Simply Living France Issue 5 January 2022

JAN 2022 | ISSUE 5

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SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE For the community, by the community, home & abroad

HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST Food blogger - Ingrid Burling presents main dishes with style.

SURVIVING JANUARY All the help you need - to get through the toughest month of the year. Plus our new Agony Aunt takes your questions.

BRITTANY IN PARIS New columnist Reg Crowder takes you on a very different visit aroundParis

THE SECRET ROOM Paul Herbert finds a secret room whilst renovating

INTERIOR TRENDS FOR 2022 www.simplylivingfrance.com

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EDITORS WELCOME

Happy New Year from Team Simply And just like that, it's all over and 2022 is here! I hope you had a fabulous merry Christmas with your nearest and dearest, with caution, given the circumstances. Another Covid Christmas, who could have predicted that? As I book my booster vaccine I wonder what 2022 has in store for us all, and where we will all be 12 months from now, your thoughts?

Covid aside, there is one thing you can definitely be sure of... your monthly dose of French Living from the Simply team to keep you going. We have lots of amazing things planned for the coming months so watch this space.

This issue marks our 5th consecutive publication, and given it's the first of the year, we have some wonderful new additions; New coloumnist Reg Crowder, will be bringing you all on many French adventures this year, starting with Brittany in Paris.

We also have a Frugally French Living Column, monthly Frugal Food Supplement, The Menopause diaries and much more to look forward to.

Donna Jones Holland Editor in Chief

Maria Babbington Production & Design

Enjoy.

Maria

Tia Malcolm Advertising & Marketing

SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE

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Editors

Editors Welcome

LIFESTYLE 04 06 07 08 10 12 14 16 18

CONTENTS

Donna Jones Holland - Editor in Chief

Spotlight on Rennes

Maria Babbington -

Epiphany

Creative & Production Editor

Dry January Famine or Feast

Tia Malcolm -

Surviving January

Business & Advertising Editor

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Joyous January A little bit of Brittany French destination Parlez Francais

REAL LIFE

Contributors Helaina Holland Pam Gagiano

20 34 44 46 47

The Secret Room

Diana Phillips

Frugally French Living

Simon Kellow-Bingham

The Parenting Diaries

Reg Crowder

Money Worries

Paul Herbert

The Armed Forces Charity

Leanne Broadhead Ingrid Burling Philippa Gratton

HOME & GARDEN 24 26 28 30 33 50

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Trendy in 2022 My Renovation Clean Air Market Gardener Kinder Cleaning Madame Bucket

HEALTH & BEAUTY 36 38 39 40 42 49

The Art of the Stretch The Big M Agony Aunty M Post Festive Beauty

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Budget Skincare Positivity Jar

KITCHEN 52 54 58 60 62

Hostess with the mostest Champagne Veganuary Vegan Recipes New Year in France

BUSINESS 48 64 66 68

Q & A with Ark - 79 Editors Property Pick The French Banking System A Day in the Life of…

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Rebecca Claridge Jules Smith Mary Collins Kirsty-Anne Bissell

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LIFESTYLE

SPOTLIGHT ON RENNES

SIMON KELLOW-BINGHAM WALKS US THROUGH THE HISTORIC CITY OF RENNES Rennes, the ancient capital of Brittany, is a surprising city. An incredible fusion of ancient and modern, it is a favourite destination for our family. Half-timbered buildings, survivors of the fire of 1720, gather round the Place Saint-Anne, populated by a second-hand book market and skateboarders. You can sit outside and sip a coffee on a sunny day while leafing through your purchases, or pop inside one of the many creperies to watch the world go by.

It is a fantastic city for shopping, with boutiques and chain stores side by side, providing a wide range of choice.

Access from the ring road is easy and there are a number of central car parks, plus a railway station served by a metro, all of which make Rennes a veryaccessible city.

The area adjacent to the central railway station has been redeveloped since the 1950s with wide-open squares, a huge cinema and a planetarium, which is well worth a visit on a rainy day. The Musée des Beaux Arts has a fascinating collection of Egyptian artifacts (look out for the mummified cat and child) and an impressive number of paintings to rival any museum in Paris.

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LIFESTYLE

North of the La Vilaine river was the site of the wealthier part of town, rebuilt in stone on a grid system. Despite the rebuild, there are some ninety buildings designated by the Ministry of Culture as historic monuments. Here is the best shopping, and also the Opera, the City Hall, and the Cathedral St Pierre de Rennes.

Close by the cathedral is the historic Rue de Chapitre with its beautifully detailed timber-framed buildings. The fine, decorative carvings that surround the windows and adorn the tops of doorways hint at the splendour of the lost medieval city.

In amongst these narrow streets, there is a cat café where you can have a drink while enjoying the sound of purring. Most of this part of the city centre is pedestrianised and a lot of the paving has been recently renovated, making it effortlessly walkable.

In the summer months, Thabor Park (free to enter) on the eastern side of the city is a fantastic spot for a picnic. Established in 1868,the circular walkways showcase 3,000 plant species and 129 trees. There is a series of aviaries at the top of the hill which hold a wide variety of local and exotic birds. A path returns you to the urban centre via a waterfall.

Rennes is a destination which will reward a number of visits as there is so much to see.

It has a buzz to it, thanks partly to its large student population and its identity as the regional capital for the Breton and Gallo languages. Although once repressed, this isnow celebrated and promoted throughout France.

If you are lucky enough to be travelling through northwest France, perhaps keen to visit St Malo, Mont Saint-Michel or the standing stones of Carnac, taking a day to stroll through the streets of Rennes would be a day well spent.

See you there!

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EPIPHANY EPIPHANY IS CELEBRATED ON JANUARY 6TH. IN FRANCE, IT IS KNOWN AS THE “FÊTES DES ROIS” OR KINGS DAY. The day is mostly celebrated with a very special kind of dessert. This dessert is called “La Galette des Rois” or King's Cake.

Epiphany is also the beginning of Carnival season.

Tradition has it that the youngest member of the family goes under the table to distribute the slices to the different people sitting around the table. The person who finds the lucky charm in their slice of 'galette' becomes the king (or queen) of the day and must choose his/her companion.

A galette des rois is made of an irresistibly creamy, almond filling sandwiched between two flaky, buttery layers of puff pastry.

LIFESTYLE

The ingredients for almond cream all go into a food processor to blend, and then the paste is spread onto store-bought puff pastry, making this impressive cake simple to put together. Once you master afoolproof recipe, you can experiment with different fillings or even make your own puff pastry. Serve slices of the galette with tea or coffee to balance the cake's sweetness. However, in France, the bakeries do offer this guilty pleasure in abundance, so there is no need to bake it yourself!

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LIFESTYLE

DRY JANUARY Dry January is a public health campaign urging people to abstain from alcohol for the month of January, practised both in Europe and the United States.

ARE YOU DRINKING TOO MUCH? If you are worried about your alcohol intake and dependence on alcohol, contact your doctor for a health check in the first instance. There is an online DRINKAWARE tool, developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that is used by international health professionals to check, for alcohol harm and dependence.

WHAT YOU WILL NOTICE AFTER 31 DAYS OF ALCOHOL ABSTINENCE: Clearer brighter skin Less puffiness Less anxiety Better concentration You’ll sleep better and wake brighter You’ll save money Lower blood pressure Reduced diabetes risk

Lower cholesterol Reduced levels of cancer proteins Weight loss More energy Less joint pain Fresher breath Better sex life Less headaches

GO ON, GIVE THE BOOZE A BREAK AND GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE!

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LIFESTYLE

FAMINE OR FEAST Donna Jones Holland talks New Year detoxing of your finances It’s a new year, marvellous, but many of us have experienced some really tough financial hits in 2021 due to covid, Brexit (for the British amongst us), the rising cost of living and of course some truly BAD BUDGETING! Come on! Fess up! There’s no shame in using January 2022 to detox your home finances.

A brand new year is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start in all areas of our lives, especially the family piggy bank, but are our partners on board? Mine is. It wasn’t always like that. We often rowed about money or budgeting and I was often blamed for overspending with ‘him indoors’ not actually knowing anything about the budget or our family expenses. It changed when I started a spreadsheet to show him in black, white and red what was being spent where, right down to the dog’s flea treatment!

I still can’t quite believe how many couples can’t agree on the management of the family finances and also how many women/men are doing it all, with the other partner having no interest in the bank balance and no wish to be involved. Let me tell you, yes you, the one doing it all! STOP DOING IT ALL! Stop carrying all the stress.

You are being a MUG! Also, what would happen if you were suddenly incapacitated or died? Morbid? Yes, but it happens.

Q: How do you stop overspending if you have no idea what you have to spend?

A: You don’t, you are not a clairvoyant!

It is so easy for one person in a partnership to opt out of running the family accounts, but it’s not a healthy relationship that you are in. You are ‘running’ an unhealthy, unequal parent-style partnership, where one in the partnership gets to be ‘looked after’ like a child!

Also, this isn’t the 1920’s is it? The days when a man was supposed to take care of the finances, leaving the woman of the house a housekeeping budget, surrounded by fairies and pink fluffy clouds is ancient history, thank goodness. Don’t get me wrong, more and more I am hearing of women, working, running their chap’s businesses, raising the kids and paying all the bills. Then they wonder why they are always frazzled. Also, when the outgoings are way larger than the incomings, it’s easy for the non-participant to blame the home accountant! You are a sitting duck for abuse!

Ignorance may be bliss for the one partner opting out but its deeply unfair and rather toxic. It’s super unhealthy for one of you to sleep well, whilst the other has all the worry of feeding the family and paying those bills over their tired heads. It is very selfish to ask, or expect your partner to carry such a big load by him or herself.

Also, it’s very easy to hide the brutal facts of the family finances if the other partner is blissfully unaware of the bank balance.

When we get married or hook up for that life-partnership we are generally pretty naïve, there’s no course to attend, no manual to help and soon those rose-tinted glasses fall off as you shift the financial power in this new partnership around.

Money, or lack of it causes the most rows in a partnership. When you should be enjoying your love and life together, you find yourself in a new kind of hell! Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, its not too late to change. I’ve been married 33 years this year and let me tell you, we have absolutely experienced the yoyo of the FAMINE then FEAST years, just like you.

We’ve rowed, just like you but we’ve learnt to handle our finances together. Took a while but we got there in the end, together.

In life, we generally want to keep up with the Joneses. We look great on the outside but the reality is rather different on the inside, especially after Christmas. January is a very dull, long month full of platitudes, about us finally finding a way to live our best lives! Let’s start with the one thing that you know needs a full make over, be brave and face the facts. Start with the finances.

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Gather every one of those bills, every last one, unpaid, due and those incoming. Look at your finances as if you were a forensic accountant. I always say, start with a spread sheet and list EVERYTHING. Make it a 12 month spread sheet incomings, outgoings, savings and debts. This may take a few days as you remember seemingly little payments you make in cash.

Done that?

Good. Now sit your partner down at the table when the kids are in bed, keep calm and approach this as a joint couple project.

Reality hits pretty quickly, it hurts but you’ve faced this and you’ve done it together. You are already on your way to getting it sorted.

Next, ask each other where you can save money? Look at all your bank statements, utilities, mortgage rates, subscriptions, credit card statements, interest payments and loan payments. Can you get these cheaper? What can you cut out altogether?

What can you sell?

Add up what you spend on food, fuel and ‘nice to haves’. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save just by bringing it all together and not hiding like a child behind the sofa from a scary situation. It’s only scary until you face it together.

So you now have the frightening 12 month totals.

Well done.

Breathe.

Grab a glass of wine and make a plan.

What can you sell, down grade, where can you make those savings? What are you saving for? Will you make the target in time?

What about the future? A new home, travels, a family, a car and one-day retirement? These all need planning. Think ahead. You both need to be able to see a brighter future, something to look forward to together.

Spend the next couple of weeks switching suppliers where you can. If your credit rating is still good enough, then look at how you can switch credit card balances and speak to a financial advisor about your mortgage.

If you are renting, keeping a roof above your head is the most important thing. You must prioritise rent payments and of course utilities. If you have no way of meeting your full loan/credit card payments, don’t wait, alert the companies by letter asking that they stop the interest and accept reduced payments, reviewable every 6 months.

LIFESTYLE

The process of budgeting is liberating, but it can also tell you that you have a spending problem. You are living a champagne life on a lemonade budget and its not going to end well. Your dire situation is temporary as there is nothing you can’t resolve, even if it takes a year or more.

Sometimes, you will both realise that you have to dig yourself out of a big, financial black hole by renting somewhere a lot cheaper or by moving back in with parents whilst you get over the hump. There is a lot of financial help out there for low income families, so do ask for help before making any drastic moves. Many couples eventually realise that their income isn’t anywhere near enough and if a pay rise isn’t on the cards, a new job might be.

If you run your own business or businesses together, or alone, please carry out the same financial detox on your business finances.

Your business pays for your life and often there are savings to be made in these areas first. You are working super hard then why aren’t you making money? Look at your basic business running costs and your charges. Are you making a profit? If not, why not? Do research your competitors and work out if you are charging below market rates. Many people have too many fingers in too many pies and are stretched time wise. Keep with the one business venture that works and build on that.

Look at your business bank charges, insurances, telecom costs, leave nothing out.

Are you registered under the most tax efficient regime for what you do? Do you really need a retail shop front in a digital age?

Could you get away with renting a secure lock up rather than an expensive shop?

Be frank and open with each other. Stick to the financial facts. Leave the emotion for the bedroom.

Remember you are in this together!

You can do this, but please do it together!

Keep the financial detoxing up, weekly, monthly and yearly. Make it part of your everyday life. When you know the full extent of a situation, you can act to make it better and then the rows stop or you find something else to argue about?

Bonne Chance Donna x

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LIFESTYLE

Surviving January THE LONGEST HARDEST MONTH OF THE YEAR You’ve had a fabulous festive season. It’s been so good but now it’s all done and dusted and you are so very tired. I understand. The thing is, the end of the silly season is not the end of winter, it’s barely the beginning. The first month of the New Year, January, looms long and large, the toughest month of the year with the highest rate of suicide. It’s all a little too depressing for words really!

I always find January super tough but I’ve learnt over the years how to make the best of it and get it over with. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Christmas, it really is my favourite time of the year, but by Christmas Eve I find myself less than energetic and rather rung out. I’m not a fan of that frazzled feeling, are you?

When the kids were little, I could barely function by Christmas morning, having finally got to sleep in the early hours after a crazy busy month of school plays and fetes, balls, cooking and shopping but I got through it. I hated that feeling of exhaustion.

The run up to Christmas really can take its toll with a young, growing family. I remember it very well.

Boxing Day was always my designated day off, other than making the bubble and squeak and the traditional turkey curry. Yes, cooking two meals is indeed a day off for a busy parent! By New Year’s Eve I was ready for change, but January wasn’t it!

In this issue, we’ve already discussed the financial detox needed each year and as you tend to have time on your hands, why not do it in January? Other positive steps you can take towards feeling better in January are concentrating on the little things and not making ridiculous statements about New Year’s resolutions!

Firstly, I recommend keeping the ‘lights’ on to avoid SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and by ‘lights’ I mean the twinkling fairy kind. They add ambience and come with a feel-good factor for a couple of quid! Yes, by all means put the festive decorations away but do leave the fairy lights up, along with any other cosy trappings of winter. There’s nothing worse than that barren, de-decorated feeling post-Christmas.

P.S. Don’t forget your Vit D supplements!

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Next, with 5000 days of January to get through, lets get busy! Get your calendar out and plan. Money is tight, I hear you but there are many ways to get moving without breaking the bank. Getting involved with community groups will help you meet new people, stop you from feeling lonely and you may even get fitter in the process. Yesterday, a dogwalking group wandered past my house and my dogs and I thought, what a brilliant idea! Cheaper than a gym membership you won’t use!

Find your tribe and keep them close!

Try online art classes, yoga and meditation, watch food demonstrations and join online community groups just to hang out with like-minded people.

TALK. Don’t sit in your house all day watching the clock, find out where you can volunteer in your community. WRITE. Keep a diary or a blog. WALK. Wrap up warm and walk for 20/40 minutes and if you don’t have a dog, borrow one! If you have small children, get outdoors and exhaust them, go litter picking, forest walking, collect bugs and do a wildlife project together. Teach them how to take care of this planet we live on. If you haven’t already de-cluttered your kids’ rooms, get them involved. TEACH them to be charitable and get those unused clothes, toys and tech moved on to charities.

LIFESTYLE

LONELINESS isn’t for the aged only, being a new Mum or parent of small children can be really isolating. Join groups for you and your children. Look out for offers and cheap train tickets. Get travelling. Kids love a train or bus ride and a visit to a museum, honest!

If you work, you at least have a ROUTINE and routine is good but there are still the long, dark evenings to get through. We do tend to punish ourselves. We try to go from over indulging to attempting to undo all our December bad food and drink habits overnight! Madness.

Everything in moderation. If you slide back into healthy slowly and deliberately, you are less likely to fail. So even if you don’t work, please find a little routine and stick to it, hopefully keeping you sane.

CLEAN. Cleaning is practically free and lets face it, we generally put off that deep clean until spring. Ring the changes, get your 1980’s tunes on and clean ABSOLUTELY everything that doesn’t move! De-cluttering is deeply satisfying.

Set yourself small but achievable projects every day, every week and not only will you feel smug but also your house will suddenly feel a better place to live in.

REST. Rest is underrated but if you need it, do rest and take care of yourself before anyone else. January brings with it those pesky colds and flu’s. Read, listen to music and podcasts, drink plenty of fluids, keep warm and make sure you boost your immune system with plenty of clean broths, fruit and veg.

ASK. Do ask for help or speak to you doctor if you are struggling.

JOYOUS JANUARY

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LIFESTYLE

THE YEAR AHEAD -2022 After the over indulgence of Christmas, its so easy to feel a little blue. We have spent too much, eaten too much and are never drinking again but that was soooo 2021! You are in 2022 now, a whole new year. All the wonderful things to plan, the adventures that lie ahead, that path to a positive new year is so much simpler than you think. Let’s kick start the year as we mean to go on, grab yourself a cuppa, a notepad and pen and make notes.

Let’s rock the socks off 2022, yesterday is gone, tomorrow is as yet undiscovered!

This article isn’t about resolutions, diets or about piling on more pressure. I learnt a long time ago that putting too much pressure on oneself after the stress of Christmas is extremely unhealthy. However, if reinvention is your thing and you want some support along your journey, we offer that in abundance on our Simply French Living Facebook Community groups.

For me, January is about what I want for my family and I in the year ahead. I tend to hibernate in the colder months and eat hearty comforting foods. Summer is for salads and long walks in the sunshine; don’t get me wrong, exercise still happens, just less frequently. So, where were we? Ah, yes, planning!

The first thing I do is find that map out, we sit down as a family, and we pick our next holiday destination. Generally Europe, as having four little people to consider, long haul flights are tedious and too expensive. Heidi always gravitates towards Italy; Amy,anywhere the sun shines and Andrew has a list of the places he wants to take us to, that he’s already discovered driving across Europe for most of his career. So, after some debate, compromise and Googling, we have a holiday to look forward to.

(I’ve written a complementary article on the best places to holiday in France as a family, to get you started on page 11).

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As we live so very far from our immediate family, that’s the next thing we factor in, visitations! When will the kids see their grandparents, or when can we see our siblings or friends? Something else to plan and look forward to throughout the year.

The next ‘biggy’ we discuss is the renovation.I’m sure many of you Expats that came to France, just like us, bought a partial wreck for a handsome price, which needs more than just a coat of paint! What will we do this year; did we get done what we had planned last year? This is the point where we dig out our progress pictures so we can see how far we have come. We quite often don’t realise just how much we’ve accomplished, when living in amongst the rubble. Here’s how far we have come in the past twelve months.

LIFESTYLE

The garden here is a good size, there are big plans for it in the future but, I try to make sure we have a plan for each year. I love the garden; it’s my sanctuary, so planning anything new to move things forward will get me excited. This year is all about installing a gated play area for the boys so they have somewhere safe to play, as the rest of the garden is quite open. Last year, I built them a mini sand quarry for their digger toys and the year before, I painted a two-storey play house, both of which will be in their new play area.

The new doorway into the girls bedrooms, they will be decorated this year.

The family bathroom got finished last year, this was an empty void space upstairs, but are really pleased with the finished results. I’m hoping to finish the whole of upstairs before the end of 2022 wish me luck.

This year, I’m hoping to mark out a potager at some point, we will see how we go.

So, what adventures will you plan for the year ahead? What plans will you make to look forward to? I’m excited about the year ahead and I hope you are too. Cheers to 2022.

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LIFESTYLE

A LITTLE BIT OF BRITTANY IN PARIS REG CROWDER DISCOVERS BRITTANY ON THE STREETS SURROUNDING GARE MONTPARNASSE For years in Brittany, I have been hearing an affectionate little saying that pays tribute to the resilience and resourcefulness of the wonderful Breton people. There are several versions, but it usually comes out something like this:

“Eventually everybody in Brittany takes the train to Paris, walks down the steps of la Gare Montparnasse and opens a creperie.”

I never gave much thought to that until one night in Paris, I was walking down Avenue du Maine in Montparnasse and I decided I wanted a little snack to take back to my hotel room. I have made a hotel across the street from la Gare Montparnasse my home-away-from home when visiting Paris for years. So, I am becoming quite comfortable with the surrounding neighbourhood.

I didn’t want anything close to a whole meal.

So, I strolled down the Avenue du Maine to a grocery store that I knew was open late at night,and started wandering around looking for something to subdue the ‘grumblies’ if they came after me in my hotel room. And then I saw them: several coolers full of speciality Breton food items.

It was an impressive assortment of Breton food.

Of course, I knew that much of the milk Parisians put into their café crème and the butter they spread on their croissants came from Brittany.

That would be hard to miss, because of the profoundly unserious “controversy” over whether butter should contain salt. In Brittany,the answer is a resounding “yes” but many in Paris think otherwise.

I own a T-shirt with a Breton slogan that elegantly summarizes the difference of opinion:

“Liberté, égalité, beurre salé.”

[Liberty, Equality, Salted Butter] I wondered how on earth there could be enough demand for Breton specialities in Paris, to keep coolers full of Breton food. Of course, I had noticed a few creperies but never paid much attention to them. So, I went out looking and there were creperies everywhere. There’s an impressive number along Rue du Montparnasse but I poked around other streets and found more. I stopped counting at a dozen.

Thus, it turns out that quite a few people from Brittany did, in fact, take the train to Paris and open a creperie outside la Gare Montparnasse.

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LIFESTYLE

But the biggest surprise of my creperie investigation, came when I turned onto a quiet side street, not hoping or expecting to encounter anything of great interest.

Suddenly, I came upon a painting that covered an entire storefront, that seemed to me to have something of a Breton feel. It clearly had a nautical theme and the men in the painting were wearing clothing and hats that I had seen described as being traditionally Breton.

But the surprises were not over. My creperie hunt led me to a building that looked a lot like the consulate of a foreign country with remarkably sturdy, solid doors and a dignified plaque revealing what it was all about. I do, in fact, hear people in Brittany regularly say in a good-natured way, that Brittany isn’t really part of France. Once, my late wife Anne, who left this earth three years ago, greeted a cardiologist with one of her blazing smiles that was enough to drive the dark clouds out of the sky and a cheery:

“J'adore la France.” [I love France] The cardiologist chuckled and said, “You realise, of course, you’re not in France. You’re in Brittany.”

As it turns out, the institution marked by the plaque proclaiming it, the “Mission Bretonne” and proudly displaying the ermine, the symbol of Brittany, doesn’t quite claim to be a diplomatic post. Today, it is essentially a cultural mission, sponsored by a non-profit organisation presenting Breton music, dance and language lessons to the people of Paris.

Fortunately, I was not left mystified for long.

A notation in the lower, right corner of the painting indicated it was a tribute to Mathurin Meheut, an artist who began his career in Lamballe. He is now often described as the most popular Breton artist as he went on to national and international fame. One of his commissions in the United States was covered at length by The New York Times and when he died in 1958, America’s “newspaper of record” took note of his passing.

Meheut was a remarkably productive and versatile artist, ceramicist, interior decorator and illustrator whose works would require many volumes to be properly described.

However, the Mathurin Meheut Museum in Lamballe, which is devoted entirely to his work, describes his importance to Brittany in this way:

“... publishers called upon him as the person in Paris who could bring Brittany to life.”

The Mathurin Meheut Museum is closed for the moment, but that’s good news - not bad news for those who wish to view his work and learn about it. Construction is currently underway on a new facility that is much bigger than the one that is now closed. The new museum is scheduled to open in June 2022.

As it turns out, Brittany brought Paris a lot more than crepes.

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LIFESTYLE

A NEW YEAR FRENCH DESTINATION What better way to start any new year, than to book a family getaway and have something amazing to look forward to?

France of course has so many beautiful destinations to discover, from sophisticated fashionable Paris, the stunning beaches of Nice, the breathtaking French Alps and the vast rural beauties in between. There is something for everyone in France, so where will you choose to visit?

PARIS As much as Paris is classed as one of the most romantic cities in the world, it’s also a great place to visit as a family. Not only the host of Disneyland, Paris is home to many museums of art and history and famous landmarks. There are extensive and beautiful parklands in Paris, including the Luxembourg gardens where you could take a Parisian style 'pique nique' and dine amongst the locals before ascending the Eiffel Tower and taking in the most amazing view, one I’m sure any child will never forget.

CASTLES AND CAVES OF THE DORDOGNE An absolute gem for a family holiday, the Dordogne is home to some of the oldest cave paintings in Europe, and also the most magical caves to explore, the most famous being Le Gouffre de Padirac. You can take a boat trip on the underground turquoise river within the cave, and view its mesmerising stalactites and stalagmites. Why not take a half-day boat trip down the Dordogne River and see the beautiful castles lined along its banks? The area also hosts many water parks, and theme parks are perfect for teenagers.

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LIFESTYLE

STRASBOURG Not just the self-proclaimed capital of Christmas, Strasbourg is beautiful all year round, with the perfect blend of both French and German culture. The combination of the two cultures is immediately apparent, in the beautiful, quirky architecture. It is definitely the place to visit if you’re avid walkers. La Petit France is the most picturesque place to have a wander. You could even hop across the Rhine for a day or two in Germany.

THE FRENCH ALPS Snowy adventures await the outdoorsy family. View the magnificent Mont Blanc and enjoy a cheese fondue atop a ski resort before taking the little ones tobogganing, or get some snowboard lessons booked in for the teens. This one would be on the more expensive side, but what a memorable trip you would have.

THE FRENCH RIVIERA The beautiful beaches of the Côte d’Azur along the Mediterranean are stunning. Boasting 300 days of sunshine every year, you won’t be disappointed by bad weather. There are some fabulous water parks in this region and the best playground in Europe, on the beach of Nice. The perfect beach holiday for all the family.

NORMANDY Steeped in World War history, Normandy is a fabulous place to visit.

Home to Festyland, just south of Caen, a huge theme park for all ages.

Monet’s garden at Giverney and not to forget, Mont Saint Michel, all make Normandy a big hit with tourists from all over the world.

"THERE ARE NO FOREIGN LANDS. IT IS THE TRAVELER ONLY WHO IS FOREIGN."

There are fabulous gites, holiday lets and camp sites across all of France that cater for families and their pets, so why not bring the family hound too? We will be featuring accommodation, events, and places to visit in our summer holiday survival guide later this year so keep an eye out for that, it will be your Travel in France bible!

Many regions of France also subscribe to the ‘Sun Holidays’, so if you’re a UK family on a budget, look out for their offers for a great deal on self-catering holidays.

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LIFESTYLE

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LIFESTYLE

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The Secret Room Paul Herbert shares his unusual find whilst renovating his home in the Périgord Vert.

Our scruffy old house, still very much a project after thirty-one years, sits isolated in a valley in the Périgord Vert.

It is only visible for about five metres, as you turn the corner at the top of the hill, before disappearing once again behind the tree line. French visitors who have lived in the area for decades, often remark that they didn't know the property existed. It's isolation and lack of visibility were the main reasons I bought the property.

REAL LIFE

One day, when we had only been living here a couple of weeks, I was looking at the back of the building and I noticed a window with broken panes on the first floor at the end of the house. Must add that to my list of jobs to do, I thought, whilst wondering why I hadn't noticed it before. I went upstairs to the room I believed was at the end of the house, only to discover that the panes were intact. Thinking I must be cracking up, I went back into the rear garden and looked at the window again. Yes, the glass was definitely cracked and broken, so I went back inside and checked again. Nope, they were definitely intact.

Confused, I went back outside to the rear of the house and counted the windows again.

There were nine on that floor. So, starting at the other end of the house, I went back inside and upstairs and counted the windows. It is not a house you would expect to get lost in, but visitors have lost their way as there are two staircases leading to separate sections of the property. By the end of my investigation inside, I had only counted eight windows. I was lacking a window and having doubled checked both counts inside and out, I couldn't make them tally.

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Previous occupants have butchered our house over the centuries. The walls have places where doors and windows have been blocked up and new window openings made. Tall, thin windows that would have been used for firing arrows out of, have been blocked. Small, spy windows have been boarded over inside and large internal and external doorways reduced in size. The first floor had been lowered in part of the house during the nineteen sixties, so fireplace lintels appear in rooms upstairs but the original fireplaces downstairs had been knocked out. It all made trying to calculate what fitted where in the house a brainteaser.

Even now, I can stand in a room upstairs and have to think about what room is directly beneath me.

In the end, when my wife Julia came home with our three children, I got them all to count the interior and exterior windows to confirm that my ability to count was still intact and I wasn't being an idiot. They all confirmed, we had nine windows outside and eight inside. But all agreed I was an idiot just the same.

Faced with this conundrum, I took a tape measure and measured the length of the building and then measured the total width of the rooms on the ground floor.

REAL LIFE

Allowing for walls, some of which are almost a metre thick, they more or less tallied. Give or take a few centimetres, they came to about 35 metres. I then repeated the exercise upstairs and it came to about 30 metres. I lost count of the number of times I repeated this exercise. It was like having a debit and credit column that should tally but wouldn't, no matter how hard I tried. So, I concluded that the wall I thought was the end wall upstairs, had to be an internal wall.

I was faced with a stone interior wall on both floors that should be the end of the house. I walked round the house and studied the exterior wall at the end of the building, looking for a clue. Nada. I climbed up into the attic, walked to the end and climbed up onto a low wooden floor where a stone apex wall supported the roof. There were small gaps between the roof and the wall in parts but no apparent sunlight although I could see some light. Then outside again, it occurred to me that the chimney that had once serviced the fireplace in the penultimate room at the end of the house and had been removed downstairs, appeared above the floor on the first floor, at where I had assumed was the end of the house upstairs. So, there must be another room beyond but without access.

Back in the attic armed with a short ladder, I inspected the end wall and at the top, there were some loose stones that had been put back without mud and lime. Once removed, I was able to haul myself up the metre wide wall and look down into our secret room. I made the hole larger, dragged the ladder up and over and climbed down into our hidden room.

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REAL LIFE

Then she put her hand to her mouth and spoke emotionally. The last time she had been in the room, she said, when still in her teens, was during the Second World War and two RAF pilots had been hiding there. It had been used several times for this purpose. She said she used to bring food in and pass it over the wall to anyone, including Resistance fighters, who was hiding there. She explained that the Vichy line had run through Verteillac, six kilometres from our house and our property had been the first ‘safe house’ in this area of Vichy, France, used by RAF personnel being escorted by the Maquisards (French Resistance) down to Spain.

What is now our bathroom. The top of the fireplace appears above the floor on the wall we thought was our end wall.

The room was, and still is, about 5m x 7m with a high ceiling and fantastic old beams. In one corner, the top of an arched doorway appeared above the floor, showing where the floor had been lowered a century or two before. There was a door into the square wing at the end of the house (not visible in the photo) that had been covered over from the other side. It's a lovely room that, since putting in another staircase and knocking a door through the stone wall to create an ensuite bathroom, now serves as our bedroom.

Having completed the work on our new bedroom, we invited our old French neighbour to inspect our new work. It took her a little time to work out where she was standing as she had entered via the new staircase.

This doorway had been bricked up and then had pierre apparante on the outside so it wasn't visible. You can see the top of the arched door above the floor.

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SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE

New flooring above and a start on the pierre apparante. The door you see half hidden is bricked up from the other side. Had I known the important significance of the room before hand I would have documented the work.

She then took us outside and showed us markings scored with a compass that look like a sunflower in a circle. She explained that it was the mark of The Maquis and anyone seeing it would know this was a ‘safe house’ for those hiding from the Gestapo. She went on to say that a fork left leaning against the barn wall was the warning to say it was not safe to approach the house.

REAL LIFE

Incredibly brave people have lived in our house.To live on a daily basis, knowing that your actions could lead to your death or deportation to a concentration camp possibly along with those you love, must have taken incredible courage.

Certainly not the kind of conversation or decision that I would have liked to have with my wife. The penalty for sheltering the enemy was usually death and in our neck of the woods, there are plenty of small monuments to victims shot by the Nazis.

I met and spoke to a few old Resistance Fighters in our early years of living here.

Most were reluctant to talk about their exploits but one knew about our house when I explained where I lived. He said the existence of the ‘safe house’ would have been kept secret from most Maquis to protect the owners, in case of arrest and interrogation.

Thanks for reading Paul

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INTERIORS

BE TRENDY IN 2022 NO MATTER WHAT WE BELIEVE, SUSTAINABLE LIVING IS ALWAYS TRENDY, AS WE WORK HARD TOGETHER TO SAVE OUR PLANET. What we buy for our homes going forward needs to be more considered, more need than want. Therefore, my point is short, succinct and sweet. Don’t try to be ‘high street trendy’ but instead, be a conscious homeowner and use what is already available and has stood the test of time.

I have recently moved house and have been making the budget stretch, but I am also feeling a little smug, as I am reusing and repurposing rather than buying new. Of course, when we are in France, we are blessed with the many brocantes, vide greniers and Emmaus depots, as well as the markets from which to source our pieces. It’s a way of life! Here, when I’m in the UK, I use EBay, Gumtree and Vinterior for those vintage pieces.

My purchases for the kitchen so far, have been a table and chairs for the dining nook and a large centre island unit. The kitchen is an awkward shape but it’s a sizeable room. After just six days here, I was already sick of walking half a mile to collect the cutlery. I really needed something to pull it all together and here it is.

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INTERIORS

Not only will the island unit pull the kitchen together, but also, it’s full of deep drawers on both sides, not only a treat but super convenient. I can now prepare food on a dedicated space in the centre of the kitchen, creating that much needed triangle between oven, fridge, sink and dishwasher! Also, when I decorate, I can take inspiration from the island unit. I can’t wait to get going!

My other purchase was from Ebay UK and is a vintage (or used) sofa! Not just any sofa, but a Duresta and if you know, you know. We already have one in storage in France, but decided not to bring her with us due to customs charges.

Instead, we left her languishing in France, to use once the renovations on the Wreck are complete.

So, I trawled until I found the chap that sold me my first Duresta and she was delivered just a few weeks ago! Duresta Trafalgar, so well made, handmade in fact and so comfortable! I’m now on the search for her ‘sort of’ matching footstool.

We aren’t bothered about ‘matchy matchy’ chairs and instead, his vintage Tetrad part leather chair is sat happily beside Madame Duresta, a marriage made in second-hand heaven.

In other rooms around the house, I have added some mid-century modern desks, cabinets and chairs for the worker bees. I’ve ordered a huge vintage larder cabinet for the utility, and I’m on the look out for some bedroom furniture for our bedroom.

Not only am I saving money, but I am being as kind as I can be to the planet and that’s trendy enough for me!

Donna x

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INTERIORS

MY RENOVATION This month, Jules Smith from 'Your French Country House' shares progress from the ongoing renovation of her French home.

Christmas, by now is an almost distant memory and here we are, into yet another brand new year, time for a refresh. So, what are you up to for the remainder of the winter, a bit of a post-Christmas décor makeover maybe?

Let‘s face it, we are stuck inside a lot more as the weather becomes colder and more changeable, might as well enjoy our interiors and take the opportunity to improve them.

We are still renovating our new French home and so for this month, I’m offering you all a preview of our updated snug. I absolutely love the cosy vibe, especially during these seemingly neverending long winter months. The 'before' image is what we inherited and the following images, are of our much improved and now adored space.

Before In Australia, fireplaces were certainly not the norm so having the space and opportunity to build one was just fabulous. We used a very old piece of oak from our farmhouse to have made into the mantlepiece.

Our stunning oak floors were simply cleaned and waxed to bring them back to their original beauty.

The sofas needed to fit my idea of 'squishy and comfortable'. In the end, to fit the space available, we decided on a three-seater, a snuggle chair, a huge ottoman that doubles as a coffee table or footstool and additional seating should we need it. As we both work, the snug has become our evening sanctuary, with this in mind I opted for greys and creams, adding colour and texture with textiles.

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INTERIORS

I added a nod to art deco, with a wonderful signed Degue light fitting dating back to the 1930's, a true find.

I’ve already mentioned textiles, but what about colour? These are so important in interior design. We've opted for a rich redcurrant sofa, viola for the snuggle chair and ochre for the ottoman, all in velvet. The cushions are a mix of velvets in grey and gold with throws in plush fur-effect fabric, perfect for curling up and reading a book or watching a movie.

Top Tips: Be adventurous with colour and textiles. Don't be afraid to mix old and new and above all experiment, you may very well be surprised with the results.

Frenchic paint used throughout - Dazzle Me for all woodwork, Gentleman’s Club for the walls and Whiter than White for ceilings.

Wallpaper - Castorama Sofas - Tetrad UK Light - Etsy Lamps - Maison du Monde

SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE

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CLEAN AIR HOME There are lots of expensive, fancy gadgets out there to clean the air in your home but, did you know that houseplants are the best air cleaners ever? They naturally filter the air you breathe!

Through photosynthesis, they convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into fresh oxygen, and they can also remove toxins from the air we breathe.

So yes, it’s worth learning about easy-care houseplants that you can easily keep alive all year round. Also yes, I am like you, not great at caring for my leafy tenants, shame on me! Of course, I aim to do better and I am getting there. I have kept my little tree called Olive (why Olive? Because she’s an olive tree, duh) and Bob the little Bonsai alive and thriving for a whole year! I know right! Snaps for me, I’m so proud of myself! Meet my very ‘not dead’ Bob and Olive!

INTERIORS

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Essentially houseplants are good for your health, fact, and not just visually! Studies have also proved that your indoor plants improve concentration and productivity, reduce stress levels and boost your mood, making them perfect for not just your home, but your work space too.

I don’t know about you but I do name and talk to my plants daily! I find it therapeutic and they don’t seem to mind.

How do you care for your plants?

Don't forget to make sure your plant gets plenty of sunlight.

Water your houseplants regularly but don’t over water them.

Fertilise regularly. Propagate when needed. Repot overgrown plants. Remove dust. Prune and pinch back regularly. Learn about your plant and its needs. Deadhead flowers and remove dying leaves. Control insect pests and watch for plant disease.

INTERIORS

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GARDENING

THE MARKET GARDENER

This month we head over to Chateau de la Coutere, to discuss “how to start your growing season now” with owner Leanne Broadhead Wow, I can’t believe it, it’s 2022, the start of another new year, a new season and it also marks my two-year anniversary of living here in the south of France.

While most folks are tucked up warm and cosy inside, us gardeners will be seen braving the harsh January weather conditions, hugging a mug of something hot, all the while dreaming of juicy tomatoes, fresh new potatoes, and sweet red peppers, dreaming of the spring, summer and autumn harvests. As I pen this article, today’s lunchtime temperature is a balmy 20 degrees, somewhat different than the minus two degrees centigrade last night. Managing these dramatic shifts in temperature between day and night, is just one challenge we face as gardeners. For the next few months, I am going to take you through how I start off the new season, and some of what I do and when.

THE FIRST SOWINGS OF THE NEW YEAR Peppers, potatoes, and aubergines all belong to the same botanical plant family, the Solanaceae family, otherwise known as the potato family and are all heat loving plants.

Peppers Although peppers are readily available to buy, growing your own can give you many advantages. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, coming in all shapes and sizes, with a huge array of flavour profiles.

They have a long growing season, and for this reason they can catch many gardeners out, particularly when their fruit doesn’t have chance to grow sufficiently or ripen before the summer’s end. Sowing your first pepper seeds in January can give you a much better chance of success.

Pepper seeds need germination temperatures between 18 to 25 degrees and seedlings will emerge after seven to 10 days.

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GARDENING

An average plant will give six to eight fruits in one season, so calculate what your family’s food needs are and sow 20% more seeds than the number of plants you think you might need.

I use a propagator inside of our polytunnel; this not only gives double protection, but also maintains an even temperature and gives us great results. Small heat mats and propagators are inexpensive and can be worth the money.You can also use clear plastic over your seedtrays on a windowsill, until seedlings emerge.To make the most of our limited heated space, we start our pepper seeds off in small 10 cm square trays and can fit many seeds of six varieties in each tray. Once each seedling is three to four cm tall, we prick them out individually and pot them on into 5cm plant pots. From this point on, they need lots of light and consistent temperatures of above 18 degrees. Pepper plants cannot be planted outside until all danger of frost has passed and will do better undercover, but more on that another time.

Although the season to eat fresh aubergine is quite limited, why not consider growing enough to preserve and conserve? Freezing chunks of ripe aubergines after blanching, making chutneys and conserving aubergines in oil are all great ways to make the most of the seasonal bounty. Sow aubergines the same way you would with peppers. Many will say ‘wait for the first true leaves to appear, the second set of leaves’ before you pot on, but this is just not needed and in fact small seedlings do well potted on young, but ensure the first pots are small. This year we will be growing three varieties; Listada de Gandia (purple and white long), Black Beauty (large, black ‘egg’ shaped) and an Italian white variety called White Caspar.

Potatoes January is an ideal time to order your seed potatoes.

Aubergines Aubergines hail originally from Taiwan and Italy, and as with peppers, aubergines need a long growing season.

Seed potatoes are ones that are specifically for growers and have not been treated with a growth inhibitor, which potatoes in supermarkets have been. If you try to grow shop or market purchased potatoes, you are very unlikely to have good results.

Always order your potatoes from a reputable supplier; these will be potatoes that were produced by a parent plant the previous year.

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GARDENING

Chitting is simply ‘sprouting’ the potato and is a way to give your spuds a head start, encourage faster growth and ultimately results in a higher yield in the end. Look at each potato and there will commonly be one end that has the most eyes and is where the sprouts will come from, this is called the rose end.

Place each potato in open egg boxes or cartons, (or even apple crates work well), with the rose end up. Place the potatoes in a warm dark area and in seven to 10 days you will see they have sprouted. Two weeks after the start, move them to somewhere cooler with more light. After three to four weeks, each sprout will grow to around one to two inches. If you have large potatoes, be sure to cut them in to two or three pieces, ensuring each piece has at least three sprouts. Each piece will then become its own potato plant. Your potatoes are then ready to plant any time from now on and can be planted two to four weeks before your last average frost date. We will cover planting when the time comes.

January is a great month for making your final selections of seeds and plants to grow, for the coming year.

Next month we will talk about what to sow in February and also how to record and track your gardening year.

Until next time friends, have a great growing month!

Leanne

YouTube – Lifeatchateaudelacoutere Instragram and Facebook @lifeatchateaudelacoutere

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HOUSEKEEPING

Kinder Cleaning

We make many changes for the better during January, but what about changing the products we clean our home with? Many shop-bought cleaning products are both factory-made and chemical laden, not exactly healthy or sustainable. The thing is, it’s so easy and inexpensive to create your own homemade cleaning products that are better for you and the planet.

Firstly, do buy recycled glass bottles and rescue spray gun parts from old plastic cleaning bottles so you can make spray bottles. Make sure they are cleaned thoroughly before filling.

Here’s a base product list to get you started: Lemon essential oil Lavender essential oil Bicarbonate of soda White vinegar Baking soda Distilled Water Clear 60% plus alcohol

Start with a 50/50 solution of distilled water (out of your tumble dryer) and white vinegar. Add a few drops of essential oils such as lavender to give the solution a nice scent.

For a heartier solution, use 1½ cups of baking soda, half a cup of liquid castile soap, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and two tablespoons of distilled water. Shake and use!

To make a natural disinfectant, use 1¼ cups of distilled water, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1/4 cup of vodka and 15 drops of either peppermint, lemon or lavender oil.

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FRUGALLY FRENCH

FRUGALLY FRENCH LIVING Maria Babbington talks living frugally in France with a new helpful topic each month.

This month we take a look at loyalty cards across all major supermarkets in France and what you really get for your loyal shopping.

Carte Fidelite? I’m sure you’re familiar with that phrase at the checkout? Now we reside across the water, the Tesco clubcard and the Nectar cards in my purse have become null and void.

I didn’t want just another purse full of loyalty cards and a mailbox filled with junk. Something else to go into the mummy handbag, to dutifully find amongst the plethora of things a mum of four must carry everywhere! What will my swipe of loyalty give me in return? Was it really worth a rummage in the handbag of doom at the checkout and the onslaught of snail mail and emails almost certain to head my way?

As with anything I do, it’s a no, unless I really am sure about it. So, until I could look into it, it was a “non merci” from me! As it happens, the carte fidelite are pretty good but there are some caveats you should definitely know about. As ever, some give you more for your pennies spent.

Here are the results of my research, in summation, every major supermarket offers a pretty good scheme, so if you haven’t signed up yet, I definitely recommend it.

E.Leclerc

Carte Fidelite gives you points per spend. The points accumulated, can be used for money off at the checkout or against gifts in their fidelity magazine, released periodically throughout the year. It is worth noting, as with most of the loyalty cards in France, that the points are erased as of 31st December so remember to use them up before the year is out.

Any points earned in December are however, carried forward.

Look out for publications either in store or, if you checked the ‘contact me by email’ box on your membership form, they will send you them by email. These always give you special tickets for doubled points, or money off. Remember to check your ticket validation date as most need to be used within two months. The loyalty card can be used across the E.Leclerc franchises, including, Brico and Jardi outlets. As with most schemes, you cannot redeem points or vouchers against fuel or books.

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Super U

SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE

FRUGALLY FRENCH

Super U run a very similar point accumulation scheme and also erase at the end of the year. You can exchange the points for vouchers for money off in store or gifts in their catalogue.

Your card also gives you money off magazine subscriptions up to 78% in some cases, and holiday clubs such as Tohapi (15%), and Belhambra (12%), and in some cases, even a monetary value back on your loyalty card. Super U also hold cardholder events to encourage signups, themed throughout the year, garden, home, baby, health & beauty etc where a large number of products are slashed in price for loyalty card holders.

Casino / Geant These stores get you collecting smiles rather than points when you shop, cute! They also don’t expire! Periodically throughout the year, they release a catalogue to exchange your points for products. The biggest bonus is you can keep accumulating and exchange your smiles for miles… air miles or train tickets! They certainly get my vote.

Intermarche / Auchan As with the others above, you accumulate your points with each shop and can deduct from your shop or save to use against your Christmas shop.

They unfortunately do expire at the end of the year so be careful not to lose them.

So, there you have it, some stores clearly go the extra mile for their customers loyalty. I’m personally a fan of ‘ma carte’ at Super U as I get some fab deals in store and my points to boot. If I had a Geant closer to me, I’d be signing up to their card too.

Here are some phrases to remember when using your card in store: ‘S'il vous plait déduisez l'argent de ma carte" - Please deduct the money from my card 'Vider la carte’ – Empty the card (use all the points) Est-ce que je peut profiter de ma carte de fidelete? – Can I use my loyalty card?

Next time….

I’ll talk you through some fantastic ways to lower your food shopping bills. Don’t forget to take a look at our monthly Frugal Food Recipe Supplement on our website.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

THE ART OF THE STRETCH Donna Jones Holland covers the importance of keeping yourself on the move and the benefits of stretching.

Are you like me and fancy taking up yoga?

Love watching it, always in awe of those rather bendy folks but never actually get round to joining a class?

I hear you!

Of course, you may be in your 20’s and pretty flexible still, but let me tell you, as you head towards your 40’s and beyond, flexibility disappears along with your eyesight!

I have zero wish to dress in spandex and foolishly work-out with a lady that tells me her class is for beginners when it’s not.

Also, I have had a life-saving abdominal operation which means I always have to exercise with that in mind. I’m sure we could all start a catalogue right now, listing all our various aches and pains. We could definitely have a good giggle swapping notes but ‘It is what it is.’ as my mother always says. She’s right. We have to deal with the body we have, and go from there.

So, if not Yoga, then what?

Why the S T R E T C H that’s what! ‘As easy as that?’ I hear you say. Well yes of course, when added to walking, a healthy diet and not smoking, stretching daily is a great way to help your body work better.

I found out about stretching as a formal exercise when taking over a holiday let, as the beautiful 63-year-old owner was dashing off to join her stretching class! This fascinated me, and so we chatted about the benefits of stretching for all shapes, sizes and ages, with or without other health issues.

Why stretch?

1.Increases flexibility 2.Increases range of movement 3.Improves performance in physical activities 4.Increases blood flow to your muscles 5.Improves posture 6.Helps prevent back pain 7.Aids stress relief 8.Calms the mind 9.Helps decrease headaches One of the biggest benefits of stretching, is that it aids digestion and helps with constipation and IBS.

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If you are new to stretching, there are many videos you can refer to and get started safely.

Aim for 5/10 minutes of static stretching and 5/10 minutes of dynamic stretching each day.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Concentrate on all parts of your body, starting with a full but gentle stretch, arms above your head, first thing in the morning.

Just as with any exercise, do warm up first before stretching your legs and don’t ever go beyond the point of comfort.

Stretching is kind and gentle and you can work on those tight, tired muscles over time, no rushing, no bouncing and no sweating. If you are confined to a chair, you can adapt your stretches with the help of a friend or partner.

Obviously, your ability to start any new exercise safely is limited to your current physical health, so discuss with your practitioner first. Always warm up and have something stable to hold on to.

If you work at a desk all day, make sure you ask for a standing desk or at least an adjustable desk. This will help you to move your legs, stimulate your blood flow and keep up with your stretches throughout the day.

Keep moving and stretching!

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

THE BIG 'M'

Kirsty-Anne Bissell, shares with us her menopause journey.

Why is it, that generally speaking, it is very much not spoken of here in France, even less than in the UK? Over there, the ‘Loose Women’ are currently campaigning for us all. Speaking out about it, THE MENOPAUSE on a regular basis and highlighting their own personal experiences.

I am just starting out on my Big M journey so my personal knowledge and experience are somewhat limited, but having a number of older besties here in France, I am not short of ladies willing to impart their experiences. This has been an absolute godsend if I am honest, as I really have thought that I have been losing my mind at times, crying at nothing, arguing with my hubby, at one point I had called an estate agent to sell the house and businesses!

I was off, leaving, preparing to buy myself a tiny house where I would craft things to sell so that I could stay in France, a divorcee!

Now you might think that it all sounds a tad dramatic, but that really was my plan in October of this year and to me, it all made perfect sense. When I told my bestie back in the UK over facetime, she suggested I talk to my hubby. I said that I had and although I told him the estate agent was coming, there was no reaction at all. I said that if he cared at all, he would have wanted to talk. “He isn’t good at that though, is he?” my friend commented.

“Well, he had better start”, says I. Needless to say, he didn’t, but I decided he was worth one more shot and I took him out to lunch to discuss the lack of support and understanding I felt was part of the issue.

I had to mention the ‘Big M’, only for him to explain that the only reason he had not brought it up, was because I had said he was never to talk about it, unless I did first.

Thinking back, that is exactly what I did say.

Since when does a husband do as we ask them to? Now apparently. A first time for everything so they say, who the blooming heck are “they”, exactly? Lol. Anyway, I am still married, I have been to the doctors and had it confirmed that I am premenopausal, through my blood results. I had never heard this term before, but then everything has to have a label these days, even the lead up to full blown menopause!

I am low on necessary hormones, so the joys of not having a menstrual cycle were short lived. Replaced dramatically by what I can only describe as a period of instability, do you get it, period?

I will be back to share my experiences again, trying to help those that follow, make sense of this crazy time in a woman’s life and that of their nearest and dearest. In my case, my hubby of 33 years Lee, love ya loads hubster x Perimenopause, or the menopause transitional period, begins several years before menopause. It's the time when the ovaries gradually begin to make less oestrogen. It usually starts in women's 40s, but can start in their 30s or even earlier. Perimenopause lasts up until menopause, the point when the ovaries stop releasing eggs.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

The Fabulous Agony Aunty 'M' THIS MONTH'S SIMPLY FRENCH LIVING MAGAZINE READERS QUESTION IS;

"SHOULD I SHACK UP WITH A CO-WORKER?"

“I had a very lonely lockdown, working from home last year as I live by myself, well besides my cat Morris.

Before the complete lockdown, I started to get friendly with a co-worker and they shared with me that they are also single. During last year's “work from home” orders, we sometimes talked for a bit after work and joked about shacking up with co-workers to make the commute from the kitchen to the home office a bit more interesting. Now it looks like the ordinance is back on and I am seriously considering moving in with my co-worker. I am quite attracted to him as well and he seems like a really easy-going guy who also likes to cook (a big plus as I spend most of my life ordering deliveries from restaurants!) So, I know it's a bit of a risk but I don't want to spend months or even longer alone again, what should I do Aunty M?!”

ANSWER:

Firstly, I do love the term “shacking up”! Are you implying that you have already got to the stage of sexual relations with your co-worker? If so, one would assume that there is no company rule against fraternisation amongst co-workers? If there is, then you are definitely taking a risk, officially moving in together, because surely the wallpaper and décor in your presumably shared office will be a giveaway during those online conference calls?

Other issues you might want to take into consideration … how casual and forgiving are you about shared facilities, like the bathroom? All good and well if you live in a sprawling mansion but if it's a one toilet flat, are you ok with the seat up, and toilet roll the wrong way up? These things seem minor till you fall into the proverbial bowl at 2 am because a certain someone has left the seat up!

There’s also Morris to consider, are you taking his feelings into account? Pets, especially cats, don't like to share their humans, so seriously ponder over the long-term effects of where this all might go, and measure the benefits over the losses. You may create a new level of tension or “office gossip” at work, or it may end well, with home cooked meals for you and Morris and the perfect mate with whom to enjoy even after work hours too.

Mary Collins is a radio presenter and hypnotherapist.

❖ ❖

www.facebook.com www.time4change.info

Send your questions to:maria@simplyfrenchlivingmagazine.com

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

New Year, New You!

Resolutions! We all make them but how many of us see them through? Rebecca Claridge offers a different perspective.

Let's start the New Year by being being honest with each other. You probably ate too much, drank too much and neglected your skincare. Most of us did! As a consequence, your skin may be feeling dry, dehydrated and you may even have had your skin breakout in spots. Don't worry, you aren't the only one.

In January, many of us will make New Year resolutions and by mid to late February, we will have given up on them. In reality, less than 10% of people who make New Year resolutions will actually keep them! Instead, I like to create ‘good habits’. They don't have to be monumental changes (which is generally what resolutions are). Start small. Say for example, you wanted to lose 20lbs, don’t focus on that number, it looks too big, seems too unachievable and you may soon lose your motivation. Aim for 5lb loss in four weeks.

That is easily manageable. Once you have reached your mini goal, you can then set the same again. In four months, you would have actually reached your original goal and at the same time, you would have created a ‘good habit’.

The same can be said for any aspect of your life, maybe you want to cook more, get out with the family more, read more, redecorate, completely renovate your house or garden, anything you want. Set yourself time to do these things, it may feel like a big effort at first but over time, it becomes enjoyable, even a good new habit.

Creating ‘good habits’ also applies to our skincare. If I told you that twice a day, you need to be using a cleanser, serum, eye cream and moisturiser. Once or twice a week you need to be using a scrub, face oil with massage, eye mask and face mask, (this is based on you not wearing make-up), would you be surprised? If you carry out this routine regularly, you will have to make sure you remove all make-up products every night before going to bed (you can age 11 days in one night with make-up left on!), so use not only a make-up remover but also, cleanse your skin twice! This is the minimum you should be doing, and by now, you are probably thinking this is too much. Okay, we can start with small steps, cleanse and moisturise twice daily, in the morning when you have a wash/shower, and just before you go to bed. . Get into the habit of doing this and after a time, add in an eye cream, and then a serum. Add each thing gradually and before you know it, you will be following everything listed here.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Are you someone who likes a glass or two of wine a night? How about coffee or tea? Alcohol and caffeine can dry out our skin. Not only can this make skin feel and look dry, but it can also make us look older than we are. Adding more water into our diet will have significant benefits to our skin, it will feel softer and look plumper, we can even have a 'glow' about us. Drinking water not only helps keep us hydrated, but it can aid the body to eliminate toxins, which in turn can lessen bloating, increase energy, even improve concentration. If you don't like water, then try adding fruit to it. Yes, fruits are full of sugar, but they are natural sugars, and are not bad for you in moderation.

Now, let's talk about a somewhat taboo subject, cellulite. Practically everyone has it, some more than others and it can be both hormonal and even hereditary. It is seen as unsightly and is often associated with larger people (which is simply not true). It does affect mainly women, however, men can get it too. It's caused by the herniation of subcutaneous fat within fibrous connective tissue and shows as dimpling or that 'orange peel' effect. We can never get rid of it, but we can do things to improve its appearance.

Body brushing can help stimulate circulation, enabling the body to eliminate toxins, making skin appear fresher and smoother. If you work in an upward motion, it will help the lymphatic system, which aids the body in the removal of toxins.

Massage is wonderful, and you can use specific products that may help with the appearance of cellulite. Below is a recipe for a massage oil, using essential oils known to aid in reduction of cellulite. Massage your skin with this daily, after a gentle body brush, in a circular upward motion.

Don't just apply this to areas where you have visible cellulite, but in other areas too.

Anti-Cellulite Oil 30ml sweet almond oil (or grapeseed) 8 drops fennel essential oil 10 drops lemon essential oil 12 drops grapefruit essential oil

Combine in a clean bowl, transfer to a bottle or jar (keep it in a dark place, as too much light can cause the breakdown of essential oils). This will keep for about four months.

Rebecca x

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

BUDGET SKINCARE After the overspend of the festive period, Rebecca Claridge gives us skincare products available even on a shoestring budget.

Maybe you overspent at Christmas or you just don't have a big budget for skincare products. Don’t worry, there are so many products on the market for the budget conscious, and some are just ridiculously priced. Still, looking after your skin shouldn't break the bank. There are lots of brands available, these are some of my favourite products from ranges that suit most budgets.

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub This is great for those with acne prone skin. It gently cleanses away oil, dirt, grime, impurities and bacteria.

Available from most large supermarkets from €3.50

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% This serum is ultraconcentrated in vitamins and minerals, to help fight infections and imperfections. The whole range is fairly affordable, and can be found at:www.sephora.fr This serum is available for €6 for 30mls

**Remember when applying serum, it's not the same as applying a cream. Apply in small tapping motion with your fingertips.

Do no rub the skin, allow the serum to absorb into your skin on its own.**

SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate This is the most expensive of the products I have chosen, but you really don't need to use much of it, a little goes a long way. This is a daily serum which helps smooth your skin. It's enriched with nature-inspired ingredients, which are known to be rich in antioxidants.

30ml is €32, but if your budget doesn't allow for an item as expensive as this, there are other beautiful products available from:www.thebodyshop.com Garnier

Don't forget to look after your hands.

Micellar Water For anyone who wears make up, this is a musthave to remove it. It gently lifts make-up and dirt, leaving your skin free from impurities and residue.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream is an absolute must for both men and women alike. It's a lightly fragranced cream, which can be very effective for dry, chapped hands.

(Available from most large supermarkets from €3.50, and is available for different skin types)

(It can be found in most supermarkets for as little as €4)

Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm This beautiful organic cleansing balm melts into the skin, hydrating as it cleanses. There are lots of wonderful products available from Botanics, this balm is available for £8.99 from:www.botanics.co.uk

If you have never used a hot cloth cleanser before, here's how. Massage balm over face and neck. Soak cloth in warm water and use as a gentle compress to draw out impurities. Remove remaining balm. Finish by soaking the cloth in cold water and gently press over face to close pores. Use morning and night.

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REAL LIFE

PARENTING DIARIES PREGNANCY IN FRANCE PART 2

TIA MALCOLM Within seconds there was a line, but not trusting the result, I went out and bought another test, not of the same brand of course. That week, I must have bought about ten tests to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t, because the positive results kept coming, test after test!

Finally, we had our baby on the way, our rainbow baby, omg, and I was pregnant!

When I arrived back from Devon, I skipped to my doctor to tell her the good news and straight away, because I had had a miscarriage, she placed me in the care of our hospital and said they would look after me.

Between then and the first appointment, I started to get morning sickness. I have no idea why it is called that, because I would get it in the evening also. In our local supermarket I found some ginger jam, and it worked a treat for settling the sickness.

I also found I could not drink tea. Now anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a walking teabag, lol. I couldn’t even drink herbal teas, so I spent the next nine months drinking hot water with different flavoured syrups. I also lost a ton of weight in the first three months! Normally I would eat absolutely everything, but in pregnancy I became rather picky. Stuart would laugh at me whenever I ate cabbages! He really didn’t recognise me anymore!

Very quickly, I realised that this pregnancy felt different. My blood results were good, with a high level of HCT running around my body.

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The doctor had said this was a healthy pregnancy, which is what any pregnant woman needs to hear. The first checkup appointment came almost immediately, just a two-week wait for the first one. Waiting in the hospital maternity wing felt like a lifetime with so many emotions running through me.

We were both waiting to hear the heartbeat, and my heart started to sink, thinking there was nothing to hear again, when, out of the blue, there it was, that little racing heartbeat of our baby. It was so amazing, suddenly I had a kidney bean growing inside me!

The doctor explained that I would have monthly scans to make sure that the pregnancy was on track, and each month there was a new test or more blood to be taken. It was all very surreal, but also very comforting to know that we were being taken care of.

During the next two months, I had my scans and blood taken. The 12-week scan came around very quickly; and there was my bean, wiggling around, and this time I was able to keep the scan picture. The next few months came and went, and life was pretty uneventful. I kept going for my scans and blood tests, which I enjoyed because I would see that bean steadily growing each month.

By this time, my husband had affectionately started to call the baby ‘BOB’ (baby on board), which made me laugh.

The next scan date came on the 5th of September 2016, and there the baby was. They asked us if we wanted to know the sex of the baby; we were a definite no, I just wanted to be surprised, and honestly, I didn’t care either way. It is pretty common to find out the sex of the baby, so each time we went to have a scan, we kept reminding them that we didn’t want to know.

REAL LIFE

Straight after the scan appointment, we were popped in the room next door with a doctor because I needed to have more examinations done, and he told me to strip. The one thing pregnancy teaches you is you cannot be a prude. So, I stripped down to my birthday suit and got on the table, but this exam was different. He was checking my arms, legs, and every inch of my body; it was odd. After the exam, we had to answer many questions about our medical and family history. The one question that stood out for me was this one,"are you related?", lol! I looked at the doctor and said I hoped not and proceeded to laugh. Anyway, I asked him what he was looking for on my body and he told me bruising. It is a way to check and make sure the woman is safe and not in a violent relationship. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Until next time…

Tia

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MONEY WORRIES TIA MALCOLM When I first moved to France, I didn’t ever consider hitting financial difficulty within a few short years.

However, I could not have foreseen Covid-19, which hit our businesses hard more than once, and we found ourselves in a position of not being able to pay our bills. Hence, we had our electricity cut off in September 2019, yes, even with a three-year-old living in the house.

Now I am telling you all this, because I'm not ashamed anymore. It is now a fact of life for some of us small business owners. These last two years have been famine or feast but hopefully, in sharing my experience, it will help someone reading this.

When I did go through it the first time around, I went to see the CCAS. CCAS are fantastic, and they are in all villages. They are similar to Citizen’s Advice, but with more influence and they helped me to negotiate with the electric supplier and even got us some payment relief for the gas and electric for the following year. I would also strongly suggest, if you have children, then get signed up for CAF (Child Benefit Agency). Signing up is very straightforward and there are also many facebook groups you can ask for advice.

REAL LIFE

Below are some helpful links if you are getting into financial difficulty and please, please don't be ashamed to ask for help. I didn't, and my situation became critical very quickly.

Search online: CCAS (pop your village or postcode in here) CAF: https://www.caf.fr/ (Child benefit agency) Urssaf: (Pajemploi):https://www.pajemploi.urs saf.fr/pajewebinfo/cms/sites/pajewebin fo/accueil.html Your local Marie can also help.

République Francaise: This is where you apply for your French social security number, which helps you get benefits if you need them, to pay your cotisations (social security contributions) and submit personal tax returns. https://www.impots.gouv.fr/portail/inte rnationalenindividual/methodspayment Pole Emploi: https://www.poleemploi.fr/accueil/ (job centre) they will help you with most things.

In next month’s issue, I will be sharing with you the shops to help stretch your budget and helpful apps to save you money on your weekly shopping.

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Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, is the UK’s oldest military charity and exists to relieve need, suffering and distress amongst the Armed Forces and their families, in order to support both independence and dignity. This support covers both regulars and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force and their families, including anyone who has completed National Service. They are entitled to lifelong support from SSAFA, no matter how long they have served.

SSAFA also supports Merchant Navy personnel if so asked by the MN Welfare Board. In the context of France, this support also includes those French nationals who fought in a British uniform in WW2.

Sadly, their numbers are declining, and France’s support for these veterans is excellent, and so we are rarely called upon for that segment. As for British veterans and dependants in France, we estimate that there are some 13,000.

SSAFA France is one of the four overseas branches (the others are Cyprus, Germany and Thailand, covering most of Asia and the Pacific).

The branch has some 50 trained caseworkers and visitors covering the whole of France, and is registered at the Paris Préfecture of Police as a national association.

CHARITY

In normal times, we handle some 100 cases a year, but this has declined during the pandemic to around 40. Support is largely financial to support general living in France, specific needs, and assistance with repatriation to the UK. As a branch, we do not have grant funds, but we present cases to the many service charities based in the UK, and also one or two in France. We work closely with the French branches of the Royal British Legion, Royal Naval Association and the RAF Association. It is very much a team effort. The covid pandemic has affected our operation in that many case visits are conducted remotely, at least to begin with.

In addition to requests for financial support, we are often asked for assistance covering legal matters, health, general administration, translations, taxes, prison visits etc. We are not mandated to cover all these areas, and so often signpost to those organisations that can help. What readers can do, is to alert us to any UK veterans they know who are in need of assistance, and we will do what we can.

Contact is either through SSAFA’s main website Forcesline | SSAFA or by email to the branch: France.branch@ssafa.org.uk.

Telephone number: 05 53 24 92 38 Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter

SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE

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Q&A

CHARITY

With Tia

This month Tia chats with Emma Parrack-Graves at Ark 79 - France. Emma and her team of wonderful volunteers, have raised a phenomenal amount of money and awareness to help several different animal charities in and around the 79 dept. Over the past three years, the charity has grown to a very impressive size, due to the hard work & determination of Emma and her loyal volunteers and of course, those fabulous cakes and bakes!

Q: How did you come to start ARK 79?

A: I had been volunteering for a much larger association since 2015, but I felt a smaller charity, where all the volunteers had more of a say in how the money was distributed, was a better option for my team and myself. So, we parted ways in Dec 2018 and I founded ARK 79, as being much more involved with the charities we support was very important to us all. I own the property, so ARK can run for 20 years or so without any problems.

Q: What is ARK 79?

A: ARK 79 is a charity, raising money for animals in need, using our shop in Sainte-Soline and of course our Social Media presence to spread our news. It is also a community, a family, and a place where we can help each other. It is so important to raise funds to help animals, as they have no voice. For me, it's also just as important to help each other, especially during the pandemic, it absolutely proved the point that we need each other. ARK 79 is where our customers and ARK family came together to help each other in such a challenging time.

Find out more about Ark 79 Association and Tia’s full Q & A on our webpage www.simplylivingfrance.com

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WELL- BEING

January is the perfect time to create a positivity jar. Even the happiest of people can experience a post Christmas crash, that undeniable feeling of being all joyed out! The decorations are down, there’s mountain of recycling to tackle, the plethora of visitors and ‘special’ dinners are over and we head into the long, often lonely month of January. A positivity jar can do wonders to change your mind-set and give you that much needed little boost to tackle the day ahead.

What is a Positivity Jar? A positivity jar (happy jar) is essentially a jar filled with quotes, jokes, moments to relive, pictures and just about anything that makes us smile. We often say, we would like to bottle a certain happy feeling, and that is exactly what this is.

Whether you use it daily, or just when you need a pick me up, it really doesn’t matter. The idea is that you keep adding to it as you find new things that you wish to recall in your hour of need.

You can buy these from online stores like Etsy but I absolutely recommend making your own personalised one, after all, nobody knows you better that you!

Take an empty jar, decent sized, so you can cram in as much positivity as possible. I use a Kilner jar and get the kids to jazz it up a bit. Nothing says happy like something glittery and stickered by the munchkins. Bling away!

Using lots of different coloured paper, make little strips to write down your favourite quotes, happy memories, jokes, positive affirmations, goals and you could even get your friends to add in messages or memories, the possibilities are endless.

Here are a few to get you started: · · · · · ·

My dreams are possible Surround yourself with people whose dreams are as big as yours A strong person looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a cheeky wink When it rains look for rainbows, when it’s dark look for stars I’m allowed to say NO The best view is found atop the hardest climb

I will be making a positivity jar this year and sharing a daily positivity thread on our Facebook community page, why not join in and spread a little positivity in our growing community?

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ETIQUETTE

Manners ‘Maketh’

t e k c u B e m a d Ma Bonjour mes petites from mon (equally petite) ‘quintessentially’ French village, tucked neatly away in a serenely beautiful and of course sought after (i.e.: E X P E N S I V E, more than you can afford) part of northern France, from which I do, so happily, take care of the social diary of my now retired Army Colonel Husband, Sir Richard, Isn't he a dish? I am so pleased to meet you all.

Enchanted! My name is Lady Hydrangea Bucket, (pronounced Boo-Kay). I am a retired headmistress (successful of course), an active and accomplished antique dealer and have a ‘super dooper’ busy social life to boot, which I clearly manage professionally, as is expected of my social standing.

Amongst many regular events held in our village, which it is my absolute pleasure to organise, ‘we’ have the usual luncheon and supper club for our dear ladies. This is, of course, very popular with the more refined inhabitants of our very special commune. My right-hand woman is Petunia Goodlife and she and I bring our rich, UN diverse expertise to our village’s wonderful inhabitants, which they of course appreciate immensely.

We also have many other ‘ladies only’ clubs to attend, including the WI and my brainchild, Our Ladies Etiquette and Politeness Club! One does rather prefer a polite society to live amongst don’t you know, especially now that the new but very old (and ex) parson has moved three estates down from Moi! He is rather a dish, but I digress. It is my wont to drastically improve the behaviour (including deportment and general house-keeping) of our village ladies (some being more lady-like than others of course). So, without further ado, in this issue I would like to concentrate on the art of receiving visitors at the Manoir.

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Sadly, leaving a calling card has gone out of fashion, much to my chagrin, but I absolutely insist on a little silver dishy placed conveniently on the hallway table, specifically for the more modern but hideous business cards. Everything must have a place ladies!

There could be nothing more imperfect than having those pesky little printed cards lying everywhere! Deal with them appropriately and speedily ladies! Once the owner of the card has left the Manoir, I take their small presents to my antique ladies writing desk and file them alphabetically! Some of course, don’t warrant any space in my drawers and end up in my lemon-scented, lined paper bin, then straight into the recycling tub for Sir Dick to deal with! Take from my advice what you will, but mark my words, you will be judged for not dealing with your callers’ cards and god forbid you use a pin board!

Oh my, I feel overcome at the very thought.

Obviously, decent hired help is hard to find these days and I no longer have a housekeeper. My ‘daily’ hasn’t mastered the language yet and so I insist she stays behind the scullery door when the bell chimes, announcing a visitor to Le Manoir.

ETIQUETTE

My housekeeper is so very missed and I have cried all the tears possible over this travesty, but no one loves an ugly crier and so I must do my bit, even though I have indeed struggled with answering the door to callers myself. After an appropriate level of grieving time, and some training, I am finally relishing the occasion to greet my callers. I now enjoy, mostly, the opportunity to make sure my hair is coiffed just so and I always wear a fresh pair of cotton gloves, just in case the caller insists on shaking hands.

Of course, one also needs to don a 100% cotton mask these days, which absolutely must match one’s gloves and one must not forget to use 100% essential organic oils in one’s hand sanitizer. I recommend a pretty little antique glass bottle for your homemade sanitizer, as expensive as you can afford. We mustn’t let the side down now ladies, just because of a pandemic! I can’t believe Mrs Jones was recently spotted removing her mask for a drinky! Who cares about the mask? She had forgotten her lipstick and rouge! I have of course crossed her off my Christmas card list! The shame!

Oh, dash it all, I’ve run out of time to pass the time of day with you all and a lady should never overstay her welcome. I have a pressing appointment and must walk sensibly, but in rather a hurry to this evening’s art class. I feel a little bit giddy as I have a nude sitting with visiting Boho Artist Leonardo D’Campari! He’s all the rage and I of course have to be the first to hang him on my salon wall! Tah tah for now poppets, till next time.

gea n a r d y Lady H t e k c u B

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FOOD AND DRINK

The Hostess with the Mostest

There’s a good chance you will have got bored of turkey or the usual game alternatives during Christmas week. I know I will have. Are you looking for something that little bit different to bring to your table during the post festive season? Food writer and recipe developer Ingrid Burling offers some tasty alternatives that satisfy the heartiest of appetites and allow you to serve your feast feeling relaxed too.

Napolitan lasagne with chicken, veal and lardons Most meat-based versions use beef and/or pork, but making it with chicken and veal offers surprisingly intense flavour, allowing the dish to compete easily with the others.

Start by making 4 cups of bechamel sauce with a good hit of nutmeg and set this aside.

Pre-heat your oven to 375C and have plenty of pasta sheets ready. For the ragu, simmer bacon lardons and equal amounts of chopped onion, carrot and celery until golden. Add chopped garlic and 1lb each of chicken and veal mince, and simmer until browned.

Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, red wine, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and simmer for It looks like a typical lasagne, another 30 minutes. A few teaspoons of sugar will but this one really packs a balance the flavours, which should be deep, warm and punch: chicken and veal make a rich. Butter your baking dish and layer the ragu, surprisingly deep-flavoured and bechamel sauce and pasta sheets until you reach the top of the dish. Italians will do at least four layers. Bake meaty dish. for at least 45 minutes with a cover on, then for 15 minutes without.

Allow it to stand for a few minutes before serving. Serve this with gutsy red wine, and a juicy spinach and red grape salad. The pride of Italians, with a rich history stretching back literally centuries, lasagne is one of the country's most iconic dishes and has many different variations.

They range from blankets of meat, layered with delicately cooked pasta in a light broth, to the rich rmerry-go-round of Lasagne Napolitana de Carnevale made with pork and veal balls, sausage and eggs, or even the vegetarian version with mushrooms and spinach, something for everyone.

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FOOD & DRINK

Dorades stuffed with peaches, lemon and mint, served with a hot mango vinaigrette When I first served this dish, it was the brainwave combination of a hot and fruity vinaigrette that made the dish sing. It added a tropical flavour invoking heady days on summery beaches and emphasized the type of fish I'd chosen. Gooseberries and rhubarb are good, but tinned or dried fruit will also partner your 'poisson' well.

Mackerel, mullet, whiting, seabass, salmon, trout, jackfish or pomfret will all work well, as will lobster and crab.

Pretty as a picture and oh-so-light, Dorado with tropical fruit stuffing and even more fruitiness drizzled on top, offers dreamy summery flavours.

Pre-heat your oven to 220C and butter a baking dish well. Season your fish with salt and chilli. Blend chopped peaches, the juice and rind from two lemons, soft breadcrumbs, finely chopped red onion and garlic, lemon thyme, salt, chilli and one egg. Stuff the fish with this mixture and place onto a baking dish. Pour lemon juice around the fish, dot with butter and bake at 200C until sizzling. For the sauce, stir together one tin of finely chopped, strained mangoes, a cup of mango syrup from the tin, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1tbsp white wine vinegar, honey, lemon thyme, salt and chilli. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring gently.

Adjust seasoning for balance the flavour should be warm, fruity and deep, with a summery tang and drizzle liberally over the fish. The sauce improves with age, and so can be made before. Make a lot of it, because your guests are going to love it!

Hungarian goulash with dumplings In the middle of winter and with spring not in sight yet, we need our comforts more than ever. So here is it: a low-and-slow, spicy goulash to welcome you home after a walk through the fields.

With gently braised meat falling apart and sticky dumplings nestling in a rich, herby sauce, this goulash is a winter winner.

Start by making the dumplings: blend 250g self-raising flour, 140g shredded suet or butter, 1.5 tsp baking powder, some water, salt, pepper and oregano and form into a soft dough. Shape it into golf ball-sized dumplings, put them on a plate, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate them. Braise 2lb of diced stewing pork or beef in batches in butter, then remove it and set it aside. For the ragout, braise 6 chopped onions, carrots and celery in butter until golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, sweet paprika, smoky paprika, hot paprika, 2 tbsp each of marjoram and caraway seeds, 4 tbsp of brown sugar, 2 bay leaves, and then stir. If the dish needs salt, add it now.

Add the meat to the pan, stir it and pour the stew into your baking dish. Alarmingly, before you put this into your oven, the sauce will taste like burning car tyres (I'm not joking!), due to the uncooked smoked paprika, but the second half of the baking will transform this, so bear with it, it will not disappoint!

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C, covered, for 45 minutes. Then carefully push the dumplings into the sauce and bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Gently turn the dumplings over, then bake again for 20 minutes. Serve this with lots of noodles, a glass of red wine and a green salad or in bowls with crusty bread.

Look out for my next feature in the Valentine edition, which will be a velvet feast: white velvet soup with sambals, velvet chicken, and my intense version of a red velvet gateau. May you all have a happy, blessed, healthy and safe New Year.

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Champagne

not just for celebrating

BY PAM GAGIANO

Un accueil chaleureux à tous. We trust that everyone had a fabulous, festive, relaxing time over the holiday period and we do hope you are not being overly ambitious or unkind to yourselves in the making and keeping of your New Year resolutions.

In the previous months article, I mentioned the word 'cuvée' and someone asked me what the difference is between 'cuvée' and 'brut'.

CUVÉE is used to indicate that a wine is of a specific blend, as cuvée derives from 'cuvee' which means vat or tank.

It can also suggest a wine blended with grapes from different vineyards or different varieties and refers to the best grape juice realised by a gentle pressing, to produce sparkling wine by the traditional method.

The word can refer to both sparkling and still wine, but for Champagne, it refers to the most desirable juice of first pressing done in the 'methode champenoise' technique. The first pressing is the initial 2,050 litres of grape juice from 4000kg of grapes.

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Outside of the Champagne region, it refers to a particular blend of still wine that contains more than one variety of grape. In general, it denotes a select wine of better quality and is a term used, i.e. 'cuvée spéciale' or 'tête de cuvée', on the labels, to signify a wine of higher quality. It is also used in beer (sour) that has been blended to produce a specific taste, and it is used too in the making of chocolate, once again denoting products of higher quality. One should bear in mind; the use of cuvée is not regulated and does not guarantee a superior product.

BRUT is a classification used in sparkling wine based on the amount of sugar it contains. Brut sparkling wine is by far the most popular type and contains no more than 12 grams per litre of residual sugar.

Ultra Brut, or Brut Nature is a notch above Brut and is the driest of all sparkling wines, with no added sugar or only 0 - 6 grams per litre of residual sugar. There should be no hint of sweetness when drinking Brut and Brut Nature.

The classification based on the level of sweetness or sugar is: - Ultra Brut, Brut (as above), Extra Dry/Sec (slightly sweet containing 12 - 17 grams per litre of residual sugar), Demi-Sec (sweet and has 32 - 50 grams per litre of residual sugar) and finally Doux, being the sweetest with 50 plus grams per litre content of residual sugar.

This Christmas, we were given a bottle of Crémant wine and I must say we were very pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it. Crémant is a sparkling wine made using the same technique as Champagne, but from outside of the Champagne region. The technique used is a labour intensive second fermentation, like in Champagne and is made in eight different appellations in France and also in Luxembourg.

The production regulations are a little less stringent than those of Champagne.Nevertheless, the quality in these wines is governed by strict wine laws. Even though the rules vary from region to region, all Crèment wines must adhere to some specific requirements such as manual harvesting, a limited 'must' extraction from 'whole bunch' pressing and a very minimum of nine months of lees aging. The winemakers of Crémant are allowed to use a wider variety of grapes.

The 'must' is freshly crushed juice that contains the skins, seeds and stems of the fruit.The solid portion is called pomace and makes up around 7 - 23% of the total weight of the must.

Must making is the first step in winemaking.

Lees is a mix of dead yeast, grape skins, seeds, stems and tartrates, which is raked off and discarded. A fine lees is made mostly of dead yeast cells that slowly settle on the bottom of a fermentation vessel.

There are nine regions where Crémant is made. Crémant d'Alsace is in northeastern France in the foothills of the Vosges, where more than 50% of French Crémant is made. Crémant d'Alsace is made from six different varieties of grapes, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Chardonnay. This pairs well with seafood and cheeses.

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Crémant de Bourgogne is just south of Champagne. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay grapes are used in the making of both white and rose Crémant in Bourgogne. The whites (Blanc de Blanc) from this area pair well with poultry and fish, having notes of citrus and green apple, along with apricot and peach.

The Blanc de Noir, with its hints of berries and developing spice, goes very well with meats and the Crémant Rose is very good with desserts.

Crémant de Limoux is situated in the cooler foothills of the Pyrénées (Languedoc-Roussillon), not far from Carcassonne. The grapes used are Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Mauzac and Pinot Noir for both the rose and white Crémant. Typically citrus based, greenfruits, high acidity, with vanilla, yeast and almonds. Good pairings are salads, shellfish, egg dishes and cheeses.

Crémant de Loire is made in the Anjou-Saumur and Touraine areas of the lush Loire Valley, using primarily Chenin Blanc but Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Pineau d'Aunis are also used. These are fruity in flavour with some acidity and are white or rose. Pairs well with charcuterie, cheeses and seafood, whilst the rose is excellent with chicken!

The other four regions in France are Bordeaux, Jura, Savoie and Die. The ninthregion is the Crémant de Luxembourg, the only area in Luxembourg where the name Crémant is legally allowed to be used. This Crémant is made from grapes grown in the Moselle district under the Moselle Luxembourgeoise Appellation. The varietals used include Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Elbling, Auxerrois, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for the rosé.

Crémant is a wonderful and affordable alternative to Champagne. Whether you are choosing a fine Champagne, a sparkling wine or Crémant to drink, one should remember not to over chill the bottle. If you are using an ice bucket, ensure that there is sufficient ice and iced water so your bottle is well submerged;this also helps when putting the bottle back into the bucket after pouring. Chilling the glass is not a good idea as this can have a negative effect on the release of the bubbles and bouquet.

SABERING is a French tradition which is sometimes used to remove a stubborn cork, or for show! The Hussards, French mounted soldiers from the Napoleonic era, started this practice with stubborn corks by using the reverse side of their saber to break the neck of the bottle, thus 'sabrer la bouteille' was born.

Over the years, there have been many different shapes of glass recommended for Champagne and sparkling wines, some being very costly and beautiful. Word has it that a tall, fluted glass allows the bubbles to circulate best. The rounded 'coupe', which was so popular in years gone by, and rumoured to have been shaped according to Marie Antoinette’s breast, is not the ideal shape and should be perhaps used for dessert, or avocado and prawn cocktail! Drinking your sparkling wine and Champagne by sipping it slowly and allowing the bubbles to dissipate in your mouth, can only prolong your enjoyment.

With so many delightful sparkling wines on offer, I can only suggest you choose one or two that pique your interest and when you find a gem, please do let us know.

Cheers Pam xx

COMING SOON

SIMPLY WINE CLUB Register your interest by dropping us an email at:pam@simplylivingfrance.com

Try vegan this month

Veganuary Happiest of ‘Veganuaries’ to you all! I’m not a vegan, but I am trying to cut down on meat for my own health and of course for the planet.

Veganism is a lifestyle choice of course, and not an allergy or disease led diet. If you have never tried a vegan diet, every January, the movement toward a plantbased diet encourages us all to join in, give it a considered and educated go.

What is the definition of a vegan?

Noun A person who does not eat any food derived from animals and who typically does not use other animal products.

"I'm a strict vegan" Adjective Eating, using, or containing no food or other products derived from animals.

"A vegan diet"

On a vegan diet, you can eat foods made from plants, including: • Fruits and vegetables.

• Legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils.

• Nuts and seeds.

• Breads, rice, and pasta.

• Dairy alternatives such as soymilk, coconut milk, and almond milk.

• Vegetable oils.

The 31-day January challenge is supported by many food industry greats and of course the European Union. The important thing to remember when attempting the challenge, is to ensure you get enough protein, iron, B12, calcium and good fats.

Whilst eating a plant-based diet isn’t for everyone and doesn’t suit everyone, eating sustainably should be something we all consider.

I’ve always been concerned that vegan food products aren’t always as sustainable as suggested, just like any factory-made food products, so do be careful when choosing replacement products. With any diet, it is important to understand how and where your food is made and how it travels to your plate.

Veganism rejects the commodity status of animals. Many vegans practice varying degrees of veganism, including being flexible, but reducing the consumption of meat, fish and dairy products.

Somegradually move towards a full vegan diet over time.

Veganism is said to be a ‘healthier’ diet and lifestyle. It is now widely accepted that a plant-based diet offers numerous benefits compared with a diet centred on animal products. While animalbased diets carry several health risks, a rich and varied plant-based diet can offer prevention and treatment of a host of modern lifestyle diseases, including some forms of cancer and hypertension.

Thankfully for those wanting to explore a vegan lifestyle, there are many replacement dairy and meat products on the market. The supermarkets are increasingly paying attention to the demand for vegan products. Scientists are also experimenting with meat grown from animal cells, without the need to farm animals.

Here are a few readily available products that we recommend if you're giving Veganuary a go. You can also find links to a whole host of vegan products on our website.

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Freshly Roasted Tomato Soup with Vegan Cheese Panini’s Recipe by Helaina Holland The first time I made this soup it really was about what I had available to me in Mum’s fridge! It has since become a family favourite and so worth the effort. The addition of the cheese toasties take it to a whole other level and I can promise you, there will be no complaints!

Ingredients 6 large plum tomatoes 1 400 g tin of plum tomatoes A handful of ripe vine cherry tomatoes 1 red pepper 7 cloves of garlic whole de skinned I large white onion chopped Fresh rosemary, thyme and basil

Dried Italian herbs Olive oil for roasting Knob of vegan butter Salt and pepper 150 ml veg stock Vegan cheese Panini’s

Method Chop the tomatoes in quarters, cherry tomatoes in whole and slice and chop the pepper. All ingredients on to the oiled tray and add herbs, garlic cloves and seasoning.

Roast for around 20/30 minutes. Pop a knob of butter in the pan, a dash of olive oil and sauté the onions. Add chopped garlic, a tin of plum tomatoes, Italians herbs and simmer. Stew altogether for five minutes then blend with hot vegetable stock.

At this stage you can cool and refrigerate or warm through, add Vegan cream and serve with toasted Panini’s filled with Vegan cheese. If you are feeling the need for more veg, add steamed broccoli pieces! Honestly this soup is sooooo good, you will make it on repeat throughout winter.

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Vegan nut roast

FOOD & DRINK

- My Sunday lunch alternative

Panic stations, I had lamb out for dinner and a late edition to the table; my brother‘s vegan girlfriend. A family who loves the proverbial meat and 2 veg, I wasn't fluent in vegan cookery. Fire up the trusty iPad et voila! Nut Roast! It actually became a firm family favourite and sometimes an alternative to the traditional stuffing. Enjoy x Ingredients

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: up to 1 hour Method

Serves: 6 people

300g/10½oz mixed nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts 1 vegan-friendly stock cube 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 1 onion, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 carrots, coarsely grated 2 garlic cloves, crushed 4 tbsp cashew butter 180g/6oz cooked chestnuts, broken into small pieces 75g/2½oz dried cranberries 20g/¾oz bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped 1 lemon, finely grated zest only 4 tbsp milk alternative, such as soya or almond 1 tsp sea salt freshly ground black pepper

Put the nuts and stock cube into a food processor and blitz on the pulse setting until chopped into small pieces, but not fully ground. If you don’t have a food processor, chop all the nuts as finely as you can.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Lightly oil then line the base of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking paper.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion, celery, leek and carrots for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds more.

Tip into a mixing bowl and stir in the cashew nut butter. Add the chopped nuts, chestnuts, cranberries, parsley, lemon zest, soya or almond milk and salt. Season with lots of ground black pepper and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Press down with a spoon firmly to compact the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the loaf is hot throughout and lightly browned.

Remove the tin carefully from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before loosening the edges of the loaf with a table knife and turning out onto a board or platter. Cut into thick slices and serve hot with vegan gravy.

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New Year in France We follow our travelling Kitchener Philippa Gratton from her home in Belgium to spend New Year in her 2nd home in France.

Salut les gars! What’s that rhyme? January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow. When our garden in Belgium looks like this, it triggers a response in us.Like birds flying south, we set off after the Christmas festivities, held à deux in Waterloo, to hopefully sunnier weather in the Pays d’Oc!

So, table set with a couple of candles and a few Christmas decorations, I proceed to cooking New Year Eve’s dinner on the barbecue. Nothing traditional or festive but good nevertheless. The old standbys, steak and frites, roasted endives and tomatoes. The wind down here, la Tramontane, can be vicious and by the time it had made its appearance, I was glad to beat a hasty retreat indoors and start celebrating.

Despite the house being cold and having ‘rongeur’ squatters in the basement (we firmly shut that door to deal with them later), once we have lit the fire, we are ready to go! I’m getting good at moving supplies from one place to another in a cool box or two, usually just the perishable contents of the fridge I’m leaving. It avoids having to go foraging immediately for food.

My freezers at either end are also well stocked. Did I tell you about that gizmo we have that tells us about electricity cuts? It immediately sends us an SMS so, if necessary, we can send a friend in to flick switches.

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The next day dawned bright and sunny and so we decided to walk off our hangovers into our local village, Murviel. I must admit, the sunshine makes such a difference. We love Le Plat Pays of Belgium’s favourite son, Jacques Brel, but Belgium is very grey at this time of the year and we love France for the sunshine.

Spirits lifted by the exercise, getting our 10,000 steps and fresh air after the arduous journey the day before, we decided we’d leave making up New Year’s resolutions until Ratgate has been resolved in the basement. I thought this was more Dr Dick’s expertise than mine, so I set about making an Alsatian style pizza. Using up the mushrooms, lardons, thick crème fraîche and bits of the cheeseboard that really by now, needed to be used up.

With a salad, again from the cool box, and a drizzle of truffle oil, that was lunch sorted.

The next few days, Rattie kept Dr Dick occupied. He even put up the bird cam and caught him thumbing his nose at us.

How was he getting in and out?

SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE

One of the basement rooms had obviously been a Rattie Holiday Inn while we’d been away. Thank goodness we had shut all the doors. While the cat’s away and all that! I digress! I raided the freezer for a British-style pork joint with all the crackling. Joy of joys! This was finished off with the sprouts and chestnuts one day, and served with my scotch eggs and coleslaw the next. Such a treat! We are lucky to have a pork farm shop just down the road where we can order it.

They think we’re a bit potty paying for the bits they don’t usually leave on!

Time for that first foray to the shops post-Christmas, but thought we would combine it with a trip to Béziers, the nine locks on the Canal du Midi that make up Les Écluses de Fonseranes and a little saunter by the river Orb. It was a crisp, beautiful day and the Tramontane had decided to give it a rest, for the moment.

FOOD & DRINK

The time passes pleasurably down here. Although the garden and cooking are our respective passions, it’s lovely to be able to get out and about in the beautiful countryside. “Let’s go for an hours walk today up in the hills” says Dr Dick and as usual, I forget that over the last 45+ years, I have ended up in bogs, floods, mud … you name it. Unlike him, I was never a Guide. He tells me now, he was only ever a sea cub. So off we go! Gorgeous scenery, including a massive reservoir at the top of the hill, where the fire fighting planes pick up their water. Needless to say, Baden Gratton took us on a 3-hour hike, totally unintentionally.

I can go on. We always have a great time in the Languedoc.

Perhaps one day we’ll rethink our lifestyle. Recent family events make me realise that we have to enjoy our time and we are still doing that. The skylines are spectacular, but often in winter, signalling a change in the weather, make me reach for comfort food from my British/Irish roots.

You can’t beat cottage pie On the way back, we took the and cauliflower cheese when opportunity of restocking at the wind is howling around Grand Frais. I love that shop. our house on the hill, making The choice of vegetables was all the blue shutters rattle. amazing, lovely and fresh. I Now, I really must make also picked up a lovely salmon some resolutions tomorrow…. trout, a real treat. In fact, it treated us twice. Toasted with crispy ham, lemon, herbs and capers the first day and served cold with a salad the next. I hid the frites. Did I mention New Year resolutions? They start tomorrow.

EDITORS PROPERTY PICK With the launch of our Frugally French Living Column and recipe supplement, we thought we would extend that to property too. Here is our pick of properties under €50,000

www.frenchestateagents.com

T132220SSM22

Côtes-d Armor, Brittany 2 houses adjoined, great renovation project €20,000 - £16,806

www.frenchestateagents.com

A06369

Vayres, Haute-Vienne, Limousin Partially renovated cottage, with woods €36,600 - £30,754

www.frenchestateagents.com

A08374

L’Isle-Jordain, Poitou-Charentes Large 12 room, Character property to renovate €41,600 - £34,956

www.frenchestateagents.com

A08374

Tournon-Saint-Pierre, Indre-et-Loire Village house on the banks of river Creuse €39,900 - £33,527

www.frenchestateagents.com

118250RBR61

Chanu, Orne, Normandy Fully renovated, mid terrace house €49,600 - £41,678

www.french-property.com

LESBOIS3757

Lesbois, Pays de Loire, Mayenne Partially renovated stone cottage €49,900

www.french-property.com

VOISSAY6094130

Voissay, Charente-Maritime Detached house with outbuildings, full renovation required €43,600

www.rightmove.co.uk Le Teilleul, Manche, 50640 Rural village house, requires complete renovation €18,000, £15,134

www.rightmove.co.uk St-Germain-de-Coulamer, Mayenne, Pays de2876008 la Loire Cottage and attached barn for complete renovation €30,000, £27,746

www.rightmove.co.uk Plonévez-du-Faou, Finistère, Brittany 2 bed detached cottage for renovating €49,774

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Business Navigating around business here in France can be extremely daunting even without the added language barrier! However, Simply Business are here to help! Our resident business guru Tia Malcolm has a wealth of experience and knowledge which she shall be sharing with you each month as well as inviting various expert writers in the field of tax, accounting and much more.

Tia Malcolm discusses the frustration of French banking.

Love it or hate it?

The French banking system is quite a differentbeast, a very strange creature indeed comparedto UK banking. To get started, you will need a file or two for the paperwork that will be generated and you will definitely feel like you are signing your life away in triplicate.

Here’s the thing, you do not need a credit rating to open an account here. There is no such thing. Instead, French banks will want to see evidence of your spending habits, regular income and any other assets, pensions and investments over an often-protracted period of time.

Where to start? At the beginning I guess,because it is all rather confusing when it comes to opening an account in France! Firstly, ask yourself what type of account will service your needs then do the research.

In the UK, one would normally open a standard current account and here in France these are called, ‘compte courant or compte á vue’ (current account), ‘compte cheque’ (checking account) and ‘compte de dépôt’ (deposit account). If you are opening a bank account in France, chances are it will be one of these to support your everyday money management needs. You will be issued cards for these accounts and these are usually standard debit cards, sometimes with a deferred credit limit (payable back at the end of each month, sometimes up to threemonths). Not much is free in France and you can expect to pay a monthly fee for all bank accounts and services. It all depends on how much you want to pay for your banking really.

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This is usually: 1. Bank cards.

2. Two cheques per month.

3. An annual change of address.

4. Monthly bank account statements.

5. On-line banking.

6. Transfers.

7. Cash deposits and withdrawals.

8. Cheque deposits and transfers.

If you opt for the basic current account, the easiest and cheapest account, these come with restrictions such as: 1. A monthly limit on spending.

2. No overdraft facility.

3. No cheque books.

4. You cannot apply for finance.

5. There are often restrictions on the money you can take out of the account.

6. You cannot increase the spending limits (plafonds) on the card and will have to ask the bank to withdraw money.

Shop around for the best deal as French banks have varying charges for their accounts. If you cannot speak French, I highly recommend hiring someone to interpret for you. Remember, the banks want your money and they will say anything to get you to bank with them. It is better to spend money now on an interpreter and fully understand what you are signing up to, possibly saving you money in the long run.

Everyone has the right to a bank account here in France because of a government order called “droite au compte”. This is used when multiple banks refuse to offer you a bank account. In France, they do not have to give you a reason for this and it is exceedingly difficult to live in France without a bank account. You can apply for this right if you are a resident in France or a EU citizen. To do this, you or the bank that has refused your application, will need to put in a request to the Bank de France, then Bank de France will nominate a bank to take you on as a client and give you a standard minimum banking service.

If you are a non-resident living in France,occasionally you are also entitled to open a bank account to service your bills. N26, HSBC or Société Générale all provide bank accounts for non-French residents. If you holiday regularly in France or commute, I suggest opening a euro account, as transfer charges can be costly. You must notify the bank when opening your current account that you are non-resident, you will be offered a checking account or a Livret A account. You will not be entitled to “Livret Jeune” (12-yearolds to 25-year-olds are tax exempt), “Livret de Développement” (LDD savings account),or “Livret d’épargne populaire" (LEP savings account).

If you have a French bank account, you will already know about irritating ‘plafonné’ problems. These occur when you have spent up to your monthly limit and are then unable to withdraw any more or use your card in shops until it resets. The limit is determined on your account and by the bank you use. You will need to go into, or call your bank to adjust this. Sometimes the spend limits can be adjusted on your mobile banking app.

Lately,we are also discovering that if you use your card at self-service petrol stations, you now need to have a minimum of 100 to 150 euros (depending on the service station provider) in your account and they will hold that amount even if you only want 10€ of fuel.

You must be vigilant with this if you have limited funds because even though it usually gets released in a couple of days, other money that is due to come out will bounce and you will be charged, believe me I know. For example, if you pop 10€ of fuel into your car on a Friday, it can actually take up until the following Tuesday before it’s released back into your bank account. Any money coming out over the weekend will bounce.

Next month I will be talking to you about the French saving systems.

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A day in the y r e t t life of... A C a r e n ow

THIS MONTH WE TAKE A TRIP TO CHAMPAGNE MOUTON TO MEET CATTERY OWNER VICKI BASSEY & HER FURRY GUESTS A cattery is just like a hotel, but for cats. Your furry guests come in all shapes and sizes, some are loners, some are couples and some take a family suite.

Like people, they are all different. Some, from the moment they enter are always happy to see you, to enjoy a chat and a cuddle – even help with their toilette, a good brush in the morning before breakfast and again before bedtime.

Some guests would put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign up if they could! They just want to be left alone. No strokes or cuddles for them. And not much of a conversationalist either. I find I am talking to myself, but I continue each day and often, they soften just a little bit and even enjoy a caress eventually. Sometimes, by the end of it, you may just get a slightly less angry guest than the one who arrived!

Feeding times often sees the best in our guests, as they are only thinking about one thing. In fact, most like to come out of their suite while the maid tidies and cleans their room, makes their bed, changes their litter and gives them a fresh bowl of water.

Whilst all this is going on, our clients are in the kitchen, inspecting what breakfast they may be wanting and having a good look out of the window to see whether they will venture out into their private exercise area afterwards, or spend the whole day in bed sleeping peacefully.

New arrivals wake the residents up a bit, as their natural curiosity gets them down off their beds to see who the newcomer is and if they approve or not!

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As each suite is cleaned every morning, the residents may walk up to the newcomer's suite on their way to the breakfast bar to say hello, or ignore them completely, at least for the first day or so.

Departures are another event. Many guests come from quite a hectic household, sharing their home with dogs and young children, so for them, coming to Chats de Champagne is a little holiday, and they just sleep, and sleep, and sleep! Oh, and eat of course. So, when it is time for them to check out, and mummy or daddy comes calling them, they often just roll over and try to pretend they haven't heard anything! I often see the disappointed expression on the owners’ faces, so different I imagine from their canine siblings who usually can't wait to see mum and dad.

For the real extroverts, I only have to open their door and out they come, jump on the kitchen table and greet their owners and then, with a little manoeuvring, get them back into their carry box and its home they go until the next time.

Once they depart, a thorough cleaning takes place of their suite. All bedding is removed and washed, floors are brushed, mopped and then steam cleaned.

Window frames, sills and glass are given a thorough clean along with the outside areas, in readiness for the next furry guest. And we start all over again.

Among our clients are a selection of what we call the regulars, who usually have the same suite each time and they know exactly where they are and who we are, the moment they arrive. It is always a big pleasure to welcome them back every time and make them as comfortable as can be.

Bedtime sees another round of ‘who wants what?’

Another stretching of the legs, a tidy up, clean out the litter, fresh water, and supper. Also, a cuddle, a brush and a bedtime story if required! Then night lights on, curtains drawn, and Radio 4, which is on all day as a background but is now turned down low.

It is a great feeling when you really get to know each resident, understand their ways and their personality.

When they are all happy and settled, then so am I.

BUSINESS

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