Maquis Bir Hakeim
February 14, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment
In the second world war the French resistance fought the occupation of France. near us there are many memorials, this one for the Maquis is near Moreze…
Dolomites and Valentines
February 14, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment
A beautiful sunny Sunday in Languedoc – we drove to a local beauty spot (with Carole my local beauty) Moreze – it is unique in Europe – if you know what a dolomite is then….
A warm and Sunny Day in February
It was not a “Dark and Stormy Night” – but a bright and Sunny day today, so we went to the seaside to collect some seashells for my Mum.
Not much more to say really except “Wish You Were Here” and show some photos or Marseillan Beach and Marseillan Town (the beach is on the Mediterranean and the Port is slightly inland on a huge inland sea-lake.
Marseillan Beach on the Mediterranean in Languedoc
Marseillan harbour Entrance Languedoc France
Marseillan Port
Front Entrance for Villa Roquette
We collected plenty of sea-shells, but could not get a stick-of-rock for my Mum.
Mad March Days
February 7, 2010 by tony · 3 Comments
Our VillaRoquette January sale has ended, many guests took our special early bird offer and have booked our apartments or BandB for later this year – we still have most of March and April free so we are starting our March Sale for any booking made from now until the end of April at half price, subject to availability. Book with a deposit now and pay the balance on arrival.
Since writing this headline I have had the poem I remember from my first school buzzing in my head – I always recall the last verse as we said it loud in class – chanting it in a quick, staccato and finishing loudly with “Cheap Tin Trays”
Cargoes by John Masefield –
Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
Dirty British Coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rail, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
I can’t promise Apes or Peacocks, but Sweet White Wine is on the menu.
Eiffel Eyeful
January 4, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment
- Image via Wikipedia
I thought I had written about this before. When you are in Paris you can book your ticket for the Eiffel Tower online and print it out. This official service is at Tour-Eiffel.fr
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Beziers the Gateway to the South of France
Our home in the village of Montblanc is between the towns of Beziers and Pezenas. We are a few minutes from the Mediterranean, and are now the focus of a communications network of airports, motorways and high speed rail connection – yet we nestle in a calm and tranquil river valley which has not changed for centuries.
- Image by tibchris via Flickr
I am busy sorting out the marketing for our Apartments and Bed and Breakfast accommodation in our home and
we are offering some great deals and discounts for 2010 in our January Sale.
These are exciting times, the new Motorway from Paris, the A75, a
rrives a few kilometers from us. You cross the highest viaduct in the world, often above the clouds, at Millau.
For centuries, over 800 years, after the crusade against the Cathars, Languedoc was a forgotten backwater, lost in time. The combination of sun, soil and steam-trains in the 19th century brought enormous wealth to this quiet paradise, but not many visitors. The Internet has changed this – in under 20 years, Languedoc has become not only the most desirable place to live in France, but the wines, once considered a vast lake of cheap plonk, are now rated as some of the best in the world. The sun shines longer in Languedoc and communications are the best in France with the best road, rail and air connections in France.
- Image via Wikipedia
At the center of Languedoc is the city of Beziers. An ancient Roman town which still has bullfights in the arena each year. Famous for the birthplace of the Canal du Midi, a World heritage Site and also for the massacre of thousands in the crusades against the Cathars in the 14th century.
Beziers is coming back to life with a new airport and new ideas to show the world how Languedoc became the cradle of Western Civilisation in the age of the courts of love of the troubadours.
A new website from Beziers begins to show the return of this cradle of enlightenment.
- Image via Wikipedia
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Montblanc Puzzle
December 30, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
If you are finding it hard to concentrate on work after Christmas and the new year – then what you need is a holiday.
What better than coming to stay with us in our Apartments or Bed and Breakfast in Montblanc.
To relax you and get you in the mood, here is a jigsaw puzzle of a typical street in our village……
Slide the pieces with your mouse….
Or click on the picture or link below….
Montblanc streetConsumer Protection
December 29, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
I am writing about problems with apartment rentals in Paris on my blog at http://2337.com – the aim was originally to give information to owners about problems ahead from laws affecting vacation retals.
Interestingly this site has generated mail from renters telling me some horrific stories about owners. Clearly there is a lot to be cleared up and the Government of France and the City of Paris are taking steps to put things in order.
If you have had problems with any service, most countries have an official department you can complain to and report the supplier. A good website listing these offices is http://oecg.org/ – for France the official consumer protection bureau is The DGCCRF – it is an official French government authority for Consumer Protection, they have a website in English at http://www.dgccrf.bercy.gouv.fr/anglais.htm – they have produced a leaflet, in English, which gives some information and other contacts. You can download this at Welcome to France
As most apartments in Paris rented for vacations are rented illegally, you should ensure that the owner, or the owners agent, has correctly registered the apartment as a commercial property to rent, is correctly declared for taxation on the revenue in France and therefore they are able to show you valid and adequate insurance.
Interestingly from the websites above I found that most of the disclaimers for loss or damage on rented premises are not legally valid, this applies to hotels as well – you cannot “sign away” your rights on any rental contract.
Why I live in France
December 6, 2009 by tony · 3 Comments
I wrote recently about the ‘flip side’ of living in France. Today is Sunday and it is the end of a frustrating week, dealing with French bureaucracy as well as trying to help with the problems of Paris apartment rentals. But Sunday morning is the end of the week and I look forward to bringing Carole breakfast in bed, reading the papers and getting bread from the Boulangerie warm on the table.
The boulangerie is the real heart of a French village – we must be from Gallifrey, the planet of the Time Lords as we, Like Dr Who, have two ‘hearts’ in our village of Montblanc. The one at the top of our high street had a ‘degustation’ of their bread this morning and were giving away balloons and samples of their produce, they also sell their own wine. With over 15 different varieties of bread baked continuously every day, it is a precious resource and makes a big difference to the quality of life and a very good reason to put up with the tribulations of paperwork.
www.EpiMontblanais.com
They have their own website which has a brief history of bread-making in Montblanc, the medieval oven is still in the center of the village (photos on their website), not in use today, but once it would have been the place where most of the village gathered each week to cook their food and exchange gossip – in a way this is still the tradition as the village boulangerie is as much a place for meeting people and hearing the news as for buying bread (or wine).
This is one reason why we have lived in France for 20 years.
French Property Newsletter
December 2, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
I have been sending out newsletters about living in France for over 12 years. Another newsletter I think very highly of is one from French-Property – their newsletter is like Lidl – whenever I really need something, I look in and ‘bingo’ there it is.
I used to know the people there but am out of touch with them so I have no association with what I recommend as a good resource.
Another source of good information is AngloInfo – I loather the title, but the content is good, this is the link to their Languedoc site and Caroline, who runs the site, is a very attractive, hard working and intelligent lady.
