Category: Current Affairs

AS the tourists head home, the French countryside will once again return to la chasse as the hunters and their dogs head off into the forests and fields.

Details of the the opening and closing dates for the hunting season of individual départements are available online, which provides details of when different species of animal can be hunted.

The information sheets also provide details on individual rules the hunters have to respect, such as how some species can be hunted and when dogs can be used.

La chasse is probably one of the most unsettling features of French country life for many people, it can be a little disconcerting to see a group of armed hunters and their barking hounds sweeping through a forest.

If you are on a walk it is usually best to be very aware of your position and head the other way if possible, unless you can actually see the hunters and they are able to shepherd you through.

Also if you are out with your own dog then try to ensure they are on a lead, I have seen hunting dogs get agitated when other dogs are close by and I always keep my own dog close to me.

If you are a land owner with a large amount of property it is possible for you to ask that the local hunt do not cross it.

This French Life has featured in the past how to close off your land to la chasse, you will need to complete a form and have some patience.

But it is possible and while you may face some opposition and the procedure can take some time it is one way to ensure a little peace and quiet come the weekend.

Sir Peter Ricketts, the British Ambassador to France
IF you want to get married in France, then here is the official line from the British Embassy in Paris.

Marriages in France must be carried out at the local town hall before any religious ceremony can be performed. If you have not already got in touch with the town hall, you should do so as soon as possible.

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AN application to begin exploration for gaz de houille, or coal gas, covering the Permis de Brive in south west France has been blocked.

Ecology minister, Delphine Batho, has blocked the proposals put forward by Hexagon Gas, based in Singapore, saying there were doubts about the the company’s possible use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Such techniques are banned in France and Delphine Batho said that decision would be respected.

Related: Shale gas plans in France

JUST a day or two ago there was a frost on the roadside verges and in the valley hollows when I was out on an early morning walk with the dog.

So it should not come as any surprise to read that spring 2013 is set to be the coldest for 26 years and the wettest in five years.

The Côte d’Azur has experienced its highest amount of rainfall since records began, while temperatures last week in Paris were a chilly 3.7°C, the lowest since 1887 and the national average is 5.0°C lower than normal, 10.0°C lower in some areas.

ÉGALITÉ!!! #mariagepourtous #DirectAN @chtaubira twitter.com/axellelemaire/…

— Axelle Lemaire (@axellelemaire) April 23, 2013

FRANCE has become the ninth European country, and the 14th in the world, to pass legislation allowing partners of the same sex to marry.

The French parliament has approved a bill legalising gay marriage and adoption for same-sex couples in its final vote on the legislation. The landmark reform has been the source of months of heated debate and demonstrations.

via www.france24.com

French parliament votes in gay marriage: 331 votes for, 225 against #news

— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) April 23, 2013

Lavaur and les trois évêques on Animoto.

AS the rain tumbled down it was the salle des fêtes in Lavaur, rather than the nearby spring, that hosted the eighth meeting of les trois évêques or the three bishops.

The small Dordogne hamlet is home to a water source that trickles from the hillside and marks the point where the borders of the Lot, Lot-et-Garonne and the Dordogne once met, writes Carol Miers.

In 1506 in order to avoid paying a tithe and acting on advice from the local Baron de Biron, the three bishops began meeting at the source on Easter Monday to discuss business.

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I COULD hear tree branches cracking under the weight of the snow as I was out on the morning dog walk here in Loubejac.

A heavy and abundant coating of snow sits across the countryside, with my footprints being quickly devoured by snow that looks set to stick around for more than just one day.

The north of the Dordogne has seen around 10cm of snow, and the département currently sits under a vigilance orange that is in place until Thursday morning.

So the log burning fire is up and running, and as the lights flicker it seems as though the electricity itself is struggling to get through, leaving people cocooned away in the Dordogne countryside.

A LIST of French public holidays for your diaries, so you can plan your visits to France or outings.

I have also included the days they fall upon, as you can be pretty sure that if one lands on a Thursday, then it might be a struggle to get anything done on the Friday.

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THE number of British people moving to France long-term has more than halved from the heady days of 2004 to 2005.

Research published by the Home Office shows that at the peak the number emigrating to France from the UK was around 45,000 a year.

However, for 2010 the figures show there to be less than 20,000, putting the numbers leaving the UK to cross the Channel at a level last seen around the year 2000.

When British people do head to France they intend to stay, in the majority of cases, for more than four years, similar to the time scale of those heading to Spain.

The report goes on to say that a quarter of a million British citizens left the UK to live in France and Spain for an extended period, if not permanently, over the last decade.

Interestingly the report looks at the impact of exchange rates on the number of people leaving the UK, although it does warn that the findings in this case are based on a small sample size.

But from 2000 to 2010 the figures suggest that sustained falls in British emigration have occured since 2007, which have been mirrored by the depreciation of the pound against the Australian dollar, the Euro and the US dollar.

THE digital doors have been opened on Père Noël’s electronic office in La Poste to process the more than one million letters he is set to receive.

Marking its 50th anniversary, the secretarial team in Père Noël’s office based in the Gironde number around 60 and will be looking to process 1.4 million letters, quite an increase on the 5,000 letters received in 1962.

Père Noël has had an online presence since 1996, and website visitors can complete a short form by entering postal details and send a message to the big man, in return children receive a card in the post.