Great weather ahead…

Getting up at 8 am and realizing it is 15 degrees outside was a great feeling this morning (Thursday 4^th November 2010).

After 20 degrees yesterday afternoon, I am expecting the same weather today!

I have some catching up to do in the garden...

The petrol situation in France

I passed a few petrol stations in Dinan (Brittany) yesterday and they all seemed back to normal. No queues, no limits... Panic's over!

Everything is back to normal... Until the next strike...

Halloween in France

Halloween in France is not as celebrated as in the States or UK. Children dress up and visit their neighbours.

They don’t actually say ‘trick or treat’ in French, they say “Halloween”. I guess it is easier to say!!

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.