This French Life

  • Travel insurance claims for those affected by volcano

    Rochelle-turner-whichAS the airspace above the UK and much of Europe opens many people may soon be back in the comfort of their homes.

    Those who have made the journey back from far-flung places are most probably resting, but all those affected are likely to be out of pocket after paying for extras such as hotels, taxis and train fares.

    Consumer watchdog Which? Holiday has provided advice to people whose travel plans were affected by the volcanic ash plume, and how to make a claim for the costs incurred, Rochelle Turner, head of research for Which? Holiday, writes:

    Who do I submit my claim to?

    If your flight, with an EU-based airline, was cancelled and the airline made alternative plans for your travel they must, by law, refund you for reasonable costs incurred during the delay to your journey.

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  • Steps to take if flight grounded by volcanic ash

    France-uk-flightsFLIGHTS in UK airspace are set to be cancelled from noon (BST) until at least 1800 (BST) as ash from a volcano in Iceland drifts over the UK.

    Air traffic regulator NATS has said that no flights will be permitted in UK controlled airspace other than emergency situations.

    They intend to monitor the situation with the Met Office, passengers are being asked to visit their airline’s website for further information.

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  • Website helps find cheap petrol prices in France

    Petrol-franceWITH the price of petrol for your car only seeming to be heading upwards, check over the official petrol prices website for the best deals near you.

    The Prix des Carburants en France site is run by the French government and collects data from thousands of filling stations across the country.

    You can start your search via département, commune or postcode, with the results displaying the name of the supermarkets closest to your chosen location and the individual prices per litre.

    If you register an account with the site you can track prices over time.

  • While out for a walk, I spotted a snake

    Snake-dordogne
    WITH the temperature heading upwards here in the Dordogne, I went out for a stroll through the woods with the dog.

    On a path there are a couple of large puddles, currently full of frog spawn and tiny newts, but today there was also the small snake seen in the photograph (click to enlarge).

    I’m not sure what type it is, I’d love it if someone could leave a comment, but seconds later it was gone into the bottom of the muddy puddle.

  • Cuckoo in Dordogne woods

    Cuckoo-dordogneOUT in the woods this morning and the sound of the cuckoo rolled around the quiet hillside (click thumbnail image to enlarge).

    I was able to get a short recording of its song, as well as the bark of a deer.

    And hopefully it brings a little of the French countryside to your computer.

    Listen!

  • Processionary caterpillars on the prowl


    OVER the past few days I’ve been seeing lines of processionary caterpillars snaking along the paths and tracks near me here in Loubejac.

    The warmer weather seems to have sparked them into life as they descend from their web like nests in the pine trees, heading out to track down more food.

    Their hairy skin can be a real irritant, especially to inquisitive dogs, and the lines can can stretch over a metre or more.

  • Five compelling reasons to buy the wrong house in France

    Gregory-moseIF you want to make your dream move to France a reality it’s important to ask yourself some difficult questions – if you don’t you could be heading back in a few months time.

    Here property hunter, Gregory Mose, offers up some thoughts on buying a property that people may want to consider when walking around a house wondering if this is the one.

    Quotesstart_2 Housing markets go up and down, but some things you can always count on. Location will continue to be king, estate agents will persist in believing that any room large enough to lie down in qualifies as a ‘spacious bedroom’ and human nature will always be a buyer’s worst enemy.

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  • Make Do & Cook in the kitchen to save

    Make-do-cookMAKE Do & Cook is the latest book by Patricia Mansfield-Devine, who has lived in France for more than 10 years and is the author of the Living in France book.

    In her latest title Patricia offers advice and tips on preparing delicious meals, whilst keeping an eye on the cost. Here she writes about why it’s time to Make Do & Cook:

    Quotesstart_2 As a downshifter living in rural France, I felt almost compelled to write this book.

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  • Finding a summer job in France

    Summer-jobs-franceMANY young people look to spend a working summer in France, so if you are one of them then now is the time to get on with your job search.

    The official job centre website, Pôle Emploi, provides listings of positions available, and lets you create an account to track your applications.

    Via the page linked to above you can begin your search by choosing a département, or a region, and as you scroll down the page you’ll see the keyword ‘jobsete’ or summer jobs has been pre-populated.

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  • Watch out for ticks in France

    TicksI HAVE just got back in from a walk with the dog and picked three ticks off her coat, and will be keeping me eyes peeled for others from now on.

    Ticks can pose real dangers to your pets, but also to people themselves, so as the days get warmer the chance of seeing some of these beasties increases.

    Diseases such as leishmaniasis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and heartworm can prove fatal to your pets so precautions should be taken.

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