Relocation to France made easy

Renault Laguna II Estate 1.8 16v petrol for sale

2012-01-20T16:14:00.003+01:00

Dark metallic grey, first registered November 2004. English RHD car but registered in France, with French plates. Has full service history, 74,000 miles, half leather interior, cd player, alloy wheels.

Recent service (not due again for 14,000 miles), new cambelt, wheel bearings and 2 new tyres.
Will be sold with new CT. In excellent condition throughout. 3500 euros. We are based in France, Brittany, near Dinan.

If you are interested, please email us here.

Free Dance Classes near Dinan

2012-01-20T15:11:00.001+01:00

Every Tuesday afternoon from 3pm, June and Philip, an English couple will teach you how to dance for free!

Ballroom and Latin American dance.

You will find them in Evran at La Salle Communale, 17 rue de la Liberation.
Anyone welcome!
Beginners to experienced dancers.
Tel: 00332 96 82 29 78.

Panto - The Three Musketeers

2012-01-20T14:45:00.001+01:00

Les Rosbifs et Crêpes are presenting their annual pantomime at the Salle des Fetes, Pluduno, Cotes d'Armor on

Friday 20th, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd January 2012.

This year we have moved a little from tradition with our choice, 'The Three Musketeers',by Hilary Mackelden. However be assured that there will still be a dame, a principal boy and girl and plenty of booing and hissing an in addition some swashing and buckling. The format does allow us to make it a bit shorter than previous years.

Pluduno is just to the West of Plancoet and their will be 'Theatre' signs from the main road to show the way to the Salle des Fetes.

There will be performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm and matinées on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm.

Despite the lavish costumes and sets prices stay at the reasonable 8€ for adults, 5€ for students up to 16 years and under 5s free.

Tickets from Bob on 0699199575 / robert.houghton@orange.fr …or from the door on the night if any are left.

How to keep tulips longer in a vase

2012-01-20T13:27:00.002+01:00

I tried our local florist’s trick and it worked!

Only put 1 cm of water in the vase and keep adding water every morning and your tulips will stay fresh longer. I managed to keep mine over a week.

Try it and let me know!

Ryanair new route Dinard to Leeds/Bradford

2012-01-10T18:05:00.001+01:00

From 27th March 2012, the low cost airline Ryanair will operate 2 flights a week between Leeds-Bradford and Dinard/Pleurtuit (Brittany, France).

Hopefully the flights will be on Saturdays making it easier for tourists to hire a gîte in Brittany form Saturday to Saturday.

More information about Ryanair here.

The day of the operation

2012-01-10T17:42:00.005+01:00

If you are about to have an operation in a French hospital, you will need to fill in a few forms. Here is what the forms will say:

You agree to follow the surgeon and anaesthetist’s advise:

Follow a diet a few days before the operation

Don’t eat, drink or smoke before the operation

Remove all earrings (boucles d'oreilles), jewellery (bijoux), piercing.

Don’t wear nail varnish (vernis à ongles), nor make up (maquillage)

You will need to have a shower at home the night before the operation and the morning of the operation using a special shower gel prescribed by your surgeon (Hibiscrub for example). Sleep in clean sheets and wear clean cloths the day of the operation.

If you follow a treatment, your anaesthetist will tell you if you can take your tablets or not.

After the operation:

You can’t eat, drink or smoke without the nurse’s authorisation.

On departure as you won’t be able to drive for 24 hours, ensure someone is picking you up or arrange for a taxi to take you home.

If you live alone, ask someone to stay over night with you once you get home.

By signing the forms you will also agree to say you are fully aware of the risks of the anaesthetics.

See my previous post about the appointment with the anaesthetist here.

Appointment with the anaesthetist

2012-01-10T17:17:00.003+01:00

If you are about to have an operation under local or general anaesthetics (anesthésie locale ou générale) in France, the surgeon will ask you to organise a meeting with an anaesthetist a week prior the operation.

A file with be given to you and will have all sorts of information regarding the operation:

The special diet you may have to follow before the operation, a prescription of tablets you may need to take, etc. You will also have to fill in some forms. We like forms and paperwork in France!!

One is about the existing treatment(s) you may have. The surgeon needs to know what tablets you are taking. You will also have to list the previous operations you have had – if any.

Take this file with you when you meet the anaesthetist (anesthésiste). She or he will go through the list of previous operations or / and tablets with you and will answer any questions you may have regarding the operation. Another file (livret d'accueil) will be given to you to read and bring back the day of the operation. Some more reading!

You then have to book your bedroom for the day of the operation, visit the 'pré-admission'. Even if you are only there for a small operation, you will have to book a bedroom. You can ask for a phone line or a TV.

The sea view option is not available at Dinan hospital!

Don’t forget to bring your passport, Carte Vitale and if you have top up insurance (Mutuelle), bring the “attestation’ with you.

The anaesthetist’s fee is €28 (January 2012). It may vary according to the area.

If you require help with filling forms and paperwork, please contact me here.

See my post about the day of the operation.

Looking for a Damp-Proof Course membrane in France!

2012-01-09T18:22:00.003+01:00

Although I am French, I do not know ALL the DIY terms in French!

A few days ago Chris was looking for some DPC which I found out means ‘damp-proof course’!

Thankfully we had a bit of it that our friend gave us so it helped going round some DIY shops in Dinan (Brtittany, France). At least we could show what we were looking for!

Most of them looked at the stuff in a funny way and asked us what it was for, then said ‘NON’!

After visiting several DIY shops, at last we found some damp-proof course membrane at Point P in Dinan and found out it was called ‘bande d’arase’ in French. They sell 10m-rolls, either 20 or 25cm wide, at just under €20 per roll.

See my future post to see what we will do with it!

Have your roof checked before the winter

2012-01-06T21:59:00.005+01:00

In Brittany, France, roofs are made of slates (ardoises). They used to be nailed down, now they are held by hooks (crochets).
Some roofs are 100 years old and still ok. They just need to be checked by the local roofer (couvreur) before the winter to avoid water penetration.

If needed, the roofer will fix some slates back properly and change the ones that may have slipped and fell down.

As you can see from this picture, one slate didn't like the strong storm we recently had!

Toilets in the air!

2012-01-06T21:31:00.003+01:00

I had to take a photo of the public toilets when I visited in Pont Aven (Brittany, France).

They seemed suspended in the air over the river!

The French government is very strict about polluting the ground and rivers. I wonder if the sewage goes straight to the river?!

In the 19th century, Pont-Aven was a small commercial town famous for its mills and its port. It has always inspired artists and painters.

Pont-Aven is baout 2 hours drive from our Gite in Evran.

For more details about Pont-Aven, see this link here.

Demolishing a concrete cider press

2012-01-05T17:11:00.002+01:00

This cider press was built in the cellar by the previous owner of our house in Brittany.

As it was taking too much room, we decided to get rid of it. It was not a pretty feature and as we don’t drink cider, it was not useful to us.

Many people in Brittany still make their own cider, but as the press was built in concrete, it could not be lifted and given away. Unfortunately! It was about 2 m x 2 m.

We had to hire a Jack-hammer from a hire shop in Dinan. A Jack-hammer is called a ‘Marteau-piqueur’ or ‘brise béton’ in French. The hire shop had various sizes and after we explained what we needed it for, advised us to hire this one – a 23 kg one.

Well, after 30 hours of intense work, the cider press was demolished!! What looked like a small job was actually a big job!

Thankfully 2 friends came to help Chris. The cider press was made with reinforced concrete. Whoever poured the concrete 30 or 40 years ago added all sorts of bits of iron: old rakes, forks, etc!

A weekend of fun!

Cancale Oyster beds

2012-01-05T16:48:00.004+01:00

I am going through some photos we took last summer and found this one, taken in October (2011). It shows Cancale oyster beds.

At the end of the port in Cancale (Brittany, France) you can find a few stalls selling mussels (moules) and oysters (huîtres). You can eat the oysters on the beach – the sellers will open the oysters for you - or take them home. You can’t get fresher oysters! The oysters beds are only a few metres away from the stalls!

Most tourists eat them there and the beach is covered with shells!

Cancale is famous for its oysters, but also for fish and sea food.

It is about 40 min from our gite in Evran.

Why can’t I find some Zovirax in France?

2012-01-05T16:36:00.002+01:00

A few English people have asked me this question: why can’t I find some Zovirax in France?

The answer is easy!

It is not called ‘Zovirax’ in France but ‘Activir’!

You can get it from any chemist in France.

The packaging looks the same as its English version.

Cold sore is ‘bouton de fièvre’ in French.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo. I will try to take a better picture soon!

Taxe d’habitation… Can I get a discount?

2012-01-05T16:12:00.001+01:00

I have been asked this question several times lately by my English clients who have a holiday home in France.

As the exchange rate is not good, they don’t come as often as they used to and wonder if they can get a discount in their Taxe d’habitation.

The answer is NO unfortunately.

The taxman has already taken into consideration that your place is a holiday home and not your main residence. At the back of your tax, it says S for ‘Secondaire’.

Do you have a television in your French holiday home? If you don’t, let the tax office know so you won’t get charged for it. It is just under €130.

It is added to the Taxe d’habitation.

If you require assistance with dealing with the tax office, please contact me here. I will be pleased to help.

Second-hand piano for sale

2012-01-05T16:02:00.004+01:00

Second-hand piano for sale,

Yamaha Clavinova CLP152S

This piano has not been used very much.

It is available in France, in Brittany.

Looking for ‘Day & Night Nurse’ at the chemist’s in France

2012-01-05T15:54:00.002+01:00

I remember taking some tablets called ‘Day & Night Nurse’ when I lived in Jersey (Channel Islands) and how efficient they were.

As I have a cold with a sore through at the moment I urgently needed some tablets.

I have just been to the chemist’s in Dinan (Brittany, France) and found some. They are not called ‘Day & Night Nurse’ but ‘Actifed Jour & Nuit’. The box looks the same as the English ‘Day & Night Nurse’. Same shape, same colors, etc. It just has French writing on it. It was just under €4. You don’t need a prescription from your GP. Let's hope I feel better tomorrow!

Here are a few medical terms you might need if you have a cold and live in France:

Rhume : cold

Nez bouché : blocked nose

Fièvre : fiever

Maux de tête : headaches

Saqui in Dinan - Aladdin’s cave

2012-01-05T15:17:00.003+01:00

Saqui is our favourite shop in Dinan when we are looking for some unusual DIY bits! It is an ironmonger / hardware shop, a real Aladdin’s cave!

They sell work cloths, DIY tools and machineries, and the most obscure fixtures and fittings.

They have various catalogues and if the item you are looking for is not in the shop, they will order it for you at no extra charge.

Our recent purchases were:

Magnetic spring loaded catches

Lazy Susan (‘plateau tournant’ in French)

Things that you don’t find in a ‘normal’ DIY shop in France.

Don’t ask what we have done with the above items! My partner, Chris, Mr Gadget, is very creative! He is always looking for some usual stuff...

Here is a list of things you will find there with the French translation:

Ladder : échelle

Handle : poignée

Key : clé

Screw : vis

Nail : pointe

Drill : perceuse

Paint : peinture

Varnish : vernis

Wax : cire

Work cloth : vêtement de travail

Saqui is located near the bowling alley in the industrial estate near Intermarché in Taden/Dinan.

Missing our little chickens!

2012-01-05T15:14:00.002+01:00

For the first time in years I had to buy some Free range eggs at Dinan market this morning. We have been keeping chickens since we moved to Brittany in 2003 but they got old and feeding 5 chickens and having 1 egg a week was not ideal!

We had to get rid of them before Christmas. They were ‘donated’ to our neighbour who offered to neck them, cook them in a big pan on his outdoor gas cooker and feed the chicken to his...... dog.

Nothing gets wasted in the countryside in France!

We will get more chickens in spring, when the weather is better.

In the meantime, I will carry on buying eggs from our local farmers.

No money left for the winter sales!

2012-01-05T15:04:00.001+01:00

Out of the 93 000 French people recently surveyed, 67% of them don’t have any spare cash for the winter sales that start next week!

They obviously spent too much money over Christmas!

I always wait for the sales to buy cloths. Last year, I got some real bargains at 70/80% off.

See my other post about French sales here.

Heavier fines for phoning at the wheel in France

2012-01-05T14:57:00.000+01:00

Since yesterday, 4th January 2012, the fine for using a mobile phone while driving in France is €135. It was €35 before. The fine has to be paid on the spot!

If you hold a French driving licence you will loose 3 penalty points.

You have been warned!

The sun is back!

2012-01-02T18:57:00.003+01:00

After a very dull New Years Day yesterday, the sun is back in Brittany!

The weather has been very mild over here. It was 13 degrees at 9 am on New Years Day! About 15 degrees warmer compared to last year. I am not complaining. Once my cold is over, I will start cycling again!

Photo of the River Rance.

The winter sales are back soon in France!

2012-01-02T18:52:00.002+01:00

If you still have a few euros left to spend after Christmas, wait for another week for the bargains!

The sales are regulated in France and will start all over France on Wednesday 11^th January 2012 at 8 am and will carry on until Tuesday 14^th February 2012.

The shops clear their winter collections to make room for the summer one.

Be there at the beginning to get all the bargains! Leave me some though!

Last year the summer sales were great. From day one, cloths were reduced by 70 or 80%.

I will definitely be there early on the 11^th!

Euro Cash – another bargain shop!

2012-01-02T18:28:00.002+01:00

Euro Cash opened in Dinan last year. I knew the name as I had already visited one Euro Cash in Saint Malo a couple of years ago.

What can you find there?

Anything except cloths and furniture!

DVDs, CDs, books, ornaments, accessories, gardening and DIY stuff, music instruments, sports equipment (they have a good range of bikes), toys/games, hand bags, mobile phones, computers, etc.

It is not a charity shop! It is a ‘proper’ shop buying and selling second-hand things (produits d’occasion).

You can take your unwanted Christmas or birthday presents, clear out the clutter and make some cash from it as they will exchange your clutter for some cash. You don’t have to spend it in their shop. It is not a credit note but proper cash!

I have recently bought a few DVDs from this shop. I got 6 for €5. I can watch them and take them back! I won't get my €5 back - no doubt, but it was a bargain anyway!

To find out where your nearest Euro Cash is, visit this web site here and enter your nearest town, ie Dinan.