Chris Slade describes the son et lumiere presentation at the abbey of Bon Repos called "Le Pays de Conomor" in Brittany, which takes place during the first two weeks of August.
Brittany and Loire blog for expats living, working and playing in France
Driving in France
In recent years, travelling across to the continent and driving in France has become increasingly easy for Brits, but there are laws and regulations to bear in mind while driving abroad.
Mushroom picking in France
In France, mushroom picking, or “la cueillette des champignons”, is practically a national sport during the Autumn season. However, there are guidelines to follow before wandering through the woods.
Pineau … or Pinot? Do you know the difference?
Pineau is a delicious alcoholic drink which comes from the Charentes region of France. It is a fortified wine made from 3 parts grape juice and 1 part Cognac and, like many great delicacies, was discovered by mistake.
La Roche Bernard
La Roche Bernard is a pretty Brittany town in Morbihan on the banks of the river Vilaine. Picturesque, with a natural harbour, two superb bridges, shops and great restaurants. It is a Ville Gastronomique and Petite Cité de Caractère.
La Rentrée des Classes.
The Summer holidays are nearing the end in France and everyone is preparing for “La Rentrée des Classes”. On September 2nd, every school in France will officially re-open its doors for the new school year.
Places to visit
Mushrooming in Monteneuf forest
If it were blowing a gale outside your French home would your first thought be to rush into the local woods to go hunting for ceps, chanterelles and pied de mouton mushrooms?
Read Nicola’s account of mushroom hunting in Brittany in the middle of a storm
La Roche Bernard
La Roche Bernard is a pretty Brittany town in Morbihan on the banks of the river Vilaine. Picturesque, with a natural harbour, two superb bridges, shops and great restaurants. It is a Ville Gastronomique and Petite Cité de Caractère.
Local Activities
Looking for ideas of what to do while on holiday in the La Roche Bernard area? We have compiled a list of ideas to keep you entertained white holidaying there.
La Brière
The Parc Naturel Régional de La Brière includes the largest wetland area in France outside of the Camargue. It covers around 100,000 acres. Its vast network of canals, islets, marshes and lagoons plays host to a myriad of wildlife, and is a bird-watchers paradise.
Food and Drink
Driving in France
Exporting a UK-bought LHD car to France
Is it possible or indeed practical to buy a LHD car in the UK, originally registered in Poland, and then import it to France? Are there guidelines to be followed?
Driving in France
In recent years, travelling across to the continent and driving in France has become increasingly easy for Brits, but there are laws and regulations to bear in mind while driving abroad.
Buying a car in France without proof of address
Can you purchase a car in France without providing a utility bill as proof of address? The car will only be needed for a year and we don’t have a permanent residence in France.
‘Invisible’ speed cameras in operation on French roads
New speed cameras are in operation across 20 departments in France, virtually invisible to drivers and which carry a radar behind the number plate.
Will these new speed cameras reduce road deaths in France or just raise more money for the treasury?
French Education
La Rentrée des Classes.
The Summer holidays are nearing the end in France and everyone is preparing for “La Rentrée des Classes”. On September 2nd, every school in France will officially re-open its doors for the new school year.
Children’s Summer camps in Brittany
If you know of an English-speaking children’s Summer camp running in Brittany, please could you let us know? Looking for places for 5 and 7 year-olds.
La Rentrée 2011
After a 9 week summer break, it is time for children all over France to begin their new school year on the long awaited day of “La Rentrée”
Click here to read about a typical rentrée in a tiny village school
Let the holidays begin
French schoolchildren appear to have it all. In the summertime, they get a whole nine weeks off! However, not all of their time off is dedicated to rest and play, thanks to a popular educational tool
French Traditions
La Rentrée des Classes.
The Summer holidays are nearing the end in France and everyone is preparing for “La Rentrée des Classes”. On September 2nd, every school in France will officially re-open its doors for the new school year.
Etiquette surrounding the French aperitif
Is there an etiquette to observe when inviting French friends over for aperitif? Cindy, our guest blogger, having recently arrived in France, has discovered that there is.
Find out how to offer French aperitifs (or apéro) and avoid social embarrassment
Muguet (Lily of the Valley) in France on 1st May
Muguet, or Lily of the Valley, is very popular in France around 1st May each year. It is offered as a gift to friends to wish them luck, but has a very long tradition dating back to 1561 and Charles IX.
Read about the traditions of Lily of the Valley (Muguet) in France
Give Lily of the Valley to someone on 1st May
The Fête du Travail (Labour day) is the first of the official holidays in May. This public holiday celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labour movement, and is also the day when Lily of the Valley (Muguets) are given to friends and family.
Read about the French tradition of giving Lily of the Valley
Gardening in France
Having a bonfire in France – is it ok to light a fire outdoors?
Can you light a fire outdoors in France to burn your garden waste? Maybe – but it’s best to check first with your local Mairie or fire service to make sure you don’t get a fine.
Who owns the right of way?
When Nicola and her husband tried buying a small right of way serving their garden a few months ago, little did they know how long it would take to achieve
Read about Nicola’s conversation with the local mayor regarding buying that small piece of land
Don’t press apples on a descending moon
An unusually early Summer and Autumn this year means that Nicola’s orchard is growing faster than normal. Apples have to be picked and pressed well ahead of schedule
Pressing apples for juice in France isn’t as straightforward as it seems
Garden nosiness
Taking the occasional sneaky peek into next door’s garden can be useful: it can give you great ideas for your own patch, and you can even get useful tips and advice if you’re lucky enough to have a friendly neighbour. Just don’t get too competitive…
Read Nicola’s story when she thought she had outsmarted her gardening expert neighbour…
Holiday Website Tips
Holiday Website Tips (2) – Be easy to contact
Make sure there is a clear and obvious way for people to get in touch with you wherever they are on your website. Failure to do so could result in lots of potential bookings finding their way to somebody elses website.
Find out how important it is to be easily contactable and how to fix it
Well done Brittany Ferries
I was surprised to get a response from Brittany Ferries when I complained about them on Twitter. This should be a normal PR activity for all businesses though.
10 reasons to have your own holiday property website
Do you need a personal website to market your holiday rental property or are holiday rental listing sites good enough to deliver the return you need for your money? I answered a question similar to this the other day and think the answer is YES.
My 10 reasons for having your own website to market your holiday rental property
Holiday Website Tips (6) – What your clients say is important!
As a french property owner you are constantly competing for bookings with other owners in your area. In times when demand outstrips supply you should all be able to co-exist happily, but the number of available rental units has been rising steadily and exchange rate fluctuations and economic crises are conspiring to dampen demand too. Internet searchers will usually look at a number of properties before choosing those to enquire about, so how do you increase the chances of your property being one of them?
Find out how to stand out from your competition by putting testimonials on your website
