WHILST out on an early morning walk through a field here in Loubejac (map), I tried to capture the sounds of bird song.
Unfortunately I only had a mobile phone to hand so you may have to turn up the speakers on your computer, but I hope it offers a little insight into the French countryside.
THIS car reminded me of the secret reconnaissance of war films, but the Peugeot 203 first came out in 1948, writes Carol Miers.
I spoke recently to a man, a former member of the Resistance, who having been denounced was facing a death sentence but was exchanged for a German, walking out along a road thinking it was his last, to be met by friends instead.
THE new France-UK Double Tax Treaty (DTT) signed between France and the UK on June 19, 2008 came into force in France on January 1, 2010 and will be effective from April 6, 2010 in the UK.
Virginie Deflassieux, of French tax advisors PKF Guernsey, offers a summary of the main changes which will affect British citizens living in France:
Scope of the DTT
The Contribution Sociale Généralisée and Contribution au Remboursement de la Dette Sociale as well as the additional taxes to French corporation tax are clearly included in the scope of the new agreement.
AFTER a hot n’ sweaty six hours in the saddle, I arrived at a faux Louis IV château, ringed by huge oaks. Stone cottages straight out of ‘French Country quaint’ dotted the grassy, adjacent park, writes Christopher Strong.
And set, ever so tastefully in the midst, an azur swimming pool beckoned. Cigales chattered in the pines beyond. Hey – this could be do-able!
I announced myself to the receptionist. A barely adolescent Catherine Deneuve clone. She arched an obviously artificial eyebrow, while favouring me with a smile and a “bonjour” of the same quality.
PEOPLE across France will be looking to the skies at the moment watching the magnificent sight of the migratory flight of the crane, or la grue.
After a winter in southern Spain they make their way northwards in massive flocks, flying at an altitude of between 200m and 1km, arriving in Germany and Scandinavia for the summer months.
LA tempête Xynthia, which ripped through south west France during Saturday night and Sunday morning, has been declared a catastrophe naturelle by prime minister François Fillon.
This means insurance companies are obliged to take into account flood damage and the government will publish details of the areas covered in the next 48 hours.
It is believed around 50 people lost their lives as winds touching 159 km/h battered the coast with La Rochelle suffering particularly heavy flooding.
WITH poor savings interest, a struggling pound and an increasing cost in the price of essentials, older couples are opening their doors to help French people with their English.
That’s what the Expatica website is reporting as couples help French students with their studies with brief immersion classes, offering language help and advice.
The article says the courses in western France are the brainchild of Christine Predery, who set up a not-for-profit organisation called Bringing People Together to help French anglophiles get in touch with English families.
I ALWAYS get a bit of a buzz from seeing deer in the countryside, but if you have trees in your French garden then they can also cause real damage.
Phil Voice planted some Field Maple along the drive to his property near Monflanquin, and for some time was pleased to see that the deer he’d seen gave them a wide berth.
Until recently that is, when one damaged a couple of trees and so Phil has had to protect them with plastic coverings; he has written more about what he has done as well as provides a link to more advice from the UK’s Forestry Commission.
IMAGES of cities destroyed during the Second World War, including a few in France, have been made available in Google Earth enabling you to compare them to the modern day.
The photographs come from the archives of the Royal Air Force and United States Air Force and were taken to assess the damage that bombing sorties had made on cities across Europe.
ONE simple way of boosting your French language skills is to watch the news at least once a day.
I’ve found it to be a great way to pick up phrases and vocabulary that will help you in day to day life, but TV5 Monde take things on a step or two.
A section of their website offers short news clips from the past seven days and varying degrees of challenging questions, from a beginner level, to an intermediate stage and an advanced level for real linguists.
You can watch the individual news reports, read transcripts and have a go at a number of different types of questions such as simple multiple choice to grammar challenges.