NOW that the monthly quiz questions on all things France, put together by author Andrew Whittaker, have come to an end I thought I’d knit together some of the .pdf files so you have a bumper pack.
I have combined the questions and answers from August through to December, that’s 60 quiz questions on the arts, culture, sports, current affairs and so much more.
Some of the questions appear in Andrew’s book Speak the Culture: France, but he also wrote many new brain teasers each month, so dive on in and download your quiz questions and answers on France (.pdf).
IF you have ever wondered about the small, stone built huts you find dotted across the French countryside, especially in the south, then take a look over pierreseche.com.
The site is an treasure trove of information on les cabanes, some of which is available in English, but just clicking through some of the photographs is great fun.
You can also brush up on your architectural vocab and dive in further into what is really a website built from the ground up and set to last.
LA POSTE has a service that allows you to buy and print off stamps through your computer, for internal post as well as overseas.
The Mon Timbr en Ligne service lets you pick from over 200 designs of stamp and in a couple of steps print off a sheet or add a stamp to an individual envelope.
You can buy stamps for regular envelopes or larger parcels, and because you credit your account you can use them whenever they are required.
Printing sheets of stamps
Sheets of labels can be used, and it is also possible to print directly to envelopes or label makers and as a safety measure you can print a test sheet in advance to make sure everything is lined up correctly.
You first pick the design of your stamp, that includes areas of France or cities such as Avignon or Paris, as well as simple graphics and drawings with a touch of French life.
Small parcels and letters
You then pick the type of letter or small parcel you want to send which is based on the weight, so the lowest priced option covers a letter weighing less than 20g and that is priced at 1,13 €.
Your next step is printing the stamps onto a sheet of A4 paper, if you have paper with stickers you can provide the size of them and the online printing service will adjust the dimensions of the stamp.
You can print just one stamp or a number of stamps up to a maximum of 24 on one sheet of A4 paper, with the total number of stamps you can buy in one go numbering 500.
How to stick the stamps on
There is a small help notice should you wonder how to attach your stamps to the envelope and that is to cut out the individual stamps and then use a glue stick to attach them, sticky tape or liquid glue is not suitable.
It is possible to buy stamps for letters to be sent to the UK, the US and other countries, and the price is exactly the same as if you were to use the local post office.
And I suppose that’s one of the great worries about this service, is this another blow to local postal services especially in the countryside?
YOU may have recently seen an article in The Connexion newspaper that took an in-depth look at the impact that Bergerac Airport has had on the surrounding region.
There is no doubt that the airport has been a great success and the newspaper reported on the building of new passenger facilities, as well as the changing make up of visitors.
A large proportion of the piece was based on a report produced by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de la Dordogne, if you want to take a look at it yourself see a piece I wrote on the Economic impact of Bergerac Airport.
NICHOLAS Joly is equal parts philosopher, economist, poet, author, lecturer, country gentlemen, biodynamic advocate, and 100 per cent wine maker, writes Christopher Strong.
His Chenin Blancs are consistently rated ‘exceptional’ by all the critics, but Nicholas Joly, often labelled The Pope of biodynamics by one wine magazine takes no credit for his renowned wines.
THE campaign for the reinstatement of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) care component, carers and attendance allowance took a further step forward today with questions raised in the House, to the Work and Pensions Ministers, by Oliver Letwin (Con) and Roger Gale (Con), writes Tina Hamilton.
Mr Letwin’s question regarding when DLA was going to be paid to expatriates living in the EU was brushed aside by minister Tony McNulty with little comment, other than ‘I’ll get back to you’.
THE Riviera Woman website is taking time out from the online world to dip a toe into the real world with a get together later this month.
The event marks the first anniversary of the website which looks to offer ways for people on the Mediterranean coast to link up, share ideas and network.
Site editor Anna Fill said: “We have some brilliant and talented women living along the Rivieras of France and Italy and I am looking forward to meeting more. And the event is open to men too, I wouldn’t like anyone to think I am on a single mission.”
The meet-up takes place on Thursday, February 26 at the Capocaccia Bar, Monte Carlo.
IF there is one thing that most Brits in France miss it’s a hot ‘n’ spicy curry on a bed of fluffy white rice.
When Lee Aston, who was originally from Coventry and now lives with his French wife in Normandy, helped a family member build a website he was thanked with a box of packet curries.
Then as his friends, both British and French, took a liking to the curries an idea grew and he realised that there was a demand for everything from a mild tikka masala to a fiery vindaloo.
Here Lee chats about how he started his business and the setting up of PacketCurry.com
PROPERTY insurers Intasure have asked owners of properties damaged by the storm winds that hit south west France to contact them so that any claims can be processed.
Intasure are asking policy holders to take photographs of the damage that has been caused and to get written quotes for the work required.
Work up to a value of €1,500 will be covered if it is required quickly and a claim form is available via the documentation link of the Intasure website.
WITH the diabolical sterling to euro exchange rate reducing pension and investment income by 25 per cent, expats living in the l’Hexagon are tighteningn their belts and thinking twice before lunching out in the best restaurants and enjoying evenings at the theatre, writes Beryl Brennan.
So here is a suggestion for an inexpensive excursion on a fine day – a walk round Niort, especially pleasant on Sundays, when the streets are empty!
Niort has its origins in the 7th Century, when a small bridge was built over the Sèvre and was named ‘new ford’. The village became known as Novioritum and then Niort.
NOW that the monthly quiz questions on all things France, put together by author Andrew Whittaker, have come to an end I thought I’d knit together some of the .pdf files so you have a bumper pack.
PROPERTY insurers Intasure have asked owners of properties damaged by the storm winds that hit south west France to contact them so that any claims can be processed.