view will copy over, but this is the Observation point. https://www.google.com/maps/@45.0888531,1.2121814,3a,75y,349.31h,71.23t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sBmgLkzas-6XI9q4sApk3Tg!2e0!5s20210301T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

You are not alone and no you are not pityful either. I find traveling long distances these days to be very stressful for a great number of reasons. So I generally avoid it. There's a lot of very nice scenery within an hour or two of our house. I'm happy with that.

What stories Martin !!! You should write a book on your memories. 😀

Having only arrived to our current home in December 2022, we don't have lots of years of experience with weather here. However, I will say that Winter of 2023/2024 was FAR wetter than the previous Winter. In fact I think the rain started n October 2023 and it was a rare day between then and March 2024 that it didn't rain. Everyone was talking about it. Really does a number on your mood. And like Menthe, we like to walk each day but not in the rain. So, we miss being outside. We have managed to get some plants in the ground, but then the freeze came, so we are keeping an eye on everything. Put some tomato, cucumber and pepper plants in the ground and so far, they are still alive. Miracle after that last storm that brought small bits of hail. Now we have the same risk for tomorrow.. Be a miracle if it survives. The grass got mowed and strimmed yesterday while a light rain was falling. At least it got done.

Glad to see it back. 😀

Renewing a 3 year old thread to post a link...

Nope, not for me. I love raw oysters, but after seeing SO many recalls, I will only eat cooked oysters. Same with most other raw shellfish. Just not worth the risk to me. I do love most all fish and shellfish, but it has to be cooked for me - with the very rare preparation of a good Ceviche.

Certainly wiping away lots of pollen off the garden furniture and sniffling a good bit, but it doesn't seem any worse than last year - so far.

I have experienced pretty much all of ALBF's gripes about the self-pay checkouts. As Gardian says, if you have only a few items and there is a long line at the manned checkouts, it can be worth it. In most cases, there is someone assigned to the self-pay area, so if/when a problem arises, they are there to assist - if they aren't assisting someone else at the time. I avoid them if I have BOGO items or fruits/veggies that need to be weighed or counted (when required).

Yes, Groupama mentioned this to us upon our renewal this year. We always pay somehow.

I'm sorry to hear about Mrs. G's MS. However, that is such good news about the electric wheel chair process. Amazing at no cost to you. I imagine it will make outings much smoother. I do hope so. Wishing you both well.

Reminds me of some other weirdo groups in the U.S.A. I imagine a French gendarme would have a field day with these types.

We've done a fair bit of renovations on two different properties in two different regions of France. Like Dave said, you'd need to give some more information for folks to offer helpful information. What type of renovation? Interior, exterior, both? And to what degree; did you buy a pile of rocks which needs everything from the ground up? Or are we talking updating work on a house that hasn't had anything updated since 1920 - so to speak? Our first renovation was in the Vaucluse. The second in the Dordogne. The Vaucluse presented FAR FAR more problems than the Dordogne. Things can vary wildly from one region to another. I'd say finding capable, insured, reliable and available (in the not too distant future) contractors would be your biggest hurdle. Get references.

6€ fee seems outrageous. I think ours charges 3€ if we use our SG bank card at a non-SG ATM. We get up to 3 free withdrawals per month from a non-SG ATM. After that the fee kicks in. I guess the fee structure differs when using a UK card at a CA ATM. Still seems high to me.