Roman Polanski - uses Pole and Ski to escape?

Sorry about the pun - Pol an Ski (Pole and Ski) - gets worse when you have to explain it!

But the basis of the story in the Times says that Sarko has aided Roman to gain bail in neighbouring Switzerland for a house arrest scenario. Are we going to see a great escape on skis into France?

According to the Times: "The Swiss authorities said that Mr Polanski would be allowed out once the agreed bail of 4.5 million Swiss Francs had been received. They have ordered that he should not leave his chalet – for fear that the first-rate skier might slip over the nearby border via a mountain pass into his adopted French homeland and escape US justice a second time.”

New movie coming soon? Surely even Roman cannot play Steve McQueen?

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Don't Wine - France regains Top Spot

France this year has regained its position as the world's top wine producer with an estimated output of 45.7 million hectolitres.

France took over the top spot from Italy, which had been the biggest producer since 2007.

The 2009 world viniculture production, at close to 268 million hectolitres, is almost identical to 2008 levels.

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Unique Property: Troglodyte House in Central France for Sale

Location: Nr. Descartes, Central France
Price: 97,900 euros
More >> Troglodyte House

This rare & exceptional troglodyte house is situated near the world famous ‘Ethnicité’ on the cliffs facing the town of Descartes (the birthplace of the famous philosopher). The house is 100% troglodyte (cave dwelling), has recently been updated with all conveniences & has spectacular views of the Creuse Valley.

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Getting Cosy with Sarkozy - Doh! Carla makes love with Carl

French First Lady Carla Bruni has been portrayed as a sex-mad femme fatale (surely not) on an episode of the Simpsons.

Dressed in a low-cut ball gown, Bruni chases Carl and declares: 'I want to make love, right now.'

Homer then tells Carl that Bruni is the president's wife, saying: 'You know that woman you've been playing 'hide the baguette' with? That's the First Lady of France, Carla Bruni!'

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French Property of the Week: Lakeside Paradise!

Location: Guingamp, Cotes d'Armor (a Brittany property, France)
Price: 539,300 euros

This, as you can see, is very pretty & stunning, an idyllic spot! Three beautiful lakes full of fish, lovely maintable gardens with patio areas, veg plot, greenhouse, 9 hole putting green & some woodland also totally private with gated walled entrance. Inside is full of character with original beams, some open stone walls & an insert woodburner. The new bath/shower room is very spacious & elegant & the bedrooms upstairs have sloping ceilings making them very cosy. There is also a second lounge up here overlooking the lakes. Guingamp Property details.

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You can't keep a Tommy down!

The remains of 15 British soldiers who were killed in the early months of World War I were found in northern France this week 95 years after their deaths.

The Tommies have been identified as volunteers of the York and Lancaster Regiment killed between October 18 and 20, 1914 in a gunbattle with German troops near the castle of Flandres de Beaucamps-Ligny.

The bodies have been transferred to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which maintains several cemetries in the former battlefields of northeastern France.

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Oui were robbed and Sarko apologises

France president Nicolas Sarkozy has apologised to the Republic of Ireland for Thierry Henry's blatant handball that saw the Republic of Ireland draw 1 - 1 and bow out in their quest for qualification to the 2010 World Cup.

Following talks with the Irish prime minister at a European Union summit in Brussels, Sarkozy told reporters: "I told Brian Cowen how sorry I was for them."

Looking forward to the Irish vs France rugby match - cannot see any prisoners being taken!

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France: To Rent or Not?

Renting property in France is big business. About half the population rents property although Sarkozy is trying to sell the benefits of home ownership (a la Thatcher) with tax incentives.

Most towns will have a large selection of "Locations" agencies where you can find property to rent. Rentals tend to be cheaper in France than the UK - but of course it does depend on location, location, location. Do a search on google.fr for a "location" plus town or village name to find rental property / agencies. Lets are from periods of 6 months.

Holiday lets will be more expensive especially in the high season (July and August) when France goes on holiday. Outside the high season prices will be more competitively priced. Property will be available on the coasts and rural locations - from apartment to chateaux! Something for every budget. For a great selection of French Property Rentals, and French Guides - try 1st for French Property.

Holiday Property Owners can add their property online - the online booking/availabilty system will make it easy for holidaymakers to book with you! More details of the comprehensive marketing, and complete automation of your business: Rent My Holiday Property.

 

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The race for Beaujolais Nouveau is on

Beaujolais Nouveau is released on the third Thursday of November. Beaujolais nouveau is the first wine of the season. It's vinified quickly and gently, turning out a light-bodied, unserious, very fruity red wine from the gamay grape.

Served at about 55 degrees, cooler than usual for a red wine, it goes well with turkey. 

The wine takes its name from the historical Beaujolais province and wine producing region. It is located north of Lyon, and covers parts of the north of the Rhône département (Rhône-Alpes) and parts of the south of the Saône-et-Loire département (Burgundy).

Traditionally, the bistros of Paris use every form of transport from motorcycles to light aircraft to be the first to bring up the new wine from the Beaujolais region of southeast France. 

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Date for the Diary: The France Show 2010

The France Show: Three days of indulgence in French cuisine, art and culture at London's Earls Court between 8th and 10th January 2010.

What better way to rediscover the magic of France than by immersing yourself in the colours, the culture and the party atmosphere that is the France Show 2010 - the UK's largest celebration of all that makes France such a special place.

Also, you can discover a French Property at The French Property Exhibition. From Brittany Property to Provence Mas, there is plenty to dream about. As well as property - plenty of support services: legal, finance, transport, etc.

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Women banned from wearing trousers in Paris

By Henry Samuel in Paris
Published: 6:35AM GMT 17 Nov 2009

The rule banning women from dressing like men – namely by wearing trousers - was first introduced in 1800 by Paris' police chief and has survived repeated attempts to repeal it.

The 1800 rule stipulated than any Parisienne wishing to dress like a man "must present herself to Paris' main police station to obtain authorisation".

In 1892 it was slightly relaxed thanks to an amendment which said trousers were permitted "as long as the woman is holding the reins of a horse".

Then in 1909, the decree was further watered down when an extra clause was added to allow women in trousers on condition they were "on a bicycle or holding it by the handlebars".

In 1969, amid a global movement towards gender equality, the Paris council asked the city's police chief to bin the decree. His response was: "It is unwise to change texts which foreseen or unforeseen variations in fashion can return to the fore."

The latest attempt to remove the outmoded rule was in 2003, when a Right-wing MP from President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party wrote to the minister in charge of gender equality. The minister's response was: "Disuse is sometimes more efficient than (state) intervention in adapting the law to changing morays."

As Evelyne Pisier, a law professor whose book Le Droit des Femmes (The Rights of Women) unearthed the curious decree points out, given that trousers are compulsory for Parisian policewoman, they are all breaking the law.

via telegraph.co.uk

O common on - this is just too silly; is this a Monty Python sketch?

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French Property of the week: Gorgeous 2 bed cottage with barn and garden

This gorgeous detached 2 bed cottage that has been beautifully renovated by the current owners and sits in a small hamlet not far from the village of Naillat in the Limousin where there is a little general store, a bakery and a bar. About 5 minutes drive away is the pretty small town of Dun le Palestel with small supermarket and many other shops and services, while the larger medieval town of La Souterraine is around 15 minutes drive away and here you will find all the shops and services you need including a hypermarket and a train station with regular trains to Paris and Limoges.

Price: 97,200 euros
More details: Naillat Property

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Climb Every Mountain - wahtever your age!

In 2007, Carroll Koepplinger aged 79, trekked two weeks in Spain, but in 2008, he walked a longer stretch from LePuy in France to the Pyrenees, a total of 430 miles, with four friends from the States.

In May 2009 he and three friends, Jay Bretz, Don Walton and I, began the route that starts in Geneva, Switzerland, and walking the 230-mile section from there to LePuy through the French Alps, crossing the Rhone River, and then hiking through the mountainous Massif Central, all in 16 days.

Congratulations and what an encouraging hobby for the baby-boomer generation!

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Sarkozy: No place for burqas in France

Sarkozy: No place for burqas in France

(AP) – 15 hours ago

PARIS — French President Nicolas Sarkozy says there is no place for full face and body veils such as the burqa, or for the debasement of women, in France.

Sarkozy says all beliefs will be respected in France but says "becoming French means adhering to a form of civilization, to values, to morals."

Sarkozy said Thursday during a speech on national identity that "France is a country where there is no place for the burqa." France has a large Muslim community but only a small minority of French Muslim women wear burqas, common in Afghanistan, or other face-covering veils.

Sarkozy said in June that burqas would not be welcome in France. Since then a parliamentary panel has been looking into the possibility of banning them in public.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

via news.google.com

Well done Sarko!

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Snow Report Update for France

Snowboard Club UK reports: Continents With Resorts Open For Skiing: 2; Countries With Resorts Open For Skiing: 10; Ski Areas Open (Approximately): 200

• Great snowfalls in the Pyrenees - Formigal, Spain, may open early.

In France there's been big snowfalls in the Alps and the Pyrenees. With only Tignes open still it's difficult to find any official figures on snowfall, however the Pyrenees seem to be doing especially well in the past 72 hours with Cauterets, which received huge snowfalls last winter, reporting 1.3m (over four feet) of new snow. It will open on November 28th.

In the Alps there are many unofficial guesstimates of several feet (50-100cm) of new snow at resorts like Chamonix and Meribel where skiers and boarders have been hiking up to ski down the slopes.

However other than Tignes - where conditions are reported to be much improved with the new snow and skiing down to Val Claret - unless anyone breaks ranks, it looks like we still have to wait another 10 days for the first to open, Val Thorens on November 21st.

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French Property of the week: Bargain Limousin Property in Central France

PRICE REDUCTION FOR THIS SPACIOUS FAMILY HOUSE WITH EN-SUITE B&B ROOMS IN ATTACHED COTTAGE, WITH ATTACHED BARN SUITABLE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. Offering excellent income potential and scope for further development.

Total area 580m2, of which total habitable space is 350m2. House with 4 Bedrooms (one on ground floor), plus space for more in Attic. Attached cottage with 3 en-suite letting rooms (one on ground floor). Attached Barn suitable for further development.Compact pretty garden with large raised and decked terrace.

Situated in an elevated position with lovely views In a small, very pretty village with a post office, an auberge & a church About 10 minutes to the town of St Sulpice-les-Feuilles, Limousin Region of France.

More photos and information: Bargain Limousin Property

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Pensions unpalatable to French Taste

It's not all that surprising that France, with its generous labour and pension laws would find itself up against a brick wall, as pension systems begin to run dry. No easy retirement to the Provence playgrounds, perhaps Brittany instead?

How do they propose to get around this conundrum? Well, Mr Sarkozy favours extending minimum contribution periods for a full pension, rather than raising the standard pension age beyond 60. The contribution period is already set to rise by one year to 41 years by 2012 but should be increased still further.

Bit of a culture change to all work and no play. Not easy for the French Psyche.

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Paris - city of Romance or Divorce - take your choice!

Paris - normally associated with romance is now promoting a new angle: a Divorce Fair - the latest in Paris France Attractions !

According to latest statistics: 1 in 2 marriages end in divorce in France.

So divorce is big business in Paris. The "New Start" trade fair aims to tap into that booming market! Services on show include, as you would expect, law firms and counsellors but also tarot card readers, makeover specialists and self-esteem coaches.

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Lauren Booth's Crash Course in Life

Charming and heart-braking story about her husband's crash in the Dordogne.

Daily Mail reports on her husband's recovery and the effect on their relationship. A poignant account about life and how it can change in an instant. Live the day because you do not know what is around the next corner (sorry about the pun - you'll understand if you read the article).

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Carl Bruni to have a lower profile

Nicolas Sarkozy has asked his wife Carla Bruni to lower her public profile after complaints about her political influence.

Our advice: stop wearing high heels and wear pumps!

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Windmill for Sale in France

Something Different .....
Windmill in good condition near to Jonzac, empty, land 2000m2. Have you ever fancied a windmill? LOOK Inside is empty 30m2 Roof sound No mechanism Land 2000m2, with the remains of two old mills. Price: 129,900 euros

Department: Charente-Maritime; Region: Poitou - Charentes

Details: Jonzac Windmill

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Learning about the wines of Fronsac - Chicago Tribune

Forget April in Paris. Bordeaux's wineries can be so beautiful in spring. The grass is newly green, the vines have begun to leaf out and the lilacs are fragrantly in flower. I was lucky enough to savor the scene on a 2008 trip to Chateau Cassagne Haut-Canon in the small commune of Saint Michel de Fronsac.

The winery, owned by Zita and Jean-Jacques Dubois, is located in the Fronsac appellation. It is set high above a vine-terraced hill with views of the Dordogne Valley below. An ancient stone quarry lies behind the family house, built as a hunting lodge by the Duke of Richelieu in the 18th century. We all just stood there, drinking in the scenery along with the excellent wine.

"This is Bordeaux," I kept thinking. And I'm not alone.

Ask Doug Bell about wine from the Fronsac region and you get an almost identical answer.

"It's a great wine," said Bell, the global wine buyer for Whole Foods Market Inc. "I don't want to call it the poor man's Pomerol but, well, it is sort of the poor man's Pomerol."

Pomerol wines are some of the priciest from Bordeaux. Fronsac wines on the other hand tend to run $40 or less, Bell said.

"In the Bordeaux world, that's a relative bargain," he said.

Fronsac has two wine regions. There's a smaller Canon-Fronsac inside the larger Fronsac appellation. Both make reds, using merlot as the dominant grape variety. More merlot means the "drinkability window" is earlier for these wines, said Tony Foreman, the Baltimore restaurateur behind Bin 604 and other Maryland restaurants.

"It's a solid conservative choice," Foreman said. "It's good. The quality of Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac is getting stronger and stronger, no question."

Canon-Fronsac and Fronsac have long been overshadowed by neighboring Saint-Emilion and Pomerol (Fronsac wines were far more well-known in the 18th and 19th centuries).

The wine council is seeking to turn the region's low profile into an advantage by referring to it as "the secret garden of Bordeaux wine."

From Fronsac, merlot done right

2000 Chateau Les Roches de Ferrand Fronsac

An elegant, multilayered wine. Colored brick red, the wine boasts a plummy, spicy nose and flavor notes of plum, black cherry and cedar. Lovely mouth feel, with just the right amount of tannins to launch a long slow finish. Mostly merlot with a splash of cabernet franc blended in. Serve with braised short ribs. $17

2005 Chateau de La Dauphine Fronsac

Plenty of ripe berry and cherry flavors liberally spiced with black pepper. A lively, balanced wine with undertones of oak, cassia and cedar. The wine is a 90 percent merlot, 10 percent cabernet franc. Serve with roast chicken. $30

2005 Chateau Moulin Haut-Laroque Fronsac

This purple wine has a subtle, almost elusive smell of violets and damp earth. The taste is peppery with notes of berry and oak. Serve this blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon with grilled steak. $25

-- B.D.

By the numbers

2,766

Acres in the Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac appellations

via news.google.com

Must take in Fronsac on the next trip!

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France Train Tickets: How to book tickets on the SNCF website

The SNCF website is where you book train tickets in France. Whether you want to travel to Provence region or Bordeaux or wherever - you want the best price!

It’s almost always less expensive to buy train tickets directly through the website of a country’s national rail service rather than through RailEurope’s English-language site or overseas agents, especially for France’s TGV system. Fares can also be cheaper booking online than buying the tickets in person at the station.

However, the SNCF site is in French. Of course, for us Brits that is bit of a problem....

Help is at hand - here is the idiot's guide how to book with English translation!

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Finding A Good Deal On A Home Posted By : Art Gib

Bargain shopping for a home takes careful research. Foreclosed homes and real estate auctions are great places to look for good deals on homes. http://bit.ly/2i5diQ

French Property Market up 2.8%

Just as France emerges from recession so the property market in France begins to recover. Figures from the FNAIM revealed that although French residential prices fell overall by 1 per cent in the third quarter, but they rose in September and are now 2.8 per cent higher than they were six months ago...

Recovery is on the way so it is good time to start researching places in France ....

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French Property of the Week: Magnificent Maison de Maitre + Longere + Cottage

** INCREDIBLE PRICE REDUCTION NOW 318000 Euros - was 397500 Euros - saving 79500 Euros **

A magnificent and impressive granite Maison de Maitre in the heart of the village located in LA TRINITE PORHOET, Morbihan, Brittany. The buildings surround a beautiful tranquil courtyard and mature garden. Beautifully restored with original features. Central Heating. Ideal Chambre d'hote or gites. The property radiates a wonderful ambiance. The front of the property is approached through large wrought iron gates and railings leading up to steps to the front of the property. More details of this Brittany Maison de Maitre

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France: Under 24? Have a Free Newspaper

8. France: Under 24? Have a Free Newspaper.

As sales lag, the French government is trying to encourage young people to read newspapers again by offering a free subscription to people between the ages of 18 and 24 to any paper of their choice. While newspaper readership is declining around the world, it's particularly bad in France, where half as many papers are sold as in the United Kingdom or Germany, and where only 10 percent of people under 24 reported paying for a paper in 2007. The government has set aside $22.5 million for the project, dubbed "My Free Newspaper," over a three-year period, and some of the money will come from the papers themselves. One former editor of the conservative daily Le Figaro has criticized the program, saying it encourages the notion that papers should be free. Regardless, this doesn't seem to deter proponents. "Winning back young readers is essential for the financial survival of the press, and for its civic dimension," said Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand.

Read original story in The New York Times | Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

via slate.com

This is great idea and should be taken up in the UK. Hopefully it will not be used to promote Government propaganda??

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France: Under 24? Have a Free Newspaper

8. France: Under 24? Have a Free Newspaper.

As sales lag, the French government is trying to encourage young people to read newspapers again by offering a free subscription to people between the ages of 18 and 24 to any paper of their choice. While newspaper readership is declining around the world, it's particularly bad in France, where half as many papers are sold as in the United Kingdom or Germany, and where only 10 percent of people under 24 reported paying for a paper in 2007. The government has set aside $22.5 million for the project, dubbed "My Free Newspaper," over a three-year period, and some of the money will come from the papers themselves. One former editor of the conservative daily Le Figaro has criticized the program, saying it encourages the notion that papers should be free. Regardless, this doesn't seem to deter proponents. "Winning back young readers is essential for the financial survival of the press, and for its civic dimension," said Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand.

Read original story in The New York Times | Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

via slate.com

This is great idea and should be taken up in the UK. Hopefully it will not be used to promote Government propaganda??

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