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Brousses
Carcassonne
Caudebronde
Caunes
Conques-sur-Orbiel
Cuxac
Fournes Cabardès
Labastide-Esparbairenque,
Lagrasse
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QWERTY KEYBOARDS
BUYING A NEW VEHICLE
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WINE TASTING
ADOPT A ROUNDABOUT NEAR CARCASSONNE
Ed's Blog - news, tips and conversation about all things Carcassonne, Montagne Noire, French and Southern France scribed by Ed and yourselves truly.  

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Ed's Blog respect your privacy. We will never publish your email address or full name and we do not harvest your email address for marketing purposes.  Posts to Ed's Blog will be moderated if necessary. Ed's Blog is not the place to voice personal complaints or air personal grievances. Keep your posts informative and on-topic. If there are two or more topics, submit them in separate posts to Ed's Blog. If you are recommending something or somebody on Ed's Blog, please explain why for our readers. In reply to a post, please quote the # number Thank you, Ed.

     
 

 
 Who is the Ed?
"About the same age as Madonna and Jeremy Clarkson, people say he looks a lot like Gordon Ramsey and Sting. He's a gourmet chef, webmaster and owner of Domaine La Royale in the Montagne Noire!"
 
Topics coming up...
Resident EU citizens voting in another member state.
Buying leaseback property in France.
Gites de France
Tourist Tax / Taxe de Séjour in the Montagne Noire.
Low-cost air lines
 
Price watch...
The cost of EDF Electricity and tap water at Domaine La Royale near Carcassonne, Southern France. Compare EDF energy and local water authority prices where you live. The information shown in brackets are previous rates.
EDF Electricity Economy Tariff "Creuses" € 0.0463 per kWh plus service charges
and VAT
Correct at
22/01/08
EDF Electricity Standard Tariff "Pleine" € 0.0787 per kWh plus service charges
and VAT
Correct at
22/01/08
Tap / Drinking Water
"Eau Potable"

1.00
per cubic
metre M³
plus Abonnement plus Solidarité Correct at 15/10/07

Brousses
Carcassonne
Caudebronde
Caunes
Conques-sur-Orbiel
Cuxac
Fournes Cabardès
Labastide-Esparbairenque,
Lagrasse
Laprade
Lastours
Les Ilhes
Les Martys
Les Montréal
Limoux
Mas Cabardès
Montolieu
Moussoulens
Pradelles Cabardès
Raissac-sur-Lampy
Roquefére
Saissac
Salsigne
St Denis
Trassenel
Villalier
Villaniere
Villardebelle
Villardonnel
Villedubert
Villegailhenc
Villegly
Villemoustaussou
Villeneuve
Villepinte
 
BLOG TOPIC
CARCASSONNE WATER RESTRICTIONS
SEGOLENE ROYAL WINS
CAMPING NOW OPEN
THE RAIN IN SPAIN
GITE CHECK-IN
CARCASSONNE, KENTUCKY
FREE BANKING IN FRANCE
FREEZING FRESH MILK
FRENCH LETTERS
ENGLISH BUTCHER NEAR CARCASSONNE
LA ROYALE CAMPING IN JUNE
SEPTEMBER WEATHER CARCASSONNE 2007
GETTING A POST OFFICE BOX IN FRANCE
THE FRENCH CARTE VITALE COULD PAY FOR ITSELF
HOW TO REDUCE YOUR WATER BILL
CMU SOCIAL SECURITY HEALTH COVER
OLD OAK WINE BARRELS FOR SALE
BUYING A FRENCH COMPUTER WITH VISTA® PRE-INSTALLED
 
     
     
  BUYING A FRENCH COMPUTER WITH VISTA® PRE-INSTALLED  
"Hasta la vista!"

by Ed 18/03/08 #49 When you buy a computer pre-installed with the Vista® operating system in France the user interface will be in the French language (naturally), the English language pack is only available to download when you purchase a French computer pre-installed with Microsoft Windows Vista® Enterprise or Microsoft Windows Vista® Ultimate. See Vista Versions

You cannot purchase/download an English language pack for any other version of Vista®. - I know this because I have tried - You can however, upgrade from, for example, Vista® Home Premium or Home Basic but at a price! See Upgrade

So if you are not fluent with French computer terminology, buy a French computer installed with Vista® Enterprise or Ultimate because you can download the English language pack for free from Microsoft if it is not already installed. This makes life easier when it comes to adding networking products, peripherals, configuring or fault-finding.

Ed's comment - Why does Microsoft® localise their products when they are a global entity? Basic user interaction with a major operating system in any major World language should be available in every Vista® version and selectable after installation (or to download) and for free. So come on Microsoft® please give us those language packs without having to upgrade and pay extra for another Vista® version that we don't really want or need.
 
     
  OAK WINE BARRELS FOR SALE BACK TO TOP
old oak wine barrels for sale
by Ed 12/03/08 #48 Are you looking for old oak wine barrels for sale or "anciennes barriques à vins en chêne à vendre" in the Carcassonne, Montagne Noire or Minervois area? Look no further! Our oak barrels are for sale at 40 euros each and "buyer collects" (sorry, we don't deliver). You'll need a van or trailer but you might be able to get one in the back of a hatchback if you fold the rear seats down. The size of the barrels are approximately 90 cm's in height and 70 cm's in diameter. We sell them "as-is" (i.e. whole), we don't saw the barrels in half. To order, email  
oakbarrelright(1)
     
  CMU HEALTH COVER ~ SOCIAL SECURITY FOR BRITISH EXPATS BACK TO TOP
 
by Ed 28/01/08 #47a Read the latest update!
http://www.frenchhealthissues.eu/our_position/our_position_1.htm
by Ed 25/01/08 #47 Your CPAM, the CMU and the E106. Good news?
http://www.frenchhealthissues.eu/latest_news/minister_grants_relief_23_01.htm
 
     
  HOW TO REDUCE YOUR WATER BILL BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 28/11/07 #46 The cost of water goes up almost every year per cubic metre. My water rates bill for 2007 was the very thick end of 1000 Euros and that's just for M³ water consumption not sewerage etc. So the question is: How can I reduce my water bill? I'm not suggesting for one minute that you take a bath together :-) This is practical advice but nevertheless, should save you a bob or two. So, first thing, get your water pressure checked by a plumber (it's not difficult to do yourself). It doesn't need to be more than 3 bar pressure for a normal 3/4 bedroom household. My water pressure here is initially 5 bar but that's because of the gite and camping-site water overhead but then it's further regulated and reduced in and around La Royale. Less water pressure equals less water supplied by the minute, or by the second at a given pipe diameter. So you rinse your plates under a running tap? No problem there but I betcha you would use less water if the water pressure was lower. A plumber or competent DIY'er can fit water pressure regulators anywhere in the house and they are not expensive so if you need a higher pressure somewhere, perhaps for a shower or water-heater, then no problem. For the kitchen sink or the bathroom taps, perhaps a lower water pressure (1 bar) would suffice? When you brush your teeth or wash your hands, does the water need to be on full-blast? - perhaps a water pressure regulator is well needed there? Dripping taps? - sure, they have been the theme of many "conserve water" campaigns but it's true, over a year, a dripping tap will probably cost you at least the same price as a monster take-away curry for two - so that needs sorting. Take a shower rather than a bath if the mood suits. Fit an eco loo with different flush settings. Water your plants with stored rain water. Fit little devices to end of taps to aerate or spray the water which is great for rinsing things (or buy new taps that are manufactured in that way) rather than let the tap use it's whole pipe diameter to deliver your water at it's pre-determined pressure. Buy eco washing machines and dish washers that use less water (read the label on the new machine on your next visit to your local electrical store and it will tell you how much water it uses). Washing your car and using garden hoses are both water conservation issues as well - but only you know what you can afford!

After having read this post you might say to yourself, well, forget about water pressure regulators, simply turn the tap on less. Sure, that has the same effect but are you and your family that disciplined 24/7/365? I know I'm not even though I want to save water! Water pressure valves take the drudge out of conserving water. Turn the tap on and forget about having to turn it down a bit or up a bit or back down a little, or up just a bit more - see what I mean?

  SEPTEMBER WEATHER IN CARCASSONNE 2007
 
  THE FRENCH CARTE VITALE COULD PAY FOR ITSELF  
  by Ed 16/10/07 #45 The financial cost of operating the carte vitale system could be offset by pharmaceutical advertising. At the moment, the actual carte vitale is a plain green credit-card-sized plastic card with an embedded chip and as French residents we are all familiar with how it's used. No problem there BUT what it is the total cost of maintaining the carte vitale system across the whole of France?

Every adult deemed to be tax-resident in France has a carte vitale so that's what, about 50,000,000 (50 million) cards in circulation in mainland France?

Here's my idea! What about putting paid advertising on the carte vitale when the card is manufactured. You could make the border distinctive so you could easily find it in your wallet or purse. My thoughts on that border are... blue to represent the SAMU - Service d'assistance médicale d'urgence, white to represent the doctors & hospitals and green to represent the pharmacies (and perhaps red to represent the
sapeur pompiers). And printed in the centre of the card, an impressive but unobtrusive 3-D holographic image of a top-selling brand of say, paracetamol or ibuprofen or any other medicament which the majority of the French population purchases without prescription on a regular or seasonal basis.

I am convinced that pharmaceutical corporations would leap at the chance of promoting their products by getting an image of their own brand of, for example, paracetamol on every card that's in every wallet and purse across France and it's territories. Advertising content could also be regional, and multilingual by design within the hologram - tilt it one way it reads in French, tilt it another, it reads in English, tilt it yet another, it reads in Spanish or Italian, et cetera.

And in the fullness of time and technology, every time your carte vitale is inserted into the card reader at a pharmacy or doctor's surgery, a new advertising image could be uploaded onto the card and displayed via the embedded chip, as currently, it already uploads recent information in a text format as-and-when the carte vitale updates itself.

The point of all this? To enable the French healthcare system to generate substantial private revenue to offset the public cost of maintaining and re-equipping its establishment.

A top idea and the way forward for France's carte vitale, I reckon.

But hang-on a minute! It's a top-idea for every corporation (I'm principally thinking financial institutions here) issuing vast quantities of cards embedded with their own flavour of 3-D holographic promotions! Their promo's are everywhere else, but why not on their credit/debit cards too? Take a look in your wallet and whip out your credit, debit or store cards and tell me if you think your (their) plastic cards arouse interest in their products or services? No. It's just a coloured plastic card with their name, logo and lots of numbers. But then you think, with embedded advertising, credit/debit/store cards would start to look too "cheap & nasty" and that we are all super-saturated with marketing messages already? Nope, just corporate progress moving forward in vibrant 3-D animation! Afterall, we are all done with our silver, gold and platinum cards, so what's next?
 
     
  GETTING A POST OFFICE BOX IN FRANCE  
  by Ed 12/10/07 #44 Easy. Simply write the name of the addressee and then the words POSTE RESTANTE followed by the name of the addressee's nearest La Poste post office in France together with that post office's postal address including postcode.

In due course, the addressee visits to collect their mail at that post office counter by saying the words, "POSTE RESTANTE" (sounds like: "post-rest-tant") and showing some ID. The counter clerk will then rummage through a box of "Poste Restante's" to find any mail addressed to the addressee. A small handling fee is payable when you collect Poste Restante mail. I don't know if all French post offices offer a Poste Restante service but the bigger branches do and certainly the La Poste in central Carcassonne does. If in doubt, best to ask at your nearest branch of La Poste first, before anyone tries to post you anything.

It's a good system when you don't have a fixed address in France yet. Poste Restante letters stay in the system for about 21 days after which, if not collected, they go elsewhere! Where exactly? Who knows!    
 
     
  by Ed 20/09/07 #43 Unusually dry methinks. My lawn mower is still on holiday and the wild birds are tapping on my window asking me to refill their bird-bath every day! When will it rain again? To find out, take a gander at http://www.eurometeo.com/english/forecast/city_LFMK   
     
  LA ROYALE CAMPING IN JUNE BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 01/07/07 #42 Blimey! It's the 1st of July but where have all the camping folk gone? I can usually guesstimate how we'll do by the percentage of camping vehicles on the roads around Carcassonne, the number of boats on the Canal du Midi at this time of year and how busy Carcassonne's La Cité is, and true to form, there aren't that many and La Cité is not that busy. In June, our camping site is normally about 40% of capacity, but this year just 6.5%. Is it the unusually inclement and cool June weather or is it because Europe is now a much bigger place, or both? Any of you who have moved to the Carcassonne region last year and not experienced June weather here yet will be wondering if it's always like this? Normally, I will have stopped cutting the grass mid-June because the ground is bone dry, but not this year - I had to mow it again yesterday. Interestingly, Carcassonne in 2002 had a relatively cool summer and then in 2003, Europe experienced that mega heat-wave! The weather here at Domaine La Royale on 1st July:

1st July 2007 =  23°c, cloudy.
1st July 2006 =  36°c, sunny without any breeze.
1st July 2005 =  24°c, breezy with scattered clouds.
1st July 2004 =  24°c, cloudy & windy.
1st July 2003 =  35°c+       
 
     
  ENGLISH BUTCHER NEAR CARCASSONNE BACK TO TOP
Butcher / Caterer Cuxac Carbardes
by Ed 01/06/07 #41 Not quite, but Gérard, a local butcher in the village of Cuxac-Cabardès in the Montagne Noire which is North of Carcassonne on the road towards Mazamet, will prepare his meats UK style - just ask his wife what you want him to do - she speaks English. They also supply a catering service. Email [ ] I picked up a UK-style leg of pork for roasting from Cuxac this very day. Pigs are reared to be larger in France, so don't expect it to look exactly the same unless you can get a piece nearer the hoof which has a smaller diameter. If you are preparing a roast pork feast of biblical proportions then the larger size is ideal. Just think, homemade apple sauce and roast pots, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside (recipe when we get more Autumnal). Oh yes, and not forgetting my winter red-cabbage cooked with apples, onions, cinnamon and cloves which is always a good roast-pork combo. But please, let's not think of Autumn just yet 'cos the salad days of Summer are nearly upon us, although looking at the weather in Carcassonne today, you'd never guess!
eds blog carcassonne
ROASTING - It doesn't really matter too much what shape your roasting joint is - if it's got a bone and fat, it'll roast perfectly. The direction in which you carve your joint is important - more on that later.
     
  FRENCH LETTERS BACK TO TOP
eds blog carcassonne
ä = 132
à = 133
á = 160
å = 134
æ = 145
Æ = 146
Ä = 142
Å = 143

Ç = 128
ç = 135
ê = 136
ë = 137
è = 138
é = 130
É = 144

ï = 139
î = 140
ì = 141
í = 161

ô = 147
ö = 148
ò = 149
ó = 162
Ö = 153
û = 150
ù = 151
ú = 163
Ü = 154

ñ = 164
Ñ = 165
£ = 156
¿ = 168
º = 167
by Ed 31/05/07 #40 Yes, I shall resist the temptation, given the subject title! French letters or rather the character set that forms part of the French language can be generated by using the Alt key and keypad. You can use a word processing program but you may not have one on the computer you are sitting in front of and the Alt system is handy when the on-line form you are filling in doesn't allow pasting from your word processor's clipboard.

So how do I create this é ? Easy! Hold down the Alt key with a left finger and type 130 on the keypad on your right (not the top-row number set) and then let go of the Alt key. More special characters are...  è = Alt 138  î = Alt 140  ç = Alt 135  æ = Alt 145  ê = Alt 136  á = Alt 160  ú = Alt 163  ó = Alt 162, so typing Gîtes Français is now a piece of cake. These characters have standardised to become known as Extended ASCII Codes. There are many more, but I have included the most popular ones on the left. To obtain the character, hold down the Alt key whilst typing in the corresponding number on your keypad and then let go of the Alt key, et voila!
 
     
  FREEZING FRESH MILK BACK TO TOP
eds blog carcassonne
ABC SALAD (AVOCADO, BANANA & WATERCRESS) I discovered this salad 10 years ago when I had nothing left in the kitchen except an avocado, a banana and some watercress. Peel the avocado, remove the stone and cut small bite-size chunks into a bowl and immediately mix in a table-spoon of fresh lemon juice to reduce oxidisation. Mix gently to coat the avocado chunks but not damage them. Add chopped banana in similar sized chunks and then tear-in the broad-leaf watercress without the stalks. Add a little extra-virgin olive oil and a tea-spoon of wine-vinegar (optional, because you already have the acidity from the lemon juice)  and toss again. For best results the avocado should be ripe but not over ripe and the banana still firm and ever-so-slightly under-ripe. When adding any vinegar, I suggest a drop or two but go easy otherwise you'll swamp the flavours of the banana and avocado. Serve immediately.
by Ed 26/05/07 #39 I see a lot of guys and gals buying sterilised milk from Carcassonne hypermarchés. You may prefer the taste but you can freeze fresh milk. Simply plonk it in your deep-freezer as-is and when you need it, hoof it out and let it defrost overnight in the kitchen. When defrosted, give the plastic bottle a good shake (the heavier elements settle during the freezing process) and you've got fresh milk when you need it and it tastes exactly the same as before you froze it. DO NOT freeze milk in metal or glass vessels because milk is mostly water which will expand as it turns to ice when it freezes.

How cold is a deep-freeze? It should be somewhere around -30º to -35°centigrade. Buy an inexpensive fridge thermometer and check your freezer temperature because you might be surprised to discover just how "warm" it actually is. In fact, I've just checked my chest freezer and it's -33° centigrade at the top which is ok. In particular, fish and shellfish must always be stored at very low temperatures.  
eds blog carcassonne
CUCUMBER SALAD - Remove the skin and into a bowl, slice very thinly end-on using the single blade on your grater. Add top-quality olive oil and white-wine vinegar at a ratio of 2:1 or 1:1 depending on your taste for zing. [Zing! now that's a good name for a Eurovision song-contest pop-band!] Add a pinch of dried or fresh dill, fresh chopped chives and milled black pepper. Mix. Leave in the fridge to marinade for one hour and serve in separate bowls. To serve, garnish with a sprinkle of finely chopped spring onions. Best served slightly chilled. Goes great as a side-dish to accompany a BBQ feast as it cuts across the fattiness of the grilled meats and it'll be tasting altogether unlike sliced cucumber in vinaigrette because slicing the cucumber very thinly changes the volatiles.     
     
  FREE BANKING IN FRANCE BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 25/05/07 #38 If today, one of the big retail banking groups in France were to offer free current account banking (all the time the account was showing a credit balance) then personally, I would be down at their local branch in Carcassonne tomorrow, asking where I need to sign. Any French bank that took that initiative would win a massive share of the domestic banking market within a matter of weeks, if not days - and a timely and carefully planned marketing strategy would take their competitors completely by surprise. Am I being naïve in thinking that when one French bank offers a free current-account banking facility, others would follow the leader?
eds blog carcassonne
In France, orange squash is called Sirop d'Orange, simply add water or lemonade just as you would in the UK. Most refreshing after a hard-days graft in the garden, well, until it's beer- time that is!
     
  CARCASSONNE, KENTUCKY BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 23/05/07 #37 I'm surprised there isn't a Kentucky in Carcassonne but did you know that there is a town called Carcassonne in the state of Kentucky?   
     
  GITE CHECK-IN BACK TO TOP
eds blog carcassonne
OLIVE OIL - Can vary significantly in quality and flavour and can make-or-break a salad. To find a good one with which to knock-up a salad dressing or to drizzle, buy half a dozen different small bottles from a supermarket and try each one and you'll see what I mean. That might seem a bit extravagant but at least you'll find one you really like and your salads will take on a new dimension. The salad-days of Summer will have come and gone before you know it - so best to make the best of your salads. You know what wines you prefer, so why not olive oils?
 
Around Carcassonne, look for huile d'olive vierge extra. I'm not an olive-oil aficionado but in my opinion a good one is cold-pressed L'olivaé. To preserve the aroma and flavour of any olive oil, store the bottle out of direct light and in a cool but not cold place and don't forget about the use-by date.
by Ed 20/05/07 #36 Renting-out or letting a holiday gite is a rewarding micro-enterprise as the French would call it. The landlady contributes her creative style and flair in making things look fresh, welcoming and cosy. The landlord adds his input with regard to the functionality, usability and maintenance of the gîte building and contents. A good team effort is required to deliver the best to the holiday gite customer. Ok, so your new arrivals have just arrived and you are about to present them with their holiday accommodation. That process is called a check-in  which can take minutes or much longer depending on what your customers want to get out of their holiday-time. The way you present your check-in is important. If the landlord or landlady whizzes through a long list of do's and don'ts without pausing for breath, they'll leave their customers bewildered and most probably completely confused. It is not a briefing and they are not under your command in the military. If you point out a feature of the gite then briefly explain the benefit associated with that feature - don't leave your customers guessing.

Taking a little time to convey the enjoyment your customers will experience in the forthcoming days leaves them smiling and excited. Holiday time is precious and hard earned and remember, your customers are choosing to spend it renting YOUR holiday gite.

Rules and Regulations - Don't read them out. Draw their attention to your sheet of paper or notice, and leave it at that. The last thing your customers want to hear about is your rules when they step foot on the premises.  On that subject, have a closer look at your current gite rules and regulations. Are they all necessary? Be sure to include the ones concerning health, safety and check-out procedures, but are all the rest so important that you need to put them in writing?   

Customer Wants - Holiday customers are different, take 3 examples; Family with young children, retired couple, 30-something couples - all have differing expectations and wants from a holiday. There is no point talking about a new bar and club opening in Carcassonne to the family with young children and there is no point talking about windsurfing and scuba diving to the retired couple.

Customer Satisfaction - You've finished your check-in and and they've got the key, what now? Assure your customers that you are available, explaining how to reach you should they have a problem or query, and leave it at that. Don't tell them you'll be checking on them tomorrow to make sure everything is all right, because everything should be spot-on from the word go!  

However, it is my policy to make sure that my customers are satisfied and I always touch-base with them during the next 24 hours or so, and quite informally. Why? Because sometimes a small problem may have arisen or they seek an answer to a question that was overlooked at check-in which can be resolved at that point in time.   

Customer Conversation - Some folk are chatty and love to talk endlessly about Carcassonne and Southern France and others keep themselves to themselves. Either way, it's their call and their holiday. 

Customer Referrals - When customers get home and talk with their friends and family about their holiday, will they be saying good things about your gite? Would they recommend it? Would they themselves go back? Or was it simply dreadful. As a gite owner, you can advertise all you like on the internet and holiday guides but the best custom comes from customer referrals and repeat business. Think about your favourite pub or restaurant - you tell everyone about it given the chance. The same thing goes for a holiday destination and accommodation. I know a French gite owner near Carcassonne who's order-book is always full and I can't find his gite listed anywhere on the net or in any holiday guide. Now that, speaks volumes!        
eds blog carcassonne
POTATO SALAD - Ideally you need a bag of waxy or new potatoes, the smaller the better. Boil them whole in their skins and peel them when they have cooled down. Cut into small bite-size pieces and set aside. Next, in a bowl, add a huge dollop of mayonnaise, a desert spoonful of white-wine vinegar, finely chopped garlic sausage, (not salami), [Mortadella  works if you can't find any garlic sausage], finely chopped spring onions (only the greeny bit and not too many), chopped chives, quartered green olives (optional), very finely chopped parsley without the stalks, freshly ground black pepper and single blob of salad cream, if you have any. Mix. Add that mixture to the COLD potatoes and mix the whole lot carefully without breaking-up the potatoes. Cover and leave in the top of the fridge ready to serve. This recipe is only as good as the quality of the potatoes and mayonnaise so don't cut any corners there. You can use ordinary potatoes but the result is nowhere near as good (not sweet enough and too starchy). Don't add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes if they are still warm. To serve, garnish with a sprig of parsley and a black olive or two. If you love green olives and you know other people don't, use them as a garnish rather than adding them to the mayonnaise mixture because that way they can avoided when serving. The potatoes should not be swimming in mayonnaise mixture - make enough to coat the potatoes thoroughly and leave it at that. Another ingredient that's worth trying is finely cubed cornichons or very small gherkins - one or two is plenty.
     
  THE RAIN IN SPAIN BACK TO TOP

eds blog carcassonne
AVOCADOS - Forget about avocado bowls, simply cut your avocado in half and remove the stone as you would normally, then slice off the bottom of the avocado so that it sits flat on the plate. You don't have to remove much of the avocado to achieve stability. And the bit you've removed now becomes chef's privilege! To stop the avocado oxidising (turning brownish) after you've cut it in half, rub a little lemon juice or olive oil onto the fleshy surface - you don't need much, just a finger-tip coating, but cover the whole surface area. And remember if you are on a diet, avocado's are extremely calorific so best just to use the lemon juice!

by Ed 16/05/07 #35 falls mainly on the plain? No, it now seems to fall on the Carcassonne region and the month of May should yield daily temperatures of somewhere between 19c - 25c, not a top-temperature of 13c as we had today. But will we have a super-scorcher of a summer this year? In the heat-wave of 2003, La Royale experienced June temperatures in April.

35c in the shade is plenty hot enough for me and anywhere between 25c - 30c is perfect.  But it IS time to dig those BBQ's out and clean them up ready for another year of culinary service. Talking of planning a barbecue, this is a good weather website:

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/europe_forecast_48hrs.asp?locationID=1707

They also publish a 7-day Carcassonne weather forecast. Using it won't make the sun shine but it can help you a choose a good weather day to enjoy a barby!  
eds blog carcassonne
TOMATOES IN SALADS - Slicing, quartering or zig-zagging around the circumference can get a bit boring. Give your salad height and new yum appeal by slicing through a whole tomato several times to almost, but not quite, all the way through (95%). Say about  7-10 slits per tomato depending on the size. You can then gently fan-out the tommy and it'll sit-up straight on the plate and look fab!  You can then drizzle or add finely chopped parsley and chives or fill the slits with things like mozzarella, black olives and anchovies. Example
  Warekevtrish says #35 In fact 14th-17th May were pretty miserable, all rain, cold and misty.  Quite disappointed with the weather. However 18th-21st much better. Back in UK now but rather disappointed with that weather. As the weather was so bad decided to have a drive around the area. The Bastide St Louis (lower town Carcassonne) is great for sitting in a cafe and watching the world go by. Carcassonne is a wonderfully diverse city. People are so nice friendly and helpful. I also love the French way of meeting and greeting friends. Visited Revel - wonderful market on Saturday. Also visited Mirepoix, Foix, Lac St Ferreol, Soreze (Tarn), St Felix (Tarn). All beautiful.  
  CAMPING NOW OPEN BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 08/05/07 #34 - Well, we're finally open folks, the 2007 holiday season has begun and Camping La Royale is ready. Our first camping customers in 2007 (pictured left and right) are from somewhere (unpronounceable with an English tongue) in the Netherlands. Wow! - look at that view! How is our camping business gonna do this year? For 2007, La Royale is top of the stack in Yahoo and Livesearch and in the top 10 in Google for camping and carcassonne searches and well placed also for gite and carcassonne. For the next 3 months, posts will be thin on the ground as the camping & gite rental summer-season picks up speed and I become, once again, your host with the most and, armed with new jokes (well, new 'ish anyway). Let that sun shine and carry on camping!       
     
  Segolene Royal wins BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 07/05/07  #33 No she didn't and I'm gutted.   
  Warekevtrish says #33 Commiserations. Just taking the soundings at the moment by watching France 24 and British TV commentary. The result was always going to be a Sarkozy victory. He is being described in UK as a "Thatcher in trousers". His victory speech covered a lot of policy areas but his victory appears to have been won on domestic affairs. Unemployment is apparently 8% which is the biggest in the 13 Euro countries. This indicates a more flexible approach to the economy to be introduced and a change in employment laws. As a newcomer to France I am struck by the  work-life balance visible in the 2 hour break for lunch and the 35 hour week. Free marketeers are suggesting that consequently productivity is down. It's ironic that we in UK are like hamsters on a wheel and yet in UK  we are introducing work-life balance schemes into Public Services at least, not sure about other employment sectors. I think it is also an irony that all the Daily Mail readers in France who seem to have been attracted and impressed by a more relaxed quality of life favour a neo-liberal (Thatcherite) approach to the economy, a bit of a paradox methinks. On a different note could someone explain how the parliamentary elections for later in the year work out?  
     
  ADOPT A ROUNDABOUT NEAR CARCASSONNE BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 04/05/07 #32 This is how I see it working in Aude. Firstly, in every Aude newspaper, the Conseil Général de l'Aude (Aude County Council) would publish a list of roundabouts in their department that they are offering for adoption, stating their location and proximity to any landmarks. And additionally, posting an adoption invitation notice on the roundabout itself. Then, businesses in Aude would be invited to bid for a particular roundabout. The roundabouts would then be "sold" to the company who offered the highest annual pledge, or bid.

That company would then be contracted to pay an annual sum of money to the council in exchange for exclusive advertising rights on that roundabout. The care, control and maintenance of the roundabout would still be the responsibility of the council but that cost would be borne wholly by the local business who had adopted it and not by Aude taxpayers.

Some roundabouts that spring to mind might fetch 5000 euros per year in exclusive advertising rights, but others, in key locations in Aude, might fetch in excess of 25,000 euros per year with a total annual revenue potential in the whole of Aude in excess of 5,000,000 euros.  

And the cost of constructing brand-new roundabouts in Aude would be less of a local tax burden if a roundabout adoption package had already been agreed with a business sponsor. Brilliant!    
 
     
  WINE TASTING BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 03/05/07 #31 If you see the French word dégustation it means wine tasting. And wine from this region is called a Cabardès so if you want to try a local wine before you get to La Royale, ask your wine merchant for a bottle of Cabardès. An good example of a fine Cabardès wine is a Chateau Auzias. Chateau Auzias-Paretlongue is steeped in history and definitely worth a wine tour and free wine tasting if you are on holiday near Carcassonne.       The Original Wine Tour. 2 kms from Carcassonne.
     
  SEARCH ENGINES BACK TO TOP
  by Ed 03/05/07 #30 If you are searching for stuff around Carcassonne or in Aude, there is usually no need to use a French search engine*. Simply type in your search criteria in the French language into the search box of your favourite search tool.

What about finding fresh web content? Here's what happens - I make a change to this page (take this post as an example) then upload it to my web-host's server. Then things called bots crawl my host's server for any file changes. Ok so far? Then the bots collate the information and report back to their respective search engine to apply any changes to their indices. Who is fastest at doing that at the moment? In my opinion, Live Search by Microsoft. Any update (however slight) I make to this website is reflected in their search index within 24 hours.  I added a page to this website yesterday afternoon and it's already in Microsoft's Live Search index as I write this post at 8am today, less than 16 hours later. If you've never used it before, why not give it a go! Live Search

* Search engine Google appear more geographic when it comes to search (and webmasters can ask Google to associate their website content to search queries in a particular country). For example, try the same search criteria with these Google URL's.
http://www.google.co.uk/
http://www.google.fr/
http://www.google.com/intl/en/  
 
     
  QWERTY KEYBOARDS BACK TO TOP
Style 1 (ignore the make)    
 
 
Style 2 (ignore the make) 
 
Note the arrangement of the keys on this side of the keyboards above. A small difference can make a big difference when you want to whizz around the keyboard.

I'm not a keyboard guru but is the top one a "compact" keyboard? The positioning of the keys would save space and in this case the white keyboard is 3 cms longer than the black keyboard so it is smaller but I wouldn't call it particularly "compact" at 43 cms in length. They are both the same overall width.

But my point here is make sure you know which one you prefer. It matters to me. I'm faster with the white keyboard design than the black keyboard design.


 
by Ed 30/04/07 #29 Where can you get computers, peripherals and consumables near Carcassonne? Well, three places spring to mind - the Geant, Plein Ciel and Darty in Carcassonne. You'll often find generic printer cartridges for sale and I always buy them. In my opinion, they are just as good as the genuine article and half the price. Have you noticed how French computer keyboards are different! They are AZERTY not QWERTY and personally, I find them difficult to navigate because I am used to an English language Q-W-E-R-T-Y keyboard layout.

You could try and source a matching UK English QWERTY keyboard for your bought-in-France computer system but please be aware that there might be difficulties with delivery as some computer manufacturers don't deliver spares or accessories outside their country of technical support, so in the case of something country/language specific like an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) UK English language keyboard, it may be problematic (enormous supplementary delivery charges) or simply, impossible.

Aftermarket keyboards manufactured by the peripherals companies are very good and often better than the original product in that they may offer more features or are more ergonomically designed.

Zooming-in and paying attention to detail, the style 2 keyboard layout is subtly different to the style 1 keyboard layout so that's a choice to consider.

If you have not already done so, if you install a QWERTY keyboard on a computer with an operating system in French you will have to ensure the Keyboard and Language settings in your computer's Control Panel are set to reflect that change. You may even have to install a keyboard driver.
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  GARDEN SERVICES BACK TO TOP
by Ed 30/04/07 #28 Where do you get your gardening equipment fixed or serviced? Maybe you need a spare part or blades balanced or sharpening, or landscape work done in Carcassonne, Montagne Noire or the Minervois? Visit Tomas at his repair and servicing workshop, Montagne Noire Motoculture, at the Mazamet-end of the high-street in Villegailhenc. He sells new and second-hand machines and he's got some really fab dinky tractors hitched with grass cutting machinery. If you've got more than 3 acres of grass to cut or your lawns have steep gradients maybe you should look at buying one of those instead of a regular ride-on lawn mower. If his workshop is closed, he's out on site but you can still contact him on the mobile number. Do you need wood for burning in a open fire because he also delivers logs for your log burning fireplace or poêle, to the Carcassonne, Minervois and Montagne Noire regions. 
GARDEN MAINTENANCE, MACHINERY AND REPAIR SERVICES NEAR CARCASSONNE.
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