Petrol available near Dinan

For tourists wondering if they will find petrol in Brittany, I can confirm everything seems back to normal in and around Dinan.
There is no limit so you can have a full tank of petrol without problem.

There is no shortage of petrol... 

French Income tax returns

If your income is over 40,000 euros you must do your French income tax return online this year.
Income tax returns are in the post, you should receive yours soon.
You can already do yours online as from today.
Follow this link:

http://www.impots.gouv.fr/portal/static/part/part.html

Eating frogs’ legs

I know some of you will be disgusted but we do eat frogs’legs in France. Actually in my family we tend to eat out around Christmas time and I always pick this dish.

People say the taste and texture of frog meat is between chicken and fish. Well, you need to try this dish yourself to find out. 

The frogs legs are cooked in butter, garlic and parsley.

I have put the photo of what the dish looks like when you get it and what my plate looked like when I finished! 

You eat the frogs’legs with your fingers. No need to use your knife and fork!

Try this dish if you visit Lyon in France, the capital of gastronomy…

Emptying a septic tank

Not a great subject but something we must do when we live in the countryside in Brittany and other remote parts of  France!

Every 5 years it is advisable to have your septic tank emptied. It is now regulated so you can’t ask the local farmer to come and do it for you. You must use a registered company and the sewage gets sent to be recycled ‘properly’ rather than being spread on nearby fields.

The company will come and empty the septic tank, clean the tank and fill it again with water.

The price depends on the size of the tank. Expect to pay around 200 euros.

Recipe for ‘Liqueur 44’

When we moved to Brittany we discovered this ‘Liqueur 44’ that everyone over here seem to make!

Here is the recipe:

You will need:

1 organic orange

44 coffee beans

44 sugar lumps

And 1 litre of eau de vie (pure alcohol)

If you live in France, just ask around, you will always find someone who knows someone who makes the eau de vie !

Get a huge jar from your local supermarket.

Stab the orange 44 times!

Put a coffee beans in each holes,

Put the orange in the jar,

Add the 44 sugar lumps and pour the eau de vie on top of it. Close the jar.

Leave it to ‘rest’ for 44 days.

It will taste like Grandmarnier, an orange liqueur with a little extra flavor. It is a nice 'digestif', something you can drink at the end of a meal after the coffee.

French regional elections

Regional elections will be held in France on 6th and 13th December 2015 in France.
The first round is tomorrow, and I have not decided who to vote for... 

Winter sales in France

The winter sales (soldes d'hiver) start on Wednesday 6th January 2016 and finish on Tuesday 16th February 2016 all over France except in Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges and  Guadeloupe where they start on 2nd January 2016.

If you still have some money left after Christmas (Noël), then it is worth going shopping then!

Meter reading

If you have a holiday home in France and your EDF meter is inside the property, the technician from EDF will leave you a card to fill in and send back if you are able to be there when he comes.

You can also give EDF the reading over the phone or create an account online.

EDF came and read meters twice a year. 

This photo is showing an old meter. If you have a recent one, press 'defilement' to get the reading. 

Rubbish collection for your French house

To find out when rubbish collection day is for your French property, ask your local mairie.
Depending where you live in France, it can be everyday in big cities like Paris or if you live in the countryside like I do in Brittany, bin day is once a week!

Place the bin outside your property the night before or at the end of the road next to your neighbour’s bin if you live in the countryside.

Check with your local authorities as they might provide a plastic 'wheely' bin free of charge.

You will get charged an annual rubbish removal tax, taxe d'enlèvement or redevance des ordures ménagères. 

If you buy a property in the following communes:

Dinan, Calorguen, Evran, Plouasne, Saint Juvat, Saint Judoce, Saint André des Eaux, Les Champs Géraux, Taden, Quevert, Pleudihen sur Rance, Aucaleuc, Bobital, Brusvily, Lanvallay, La Vicomté sur Rance, Le Hinglé, Le Quiou, Léhon, Saint Carné, Saint Hélen, Saint Samson sur Rance, Tréfumel, Trélivan, Trévron, or Vildé Guingalan, the rubbish collection tax is issued by Dinan Communauté.

 
The tax is sent to you in July to be paid by mid September. 

Paper, cardboard, glass, tins etc must be recycled and not mixed with your ‘normal’ rubbish.
Check with your mairie where the recycling areas are.

If you wish to get rid of some items that still work, you can visit Emmaus, a charity in France.

See my previous posts about Emmaus in France. 

For assistance with your French house, please contact me here.