Dead rats cooked in their own blood....

Yes, "dead rats cooked in their own blood" sounds horrible, but I have actually cooked some.

Ok, I must say they looked like rats but they were made of mince meat! The blood was actually a tomato sauce.

I used peas for the eyes and almond flakes for the ears! Spaghettis for the tails...

A bit of fun for Halloween!

Making grape juice

I have just picked the last grapes that grow on our cottage. I could turn them into wine but I don't drink wine so I am turning them into lovely grape juice!

My Mam has just given me her juice extractor, it is not new but works very well.

So far I have made about 12 litres of juice.

I only make about 3 liters at the time as it ferments rather quickly (after 5 or 6 days in the fridge).
It is a very healthy drink as it is pure fruit.

I wish I could freeze some to drink during the winter. Does anyone know if I could freeze fresh juice? Let me know!

Brittany has a mild climate. Most fruits and veg grow fairly easily. The nearest vineyards from Brittany are in the Loire Valley, about 2 hours from here. I guess grapes would do well also in Brittany. No, I am not going into wine making!!

How to set up a phone line in France

To set up a phone line in France, you can either visit a France Telecom agency (there is one in Dinan in Brittany) or call 1014 from a normal land line. You can’t call this number from a phone box!

Press 1 (to set up a new line).

Wait until someone takes the call…

France Telecom will ask you for your name and address, date and place of birth, occupation, your bank details and the name of the previous occupant of the house (ie the previous owner or tenant). If you know the previous phone number, it is even better.

How much does it cost to have a phone line in France?

The set up fee is about €55. If France Telecom has to visit your property there is another charge of around €55. The monthly charge (abonnement) is €16. On the top you will have to pay for the phone calls. You will receive a France Telecom bill every 2 months.

France Telecom has all sorts of packages to offer. It just depends how often you will be using the phone and what country you would be calling the most.

If you are going to set up an internet connection, calls might be cheaper for you. Internet providers do offer packages where the internet connection and national and international calls are included. For example, I pay €29.99 per month for my internet connection and unlimited national and international calls to over 100 countries!

You can’t get cheaper! If you do, do let me know!

If you require any assistance with setting up a phone line in France, please contact me here and I will be able to help you.

EDF is coming to read the meter

In France, EDF come and read your meter twice a year.

If your meter is outside, you don't need to be present. However, if the meter is inside the property, you have to let them in.

It is always tricky when you have a holiday home and you live abroad.

You can either ask a neighbour to let EDF in or EDF will leave you a card in your letterbox. Next time you are over, just fill in the meter reading and send it back to EDF. You don't even need to put a stamp on it!

By law, EDF has to come inside your property and read the meter once a year. If they have not been able to get in for a year, they will write to you asking you to contact them to organise a visit. Their visit could cost you (around 25 euros).

If you have to go out the day EDF is suppose to come and you don't want to miss them, just leave a post-it on your front door with your EDF ref. number, your name and the reading. They will be happy with this information.

The 2011 Tour de France is going through Dinan!

I have just found out the 2011 Tour de France is going through Dinan on 7th July 2011!

We got spoilt a few times when the Tour de France actually crossed Evran in 2004 if I remember well and in 2008 when it passed our gite.

If you have never seen the Tour de France live, it is worth seeing. You have to wait a while but entertainment is there to keep you amused!

When the cyclists pass, don't blink! They are ever so quick!

The taxe d'habitation is due soon!

Now the taxe foncière has just been paid, the taxe d'habitation has just arrived in my letterbox in France.

How can I pay my taxe d'habitation?

The Taxe d'habitation has to be paid by 15th November 2010 for French residents (15th December for holiday homes). If you own a house in France, unless you bought it this year (2010), you will receive this tax directly.

It is paid in arrears which means you pay in November 2010 for the year 2010.

!!! If you don't send your payment on time, you will get a reminder with an extra 10% to pay!


How to pay your Taxe d'habitation?

You can pay the tax online prior to 20th November or December for holiday homes. See on your tax (avis d'imposition) the different reference numbers (numéro fiscal, Référence de l'avis, etc) and the tax office web site. It is rather straight-forward. See this link here to find out how to pay French taxes online.

You can also send a cheque made payable to the Trésor Public. (lucky him!)

A TIP is another solution. Send the bottom slip after dating and signing it together with a RIB (bank details) in the provided envelope before 15th November 2010.

To make life easier for next year, you can set up a monthly direct debit. You will pay the tax in 11 installments from January to November. So when you receive the tax, it is already paid for.

I have been paying my taxes that way for a couple of years and I can assure you it is a great peace of mind.


For the ones who have not paid yet, there are only 13 days left before the deadline!


If you require assistance with paying your tax online or setting up a direct debit, please contact me here. I will be pleased to help.

Why do I pay the Taxe Foncière and Taxe d'Habitation

Whoever owns a property in France must pay these taxes. They are similar to the Council tax in England.

The money paid by all of us, house owners in France, goes to cover the costs of local services (street lighting and cleaning for example).


See my other post here about how to pay these taxes.