Simply French Living Magazine September 2021 Issue 1

SEPTEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 1

Simply French Living Your monthly dose of all things French, written for the community by the community.

TO RETREAT OR NOT TO RETREAT Maison de Lunel shows us around their yoga and health retreat.

RENOVATING REALITY Community writers tell all about the woes and triumphs of renovating in France.

NAVIGATING THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Helen leads you through how to apply for a Carte Vitale and other helpful tips.

SIMPLY BUSINESS Our resident business guru

Tia Malcolm talks

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Doe Evans talks through her first year in the potager.

“making it on Instagram”

Editors Welcome

September 2021 - Issue 1

Just over a year ago, I bought a copy of Sharon Santoni’s, best-selling, home entertaining book ‘My French Country Home’, ‘Entertaining Through the Seasons’, to remind myself of the WHY. Why did I come to live in France?

Why? For a jolly good dose of the ‘GOODLIFE’ of course! No one ever moves to France expecting to be miserable, do they?

I sincerely doubt it. That said, 2020 was obviously a real test for us all, both personally and business-wise. Our collective ‘Annus Horribilis’ began with our foe ‘Brexit’ and then ‘Covid’ joined us just in time for spring, practically finishing us all off!

My husband and I had just arrived back in France from ‘one year only’ in Canada to beat the ‘Brexit' clock, only to find ourselves ‘locked down’ in a too tiny rental cottage in Normandy.

This was the start of our second ‘go’ at living in France and it became the most challenging year of our French adventures so far.

Holding onto the dream has certainly been tough for me and of course, many others in search of the slow life in France. During my days of doubt and in my darker moments, Sharon’s inspiring book would keep my dream alive. A quick flick through her book and I’d be instantly transported to my own dreamy French salon.

You don’t know me Sharon, but thank you, for the hope and inspiration you’ve given me and so many others.

I’m so very grateful to those of you, happy to share your stories with us, in this, our very first issue of Simply French Living. Our dream team has worked together to make my other dream come true, in the form of this wonderful, online community magazine. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I have helping to create it, for it was created with you in mind and made here in France!

Always having been an avid entertainer, with a keen interest in writing and interiors, these last few years I’ve just lacked the obvious tools with which to play. Namely, a French pile to renovate and faff with. Oh, and land to grow our own flowers and veggies with time back in the bank of life.

Impossible?

I don’t think so, having read so many of our reader’s renovation stories, warts and all. I still have hope and so should you. Life is, after all, what you make it. Remember, ladies and gentlemen, sometimes the smallest step in the right direction becomes the biggest adventure of your life!

Tomorrow, ‘him and I’ are back on the quest to find that so far elusive ‘Forever French Home’.

We will make an eight-hour round trip to meet yet another potential candidate. I will keep you updated of course but for now, sit back, grab a cuppa and join us on our newest adventure.

Love and gumption

Donna Jones Holland Editor

Siret No.880 941 158 00011

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Contents Style vs Budget 01

Editors Welcome

LIFESTYLE 09 11 27 29 31 48

Style vs Budget Champagne Lifestyle That Comfy Cosy Life

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Donna Jones Holland talks Sumptuous Salon decor on an endless budget.

The Age of Digital Art Parlez Français Astrology

REAL LIFE 03 05 19 33 41

France Renovation Reality

This month we see what it’s

The Good Life A day in the Life of Hope Association

HEALTH & BEAUTY 21

Winter Skin Revival

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Yoga Retreat

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Day in the life of…

For the Love of

like to be a gite owner.

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French Healthcare System

BUSINESS 07 37 39 46

Making it on Instagram Admin Ace Simply Reviews

GARDENING 13

1st year in my Potager

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Jobs in the garden

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To retreat or not to retreat?

Property Pages

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Relax and let us take you through the doors of yoga retreat Maison de Lunel.

Creature Feature

KITCHEN 17 18 26 41 43 45

Ratatouille Recipe The Art of Pickling

Business

Mango Punch Le Bon Vin Food to Live by Biscoff Cheesecake

EDITORS

Our resident business guru

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Tia Malcolm tells how to succeed on Instagram

Maria Babbington Donna Jones Holland Tia Malcolm

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For the love of France Our monthly feature celebrating people's love for France

Our beloved Dordogne by Diana Philips We, as a family, are so very fortunate to live quite close to a regional airport that used to fly to Bergerac, pre ‘Covid’! Hopefully, we can fly from there again in the near future, who knows? Bergerac is of course where we rent a car for our visits nowadays. We excitedly stuff everything into our car roof box and drive the short distance to Portsmouth, board the ferry for Ouistreham and begin our latest French adventure.

It must be around twenty years ago now that we first ever visited the Dordogne area, flying to Bergerac and hiring a car. That very first time, we stayed in a hotel in the small town of Montignac. Montignac is fairly near the popular town of Sarlat-la-Caneda in the South West of France.

The sun shone every day or at least my memory thinks it did! The hotel was a bit quirky but in a nice way. Our room wasn’t huge but had a window overlooking the garden, which was nice. The garden was Eden-like, full of trees and plants, right in the middle of town. The grounds also housed an amazing pool, surrounded by many sun loungers. Waiters would bring drinks out to the poolside and it was all just heavenly. The hotel bistro menu never changed but where we sat each night did, sometimes in the building and sometimes in the grounds. Tables appeared after dark, beautifully set with glistening silver and glasses, set off by candles.

Montignac

Each morning we would venture into town for ‘petit dejeuner’, proper coffee and freshly baked croissants complete with apricot jam and lots of butter. Nearing the end of our two-week break, the staff in the patisserie knew our order as soon as we appeared! We of course revelled in the attention, who wouldn’t?

We spent our days exploring the surrounding area and started to fall in love with this stunning area of France. During the ensuing years, we have revisited Montignac, staying in the same hotel, getting upgraded to a suite!

Lucky us. We’ve also spent time, on one of our trips, in a different hotel nearer the river. Again with fabulous grounds, lovely pool, but with even more quirky room decor and a staircase to die for (in fact, one was quite likely to fall down said stairs as they were slightly askew). We decided not to have breakfast in that particular hotel and returned to our beloved patisserie from previous visits. One morning we woke to a total weather washout, so we went down the stairs and entered the dining room for a change, expecting a warm welcome and decent repast! For some unknown reason, we weren’t made very welcome on this occasion and ended up paying a ridiculous amount of money for coffee and a mediocre croissant (never again!). The hotel didn’t offer an evening meal so instead, we enjoyed visiting the many restaurants in the town.

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The Dordogne Greats Tripadvisor recommends visiting...

One served potatoes covered in cheese with slices of ham, all heated in an ovenproof dish. I have no idea what it was called but it was the only dish on offer! Lucky us. Another night, we found places to eat in the garden, by the river. Cats were wandering around and they would jump on your lap to see what you were eating! We had, after a few years, explored the nearby town of Sarlat-la-Caneda very well indeed and decided to stay there on our next visit. The hotel was located in a dusty side street, with only a few parking spaces. On this occasion, our room was located in the old part of the building, with high ceilings and a window overlooking the pool. We also had some much-needed outside space to sit in during the evenings, chatting and drinking wine.

Chateau de Commarque Lascaux II caves Chateau de Beynac Grotte Bara Bahau Les Jardins des Marqueyssac The Markets of Perigueux Aquarium Du Perigord Noir Abbaye de Brantome Musee Nationale de Prehistoire

We ate out each evening, wandering the cobbled streets to find restaurants tucked away from the throng. I seem to remember, we ate somewhere different each and every night which was such a lovely treat. We were also staying in Sarlat when France won a prestigious football tournament and the sound of all the car horns blasting away in celebration at midnight was memorable in itself!

We were all hooked and over the following years, we have continued our love affair with the Dordogne.

Passing on our love for this area to our grandchildren has to be the most wonderful gift we can give them. They go out happily exploring the village each evening with their beloved Granddad, whilst Granny and Mummy relax with a bottle of local rose, chilled to absolute perfection. They have made friends with nearly every local cat, stray or not and discovered some that actually live on the cliffs. A small covered box hides their food and drink, lovingly donated by the locals. These are not cats for stroking of course, but for watching and admiring for their amazing mountaineering skills! I hope this will encourage you all to explore our favourite region and plan those exploratory visits to the chateaux and their gardens. Be warned though! The roads in Domme are very narrow and not for the faint-hearted driver. Maybe we will see you there in 2022? I hope so!

If you would like to find out more about what the Dordogne has to offer, French tourism offices provide lots of helpful information. There is one for each department of the Dordogne, listed below:Bergerac (Sud Dordogne) Grand Perigueux Montignac Lascaux Mussidan-Villamblard Cro-Magnon Sarlat Perigord Noir Beaumont du Perigord Limeuil Thiviers Le Bugue Perigord Dronne Belle

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SIMPLY REAL STORIES OF RENOVATING IN FRANCE

RENOVATION REALITY

By Lisa Hennessey Barnard Photographs by David Hennessey Barnard

"Let’s do it! Let’s move to France" he said.

We had obviously discussed the big move to France for some time and now, having just sold my hair salon, maybe this was the right time? Our daughters had by then moved out and settled down in their lives, so I finally said "Yes, let’s do it".

Of course, we did our homework and started searching for a property that needed a lot of work and was barely habitable. We felt fortunate to find ‘the one’ on our first trip over.

We really hoped it was ‘the one’ and to be absolutely sure, I arranged one more viewing before catching our flight home. My dear husband assured me that we didn’t have time for a second viewing, but I managed to persuade him that it was necessary and in the end he agreed.

With little time to spare we arrived on time and both of us just said "wow" together!

We’d had a vision, this house was perfect for us and we had absolutely head over heels fallen in love ‘French style’. I think it was the towering ‘A frame’ that sold it to us.

Stunning!

Sadly, the rest of the building wasn’t at all habitable but we could see past that issue.

Our dear old French wreck, desperately needed life from us and would also clearly benefit from a large lawned area, which at the time of purchase looked like a meadow! Our hope was to make it our ‘forever home’ with the possibility of a rentable gite. My husband set to, designing a fantastic open planned area and a onebedroom gite, with the option of making it a twobedroom gite in the future, if a family of four or two couples wanted to stay.

The barn, being open plan, will eventually consist of a lounge, dining area, kitchen and a ground floor cloakroom. French doors will open out onto a patio area, next to the bread oven, which eventually will become a chill out area ideal for a party night.

So, we have found our dream house and with so much time-consuming work to be done, we bought a little cottage to live in while we renovated the barn.

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The purchase was taking so long that I had a little bit of a wobble and worried that I’d made a mistake. I also started to feel really homesick, I was missing my daughters so much. I guess this is normal and so I decided to take a trip back to the UK, to catch up on cuddles! That much-needed trip home thankfully did the trick and I was back on board with the French Dream!

When I returned, I was really frustrated to find the sale had still not been completed and then the worst happened…..COVID! We were climbing the walls, living just two miles away from the barn. We were both itching to get started but without the planning permission in place, we were not allowed.

Finally, the sale went through, lock down was lifted and we got started with mixed emotions, both excited and scared.

Honestly, we felt completely overwhelmed. The project ahead was daunting to say the least.

My husband is an electrician by trade, but can generally turn his hand to most trades, but a roof of 120 m2? Yes, he did it and actually, enjoyed it more than he thought he would. Finally when the last ridge tile was in place, we both cried with joy, it was a long time coming.

I have learned so much on our French renovation journey. We have built walls, laid floors, installed all the plumbing (well, Dave has and he absolutely hates plumbing), electricity, dry lining and I’m also slowly becoming a bit of a French renovation expert.

My domain is the garden. I’m really enjoying landscaping the outside areas and I’ve just shovelled six tonnes of pebbles into position. It’s hard manual labour but I love it! The next day, I always wake up and have a job to lift my arms, but once I get going it's fine.

The barn was relatively cheap to purchase, compared to the UK but if we had to pay for labour it would have cost us considerably more. To save money we won’t pay for any job we can do ourselves. It’s often very tiring with long hours, and jobs take so much longer to complete than we thought, but it’s equally very rewarding.

Yes, I miss England, especially our daughters, family and friends, but hopefully we'll be seeing them soon. I also miss Chinese food, takeaways, proper roast dinners and weekend breaks to cities! The thing I don’t like about France so far is the cost of almost everything! The other day I found a nice sized leg of lamb for the princely sum of 51 euros, so we had chicken instead!

My French is not good at all, but I get by.

I used google translate the other day to aid buying a piece of furniture, which was probably not a good idea! I realised when the man’s face went tomato red, that I had inadvertently propositioned him! Apparently I’d asked him if he would like to come home with me! Ouch!

If you are thinking about moving to France and embarking on a total renovation adventure, I would say, go for it! You’ll never look back.

Life is way too short!

We adore the lifestyle, weather and the brilliant friends we have made. I’m even ready to take on another project when we finish!

Can't quite believe it myself but I did find that my husband and I are way more capable of ‘doing it ourselves’ than we realised. I can’t wait to meet our first guests in our gite in October and raise a glass to our home, that we made together. What an adventure it’s been!

Lisa & David x If you have a renovation story you’d like to share, submit them for consideration to:submissions@simplyfrenchlivingmagazine.com

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IN SEARCH OF THE DREAM Suzanne Salmon shares why she moved to France, becoming an estate agent and her current top potential dream homes.

My husband and I purchased our French house in 2013, as a holiday home, whilst we were both still working in the UK. We had taken a week off work and trundled down through France on our motorbikes. We viewed about seven houses and fell in love with our water mill in the Deux-Sèvres. We tried to pop over to France whenever we could, but we became so attached to the house and the area, that I eventually managed to persuade my employers to let me work remotely from France! It’s a great lifestyle and we have lots of friends visiting from the UK, as this region is a great base to tour France from on motorbikes and not forgetting the rest of continental Europe!

There’s a lot to see. Just pre-Covid my husband and I took four weeks off, to tour eight countries (including Greece and Albania) on our two Harley Davidsons.

Mill house in Saint-Maixent-L’Ecole €488,660 ref:- 119520SSA79

Mill house In Chef Boutonne €530,000 ref:- 115822SSA79 I have spent most of my working life employed in media, including several years as Court and Social Reporter at The Times, but believe it or not, I’ve always had a hankering to be an estate agent!

We’ve moved house many times, enjoying “doing them up” and adding those important personal touches. The dream of course came true with our move to France and I now work for Leggett Immobilier. This career move is absolutely heaven for me, because I get to look around beautiful houses every day, meet interesting new people and help to make their dream of living in France come true!

About my area I am based in the Deux-Sèvres, one of the departments of the PoitouCharentes, in the south west of France.

It’s very rural with endless fields of maize, wheat, sunflowers and vines. We are totally blessed with pretty, small hamlets and beau villages breaking up the beautiful landscape. Most of the old houses around here are built from the lovely cream-coloured Charentaise stone with red tiled roofs, and those unique features are what really attracted my husband and I to the area.

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Mill house in Chef Boutonne €299,600 ref:- A06602

House in Chef Boutonne €283,550 ref:-113475SSA79

House in Chaunay, Vienne, €235,400 ref:-115769SSA86

It’s very friendly here, both the French and ex-pat community welcome newcomers. There are lots of local events, particularly during the summer, but it’s not far at all to get to the cities of Niort, Poitiers, Angouleme or Bordeaux, if you fancy some bright lights and a little bit of sophisticated shopping every once in a while. You don’t have to miss the seaside, as there are some absolutely amazing beaches on the Atlantic Coast, about an hour away, with cafes and restaurants serving the most delicious seafood.

The roads are always a pleasure to drive and ride on, and from the PoitouCharentes, it is easy and stress-free to get to and from the UK in a day. Let me know when you are ready to take the plunge but for now, I hope you enjoy some of my current favourite properties from my portfolio!

House in Pioussay, Deux Sevres €99,000 ref:-115145SSA79

Suzanne Salmon Agent Commercial Siren nr: 838 380 806 Phone number: +33 78 51 00 06 0

House in Chef Boutonne €107,527 ref:-111166SSA79

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By Donna Jones Holland

Vs e l y t S

This month we bring you

Updating your larger soft furnishings every quarter would be quite an expensive, seasonal task I feel, but you can easily change the smaller, soft furnishings and your whole house will soon feel refreshed. This season, the on-trend colours are super classic autumnal tones such as umbers, clay, masala, oranges and golds. There’s a little argument as to whether to be muted or bold, but I will leave that bit up to you to decide. Remember there’s really no wrong way to dress your home, after all, it is yours!

I realise it's barely September of course, but autumn is already fast en route to your lovely French home, make no mistake about that! If I’m brutally honest, I’m a little excited for a few more light layers and an escape from the high summer sun in South West France.

The question is, are you ‘new season’ décor ready? What, no? Summer isn’t over yet, is it?

Don’t panic, I’m certainly not ready either, but this home feature has given me the perfect opportunity to really think about an autumnal update to my already tired, summer home vibe.

You may also be feeling the need for a little seasonal update and for once, my editor budget is absolutely bottomless! How wonderful, I hear you say! Lucky bean! Sadly, it’s really only a virtual purse and not an actual one, but I can dream can't I? So, I’ve been given this endless ‘window shopping’ e-budget for this inaugural issue, which is rather exciting and so I’ve selected a few French modern ‘en vogue’ pieces for you to consider, with fairly eye-watering price tags.

Don’t worry if your budget is rather smaller than desired.

These high-priced designer pieces are just a starting point. You can then go away and do a little truffling for treasures at the price you want. That’s the beauty of the internet right? Oh, and don’t forget those amazing one-offs you can find at your local brocante!

Anyway, let's get on with the task in hand, which is waving a seasonal magic colour wand in the direction of your French Salon!

The easiest seasonal update you can make is to replace those tired cushion covers (no need to replace the inners every time) and also, updating those exhausted, thin summer throws to weightier cold weather, chunky-knit blankets. Just replacing those two key items will give you a whole new fabulous seasonal look! Mix fabrics and textures and maybe add a little luxurious velvet into the blend!

Also, consider buying a lovely big, lined log basket on wheels and stack it with autumnal blankets in various different colours and textures, to set the scene for a cosy evening by the fire. Pairing your new blankets with co-ordinating cushions makes perfect sense to me. I personally could never sit on a sofa without poufy cushions!

Hermes cushions start at €800 each.

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Budget Sumptuous Salon Interiors If bold autumn colours aren’t your thing, then lets mute things a bit for you.

Mytheressa Etro crest cushion €430

It’s also all about vases at the moment and it doesn’t really matter which season we are in, there are plenty of new designs to choose from. I mean, lets face it you can buy some rather beautiful faux flower bouquets these days, pop them in a vase and feel instantly design smug, especially if you are like me and tend to murder any living, flowering plant in your home. You don’t have to give up a bit of summer bloom with fake flowers, which is nice.

For an instant design update, group different sized vases together! They don’t have to match.

Hagen Grote – amaryllis rose bouquet from €109 I really love to place flat, round large trays on the wider footstools or low coffee tables. They are perfect for candles, drinks and or objets d'art.

Group those fancy seasonal books together on your coffee table for interest and an instant update.

Hermes Vases from €495

Hermes tray with leather straps from €1160

LUXDECO - Vellson Sofa – gold €1699

Lighting is always a major consideration to ensure you achieve that cosy ambience, especially as autumn approaches. Replacing the odd lamp base and or shade shouldn’t really break the bank too much, but it is rather a nice treat to splash out on the odd statement piece once in the while.

Personally, I do tend to move lamps around the house to ensure I get my money's worth. As they say in the business, a place for everything and everything in its place, or move it out!

When choosing the larger pieces of furniture, why not consider a twist on French classics in a more neutral palette? Then you can change the look up and get a soft furnishings seasonal vibe without worrying about colour clash. This look will carry you all the way through the 4

seasons!

Maison Sarah Lavoine Portofino Lamp – green From €360

If you are a bit more of the ‘glam’ statement piece kind of person, you will adore this muted gold sofa!

(Above). I do and the price isn’t too bad either.

LUXDECO Statement - Art Deco Tub Chair in Chambray Cashew – from around €5000

Of course, the look isn’t the whole design story is it?

No, of course not. There are also those warm, welcoming autumnal fragrances to think about.

During the covid lockdowns, many budding entrepreneurs, me included, took to their kitchens to start candle empires. The market now offers you so much choice from 'cheap as chips', to clean burn, high fragrance candles made with essential oils. I have to admit to being a bit of a candle addict and whilst I do love a diffuser, it’s not quite the same as a flickering, twinkling light!

Galleries Lafayette – Candle Trudon – Aba El Kader from €210

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By Maria Babbington

Champagne Lifestyle The good thing is, they’re here in France too!

Maison du Monde and La Redoute also have a pretty amazing interior range, with plush velvet and tasseled cushions costing only €11.99 so you’re not going to break the bank.

If shopping is your thing then there are some bargains to be had online, but if you want to really hit that “opulent” brief, then it’s time to get your butt early out of bed, grab a coffee and head off to a brocante, Emmaus or local charity organisation to hunt out some treasures! Of course, you can still do some of that from the comfort of your armchair thanks to marketplace and other online platforms like Troc and Leboncoin but it's way more satisfying to rock up to a field and find something truly beautiful hiding in amongst the muck.

Picture your perfect French Salon interior...what do you imagine? Opulence, opulence everywhere!

Beautiful windows framing landscaped gardens, dressed with gorgeous drapes? Gilt mirrors, urns and antique static art adorning your ornate sideboards? High ceilings? Period panelling? Not forgetting a chandelier or three.

Is this grandiose salon not everyone’s dream of French lifestyle?

Once you’ve fought through the bureaucracy to get here and found the house of your dreams, how far can that renovation purse really stretch?

What if it didn’t have to feel so restrained?

Can you really achieve that French Salon Dream on a lemonade budget?

I’m here to tell you that you absolutely can!

Lighting by Next Home from €39 Once you’ve found said treasures, it’s time to bring them back to life, and this is where the real work begins.

I’m a self-confessed bargain hunter, not quite a Scrooge but I do like to get my money's worth.

Ok, so you’ll have to get creative, perhaps a little out of your comfort zone and definitely, definitely get your hands (and probably everything else) dirty!

The last decade has seen high street brands such as H&M, Zara and Next to name a few, really up their game and step into the limelight with homeware ranges. Stocking everything from cushions, sofas and lighting at affordable prices, they’re fast becoming people's go-to for interior inspiration.

Maison du Monde cushions start at just €12.99 each.

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Lemonade Budget Chaise Longue by Beliani FR €549.99 There are so many helpful tutorials online for not only restoring your furniture but also absolutely making it a statement piece that would be welcome in any chateau.

I’m a massive fan of WooduBend mouldings and Posh Chalk Paints. The moulding will fit any profile by simply being heated, turning a plain old pine set of drawers into something resembling Renaissance... ok, so probably a little premature for that statement, but, with a good paint job perhaps a transfer and a bit of gold rub, it will never be recognisable as it’s donor piece by any onlooker.

Panelling, I absolutely adore it. During our renovations, I did not want to shell out ridiculous amounts of money I didn’t have, to get the desired look. We had a good finish to the walls in our bathroom so decided to use softwood floorboards, trim the tongue and groove edges off and use a router on the lengths in situ, no backing boards, just flush to the wall. After a good base coat and topcoat of paint, we had achieved the desired effect, and I think you’ll agree, at €200 for the whole bathroom, it was a bargain.

Most paints such as Annie Sloan are available at local Brico stores in France or online. I must confess though, of all those I have used, I do prefer the posh chalk range as its so much more than a paint range.

You can understand the appeal of these amazing upcycle and shabby chic projects when you see the stunning pieces of old French furniture you can pick up for next to nothing. They are chunky and ornate and made to last but oh so brown! With windows in French homes being few and natural light not pouring in, the last thing you need is statement brown furniture sucking out the rest of the light. I can imagine this stunning dresser I found for €100 in sage green and cream.

What do you think?

Leboncoin €100

So, before you break out the credit card or dash your dreams of a stunning chateau-esque style salon, go in search of those bargains, get those hands dirty, and think outside the box. I promise you, the end result of all of your hard work will be well worth it.

Bonne chance and happy decorating. x

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1ST YEAR IN MY POTAGER

BY DOE EVANS I suppose for many, the dreams of living in France are the classics, such as wonderfully crunchy French bread, good wine, great cheese and vegetables picked straight from your own potager. The lure of a slower pace of life with little in the way of a commute should leave you with time to devote to creating and tending that potager. This was my dream too.

In the beginning, you should understand that my gardening experience had mostly been nipping down to B & Q (a UK DIY store) on the first bank holiday in May, picking up several trays of bedding plants and transplanting them into my garden borders.

So, with grand French gardening plans afoot and a great deal of time spent, trying to persuade my non-gardening hubby to agree to said plans, in February, we set a start date on an area of the garden that frankly was a disaster for our first go at vegetable growing.

Needless to say his vision and my plans were miles apart! Mine, being rather grander than his. My thoughts were straying to an area of planting similar to that of Tom and Barbara Good in ‘The Good Life’, while hubby’s vision was of a few lettuces and the odd tomato plant!

Finally, after much discussion, a deal was brokered and four smallish raised beds created. We lined the beds with weed matting to stop invasive roots and ordered a delivery of ‘terre végétale’ from a local company.

Tip 1: Delivery adds quite a large additional cost to any purchase here in France. Try to order everything you need to be delivered at one time, so that you only pay one delivery charge. We ordered 4-ton bags of white stone, 3ton bags of ‘terre végétale’ and a ton bag of ‘terre universal’. Our idea was to blend the terre végétale, our own compost and terre universal to create a form of topsoil, loose enough to encourage our seedlings to grow but firm enough to support them.

We went to a local stone and soil supplier, as he was way cheaper than the chain stores. My planting plans revolved around the above plan, plus some chillies.

We mainly invested in seeds, seed pots, seed compost and a small cheap plastic greenhouse. The greenhouse was for potting plants on and hardening off the seedlings, to prepare them for the freedom of the outside world. The wish list of seeds for our first attempt were tomatoes, lettuce, radish, beetroot, chilies, peppers, courgettes, runner beans and peas. All the gardening forums assured us these were relatively easy for first-timers. I didn’t bother with onions, cucumbers or squash for this first year. I checked the planting instructions for all the seeds I had and made a mini calendar to show which seeds needed germinating in pots before planting out and which could be sown directly into the beds. Excitedly I prepared my starter pots and set my seeds as per my calendar instructions. I kept the seeds safely indoors because this year, in March, we had some really hot days!

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I tended to my seedlings as if they were precious jewels, keeping them moist and warm, to give them a good chance at germination. I checked daily and eventually saw, little green heads appearing above the soil. Oh the joy! We were actually growing our own food!

The tomatoes and courgettes grew quickly and soon we had our first leaves. The others were somewhat more reluctant, but eventually, the peppers, peas and beans sprouted and soon caught up. By now, it was April and I had trays and trays of seedlings that needed to be potted. I’d started some lettuce in pots too, so I could transplant into the garden. They were prolific! With the gift of hindsight, I wouldn’t start lettuce off in pots again; instead, I’d sow directly into the ground and remove the weakest ones.

By this time, Hubby was getting surprisingly enthusiastic, and wanted to be involved. Growing food together was giving us a common goal and conversations contained phrases like “next year” and “let’s try this”.

Potting on caused problems though! I am not sure if I potted on too soon, too late or just got it wrong because of my inexperience, but about 50% of our healthiest seedlings didn’t make it. I was devastated! I think the situation was made worse by not knowing what I’d done wrong. How can I get it right next time, if I don’t know what went awry this time? I was trying to work out where I'd gone amiss by researching online but it didn’t help much. Most sites do not cover the area I live in. RHS is written in English but the timings are for the UK. Tip 2: Germinate more seedlings than you need. The strongest will survive.

If I thought that potting on was fraught, Mother Nature was about to completely upend our plans. I was well into hardening off the seedlings, and most were coping. Some were looking big enough to plant out. I was discussing this with my neighbor, a farmer’s wife aged 82! She’s completely awesome, full of friendly advice and help whenever I need it. In this, our latest conversation, I thought I had made a complete mess of the translation. When I told her that some seedlings were ready, she wagged her finger at me and said ‘not until the ice saints had passed on the 11th, 12th and 13th of May. Superstition? No clue. Could this be the point where our precarious marital gardening relationship could flounder? “Nonsense” said Hubby, if you don’t plant them out now they’ll weaken in their pots, it says so on the internet”. I put up a noble defense but he was adamant, so we planted out courgettes, peas, beans and tomatoes.

You may remember that this year there were unusually late frosts and the vigneron were lighting fires to try to protect their vines. The apricot, cherry, plum and other fruit tree blossoms were decimated.

It was roundly declared “un catastrophe “ all over France. The “catastrophe“ of course also affected our seedlings too. Sadly, we lost the courgettes, peas and beans and the tomatoes were looking dreadful. We also lost apple and pear blossom and our new vines were frost burned, Hubby was honestly more upset than me but we were united in our disappointment.

Tip 3: Follow your neighbours planting example, plant what they do and when. Usually they’ve years of experience of what works in their soil. If you’re unsure, ask. If nothing else, it will start up conversations, with people you may not know and could encourage seedling and/or produce swaps.

We composted everything we’d tried to grow so far this spring and a week later, went to the local Jardi LeClerc and picked up six tomato plants, four cucumbers, four courgette plants and began all over again. As an experiment, I picked up four melon plants too. The chillies and pepper seedlings were still in trays. Hubby rigged up a cloche type cover for each bed and we planted out the bought plants.

Oh how I fretted. I had them covered every night until the plants grew too tall to be covered. This also kept out the slugs and snails. Then I was able to plant out the chillies, peppers, radish and beetroot. I gave up on the lettuce, pea and beans mostly because I’d run out of room.

I’d also picked up Brussels sprouts seeds and shallots seeds. Who knew sprouts needed planting in May to harvest in winter?

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Tip 4: Save your eggshells. Wash them, bake them in the oven then crush them and place around the base of your plants, this will deter the slugs and snails from eating your precious new seedlings. I have a mason jar and am collecting eggshells now ready for next spring.

Also if you have a pear tree suffering leaf curl, leave the eggshells in halves and hang in the branches and your leaf curl will be cured. Don’t ask why, I have no idea but it works.

Fabulously, everything flourished! In fact, they over flourished fabulously. In my naivete, I had planted too close. Courgettes need room and lots of it. Our harvest was diminished slightly because they had no room to spread. Planting too close also hides the flowers from the pollinators so our cucumbers were odd-shaped but one, in particular, was so big, it could be seen from space!

I also discovered that courgette leaves are spiky and they cause a minor allergic reaction on my skin.

Thankfully, it goes after I wash my arms in cool water.

Just be aware in case they affect you too.

All in all, we have had a successful first year. Kilos and kilos of tomatoes and courgettes. Cucumbers, radish and shallots are being pickled. Chutney is made. Jars of ratatouille stored and pasta sauce frozen, I was given an aubergine plant and managed one glorious shiny purple jewel. Now we also have melons! Can you imagine picking your own melons? Courgette cake is beautiful and light (and doesn’t taste of courgette). Oh and we still have green tomato chutney to make.

So, we have learned a lot this year. Will we try again next year? You bet we will. It’s a joy, honestly, even given the disappointments. We are hook line and sinker into growing our own. We have acquired a piece of land adjacent to our garden and this will become our new potager for next year. The cucumbers and courgettes will be grown up a frame, so the fruit hangs down and not planted so close. We probably will buy some young plants, rather than germinate seedlings for our main crop plants but I am going to try again with seeds for other vegetables that can be sown directly into the ground. I will also plan for winter veg for next winter.

Top tip: ALWAYS water your tomatoes, cucumbers and melons at ground level. Water on the leaves causes blight. Lots of outdoor tomato plants were lost this year due to blight caused by heavy persistent rain. Only ever trim leaves off stems on your tomatoes that are going yellow.

Cut cucumbers and courgettes off the stems don’t be tempted to twist them off. This will open a wound in the stem and allow disease.

If anything, I’d encourage you to try growing some food. What’s the worst that can happen? Yes, you’ll fret and take backward steps but you will learn lots.

You’ll end up with something you’ve grown and the satisfaction is immense. If you think it’s too late to start, it’s not! Lettuces are hardier than we think, you can plant out winter kale, turnips. Onion and garlic sets will soon start appearing in the markets and stores for next summer harvest. Grab a mug of tea or coffee, a pad and start planning to plant.

Endnote: Don’t have a garden or garden not suitable for a potager? If you’re in France, ask at your Mairie about the Jardin Familiale scheme. At our Mairie, you can rent a piece of land for €10 per annum to grow veg and flowers.

Best top tip: Enjoy the fruit of your labour! You worked hard for this.

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JOBS IN THE GARDEN FOR SEPTEMBER

The weather has been glorious the past few weeks but there is no doubt the cool mornings and mists are signs that autumn is well and truly on the way.

Leaf fall has started in the garden and the jobs for winter preparation and plant protection are upon us. Here are a few jobs you should be tending to in the garden this month.

Start sowing hardy annuals such as scabiosa, cornflowers and ammi for early spring flowers in the garden.

Collect seeds from your favourite flowers, label and put into envelopes for sowing next year.

Divide any large perennials that have finished flowering and replant.

Start planting spring bulbs such as daffodils and crocuses.

Plant out hardy vegetables like kale, lambs lettuce and pak choi for winter picking.

Sow turnip seeds directly to soil ready for Christmas harvest.

Sow early crop broad beans and peas for early harvest next year.

Cut away any leaves from your pumpkins and squash to allow the skins to harden in the sun.

Plant your amaryllis bulbs indoors ready for flowering over Christmas.

Onion and garlic sets should be sown, Troy and Radar onions sown now, will provide you an early crop next year.

Check that tree ties are firmly in place ahead of harsh winds.

Remove algae and duckweed from ponds and water features and net to avoid leaf fall rotting in the water.

Check and treat any roses for fungal infections before the damp weather arrives and bin any affected cuttings.

Now is the best time to order any bare root trees ready for autumn planting.

Prune late-flowering shrubs.

Aerate and clear your lawn if there is thatch.

Cut and pot your strawberry runners for a fresh crop next year.

Cut back your raspberry canes ready for next year.

Raise your pots off the floor with bricks or pot feet to stop water logging.

PLANTING AUTUMN/WINTER FLOWERING POTS WITH LATE FLOWERING PERENNIALS SUCH AS SEDUM OR HEAVY FLOWERING CHRYSANTHEMUMS WILL PROVIDE NECTAR FOR POLLINATING INSECTS.

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RATATOUILLE If you have an abundance of courgettes & tomatoes from your potager, try our ratatouille recipe, a refined take on a classic vegetable stew that makes a visually stunning, delicious, lunch to serve to friends.

Don’t forget a fresh french baguette to mop up that fabulous sauce.

Ingredients

Directions

splash of olive oil 1 & 1/2 bell peppers (mixed colours & diced) 1 red onion 3 cloves of garlic (minced) 150g smoked bacon lardons 1/2 teaspoon of herbes de Provence.

1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 carton/ jar of tomato passata 1 yellow courgette 1 green courgette 1 aubergine 4 large tomatoes (different colours) 2 tablespoons butter (melted) 2 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon basil 2 small cloves of garlic (minced) PREPARATION: 30 MINS COOKING: 1HOUR

Heat your olive oil in a frying pan and add chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers and lardons until vegetables are soft and lardons have some colour.

Add in your herbes de Provence, paprika, and passata. Cook on the hob for a couple of minutes then transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Using a mandolin, slice the courgettes, aubergine and tomatoes and add to the dish alternately, around the edge, working into the centre.

In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, Parmesan, herbs and garlic and with a pastry brush, brush over the vegetables.

Cover with foil and cook in a preheated oven at 180degrees for 45mins to an hour.

Serves 4 A Recipe by Simply French Living

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THE ART OF PICKLING & PRESERVING Having your own potager can sometimes leave you with an excess of particular fruit and veg.

Jams, chutneys and pickles are the way forward.

Savoury jam and fruity pickle work just as well as your typical sweet jams and savoury pickle. Here’s a quick guide to preserving almost anything!

Quick pickle - the prep Most veg other than carrots don’t require peeling.

Cherry tomatoes or mini cucumbers can be kept whole but I would slice carrots into thin batons or round slices. If pickling fruit (these are a fab addition to any cheese board) keep small fruits whole and slice others.

Quick pickle - the brine For quick pickles, a basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is fine — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well. You can use these vinegars alone or in combination. Steer clear of aged or concentrated vinegars like balsamic or malt vinegar for pickling. You can opt to add sugar and a little salt to the brine but that is purely your preference.

Bring on the flavour

Once you have prepped your veg and brine, it’s time to add the all-important flavour.

Fresh stems of herbs from the garden like rosemary, thyme or dill stand well in the jar between the veg or fruit.

Spices like cinnamon, chilli and pink peppercorns work well when pickling fruit. Sweeter herbs like fennel and tarragon will also work.

Whole spices or additions like mustard seeds, peppercorns, black onion seeds, fennel and coriander seeds are great. Smashed garlic cloves and thinly sliced ginger and onion are also a super flavour addition.

Use turmeric and paprika to add colour.

For a sweeter pickle add a little sugar, I prefer a soft, light brown sugar, but any will do.

When you’re ready, add your fruit or veg to sterilised jars, top up with brine and leave in the fridge. Can be used after settling overnight and keeps for a month or two.

Jam - Sweet

Sweet jam is super easy to make. Weigh out the fruit you wish to use as you will need the same amount of weight in sugar. In a large, heavy-based saucepan add your fruit. If it’s particularly sweet fruit then add a squeeze of lemon juice. If using harder fruits like plums or peaches, or adding apple, then add a dash of water to help get the fruit going. Heat gently until soft and then add the sugar. If you use jam sugar it will have added pectin which will help thicken. If using regular granulated sugar you will need to cook down a little longer and the jam will be a little thinner. Bring to a rolling boil until the setting point of 105C is reached. Remove from the heat and leave to settle for 15mins then add to your sterilised jars.

Jam - Savoury

Savoury jams are so versatile, you can add them to a meaty sandwich and it’s a complete gamechanger. They make a great addition to a cheese or charcuterie board too so are perfect for apero with your French neighbours.

My favourites are confit red onion jam, peach and habanero chilli jam, spiced fig jam, and balsamic tomato jam.

Trust me… your ham and cheese sandwich will never be the same again!

Chutney

Chutneys are also an easy and flavourful addition to a sandwich, salad or cheese/charcuterie board.

Again both fruit and veg can be used. Rhubarb and apple chutney is fabulous with crumbly cheese on some crackers.

Chutney is a different consistency to savoury jams and will need a couple of weeks to settle before they’re ready to truly enjoy.

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The Good Life France THE DREAM LIFE OR A SELF IMPOSED TRAP?

By Donna Jones Holland

During my two, rather fractured attempts at living here thus far, I have not quite managed to live a dream of any kind. I’ve met many like-minded folks, seeking that often-elusive good life FR. These otherwise rather ordinary adventurers, I’ve placed in two camps, the ones that made it happen and are loving it and the ones that are still struggling to make it work, just like me! I remain one of the many, baffled by the whole thing!

Of course, we can’t all have started our perfect French lives forty years ago, can we? I mean, back then, they were the real French Life pioneers! Imagine moving to deepest darkest, rural France, not speaking a word of French and Google Translate didn’t even exist then! Quelle horreur! I do wonder if these early pioneers in search of the French good life were initially inspired by the popular 1975 British TV series ‘The Good Life’ starring the beloved Penelope Keith, the late Richard Briers and forever screen goddess, Felicity Kendal?

Was anyone here inspired by the story of a middle-aged, ex highflying couple, desperately seeking a more autonomous lifestyle in Surbiton? The story tells us that they tried to live on an executive housing development full of stockbrokers, without the traditional trappings of an executive life or a pay cheque! The series follows their trials and tribulations, as they eke out a meagre but satisfying living from their allotment garden.

I’d love to know who watched this and suddenly felt the need for a different kind of lifestyle.

Are we instinctively born with the need to do more than just survive? To really live?

Did they suddenly experience the need to escape the rat race, hideous commute and rocketing house prices? Escape the neverending commercialism of every Hallmark holiday and the ridiculous need to ‘keep up with the Joneses?

I’d like to think so.

I often hear myself complaining that banking here is like being back in the 1970’s in the UK. One, I wouldn’t have been old enough to bank yet, so how would I know? And two, do please read the Peter Mayle novel, ‘A Year in Provence’ to understand what beginning a life in France was really like in the 1980’s. Then feel free to complain!

What exactly is the elusive mix we are so desperately seeking?

Cheaper property?

Four years ago, when I first arrived in France, the property market was as dull as dishwater to say the least. Believe it or not, that was a good thing for those hoping to bag an absolute bargain of a French property. In those halcyon days, it was pretty normal for a property to stay on the market for five or even ten years!

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The oddest thing was, no one ever seemed too concerned about it! I don’t know! Maybe, use more realistic pricing and your house would have sold tout suite! Perhaps consider maintaining your house and sorting that excuse for a kitchen?

Fast forward only four years and the property market has morphed into something resembling hot! Who knew? I can’t tell you the amount of times that special breed of expert expat has warned me that the market here would never, could never be the same as the UK. You’ll never make a profit’ or ‘you’ll never so much as break even, if you sell’. Of course, no one knows yet if this much-improved property market is due to the effect of Brexit and/or covid. Will it last? Who knows, but for now, the property market here is moving fast! That said, like life, the property market worldwide is as changeable as the weather really and who can say what next year will bring?

Not me that’s for sure!

‘Him and I’, are in the unique position of being both seller and buyer in France. We are currently selling our impulse purchase and hoping to buy into the dream. I can’t be the only one that got it all wrong first go, can I? Please tell me I’m not. I think, on the day we said ‘yes’ to the French Wreck in 2017, we were both fuelled by way too much good French wine.

We had left both our wish list and our marbles at home!

Our list was quite simple really. He wanted barns, man space and a study. I wanted large voluminous rooms, a walled garden, feature fireplaces and eventually a pool. I wanted a quiet rural idyll.

So, pray tell me, why did we end up with a grandly wrecked, central townhouse, situated on a road, with a spit spot of a garden? I will never know.

Even though I knew the house would make a beautiful home for someone, this wasn’t a love story for me, sadly. More of a nearly divorced story really! Looking back, I really think it was just a whim buy! We didn’t have long to search during our four-day trip over from the Middle East and it was the best of a bad bunch, frankly! Oh, and we got it at half price, so, maybe in hindsight, that was the ‘ding dong’!

More ‘bang for our buck’ or ‘more mould for our pennies’, completely crackers!

I’ve never quite understood why we bothered buying at that time in our lives. We didn’t even know then where we would be travelling to next. The oddest thing is, he absolutely fell in love with that big old pile of bricks! Head over heels!

He does seem be a lover of old heaps, my dear husband, bless him.

I’m not quite sure what that says about me but lets move on shall we?

Several months after buying Big French Bertha and after ‘got yah day’, we left and continued bouncing around the world for another three years. Madame French Wreck was left to her own devices and we had little idea of what we would do with her in the long term.

Of course, we played the game and engaged an architect to draw up those expensive dream plans.

Mainly because I could never quite work out where my dream kitchen would be.

Once the plans were done and passed, we looked into the piggy bank to find it was a bit empty! We were still knee deep in paying school fees and did not have a huge renovation budget. The Good Life was starting to feel like a hard knock life to be honest. More of a self imposed trap than a dream.

I remember when we returned to France from Canada last year, it dawned on me that once a person had the dream property in France and were rather smugly living the life they had craved for so very long, it could still end up being a living nightmare! I heard many tales of buying the coveted landed property, only to find age and ill health made it hell on earth and so very far from the dream held on to for so long. Those with gites and B&Bs eventually tired of the hard work and strangers coming and going constantly. The chateau owners could hardly afford the monthly heating bills let alone deal with the roof tiles which were falling off. Sounds more like a tragedy than the dream. At the time, I just didn’t want to hear any of it. I was a little cross with people dumbing down of my dream just because their's had soured.

I realise of course, we have all experienced major challenges lately, which we’ve had zero control over.

Brexit was indeed bad enough and then came a global pandemic to add insult to injury! I’m still hanging on for dear life to my very own French dream of the Good Life, even if the budget has shrunk to the size of a pea over the last few months!

I remain faithfully in search of the slow life and by that I mean, more time to enjoy the life I wish to create.

I want to have space to create my French botanical candles. I want to dress my oversized period mantle at Christmas with winter foliage from the potager. I want to spend hours pickling produce from the summer harvest. I desire a desk, just for me, in the perfect nook with a garden view, so I can write that best seller I’ve been promising myself for years! I need to have space and time to create a life I love and am proud of. I want to ‘settle’, feel grounded, lay that hat down because that is my home and this is my idea of a good life.

Donna

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WINTER SKIN REVIVAL

BY REBECCA CLARIDGE

H

ave you ever noticed how soft your skin is in the summer? During this time we take extra care of our skin in

so many ways, such as extra showers, nourishing our skin more by applying sun creams and after-sun regularly.

Yes, of course, vitamin D helps play a vital role in this, but changing our skincare routine, without realising, has the biggest impact on not only our skin but also our hair and nails.

Oddly, we tend to stop taking care of ourselves when the cold nights begin to draw in. Instead, we hide under layers of clothing and don't give our skin the treatment it deserves. During the long winter evenings, we tend to put the heating on or warm ourselves by the fire, both of which feel great but can have a very dehydrating effect on our skin. Just keeping the skincare routine going will ensure your skin continues to feel a prolonged 'summer glow'.

Small simple actions like moisturising your body before you get dressed, or even in the evenings will have a profound impact on your skin's look and feel. But why stop there? Drinking more water, as we do during the hotter months, can have an impact on the dryness of our skin, giving your skin a younger, plumper appearance.

Drinking the right amount of water isn't always easy for everyone, but there are so many ways to liven it up with fresh, natural flavours such as lemons, limes, oranges, mint, a dash of cordial, cucumber, etc. On winter mornings, I start my day with a mug of hot water with a slice of lemon. Lemon is fantastic for digestion, or I add some fresh root ginger if I have an upset stomach. Apply a body scrub every 3 to 4 days, this will really help gently exfoliate those dull skin cells, that rest on the surface of the skin, preventing any moisturisers from being absorbed properly. Not only does it help on the outside, on the inside it can help improve circulation, which aids cell regeneration, and your skin will be smoother and more even.

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Before we get into a DIY recipe for a body

scrub, let's look at how and when to use it. As I’ve already said, you should try to use it every 3 to 4 days, so ideally, not more than twice a week, once a week if you have sensitive skin.

Firstly it's best to use a body scrub while you are in the shower, after washing, so your skin is clean and ready for exfoliation. Apply the scrub with your fingertips, in a circular motion, making sure to pay attention to the knees and elbows. Rinse thoroughly using warm water. Pat your skin dry, leaving it slightly damp then apply a body cream or lotion. Applying cream when your skin is still damp can help trap in the moisture. After using a body scrub you should be careful if you want to sunbathe, as skin can be mildly more sensitive to the sun. Ideally, you want to wait until the next day before laying in the sun. Don’t forget to use a SPF if you can’t avoid the sun. Also, you will also want to avoid steam rooms, again because our skin can be mildly sensitive after any treatment.

More health and beauty tips from me next month, enjoy the body scrub.

Rebecca x

The following are the ingredients used in the body scrub: *Peppermint – cleansing, toning, conditioning and soothing, also has warming properties that stimulate the circulation. *Lemon – tones the skin, aids detox and is both refreshing and invigorating. *Orange – repairs, tones and protects the skin, and aids detox. It's sweet scent is both energising and uplifting. *Sugar – a natural humectant that helps to hydrate the skin by drawing moisture to it. The sugar granules have rounded edges that gently exfoliate the skin. *Salt – can help condition and soothe the skin, by retaining a natural moisture balance. *All 3 of the oils I have chosen are wonderful at cleansing and conditioning the skin and make a wonderful medium for combining the ingredients.

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TO RETREAT OR NOT TO RETREAT ?

That is the question we asked Ross Beckley, co-owner at Maison de Lunel

MAISON DE LUNEL… YOURS TO DISCOVER

In the stunning, rural Lot Valley in the south-west of France, set within 35 acres of private grounds, with wonderful southerly views across the rolling countryside, you will find our secluded and tranquil retreat, ‘Maison de Lunel’.

Maison de Lunel is an organic juice detox retreat, run by husband and wife team Ross & Neil Beckley. “Having made some significant changes to our own diet and lifestyle about 8 years ago, we discovered a passion for a wholefood diet and juicing in particular. That motivated us to change our careers and drives us every day to help others make small, but significant changes to their own health and wellbeing.”

THE BEGINNING

Although originally from the UK, Neil and I have spent the past 22 years living and working in the Middle East.

We met on 16 February in 2013 (I mention that because the number 16 features frequently!) and in the last few years we have been on an incredible journey.

Within ten months of meeting, we resigned from our corporate lives and set up an events business based in Dubai. Since then, we have been lucky enough to travel extensively with our work and it has taken us from Mexico to Marrakesh and Azerbaijan to Australia. Our travels have influenced many of the elements that you will find at Maison de Lunel.

Although we don’t have a background in hospitality, we’ve stayed in many hotels and we are very particular about what works and what doesn’t. At Maison de Lunel our focus is very much on the guest experience, keeping things simple, chic and elegant. We know how important it is to step away from your day-today routine and escape, both physically and spiritually!

THE TURNING POINT

I have always been interested in nutrition and I was really keen to pursue my knowledge further. I completed a nutritional diploma in 2014 and this provided a great basis in terms of running a structured, nutritional coaching practice. However, I was increasingly inspired to learn more about plant-based nutrition and Hippocrates ethos of “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”.

With our events business, we worked on many pharmaceutical conferences and I really began to appreciate the size and the power of the pharma machine! Nearly all of the 45+ conferences a year that we were supporting, were addressing medication for lifestyle issues such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and pain. What I found most worrying was the lack of discussion about diet and lifestyle.

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We simply fell in love with Lunel from the moment we drove through the gates and down the long driveway! The Immobilier photos had not captured the unique setting, farreaching views across the countryside and the woodland.

There is also a wonderful positive energy about Lunel and we feel truly blessed to be able to call it our home.

We felt it was a very magical energy that pulled us to a new adventure here. The day after we took the keys, we noticed a roof tile leaning in the courtyard corner by the front door.

When I turned it around, guess what we found? The number 16 drawn by hand into the clay tile! That’s why we both have a feeling that we’re supposed to be here!

I will always remember one particular conference where the lead physician said to an audience of some 200 doctors; “We’ve lost the battle against obesity, the message of ‘eat less, move more’ is falling on deaf ears, the only way to solve obesity is bariatric surgery.

The only problem is, we don’t have enough surgeons to scale up. However, we have now developed a new pill”.

That was a turning point for me and I knew that I wanted to learn, and share, as much as possible about the benefits of a natural plantbased approach to better health.

Neil and I started juicing in 2015 and became hooked. We followed Jason Vale’s 7-day programme and soon after this, I signed up to become a ‘Natural Juice Therapist’ through the Juice Master Academy.

THE TRANSFORMATION HOW WE FOUND LUNEL… OR DID IT FIND US?

By the summer of 2016, we were starting to talk more and more about what’s next and where?

We had the crazy idea that we wanted to buy and run a boutique retreat, somewhere that would be home but also to share with others.

Somewhere that would inspire and relax in equal measure. We had a vision of a beautiful setting that would recharge the soul naturally.

A sanctuary that would offer luxury, comfort and a place where our guests could truly escape, recharge and rediscover themselves.

Neil had always dreamt of living in southwest France, so it seemed like the natural choice.

We knew it had to be somewhere very special and somewhere that we would want to stay.

Somewhere with the right balance of luxury and rural escapism.

We booked a hotel in Toulouse and used that as our 5-day base to view 16 shortlisted properties in the region, Lunel was actually toward the bottom of the list, as it didn’t tick many boxes on our checklist (e.g. at least 10 bedrooms).

Of course back then in those heady days, we had no appreciation for the size of the renovation project or of managing such a large project in rural France, whilst still running the business in Dubai. But, we held on tightly to our vision and our dream (I’m not going to deny there were times when we thought it was a nightmare and just wanted to run away!).

We were originally looking for a property with at least 10 ensuite bedrooms and the former Lunel only had 3! However, there was an amazing stable block, a striking old barn complete with a traditional stone trough and a tractor from the 1960s.

We now offer 10 spacious en-suite bedrooms catering for up to 20 guests. Each of our guest bedrooms have been thoughtfully designed and wherever possible we have sourced the materials from small businesses and local artisans, quite literally from all four corners of the world. Our bedroom furniture was designed and made in Dubai. The lights were custom-made in Marrakesh and our Turkish pool towels from the Grand Bazaar in Instanbul, not forgetting all of our local artisans and brocantes!

The barn has been completely remodelled and transformed to now offer a 120m² multi-purpose studio with French oak flooring and ambient lighting, which creates a magical effect against the old stone walls.

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The former tractor and animal food store is now our communal dining room, complete with professional kitchen. We have installed a new swimming pool and built a large covered terrace, complete with outdoor kitchen, lounge area and cinema wall.

Here we are, four years later and we continue to love Lunel more and more. It’s home, as we always dreamed it would be, and we just want to share this very special place with others. More than that, whilst guests are here, we want to share with them a little of our well-being journey and help others to regain balance.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

EAT MORE PLANTS!

What You Can Expect When You Retreat at Maison de Lunel We are both passionate about a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle and it’s our aim to share practices that can be integrated into daily life, not only during the retreat but also after. Our guests will leave equipped with the tools and knowledge to be able to make a long-term shift towards better physical and mental wellbeing, through informed choices.

Supervised organic juice & soup programme Luxurious en-suite accommodation – all rooms have AC/heating Yoga & Meditation – 90 minutes morning & evening Complimentary Massage Treatment Daily guided walk Candlelit meditation before bedtime Juicing Demonstration, Educational Workshops & Documentaries Our seasonal produce is sourced from the very best local organic and biodynamic farmers Unlimited Filtered Water & Organic Herbal Teas Unlimited access to 35 acres of grounds and relaxation areas, swimming pool & terrace Prices starting from €1265 We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Ross & Neil

It is our aim is to empower our guests to adapt to a ‘whole food’ plant-based diet and take control of their health.

Our Organic Juice Detox & Yoga Retreats bring together the very best in nutrition and wellness. In a relaxed and intimate setting, we offer guests the opportunity to truly nourish, cleanse and heal their body and mind.

Our Organic Juice and Yoga Retreat programme is perfect if you’re wanting to reset, lose weight and kick-start a healthier new you, and have a great time doing it!

We carefully balance fresh, locally and seasonally sourced produce with yoga, meditation, walking, wellness workshops and plenty of time for rest and relaxation.

Guests can join for 5, 7, 10, 14 or 21 days.

The combination of peaceful surroundings and luxurious accommodation ensures our guests have a truly relaxing and memorable experience.

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Mango Punch This refreshing punch is the taste of summer in a glass! As well as a great breakfast smoothie, you could swap out the sparkling water for champagne for a fruity party cocktail.

You will need:-

1 orange 2 cups of mango (fresh or frozen) 1 cup of strawberries or mixed berries (fresh or frozen) 1 lime (juice only) 2cm fresh ginger root 200ml sparkling water

What to do Add all of the ingredients except the sparkling water to a blender and blend until smooth (20-30 seconds) add to your chosen glasses and top up with sparkling water.

TIPS: You could swap the mango for pineapple, papaya or peaches.

FACTS: Mangoes are high in antioxidants, beta-carotene and vitamin C and are also great for boosting your immune system, protecting eyesight and aiding digestion. Mangoes contain enzymes which help break down proteins and fibre during digestion. Strawberries contain manganese, folate, potassium, B vitamins and beneficial flavonoids. The Vitamin C content of oranges is well known, but they are also great for boosting digestion and have both alkalising and detoxifying properties.

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THAT COMFY COSY LIFE Embr ac ing the Sc and inav ian Hy g g e life st y le

DENMARK AND SWEDEN ARE VOTED SOME OF THE HAPPIEST PLACES ON EARTH. IS THAT DOWN TO LIVING THE SCANDINAVIAN HYGGE LIFESTYLE?

The word hygge is actually Danish, but dates back to ancient Norse times, with connections to the word “Hugga” which means to give comfort or to console. That word also happens to be the source of our English word 'hug'. In essence, it’s a word that encompasses all that is comfy and cosy. That word translates to so many aspects of life from interiors, mindset, food and clothing. I’m definitely a lover of all things cosy. Are you?

As we head into autumn, I revel in the thought of whipping out the chunky throws and cushions for the living room, the smell of candles and the glow of the log fire. Hygge isn’t just about comfort, there are so many interpretations, but none that sum up the word as a whole.

It’s a feeling really, an experience even. Like that first sip of your winter hot chocolate with floating marshmallows, or the feeling you get as you submerge yourself into your favourite scented, hot bubble bath!

So, how do you transfer that feeling into your home interior and into your life in general?

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The most important element of the hygge lifestyle is lighting. To truly experience that cosy feeling, the lighting has to be right. Stark white light will simply not do!

The association with fire and candlelight with hygge is because they’re forms of natural light, thats not to say they are the only forms of lighting acceptable to experience that feeling we are longing for. There is so much choice available in the market for lighting, not just the fittings, but also the choice of bulbs are important. Warm white, lower wattage bulbs, or Edison style bulbs are much less harsh on your eyes. Why not try tall, decorative vases or jars with fairy lights in to add to the ambience.

Before you embark on a costly room transformation to fit the comfort vibe of hygge, look around your room. The hygge ethos is all about making good with what you have and taking great comfort in the small things in life. Indulgence plays a part too. Nothing gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside like a little something new.

So, what can you change up that you already have? What do you take joy in? Maybe take a day off from that diet and have that chocolate cake you’ve been staring at! Take that chilled out PJ day you crave under your favourite blanket, bingewatching Netflix with your bestie! Happiness is the key to Hygge, surround yourself with people that make you feel good, things that make you smile or lose yourself.

Put on your favourite music and dance like nobody’s watching, or retreat and read curled up in your favourite spot.

I’ll leave you with some of my favourite Hygge quotes:“We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa ”You cannot Hygge if you’re in a hurry” - Meik Wiking “Material goods rarely alter our levels of happiness, unlike emotional experience. Having can never replace being."-Ilsa Crawford

Give the gift of Hygge The most common time for Hygge is at Christmas. Those long cold winter nights. Who doesn’t need a little coziness in their lives? Why not give a Hygge gift box?

First find a reusable basket or box to add your gifts to. Think about the person you’re gifting the box to, their smell, their favourite things, something that reminds them of your relationship perhaps?

Wrap in some ribbon with a homemade tag and Bob’s your uncle, a Hygge gift for a loved one.

Here’s a few gift ideas:Elements of light - candles Incense or essential oils Beauty products like a face mask or creams Chunky slipper socks Chocolate Something personal to your relationship Pyjamas Warm drinks sachets like tea or hot chocolate Bath bombs or bath salts Something homemade

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THE AGE OF DIGITAL ART

by Patricia Sutton

Joining an art class in France has become quite popular recently, especially for expats, as many have retired and have more time on their hands. These classes can also be a great social event and a chance to meet people while at the same time discovering the joys of art.

As a digital artist, I rarely pick up a paintbrush these days, unless it’s to paint the ceiling and I don’t mean in a Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel sort of way! The thing is, before the advent of digital art, when I did manage to put brush to canvas, a strange sense of fear would overwhelm me.

What if I make a mistake? What if I use the wrong colour? What if my drawing is bad? What if someone sneaks up behind me and says it’s rubbish?

I remember an art class I attended at the Victoria and Albert museum in London. We had to draw from the exhibits.

People hovered around us trying to get a look! Talk about a baptism of fire! The worst part was, when our teacher told us to draw with our non-dominant hand. What the people looking over my shoulder thought of my efforts, is anyone’s guess. I really wanted to turn around and explain, “Look guys, I’m not rubbish, she told us to use the other hand”. I think she was a bit of a sadist, my teacher and as a consequence, I would never put my students through anything like that. She probably had a good laugh afterward but I just thought it was mean and not great for confidence building.

I was having a chat with Chrissie Sally, an art teacher from Charroux in the Vienne, about her Paintapero Evenings. “Attendees are encouraged to bring a little tipple and some pickies”, says Chrissie. “We provide everything else, including the canvas. By the end of the evening everyone has a fabulous painting to take home and has made some great new friends”.

“An art class is a great way to forget all the day to day worries” she says. “Focusing on something creative is a great exercise for the brain and it’s fun too”.

Chrissie Sally’s classes are open to anyone, even complete novices.

Catch up with Chrissie at Facebook.com/paintapero

Here is my pouncing cat picture. I had it printed on to a glossy acrylic canvas and I just love it!

This is my latest commission.

It was for my friend Sam, as a surprise for her daughter. Her much loved cat Arnie had just passed over the rainbow bridge and she really longed for a picture of him as a keepsake for the family.

Sam later had it printed onto a large canvas and her daughter loves it.

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THE AGE OF DIGITAL ART

by Patricia Sutton

Now to talk about digital art. This is a whole new ball game. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to be a proficient artist to work digitally. All you need is enthusiasm and some equipment.

First, you will need an iPad Pro (I realise these aren’t cheap) and then you need to download the right art program. There are a few good programs out there but by far my favourite, and the easiest to use, is Procreate. For a one-off fee of a few euros, you have Procreate for life.

The other digital art item I could never be without is the Apple Pencil. That’s it; you have a completely portable setup. I believe Procreate to be the best painting digital app, it actually feels like real painting but with a lot of clever tricks to make life easier. Such as, when you have made a mistake, you can tap with two fingers and everything you have just drawn will go away. No more getting out the eraser or having to paint over the mistake.

I have the twelve inch iPad Pro, as I really felt I needed a nice big screen and I also invested in a good paper like screen protector, as I found it makes the iPad screen feel less slippery.

Of course once you have a completed piece you can choose what to do with it. You can print it for framing, have it printed onto canvas or better still have it printed onto acrylic.

WHY NOT GIVE IT A GO?

Using Procreate and drawing on the iPad for the first time may feel strange but I promise you, over time you will become absolutely addicted.

Procreate gives you unique superpowers with industry-leading features such as QuickShape, StreamLine, Drawing Assist and ColorDrop. All developed to get the most from iPad, Apple Pencil and, most importantly, you.

Procreate comes with an entire library of brushes with everything from pencils, inks, charcoals, to artistic brushes that lay beautiful painterly textures. Each brush can be customised with the Brush Studio or you can download thousands of brushes to suit any style you can imagine. If that wasn't enough, you can even make your very own custom brushes.

Pat Sutton lives in the Charente. She is passionate about animals. When she’s not pandering to an extremely spoilt rescue cat called Bernie, she is sitting at her iPad drawing cats and dogs and horses and rabbits. Pat is a digital artist specialising in pet portraits.

www.facebook.com/PatriciaCSutton www.patsutton.com

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Parlez Français?

Each month we will be sharing helpful French phrases & conversation. This month‘s theme is dining out.

When you are ordering and interacting with the staff members in the restaurants here in France, manners and dining etiquette go a long way towards getting on their good side.

Here are some essential phrases you will need to use with your waiter and other staff. (A select few are phrases you may need to respond to.)

Ordering and etiquette Bonjour. J’ai une réservation pour deux (trois/quatre) sous le nom de... "Hello. I have a reservation for two (three/ four) under the name of…"

Avez-vous une table pour deux (trois/quatre)?: "Do you have a table for two (three/four)?" If you don’t have a reservation, this is how to ask if you can be seated. Remember, though, that it’s best to call ahead, especially for dinner.

La carte, s’il vous plaît. "The menu, please."

La carte des vins, s’il vous plaît. "The wine list, please."

Qu’est-ce que vous voulez commander? "What would you like to order?" Just so you know, if the waiter says this to you, he or she is asking for your order.

Que voulez-vous? "What would you like?" The waiter will ask this as either an alternative way of taking your order, or as a general way of seeing if there’s something else (a napkin, some water) you’d like.

Qu’est-ce que la recommandation du chef?

"What is the chef’s recommendation?" If you don’t know what to order, this is a great way to find out what the best or most famous dishes at the restaurant are.

Quel est le plat du jour? "What’s today’s special?"

Je prendrai/ Je voudrais/ J’aimerais…: "I would like to order…" All three are acceptable.

Un moment, s’il vous plaît. "One moment, please." This is something to say if you are still deciding what to order.

L’addition, s’il vous plaît. "The check, please."

Usually, you won’t get the check until you ask for it. This is a polite way to let the waiter know you are ready to leave.

Here are some basic food words for things you would like to try (or anything you know you don’t want to try!). Don’t be afraid to get something new, you may be pleasantly surprised.

• Vin rouge/ blanc/ mousseux “Red wine/ white wine/ sparkling wine • ”J’aimerais de l’eau.” I would like some water.

• “le pain” bread • “le fromage“ cheese • “une salade“ a salad. Strictly speaking, this is also the word for lettuce, so if it is listed on the side of something like a hamburger, it may just mean that the dish comes with lettuce. Be aware of the context.

• “les pommes de terre“ potatoes • “le porc” pork • “le poulet“ chicken • “le bœuf” beef • “J’aime mon steak saignant/ à point/ bien cuit” I like my steak rare/ medium(-rare)/ well-cooked.

• ”Puis-je avoir du sel/ poivre?” May I have some salt/ pepper?

• ”Un café avec le dessert, s’il vous plaît” A coffee with dessert, please.

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If you are not happy or have received something that you didn’t order or perhaps something is not quite to your liking, here are some phrases to help!

“C’est trop cuit” it’s over cooked ”La viande est trop cuite/saignante/dure” The meat is overcooked/rare/hard ”Ce n’est pas ce que j’ai commandé” It’s not what I ordered “C’est trop sale/amer/sucré” It’s too salty/bitter/sweet Nowadays we all are becoming more aware of dietary requirements and preferences when eating out. Here are some phrases that should help you have a more fulfilling dining experience.

“Je suis un végétarien(ne)” I am a vegetarian “Je suis un végétalien(ne)” I am a vegan

“C’est tout froid” The food is cold ”Pourquoi ça prend tant de temps?” Why is it taking so long?

“Ce plat ne me plaît pas.” I don’t like this dish “Ce n’est pas frais.” It’s not fresh.

“Je suis au régime” I have a special diet

“Je voudrais renvoyer ce plat.” I’d like to send this dish back.

“Je suis allergique au gluten” I’m allergic to gluten.

“Je voudrais parler avec le maître d’hôtel.” I’d like to talk with the head waiter.

“Je suis allergique au lait de vache/produits laitiers” I’m allergic to cow’s milk/dairy “Avez-vous des plats pour les diabétiques?”

Do you have any dishes for diabetics?

“Je dois évieter le/la/les…” I must avoid…

“Est-ce que c’est cachère?” Is it kosher?

“Pas trop épicé/piquant, s’il vous plaît.” Not too spicy, please.

“Je voudrais encore.” I’d like more.

“Puis-je avoir encore un peu de…” May I have some more…

When you have finally finished your wonderful meal, you need to pay the bill.

“Je te/vous invite!” It’s my treat!

“L’addition, s’il vous plaît.” The bill, please.

“Chacun paye sa part.” We’re going Dutch. ”Il parraît qu’il y a une erreur dans l’addition.” It looks like there’s a mistake in the bill “Le service/tout est compris?” Is the service/everything included?

“Acceptez-vous les cartes de crédit?” Do you accept credit cards?

“C’était délicieux/très bon!” It was delicious/good!

“Nos compléments au chef!” Our complements to the chef!

“Donnez-moi une petite portion de…” Give me a small portion of…

Next month we walk you through how to make medical appointments and how to describe your ailment.

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A day in the life of…

A CHAMBRE D’HOTES PROPRIETOR

No day is ever the same in the world of the chambre d’hotes proprietor. Each guest’s experience and expectations will be different, as their requirements can vary greatly, from the family stopping off on their journey down south, to the couple visiting France, house hunting in search of the French dream..

Our day will begin with breakfast. At present, due to Covid, we can only accommodate one set of guests at a time. Depending on which room is booked out, we then close the other rooms, allowing us to concentrate on the individual set of guests and keep them safe. The guests choose the time of the breakfast and I usually get up an hour before so that I can take the dogs out, feed the chickens and ducks, and prepare for breakfast.

Breakfast consists of cereals, fresh bread, a selection of fresh pastries (croissants are obviously a favourite), homemade jams, fresh juices, teas, and coffees and also boiled eggs from the ducks or chickens. We have often had children go out and pick their own eggs for breakfast which is popular amongst families.

Nicki & Paul Roberts No. 5 Chambre d’hotes Rue des jardins Courcôme 16700

Once the guests have finished breakfast, we clean up and either check them out, or if they are going out for the day, start our jobs. This is when the hard work begins! If they have checked out, we have to strip the beds and wash the bedding on a hot wash. I put white vinegar in the wash to help disinfect. All the light switches, handles and anything that could have been touched need to be disinfected and the shower and floors scrubbed. Teas and coffees in the room need to be replaced and cups washed and cleaned. We keep a spare set of bedding for all the beds so that while the first set is being washed, dried and ironed, we can make the beds up. I always like to make sure the rooms are ready for occupancy at any time for last-minute bookings from the unexpected traveller.

Dusting and polishing is never finished, nor is the ironing!

You really have to love housework for this job!

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Once the rooms are ready, we can have a cup of tea while checking and updating the websites and checking emails. We will then pop out to get the freshly baked breads and croissants for the next day's breakfasts.

We are lucky to have many fruit trees in the garden, so when fruit is ripe we make the jam for future breakfasts. Nature doesn’t wait for you, so you have to take advantage of the bounty of the seasons when they appear. We try to use as much local or homegrown produce as possible, so a lot of time is required in the garden. Even the large lawns take a day and a half to mow so that the grounds look as nice as possible for the guests to wander around or relax in. The sheer amount of washing to hang out and get in and the bedding and towels to iron ready for the next guests seems never-ending!

If guests have requested a meal then prep will begin, to get a delicious meal ready for our weary travellers.

Guests can choose to eat outside or inside depending on the weather, we have the option of three areas for them to choose from and we give them a loose option of time to eat so that the day doesn’t go on too long for us.

Guests can book anytime, subject to availability and guests can arrive from 4pm until 11pm for checkin. Some chambre d’hotes require that people book in advance, but my husband enjoys the fact that we could get an unexpected booking at any time. We have had guests book at 10.45pm and arrive at 11.15pm.

Before the guests retire for the night, we will ask what time they would like breakfast.

The last job for us is to shut the chickens and ducks away and collect any more eggs for the next days breakfasts and start laying out what we can, ready for it to start all over again.

Our grandson said recently “Nanny, did you move to France to be a cleaner?" Oh, from the mouths of babes! That said, we love our job and our lives, and the many different people we meet and get to talk with along the way.

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THE FRENCH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM EXPLAINED Helpful websites & contact numbers www.ameli.fr www.frenchheathcare.fr www.has-sante.fr

The French healthcare system can be very confusing for new arrivals, as it can also be for old hands here in France!

So, hopefully, this article will help explain a few things for you.

To start with, let's get to grips with the important ‘acronyms’ that you may come across.

Firstly, no matter what your situation, you will enter the healthcare system via PUMA (Protection Universelle Maladie). How you enter the French healthcare system, will depend on your personal financial and working status, which we will look at later on.

Generally, you will apply for your healthcare cover via Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (also known as CPAM), unless you work in an agricultural-type job. In which case your cover is via Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA). The online presence of the CPAM is called Ameli and once you have received your permanent social security number, you will be able to create an online account with them, to keep track of any reimbursements and order a new Carte Vitale (your French Healthcare card) or CEAM cards.

Medical emergency:- Dial 15 from any french phone Out of hours doctor service:- Dial 116 / 117 from any french phone SOS help (mental healthcare) 0146 21 46 46 Croix Rouge Écoute (Red Cross) 0800 858 858

HOW TO APPLY FOR HEALTHCARE COVER If you arrived in France after the ‘Brexit’ deadline, you will have had to arrange full private healthcare cover, to protect you and/or your family, until you receive your temporary social security number. You will have been required to prove this healthcare cover during your visa application.

Once living in France, depending on your personal status, you can either apply immediately (if working or selfemployed) or as soon as you receive your S1 from your country of origin or after 3 consecutive months in the country.

Should you be inactive, you will need to complete the form linked below to apply. www.ameli.fr/sites/default/files/formulaires/168/s1106_-_demande_puma_-_assurance_maladie.pdf If you have children to add to your cover, you must also fill in this form. www.ameli.fr/sites/default/files/formulaires/168/s1106_-_demande_puma_- _assurance_maladie.pdf Now comes the waiting game! Unfortunately, it can take MONTHS to get any response and dossiers can sometimes go missing. The English-speaking CPAM helpline number is 09 74 75 36 46 and it will become your best friend. You absolutely should regularly chase your health cover, if you are still waiting after three months or more.

Once you have your temporary number, congratulations, you are 'in the system' and you may cancel your private healthcare cover (and send in all those brown forms, I'll explain later). CPAM will at this point request further copies of your ID, full birth certificate and a bank RIB. You will not automatically be issued with an ‘Attestation des Droits’ proving you are in the system, but do phone the CPAM helpline and they'll email one to you instantly.

This last home run is most likely the most frustrating part of moving to France and it can take weeks for some, months for others, but you will eventually be issued with a permanent Social Security number, starting either with a 1 or a 2, followed by year of birth, month of birth etc. You are now at the stage you can request a Carte Vitale and open an Ameli account (although you may need to call the helpline to get a unique four-digit code in order to create your online space (espace).

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CARTE VITALE & BROWN FORMS

During the time you have been patiently waiting to get in the French healthcare system, whenever you’ve visited a healthcare professional or pharmacy, you should have been given a brown form, called a Feuille des Soins. These are so you can claim back medical costs later.

Once you have your temporary Social Security number, you can fill in your personal details, any forms that are from the start date of your cover can then be sent to your local CPAM office for ‘reimboursement’ (don't forget to add a bank RIB so they can pay into your account).

Once you have a permanent SS number, you will receive a paper form to attach a passport style photo and ID. Send this to the Centrale that makes Cartes Vitales or if you are already able to create your Ameli account you can click 'demande de carte vitale' and follow the instructions to upload your ID and photo.

Although people seem to think the Carte Vitale is a holy grail, in my opinion, it is not. All it does is reduce the paper shuffling of the brown forms. It does not in any way prove you are in the healthcare system and for this reason, I recommend you carry a copy of both your Carte Vitale and Attestation des Droits when visiting healthcare professionals.

As a final reminder, the state do NOT cover 100% of your healthcare cover here, unless you have what is called an ‘Affection Longue Durée’ (a long-term illness) that your doctor has specifically added as a note on your file.

Healthcare here is generally about 70% paid by the state, 30% by you and the full table can be found here; https://www.ameli.fr/manche/assure/rembour sements/rembourse/tableau-recapitulatiftaux- remboursement/tableau-recapitulatiftaux-remboursement For this reason, I highly recommend taking out a top-up Mutuelle insurance policy.

Top Mutuelle policy providers are:Covéa, Axa, Groupama, Swiss Life, Macif and Alliancz (and their subsidiaries), are good for both private cover and mutuelle, whilst the major mutuelles providers are MGEN, La Mutuelle Générale, Harmonie Mutualite and MNH. It may also be prudent to contact your bank as some also provide insurance at an attractive rate to their account holders.

I hope you found this information helpful.

Helen X

Helen Helps – la fée Franglaise

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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 will be sharing with you each month as well as inviting various expert writers in the field of tax, accounting and much more.

Tia Malcom Simply Me September 2021

Hello. You may already know me from the ‘UnFrench’ platforms that were? My name is Tia and I have lived and worked in France for the last eleven years or so. I have either been in full time employment on either English or French contracts or I have been running a few businesses of my own here in France. Some have been hits and others not so much.

I will be bringing you hints, tips and advice on how to navigate the world of French accounting, businesses and how to extend your reach on social media platforms. I will share my knowledge on apps and other tech to help you grow your business.

Who am I? I started my new life in France working at Château Milly with my husband in 2010.

Unfortunately, they didn’t really want me, but as we came as a pair, they had no choice really! I ended up starting life at the chateau as the cleaner, but soon made the rank of manager in charge of some really demanding staff and bosses! The guests? They were very easy to deal with!

Esta is one of my business ventures. We regularly attend food festivals and is a popular booking for weddings www.vintage-ice.com

I then moved from being on an English contract working in France to a French contract. I will tell you a little more about how these work later. Whilst I was Chateau bound, I dipped my toe in various direct selling companies to try and boost my earnings. I will do a separate article on the pros and cons of direct selling.

We left the château back in 2018 to run our own business, which really helped with a small child to take care of. I decided to buy a vintage ice cream van and my husband started a removals company.

Previously, when I have opened up any new business, I have always opted for the AE regime (Auto Entrepreneur). I’ve only had one or two businesses working at any one time, so the AE registration suited me. However, when I left the château and decided to open something more complex, we knew we would need to take advice from a French accountant (more on French accounts later).

We discussed our options with the accountant and opted for a SARL company registration, which is one of a few limited company formations offered in France.

Since then, I have learned so much about the various company registrations, which I will endeavour to share with you.

So, that’s enough about me for now, here are a few simple tips to help grow your business Instagram account and get those numbers going in the right direction.

Our other business is: www.malcolmandson.com Photo Credits: Tia Malcolm

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Instagram Over the coming issues, I am going to be talking all things social media. With global digital buyers hitting 2.14 billion this year and 18.1% of global sales being purely through e-commerce, your business online presence is more important than ever.

When embarking on the self-employed life, social media becomes a very important business growth and marketing tool you simply should not ignore. I know it can sometimes feel like you are treading through water and everything is as clear as mud! How do you find out what’s trending and what the heck are algorithms?

Here are some simple steps you can use today, which will help you extend your reach and gain active, genuine followers.

Spend at least 10 to 20 minutes a day following, liking and commenting on other posts. Make sure when you are do this, you do so on feeds you find interesting and can relate to, people always know when you are not really interested in their feed.

Always like and save the post! Instagram loves it when you save posts and pop them into categories.

Comment at least 5 words not including those obvious emojis. Instagram classes words as genuine content.

Be authentic, be yourself and try not to go too far off-kilter with your content.

Stick with what you enjoy and are comfortable with. If you are promoting a certain lifestyle keep on topic! If the topic is cooking, keep it about cooking! If it's weddings, keep it all about weddings! Followers can get confused when you throw in random pictures and unrelated posts.

Check your insights regularly to see how you are doing! I know its not all about the numbers but this is a really good indication of who is following you, when and what times are optimal for posting.

Always use any new tool Instagram throws out there. At the moment, it’s all about reels. Reels are a great way to get your account seen and increase your reach. When I’m making reels, I use Power Director and Canva, to help make it easier and I keep them short and to the point. I also use the latest tunes for my reels and they are usually the first 5 that pop up!

Make your #tags relevant, you can use up to 30 on any one post, tags are tricky because some say you use 1 to 3 and others say use the whole lot! I find my posts are less messy but more effective when using only 11 to 15 tags at any one time Check out the competition! See what they are doing. Don’t ever copy them but a little competition is healthy!

I hope you have found this article helpful.

Next month's issue:-

I delve into Facebook and how to get your pages and groups to grow.

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GUIDING YOU THROUGH THE BUREAUCRACY Lorna Hunt lorna@admin-ace.fr

Arriving in France can be so overwhelming but thanks to the existence of companies like the team at Admin Ace, it really doesn’t have to be.

We arrived in France (12 years and 20 years ago respectively), naive and unaware of any of the systems and administrative procedures in this beautiful country. Over the years we have opened businesses, bought, renovated, sold and rented properties, had children and still the list goes on. We were both keen to learn French and forced to become accustomed to the French love of paper and process. After assisting friends and family for years (often in exchange for wine!) last year we decided to open our services to the paying public too.

Justine Potter justine@admin-ace.fr

Simon Dolton Sid.kalak@gmail.com

Admin Ace was born. Justine, my sister and I registered our business and put just one small post on Facebook, who would have believed the response? So many people, so grateful to hand their bureaucratic nightmares over to someone else to deal with. We are often told that we have changed peoples’ lives by helping them with some administrative stress or another. We have a wonderful client who calls us Mrs Gin and Tonic, due to the relaxing effect we have on her! We have recently been joined by Simon, our tech genius, who manages all aspects of our business software, hardware and communications. He has been super busy managing installations for clients too.

We can help with visas, residency applications, planning permission, registering foreign vehicles, drivers licences, Carte Vitales, health care, insurances, utility bills and new connections, renovation grants, satellite installations, assistance finding or communicating with tradespeople, telephone calls, emails and rendezvous. That list is not exhaustive by any means. So please contact us if you need someone to take the stress out of bureaucracy.

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Celebrating French Wine Culture with Pam Gagiano

LE BON VIN When the Simply Living team first started kicking around the idea of an E-mag, we put forward our ideas of what we could all contribute to make this 'a must' read, little knowing that the wine page would somehow become 'mon bébé'! It's not that I know much about wine at all, more that I enjoy a glass of wine or three, with or without meals and preferably with friends and family!

Having been an expat wife for many years now, I have had the opportunity to savour many a quaffable wine on my travels and sojourns. Some outstanding, others not so much! Having grown up in South Africa, then marrying a man who knows his SA wines and now living the dream here in France, I am delighting in discovering new flavours, varietals and pairings.

I will endeavour to be as true to the wines as possible, hoping we can learn about these fabulous French (and sometimes elsewhere in the world) wine regions together!

With this in mind, I feel a good place to start would be Rosé wines and a little wine history?

Salut!

Wine dates back to the 6th century BC, when some vines were brought to Bordeaux and Marseilles (Massalia) in southern France, by the Phoenician, ancient Greeks (now modern-day Turkey). Rosés were originally a field blend of red and white grapes and were notably light in colour (my description, the colour of a brown onion skin). This wine soon became the talk of the Mediterranean, and to this day, a Provençal rosé is highly regarded, sought after, valued, prized and enjoyed worldwide. Almost two-thirds of Provencal viticulture is dedicated to the production of rosé wine and is typically regarded as the oldest wine-producing region in France.

Rosé is super popular as it pairs well with just about anything and has, on the whole, a lesser alcohol content than a red, making it an 'easy drinking' wine for everyone.

Wine get it’s colour from the juice's contact with the skin of the grapes. The colour of the skin seeps or bleeds into the juice, which gives the colour to the wine. For rosé wine, the skins are left in the juice for a very short period of time, generally under twenty hours to achieve the desired colour and tannins before being removed at the start of the fermentation process.

AOC - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée- is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters and other agricultural products under the auspices of the government. The certification is based on the concept of 'terroir' and a form of geographic protectionism and guarantees that the AOC products will be produced to a consistent and traditional manner with the specified ingredients.

The first region in Provence we visit is the Palette region. This is near Aix-en-Provence and a relatively small AOC, which was established in 1948. The varietals used here are predominantly Grenache, giving spice, red fruit and flavours.

Mouvedre brings dark fruits, with blueberries, blackberries and plums along with black pepper, smoke and roses. Cinsault varietal brings red berry fruits like cherries, ripe strawberries and red currant along with black pepper, violets and allspice.

The next region we will visit is Coteaux Varois, which is a cooler area of Provence, with the predominant varietals being Grenache, Cinsault, Mouvedre and Syrah for both the reds and rosés. The whites use différent varietals which we will cover in future éditions.

The third region is the Coteaux d'Aix-enProvence, the second largest region in Provence which once again uses the same varietals which are particular to this area.

Bandol is the final area we will be looking at.

The Mouvedre, Cinsaut and Grenache varietals dominate the rosés from Bandol. Get tasting and let me know what you think?

Next month: Favourite wines, wine tours and tastings from the above regions

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THE HOPE ASSOCIATION Maria Kirkbdide and her army of volunteers bring hope to animals in need across 79 Region

The Hope Association is a fund-raising organisation based in southwest France run by volunteers dedicated to providing donations to support other associations that care for, re-home and foster animals.

Created around a kitchen table to save a single dog, back in November 2009, we are still going strong. This November will be the 12th anniversary of The Hope Association and we are all so very proud of the fund-raising we have been able to continue.

WHERE TO FIND US.

Hope Shop 79 Sauzé-Vaussais, 2 Rout de Vauthion 79190 06 88 01 10 74 Hope can be found in the heart of the Community.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact us.

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It has been a very difficult 18 months since lock down. Even though the amount of donations coming through are completely amazing, it has been tough in retail.

Less people shopping, lack of holiday makers and second home owners meant that the money raised was less than normal, but we are very grateful for each and every centime we are given for the causes we help.

As difficult as it has been, our facebook page (HOPE ASSOCIATION CHARITY SHOP 79) has nevertheless had an uplift of over 300 new members which now gives us a membership of over 1500.

Our demographic has also changed.

At least 40% of our customers are French and love the English clothes that come in and of course the English love the French Furniture!

We have a vast range of products on sale, from books in our extensive, librarystyled barn, CDs, DVDs, pre loved and new clothing, footwear and accessories.

We also have an amazing BRITSHOP, where we are still managing to get stock in from Eire, including dairy products and all your favourite Cadbury’s.

We now have another large barn full of Furniture and bric a brac as well as a few marquees full of goodies for upcycling.

Our large haberdashery section is popular too, for bedding, curtains and crafting items for knitters and sewers!

If you want it, we are certain we’ve got it. While you are in store, you can also have a nice cup of tea or coffee along with freshly baked cakes or savouries, made by our volunteers, to eat in or outside in the marquee.

We are proud to help organisations across France including:The Raggie Dogs Retreat (49) Association Orphan Cats (86) Amour et Protection Animale (79) Twilight – La Maison de Retrait pour Chiens (24) Charente Nature (16) Refuge de l’Angoumois (16)

We are hoping that once we are back to our ‘New Normal’ we will again be hosting our popular fundraising events such as the book fayre and seasonal pop-ups.

and many more.

Hope to see you soon

Our other charity shops Hope Shop 16

Hope Shop 87

Tuesdays, Fridays & 2nd Sunday each month 10h-16h.

Wednesdays 14h-17h, Saturdays 10h-13h & 1st & 3rd Thursday each month 10h-12h.

51 route de Confolens La Tulette 16500 ANSAC-SUR-VIENNE

2 rue de la Vieille Tour 87120 EYMOUTIERS

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Food to live by

BY PHILIPPA GRATTON

Bonjour tout le monde…I’m an Anglo/Belge who flits between our home here in Belgium and our second home in France…a lifestyle that also lets us discover the joys of France en route. We arrived in Belgium from the UK 35 years ago with a 3-year-old daughter, a cat, a yellow Austin Allegro and a trailer. We were not especially chasing Belgian culture and indeed knew very little about it….a major career move for my husband and a complete change of lifestyle for me.

My culinary expertise at the time extended to spag bol and the occasional forays into Delia Smith’s Cookery Course. I still have the original book, well used now and in bits.

Belgian food was a real eye-opener. Adults and children still sat down for a proper lunch or dinner. We very quickly came to appreciate the delights of the Belgian brasseries and restaurants such as moules frites, steak frites, carbonnades à la flamande….. Belgium’s answer to beef bourguignon..made with strong Belgian beer and pain d’épices and a touch of brown sugar

Steak frites…obviously saignant or à point and carbonnades à la flamande …notice the Belgian endive and frites…We do like those here….in fact we had never eaten endive till we made the move. I nearly always roast the endive…cut in half, put in an oiled baking dish, dot the cut side with a little butter, sprinkling of sugar and seasoning..oven at 180. I cover mine with paper if it looks to be browning too much

I also learned to cook and appreciate Lebanese, North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. I had a Lebanese neighbour about the same age as me, also with a three-yearold. I helped her English and taught her how to cook chilli and cheese scones and she helped my French and taught me how to cook tabbouleh, filo pastries and kibbeh. I’m not sure it was a fair exchange. I do remember one of the first dinner parties I had when I prepared couscous aux sept légumes with lamb chops and merguez on the bbq. I felt very European and sophisticated.

Like everyone now, I’ve discovered the delights of Yotam Ottolenghi and his friend Sami Tamimi. This dinner was from Sami’s book Falastin…lamb kofta and on the side hummus, filo meat cigars, feta triangles and flatbreads.

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We bought our French house in L’Herault in the Languedoc region of Occitanie when my husband retired 7 years ago and have enjoyed splitting our time between both houses. For obvious reasons my daughter and grandkids and my son and friends tend to gravitate to the sunshine, a bit less often recently for obvious reasons.

My favourite cuisine is probably French style and my favourite chef is Raymond Blanc. I find his recipes accessible and don’t necessarily require days in the kitchen…

I especially love this one, inspired by Raymond Blanc, a thick white fish fillet, I used haddock, he used monkfish (lotte), spread with Dijon mustard and provençale crumbs in a creamy saffron sauce with a garnish of moules. A good tip to remember is if you have any moules and cooking liquor left after preparing moules then freeze them. You can defrost and reheat the moules as the garnish and use the liquor in the sauce.

I like to cook French style on celebration days. Our Christmas dinner no longer looks much like a traditional British one. Last Christmas we had an entrée of roasted and puréed cauliflower, again Raymond Blanc, with scallops and roasted venison, pomme dauphinoise, sauce grand veneur and, you guessed it, Belgian endive and cranberry apples.

Sauce Grand Veneur is a favourite classic sauce often used with game in French cooking….essentially a rich wine reduction with red currant jelly added.

I must admit though, when in France I tend to bbq as much as possible, whenever the Tramontane wind allows us. It has blown the big gas Weber BBQ clean off the terrace before!

There are fabulous fish available here in France. I especially like cooking swordfish, mackerel and sea bass on the bbq. The photo shows a whole sea bass stuffed with crispy Serrano ham, cooked on the bbq and served with a lemon butter caper sauce I’m not too good with cuttlefish and his mates yet, but they’re on my list.

We do feel very fortunate for our family, our lifestyle and the way our lives have turned out since making that giant leap…well it was for us ..to Belgium and France all those years ago…and while writing this I’m also wondering what to cook for dinner…Bon appétit!

Books referred to:Cooking for Friends Raymond Blanc.

100 recipes for entertaining Raymond Blanc Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Sara Wigley

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NO - BAKE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE Recipes from the UnFrench Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

PROCEDURE

300g lotus/speculoos biscuits

Crush the lotus biscuits until as fine as

125g unsalted butter (melted)

breadcrumbs and add to a bowl with

300g cream cheese 200g mascarpone cheese

01

the melted butter. Combine until the crumbs are all butter coated and press

100g white chocolate (melted)

firmly into the base of your 8” loose

100g icing sugar

bottomed pan, chill for 1hr.

250g lotus spread Whisk the double cream and sugar

300ml double cream to decorate dozen whole lotus biscuits

together on high for 30 seconds. Add 02

the cream cheese, mascarpone &

lotus biscuits (crumbled)

biscoff spread and whisk until

3tbsps icing sugar

combined and thickened, then fold in

200g mascarpone

the melted white chocolate..

4 tbsp lotus spread

Remove the base from the fridge 03

and spread the cheesecake mix over and return to the fridge until set (a couple of hours).

TIMINGS

Prep | 20mins Chill | 4 hours Skill level | Easy

To decorate, whisk together the 04

mascarpone, icing sugar and biscoff spread and put into a piping bag. Pipe 12 rosettes around the cheesecake and place a biscuit on each. Drizzle with some caramel or melted biscoff spread and some crushed biscuits.

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Simply Reviews

VALLÉE DES SINGES

Reviewed by Maria Babbington

A little info..

Based in Romagne in the Vienne, just 30 mins from Poitiers “La Vallée des Singes”, the unique wildlife park dedicated to primates was founded in 1998. It is a place of amusement and knowledge, promoting ecological awareness. Since its creation, the main objective of the park is to contribute in protection of nature, environment and primates.

This wildlife park is 100% different. There are no cages, no fences simply 450 monkeys living freely on a wide area of 22 hectares. Here, visitors are the ones who have the privilege to enter the monkeys’ territory. You have the possibility to observe the little monkeys only a few steps away from you, as well as the great apes on their island.

My partner and our 4 children recently visited Valleé des Singes and I have to say it was a fantastic day out. The park is vast but extremely well kept. Unlike visiting a zoo, the animals here roam free in carefully planted and thought out areas that befit their specific species. There are ample facilities that are clean and welcoming. Staff are helpful and friendly and despite visiting during covid, we felt safe and all precautions had been well managed by the park. There are more than 40 feeding times at the zoo and keepers give informative talks. Interacting with the capuchins was a favourite with the childrens. I was more in awe of the gorillas.

My only regret that day was not packing a picnic. Although the main restaurant had a fantastic spread, it was close to the end of the park with only a small, sparsely stocked kiosk in the centre. It is a place I would happily revisit as an adult as well as a parent.

Simply Stars Accessibility for disabled Ticket pricing Park cleanliness

Toilet facilities Animal welfare Food choice

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House Centipede

Stag Beetle larvae

European Mantis

Shield bugs

Fire bugs

CREATURE FEATURE I remember our first weeks in France and the warmth in the south was still very present. The sound of the chicadas and grasshoppers as the sun went down, the nightingale's song.

Unfortunately, the sights and sounds of mini beasts and animals are not always comforting, and I quickly unearthened some odd looking creatures and went in search of whether they were friend or foe.

The house centipede decided one evening to drop from the ceiling on to my young baby's crib and I quickly batted it away with a hand.

Having never encountered one before, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t harmful. The research said that despite it's appearance, the creature was a friend to the house and ate spiders and other household insect pests.

The stag beetle larvae I came across in the garden, wow, they’re huge and with almost face like features. The larvae spend 3-7 years underground feeding on rotting wood and tree roots before emerging into the beetle itself. If you find these in the house there may be an issue with wood rot but if found in the garden, leave them to their own devices. They form a valuable part of your garden’s ecosystem.

Ive been fortunate enough to see several of the European Mantis, and what incredible creatures they are! I must confess I never thought they would be found in France. A carnivorous insect it feeds on anything from grasshoppers and moths to spiders. Watching them battle is something quite majestic.

If you hear buzzing in the house it’s not necessarily wearing a stripey jacket. All too often I’ve assumed wasp and it’s actually a shield bug or stink bug as they’re often known, (if you’ve squished one, you’ll know why).

They’re pretty harmless, however, an infestation in the garden could mean an attack on your fruit and veg The ladybird looking bugs you often see gathered in clumps are fire bugs or “gendarmes.”

Fire bugs are from the same family as stink bugs but without the awful smell. You will often find them basking in the sun even in the warmth of the winter sun, near lime trees or hibiscus as they favour the seeds.

Next month we talk potager pests.

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SEPTEMBER READING

ASTROLOGY WITH ANNETTE The romance and sex planets are changing signs.

Venus, love is entering the sign of Scorpio and Mars enters Libra. A time to go deep, explore and transform relationships. Be aware of passive aggressiveness in relationships from the 14th September.

With the full moon being on the 20th, Libra season starting and the Autumn equinox on the 22nd September, it is a good time to let go of things, create positive and balanced relationships. This is also a good time to strengthen social connections.

Mercury enters it's final retrograde for the year on the 27th September. This means things may feel a bit confusing , so its worth double checking small print and making sure you are clear in your communications. Look at ways in which you can create balance in all decisions and actions.

The theme of creating balance in relationships continues with the new moon in Libra on the 6th October. This is also a good time to commit yourself to achieving those longed for personal goals.

Brightest Blessings

Annette

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