Quality of life? France comes out tops! (As if you needed convincing!)

Recently, in Current Affairs, Craig McGinty reported that France has once again come out top in a quality of life study, with Britain and Ireland proving to be the worst places to live in Europe.

Research by price comparison website, uSwitch.com, said those in France enjoyed the earliest retirement age (yes! still the case even after it has been raised to 62!), had the longest life expectancy in Europe and that the government spent the most on healthcare. One thing the UK did enjoy in its favour was the highest income level in Europe, but that has now been lost to leave income levels trailing behind Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The uSwitch.com study examined 16 factors to understand where the UK sits in relation to nine other major European countries.

Variables such as net income, VAT and the cost of essential goods, such as fuel, food and energy bills, were examined along with lifestyle factors, such as hours of sunshine, holiday entitlement, working hours and life expectancy to provide a complete picture of the quality of life experienced in each country.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: "Last year compared with our European neighbours we were miserable but rich, this year we’re miserable and poor.

Euro-life-two "Whereas some countries work to live, UK consumers live to work. In fact we work harder, take less holiday and retire later than most of our European counterparts - but the high cost of living makes this a necessity rather than a choice. With salaries failing to keep up with inflation, it’s likely that we’re a long way from achieving the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy. Perhaps unsurprisingly given how life in the UK compares, three in ten people (30%) believe that now is a good time to emigrate."

And the uSwitch.com research concludes by saying that people in the UK can expect to work four years longer and die two years younger than their French counterparts.

And here in the Dordogne we can see the ripple effect of all of that -- almost a nutshell version of this research study.

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French Phrase for the day

Entre chien et loup

Between the dog and the wolf
Dusk
The time at the end of the day when the sun has gone down but it is not yet dark -- when it becomes impossible to discern between a dog (symbolising day as he can guide us) and a wolf (symbolising night, a threat,fear, nightmares)

This is an expression that goes as far back as antiquity, but only appeared in the French language in a text of the 11th century: "quand l’homme ne peut distinguer le chien du loup".


In the post about Surfing in France,

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By way of explanation: Why you get stuck on sand banks when you go sailing in the Arcachon Basin!

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Surfers' Paradise - La Côte d'Argent !

Sando was good at portraying the moment you find yourself at your limit, when things multiplied around you like an hallucination. He could describe the weird, reptilian thing that happened to you: the cold supercharged certainty which overtook your usually dithering mind, the rest of the world in a slow-motion blur around you, the tunnel vision, the surrender that confidence finally became. And he talked about the final rush, the sense of release you felt at the end, skittering out to safety in the beautiful deep channel...

It's like you come pouring back into yourself, said Sando one afternoon. Like you've exploded and all the pieces of you are reassembling themselves. You're new. Shimmering. Alive.

From - Breath by Tim Winton

This past week a few of us decided to sail down to San Sebastian -- as one does -- for a few good tapas and some Rioja wine. We set off from Port de Medoc and sailed to Cap Ferret and Arcachon to spend the first night. Sailing into the Arcachon Basin at dusk - entre chien et loup -- was breathtakingly beautiful. The oyster beds were submerged but the poles around them were piercing the pink evening skies and the pine trees on the Cap Ferret peninsula silhouetted in varying shades of black and grey -- brush strokes in Chinese ink -- subtle, changing, mesmerizing.

The next day we set off early to leave the Basin and continue to Spain. Well, we never got much further than the first sand bank! Suffice to say that the result was that we did not get to Spain after all, but we did have a good time!

The coast line from Port de Medoc down to Biarritz, the Cote d'Argent or the Silver Coast, is stunning and must be quite unique. It is one long, white, sandy beach that stretches down for 90 kilometres. Hour after hour, sailing along the coast, there is this beautiful beach -- and of course, where the beach is this long and uninterrupted, you also have some of the best surfing waves in the world. All along we saw the camps of the surfers -- splashes of colour on the white sand, surf boards and towels and surfers -- and one wonders how they discover these spots, as there are no roads to these remote areas and behind the dunes, stretching almost as far as the Cote d'Argent, stretches La forêt des Landes -- the biggest forest in France, covering almost one million hectares of Maritime Pines.
The Silver Coast is dotted with a string of fabulous surf spots such as Lacanau, Arcachon, Biscarosse, Capbreton, Boucau and Hossegor, annual venue of the WCT Quiksilver Pro.

Extending form the Gironde to the Adour estuary, this almost straight ruler on the Atlantic boasts 160 miles of uninterrupted sandy beach, ideal for surfing and bordered by dunes and pine forests. From Easter to All Saint's Day, the coast has the best potential for surf, with good unridden barrels and the steadiest swell anywhere in Europe.

The surfing quality of the wave is due to the depth and funnel shape of the Bay of Biscay, that rises abruptly in front of the coast, and the numerous small rivers and stream mouths dotting its length shaping good sand breaks. Due to the changing winds and the huge tidal range, the waves can evolve with incredible speed. The sandbars orientation favour rights, while lefts tend to be very hollow because of the consistent North to South undertow. But the good sandbars can be destroyed by the winter storms and the main surfing problem is the lack of shelter when the sea gets rough.

The best surfing spots
There are waves all year round. Even during the summer when these are small, the area around Hossegor is exposed to the swell which makes surfing possible almost every day. All these spots are beach breaks, so it’s safe to walk within hitting rocks, and waves can break right or left. They are exposed to the same offshore winds: East, Southeast and Northeast.
Most famous spots:
Les Casernes: Can be ridden until 2m-2m50 (6-7ft) according to sandbars. Some long rides. Works all tides.
Le Prevent: Can be ridden until 2m-2m50 (6-7ft). Breaks between jetties. Catches less swell than Seignosse or Hossegor. Hollow and short waves. Best at mid tide
La Piste: Can be ridden until 2.5m-3m (7-8ft.) Best at mid tide. Be careful with the blockhaus from WW II ...
Le Penon: Can be ridden until 2m-2m50 (6-7ft) according to sandbars. Works all tides. Some very long rides. The sandbars use to be improved by a small wooden jetty.
La Sud: Starts at 2m (6 ft) on the over spot. Works only at low tide
Les Bourdaines: Can be ridden until 2m-2m50 (6-7ft) according to sandbars. Some long rides. Works all tides
L’Agréou: Can be ridden until 2m-2m50 (6-7ft) according to the sandbars . Some long rides. Works all tides

Silver Coast & La Foret des Landes: In a nutshell
Extending from the Gironde estuary - near Bordeaux, to the Adour estuary - near Biarritz, the Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast) is a top surfing destination as well as a protected stretch of pristine coastline bordered by the huge pine forests of the Landes. Its shore is formed by a 200km long beach only interrupted by the string of tidal lakes doting the coast. At the heart of the coast, Arcachon is a turn of the century seaside resort located on the major tidal lake of the coast - a favourite windsurfing spot. This seaside resort is reputed for its oysters and the Dune du Pyla, Europe's highest sand dunes culminating at 118 metres and perfect to try some sand boarding. Behind this sand bar and stretching inland from the Atlantic coast, the forest of the Landes (Moors) is a vast expense of pines, cork oaks, broom and heather. Late French President Mitterand favourite retreat, this region was once a sandy and marshy area, unhealthy and unfit for farming. But in the 18th century and under the leadership of Napoleon, the area was planted with pine trees to drain the soil and stop the progression of the sand dunes, creating one of the largest and richest forest in Europe. A perfect place for hiking, biking and riding.

Hossegor
Nestling amidst the emerald pine forest of the Landes, caressed by the ocean breeze, lined with endless fine sandy beaches and a 250 hectare tidal lake, Hossegor reflects the image of an old traditional seaside resort. Hossegor is situated in the heart of a region where nature rhymes with culture all year round, a place which lives on the rhythm of events, Classical music festival, Harley Davidson festival, golf competitions, WCT surf championship, European kite festival, Enduro on the beach and Pelote Basque Open, plus a summer season in full swing where music of all types drifts across the evening air. The atmosphere in the Pubs, Piano bars, Cafes, Restaurants and Disco's are as in the rest of the South of France, very friendly but with a definite surfing atmosphere.
Climate
Southern Atlantic climate, with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

There is a Surf School located on the famous beach and surf spot of Les Bourdaines, in Hossegor. Open to all and ideal for the intermediate and advanced surfers who want to improve or polish their technique while surfing Hossegor’s world famous waves. Instructors are BSA (British Surf Association) qualified coaches and approved lifeguards, besides being competent and well-travelled surfers. They are passionate about their sports, respect their roles as surf guides and live the surfing lifestyle to the full.
Head coach Kevin has 20 years of surfing experience and has been coaching South African National surfers. The school’s objectives are to teach you to surf quickly, efficiently and safely, while providing an insight and understanding of every aspect of surfing ... as well as having as much fun as possible on this amazing spot !



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SA Blog Awards

So -- the top two finalists were announced today -- and this blog did not make it this time round! -- But a BIG thank you to all of you who voted for me!
If you want to see which blogs beat this (superb) one (!), click here. Cooksister.com is a recipe blog -- always popular it seems, and pharside.co.uk is a young bloke living in England -- looks like fun.

Bu-- tant pis! -- this is not going to change a thing and I shall continue to enjoy finding interesting little titbits to write about in my beautiful little corner of France!



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Drunken Woman

Its not that often I get out on the road these days as a taxi driver but when I do I`m always looking for something interesting.

Last night I picked 3 women up that had been to a party. It was a family party, there was mother, daughter and daughters daughter and most people can go out and have a good time and go home happy but its not always the case as there is always one who cannot handle their drink.

The middle aged woman in tha back of the car sandwiched between the other two was extremely abusive verbally to both the other passengers. Now the journey meant 3 different people being dropped off at 3 different addresses and I was just hoping the drunken woman would not be the last in case she couldnt pay the fare.

After having to listen to a torrent of four letter words and abuse from this woman directed at the other two I was glad to get to my first drop off address where one woman got out of the car followed by the abusive woman who then started shouting at the top of her voice in the street waking up residents. She was soon shoved back in the car and I carried on my journey. I had only got about 100 yards up the road when they started fighting in the back of the car.

It was at this point I stopped the car and told them both to get out. The drunken one fell out and was all over the place. the other one was very apologetic and paid the fare and so I went on my way.

What I cant understand is why people have to have stupid arguments, get aggressive and not be in control of themselves and its usually the women.

Alcohol enhances your mood so if you go out in a good mood you should in theory go home in a good mood. Unfortunatly it works the other way as well so if you go out looking for trouble then the chances are that you will find it.

Its all part of the job description these days and my main concern is for the safety of myself and other passengers as well as other road users if the vehicle is moving so by getting them out the car I think I did the right thing.

La journée du patrimoine: You are invited to breakfast on the chateau terrace this morning

It is the weekend of 18-19 September and La journée du patrimoine - Heritage Day in France. Today all museums, cultural venues, old water mills, ancient chateaux, buildings, gardens -- anything that has any cultural or historical significance - will be open to the public to visit, enjoy and appreciate -- free of charge. These open days are a privileged opportunity for the French to visit their national heritage free of charge, not just historic monuments and buildings, churches and châteaux, but also private houses, banks, local courts, préfectures, law courts, town halls, chambers of commerce, etc., all sorts of buildings which are usually closed to the public or little visited by it have enjoyed growing success, reflecting the French people’s infatuation with their national treasures.

La journée du patrimoine was introduced in 1984 by the Minister of Culture of the day, Jack Lang and has enjoyed huge success in France.


Chateau Lalinde will not be open to the public today, but I will, as usual, be visiting a few interesting places and come give a report and share the photographs with my readers later!

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The beautiful water mirror by Corajoud in Bordeaux

"Le paysage c'est l'endroit où le ciel et la terre se touchent"
- Michel Corajoud
(landscape is the place where the sky and the earth touch)


Apparently it was the Seattle artist, Jim Pridgeon, who had a concept to create a drawing in the sky by unrolling a long reflective mylar sheet in the lowest level of orbiting satellites around the earth. Depending on the time of day, the drawing would be more or less visible and at its most visible at sunset. On a global scale, Pridgeon's sculpture was supposed to capture and reflect the light of the sun to make a cut in the sky. This crisp edge of brighter light was the first aesthetic act of the reflected surface.

Generally people love reflections -- perhaps because it helps them see themselves as they think others see them?

But it seems that nowadays buildings that are completely covered in heavily reflective glass walls are no longer as popular as they used to be. Now the glass or the metal surfaces that cover them are either less reflective and/or covering less of the building surfaces. The 1970's and 80's reflective building that attempted to disappear into the sky has all but disappeared - or the buildings take on a different -- a fun - humorous kind of aspect. (as these scaffolding covers in Paris)

Now we have different forms of reflection -- and the most clever of these has to be the reflecting pools or water mirrors, such as the brilliant water mirror in Bordeaux, designed by the French landscape architects, Claire and Michel Corajoud and opened in October 2006.

Corajoud replaced the unsightly working docks of the Garonne Quais on the Gironde River with a giant rectangle of black granite covered with 5cm of water -- a surface large enough to reflect the entire 18th century (previous)Stock Exchange building. The water is added to by an interesting system of mist sprays and delicate fountains that seem to spurt diamonds into the air. As one observer puts it "The water mirror both forces people to stop and observe their reflection and then to bring them together in the play of splashing water".


Fascinating to watch people interact on the mirror. Young and old take off their shoes and enjoy the experience. People push others in wheelchairs. Children try to chase their reflections, try to catch the water, try to anticipate the mist sprays. Young girls laugh. Old people gaze at their reflected faces between their bare toes. And everyone loves the relief that the coolness of the water brings to their tired and hot feet.

No doubt one of the highlights of a visit to the Beautiful Bordeaux.




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Pension age in France raised to 62 in vote today

Following a vote by Members of Parliament today, France's legal retirement age will be raised gradually from 60 to 62, and the legal retirement age will be raised by four months every year until 2018. The vote took place just days after a national strike against changes to the retirement law.

French workers have been able to retire at 60 since 1983, when then president François Mitterrand lowered the age from 65.
The age to retire on a full pension, whether a person has made a full contribution to their state pension or not, will also rise from 65-67 between 2016 and 2023.

Two other measures aimed at those in the civil service were also passed during the National Assembly sessions which took place last Friday. Civil servants who can currently retire at 60 will see this raised to 62 and those who are parents of three children or more will lose their privilege to retire after just 15 years of service.

Former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal told France 2 that if the Socialist Party was elected in 2012 it would restore the ages to their current levels. "If the government doesn't step down, in 2012 we will make them step down," she said.

Expatica.com reports that the proposals must still be voted through by the Senate before becoming law - therefore union leaders have called for a huge turnout in a strike organised for September 23. CFDT general secretary François Chérèque told Europe 1: "If I thought that all was lost, I would not call on the French to strike again."


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Another magic evening in the Dordogne: Champagne and lemon sorbet for dessert

There is something quite special sitting with good friends in front of a crackling wood fire at the bottom of the garden on a starry late-summer night and have your host whip up a most delicious Scarpino as a dessert after a delicious meal. His recipe remains a well guarded secret, but here is a good substitute for you to try. It is spectacular, theatrical -- and probably the best dessert you will ever have tasted! Try it and let me know what you think!

Serves 6

* 6 large scoops lemon sorbet
* 1/2 cup vodka
* 1 bottle of sparkling wine or Champagne
* small tub of natural yoghurt

Method

Put the lemon sorbet in a large mixing bowl. Pour the vodka over and whisk fast with an egg whisk. Add the sparkling wine or champagne while continuing to whisk. The secret is to do it fast so that the bubble of the champagne reacts with the whisking and the drink becomes very light and foamy. Pour into champagne flutes or martini glasses and serve immediately.
(Photo of drink: Champagne, Darling? Freezes)

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Too good not to do again -- and again... Spicy Curried Banana Soup

A while back I posted this recipe, and by popular demand, it is back!

This is a recipe that is just so delicious that it comes with a warning: If you have made and served it once, you will be obliged to do so again and again and again. Everyone is made about it and cannot get enough of it! So, unless you are prepared to have your friends clamouring for more, don't even think about making it!

Brigitte's Spicy Banana Soup :

Butter, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, cardamom, ginger, chilli, cumin, chicken stock (1 ¼ l), cream/fleurette (1/4 l), 3 ripe bananas, curry powder, Noilly Prat (Vermouth)

Brown the onions and garlic in butter. Stir the bananas in pieces in with the curry. Add a shot of Noilly Prat and fill up with chicken stock, add all the herbs.

Make it smooth with a mixer. When ready, add the cream (don`t cook it any more then).

Serves 6 people.

(I also add a small pot of natural yoghurt which adds to the creaminess but breaks down the richness of the cream.)

Bon appetit!

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Autumn is coming to the Dordogne

Ode to Autumn by John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.



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Michael Kay - Sculpture and Story-telling in clay...

Tailladet is a tiny hamlet deep in the Dordogne region of France. It is about 20 kilometers south east of Bergerac on the D660, in between the villages of Beaumont du Perigord and Monpazier. That is where - at the gorgeous home of Michael and Sue - on a balmy evening, we recently farewelled the summer(perhaps a little prematurely, but any excuse is good for a party!) -- friends, good music that made us all feel quite nostalgic (yes! music from the sixties and seventies will do that when you get to this age!)under the trees, lovely food and wine -- the perfect combination for a perfect evening.


Since discovering clay I have become fascinated by the amazing complexity and unpredictability of the medium and the endless possibilities for the making and decorating of a form. I have found that in the concept of The Illustrated Vessel, the application of fun, playful and narrative images onto a three dimensional canvas, using the volumetric and sculptural aspects of the form, open up endless creative possibilities. My pieces could be seen as sculptural but they are always vessels, this is important to me".

When I came across Michael Kay's work for the first time, this is what I wrote:
There is something to be said for nature vs. nurture. Or is it just that living in such a beautiful part of the world brings out the creativity and talent in people. Not that they did not have the talent before, but it seems that when they leave the big crowded cities and rushed rat race and polluted air behind and come to settle here in the Southwest of France, there is something in the air – or the water? – that makes them blossom and surprise even themselves with their latent gifts of creative art. Or is it that when people leave their land of birth behind to go settle in a new country and in a new environment, a side of their creativity is awakened, enhanced by a different perspective, different stimulus, a different language?
I recently enjoyed a delicious meal in L’Imparfait in Bergerac and was immediately struck by the gorgeous water jugs on the tables. Each table was adorned with a small work of art – a ceramic, slightly out of kilter designed jug, decorated with delicately colourful figures of women, reminiscent of the work of Lautrec, but with an individuality that makes you want to go pick up each and every jug to inspect it more closely. Beautifully crafted in sensuous lines, the jugs form a perfect backdrop for the equally sensuous figures and faces of women.
I was not the first to comment to the manager about the jugs! He had a card ready at hand of the artist responsible for them, so it was with great anticipation that I set off over the hills of the Dordogne one misty winter’s afternoon to go look for the man behind the jugs – another fellow-expat who has made France his home – and source of inspiration.
I am not sure what I expected to find, but Michael Kay was a surprise to me --- if I had met him at a dinner party, I would probably have guessed him to be ….. well, anything but a potter. He welcomed me at the door with a wide smile and a warm handshake, drawing me into the lovely large living room of their restored farm house, one of a cluster commune sitting perched on top of a hill not far from Beaumont. In front of a crackling wood fire we sipped coffee and ate delicious banana cake, that Sue, his partner had specially baked, chatting about his fascinating career.
It was only in the early 90’s that Michael, then a successful graphic artist in London, discovered his love for clay. “I have become fascinated by the amazing complexity and unpredictability of the medium and the endless possibilities for the making and decorating of a form. The concept of ‘the illustrated vessel’ – applying playful and narrative images onto a three-dimensional canvas, opens up endless creative possibilities.”
This is very obvious in his work. Some of his pieces are more sculptural than functional – such as his totems – intricate collections of people and animals that demonstrate a strong mythological influence whilst still mesmerizing the viewer in the complexity of its sometimes erotic subtext, frequent touches of humour, intelligent use of glaze and colour and hidden meanings.
I work on the edge of the potter’s craft, says Michael. “I consider myself rather a painter or illustrator – engaging the onlooker in a narrative or fantasy, much the same as those masters of story telling, the ancient Greeks.
However you look at his work, he successfully fuses the various disciplines of painting, sculpture and story-telling into a powerful language of its own – a language that not only crosses the boundaries of time and space – but a language that crosses all boundaries of country, culture and custom.

Michael's work is generally available from:
Galerie ANAGAMA, 5 rue du Baillage, 78000 Versailles. Tel: 01 39 53 68 64
He also has a small exhibition space at home, where there are always a number of current pieces available for sale. And of course, he can be seen at the various pottery fairs and ceramic festivals in France.

His Studio Address: Tailladet, Sainte Croix de Beaumont, France, 24440.
Telephone: +0033(0)553 22 56 83
Email: michaelkay@orange.fr
Web-site: http://www.michaelkayceramics.net





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Life in the French countryside

This gives a whole new meaning to "I am so sorry I am late for dinner, but I was held up by the traffic".
Oh! I do so love life in the French countryside!

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Naked in summer

Well its been a while since I posted and the reason behind this is that I have spent very little time out on the roads as Bob has been on holiday for a couple of week enjoying the delights of America and beyond and I have spent most of my time in the office doing the things that Bob would normally do as well as doing my own work in there as well as trying to get to the gym for a workout.

I'll tell you a little story which actually goes back a few years when a passnger rang up to complain that a naked driver had picked her up and insisted that he was wearing no clothes at all.

It turns out the driver was wearing a pair of green shorts but whilst sat in the drivers seat his flab from his oversized belly dropped down convering his shorts and making him look naked.

Of course, with me going to the gym, I don't have that problem... Ahem....

French Phrase for the day

Il m'a posé un lapin

(he presented me with a rabbit)

= he stood me up/he didn't show up
He left me hanging...




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France goes on strike on 7 September - again...

Little boys don't grow up. They only grow old...
I read the news and I wonder, once again, when the world is going to realise that there are much more mature and responsible ways to get what you want than suicide bombs, acts of terrorism, wars -- and yes -- strikes.
Having said that, I should probably be writing about the options of conflict resolution, mediation, round table discussions, but, alas! looking at the players in the field, I am tempted to say: There is little hope of any of these people being able to hold one single mature conversation that will end in a resolution, so it is rather a case of when in Greece do as the Greeks do and perhaps it is time for the women of the world to stand together and do a Lysistrata on the menfolk -- until such time as they stop strutting around and start growing up.
(Lysistrata, a classic play written in 411 BC by Aristophanes, is about the time in Greek history when the city-states were constantly warring with one another. Consequently, the women were left at home. One woman, Lysistrata, was so fed up with the fighting that she called all of the women of Greece, from Sparta and Thebes to a meeting. Lysistrata asks the women to refuse sex with their husbands until a treaty for peace has been signed. Lysistrata convinces them to swear an oath that they will withhold sex from their husbands until both sides sign a treaty of peace, convincing the women that this was the only way to bring peace to the land and finally put an end to the Peloponnesian War).

In South Africa, A nationwide strike of government workers – some 1.3 million of them – threatened to bring South Africa’s government to a virtual halt these last two weeks. The number of working days lost from strikes keep on rising -- and what with power cuts - and the two-month World Cup party, they add up to a couple of million a year. And while children are staying ast home because there are no teachers at the school, and hospitals are at a loss without their nursing staff, the president continues to father more children...

In France, tomorrow sees the start of a massive strike action countrywide. Two million people are expected to take part in demonstrations around France tomorrow, as a big national day of strike action against pension reforms hits schools (62% of teachers will strike), transport and other public services. Many primary schools will be closed. Collèges and lycées will offer a minimum level of service and few lessons, if any. Tomorrow’s strike will also affect courts, Pôle Emploi job centres, post offices and energy supplier EDF. There will be protests outside hospitals, and paramedics’ union Amuf says a minimum level of service will be in place for 24 hours.
The unions are protesting against the government’s plan to raise the state pension age from 60 to 62 by 2018. According to an Ifop poll for Ouest France, 70 per cent of the French public support the day of action.

Here is the latest information on what effect the strike will have on transport.


TRAINS
SNCF workers are due to begin their strike at 20.00 tonight and it is expected to run until 8.00 on Wednesday morning.
Transilien (in Ile-de-France): 41 per cent of peak-time trains are running.
RER: Between 35 per cent and 60 per cent of services operating normally on lines C, D and E. Half of trains are running on RER A, but hardly any at all on RER B.
Paris metro: Normal service on automated lines 11 and 14. Between a third and two thirds of trains running on the other lines, except line 10, where just one train in four will run. A near-normal service is expected on buses and trams.
TER: Nationally, about half of local TER services will be running, but the percentage will vary from one region to the next. See http://www.ter-sncf.com for your region’s provisional timetable.
TGV: 40 per cent of trains into and out of Paris will operate, 50 per cent on the north and east mainlines, but only 20 per cent of province-province trains (bypassing Paris) are scheduled to run.
International trains: Eurostar will run a normal service, and Thalys is operating 80 per cent of trains. Ellipsos (to Spain) and Artesia (to Italy) services are cancelled.
Corail: Only 25 per cent of daytime Téoz services are running, and no Lunea night trains at all.
Passengers with a reservation on a mainline TGV or Corail train will be able to travel on any service without modifying their booking, but a seat is not guaranteed.
The SNCF will allow travellers to cancel their ticket at no cost, regardless of the conditions attached to the ticket.

FLIGHTS
Air France expects to run 90 per cent of flights as scheduled from Paris Charles de Gaulle, but only 50 per cent from Orly.

Air traffic controllers have also announced plans to take part in the strike, which means cancellations and delays are likely on other airlines. Further details should be available later today. Check before you fly.


USEFUL LINKS
SNCF: or 0805 90 36 35
Local TER services:
Mainline services:
Live station departure boards:
Transilien trains in Paris:
RATP (Paris public transport): or 0800 15 11 11
Air France:


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France's First Lady in the limelight again (or is that the 'red light'?)

Iran's foreign ministry on Tuesday criticised an Iranian hardline media outlet for calling French first lady Carla Bruni a "prostitute" after she expressed support for an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning.

Agence France Presse reports that Iran's foreign ministry criticised the media this week for branding the French first lady, Carla Bruni, as "prostitute" after she expressed support for a woman sentenced to death by stoning.

The Iranian ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, told reporters that insulting officials of other countries and using indecent words is not endorsed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. "We don't think using indecent and insulting words is a right move," he said when asked to comment on Iranian media reports that described Bruni as an "immoral" woman and a "prostitute."

"I hope the media will pay attention. The media can criticise the hostile policies of other countries, but by refraining from using insulting words. This is not correct."

About time. The western press dare print a cartoon depicting the Prophet, but the Muslim media can slander and slay whomever they please however they please. Is this a backlash perhaps for Sarkozy banning the burqa in public places in France? Or is it perhaps getting back at France for having the courage to speak out against this abomination of public stoning of a young pregnant woman - who is now also going to receive 99 lashes for having had a photograph taken of herself without the full veil?

Last week, Iran's hardline daily Kayhan ran a story headlined "French prostitutes enter the human rights uproar," in which it criticised Bruni and French actress Isabelle Adjani for supporting Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, the 43-year-old Iranian mother of two, who has been sentenced to death by stoning. The case has been dragged to court previously by many Iranians, including Nobel peace winner Shirin Ebadi and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, a top aide of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Kayhan wrote: "Bruni, the singer and depraved actress who managed to break the Sarkozy family and marry the French president and who is said to have an affair with a singer, has said in Sakineh Mohammadi's defence that the verdict is unfair." Kayhan, whose managing director and chief editor is appointed by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is known for harshly insulting Iranian and foreign figures.

Sticks and stones may break the beautiful Sakineh Mohammadi 's bones, but being called a prostitute will not harm us, you dirty old men.

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Chateau Lalinde : Home from home in the Dordogne

Earthquake in Christchurch: Our thoughts are with you!

To all our readers and friends in New Zealand -- our thoughts are with you! A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck New Zealand's South Island at 4:35am this morning. The quake, which hit 19 miles west of the southern city of Christchurch, shook a wide area with radio reports saying items were tossed from store shelves and roof tiles cracked by the strong tremble. A state of emergency has been declared in Christchurch.

According to the news reports, the earthquake was 21 miles below the Earth's surface. New Zealand sits above an area of the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates collide. The country records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year - but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than 10 a year do any damage. New Zealand sits above an area of the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates collide. The country records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year - but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than 10 a year do any damage.


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Chateau Lalinde : Home from home in the Dordogne

Medieval Festivals in the Dordogne

Once a year the Middle Ages come to town!

For a South African living in Europe, (or is it for everyone else as well?) there is something magic about the village being turned into a scene from the Middle Ages - when, for a day, you are transported back into Medieval times. Bales of straw appear to cover the cobblestone streets, banners and flags and pennants are hung from balconies, cars disappear and horses are tethered to the heavy iron rings next to front doors - that were put there hundreds of years ago for exactly that purpose.

Men and women on stilts wander through the narrow streets, jugglers perform their antics for laughing children, fire eaters mesmerise with their dangerous skills, flower sellers call out as do the the bakers with his warm rolls and the rags and bones man with his cart of rattling wares as he trundles down the street. Over there is a woman sitting in the shade of a chestnut tree making a gossamer scrap of lace in the same way her great-great grandmother did it 200 years ago, and there, next to water pump, is a man bent over his carving of a waking stick with an elaborate deer head for the handle.

I hear drums and tambourines and aeolin pipes and go look for the source of the music. It is troupe from northern Siberia, dressed in layers of earth coloured fabric, bearded, woolly and wild-eyed, calling the crowds to come listen to their hauntingly beautiful music -- as if straight from the Siberian steppes and carried along by the frozen winds across the continent - and yet, eerily similar to the sounds of the local traditional Perigordine celtic music I have come to know and love so well.

A young boy takes the opportunity to demonstrate his skill with balancing sticks on the edge of the crowd and over there I notice a young woman bent over boiling cauldrons as she dyes her fabrics and home spun wool with beetroot and walnut leaves. On the other side of the crowd are two soldiers - their bulky bodies dressed in leather and chainmail, their metal helmets glinting in the sun - as they wait for the blacksmith to finish sharpening their heavy iron swords...

It is summer and once again, the Midle Ages have come to town!




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Chateau Lalinde : Home from home in the Dordogne