Brittany and Loire blog for expats living, working and playing in France
May 1st and the Fête du Travail
May 1st in France brings to mind lily of the valley, Fête du Travail, demonstrations but also vandalism caused by Black Blocs
Driving in France after Brexit
Driving in France since Brexit has been a bit of a challenge for many, but especially for expats: driving licences, car insurance, it can all be confusing
Doing something useful
Some people prefer to give time to charities instead of money, and in France everybody gets a chance to do their bit when food banks traditionally take place in supermarkets every November
Read about the food donations French people make towards charity in supermarkets
French Calendars
In France, it is traditional for public services and private firms alike to print their own calendar and sell them at your door, usually starting from the beginning of December
Fresh quails’ eggs
As a British expat living in rural France, Rachel’s relationship with her neighbours is a very fruitful one, with frequent food gifts handed over
Read about the food presents Rachel gets from her neighbours
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 mushroom hunting?
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 and covers around 100,000 acres.
Find out more about the history of La Brière, its surroundings and the wildlife it hosts
Driving in France
Driving in France after Brexit
Driving in France since Brexit has been a bit of a challenge for many, but especially for expats: driving licences, car insurance, it can all be confusing
Requirements for driving in France – Breath Test Kits
On 1st July 2012, a law was introduced in France: all drivers had to carry a breath test kit in their car. Find out why and if or how that law was implemented. Read more about the driving requirements in France.
The French authorities have introduced the use of breath test kits. Find out more…
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.
Find out more about legal requirements, parking rules and see our useful tips for driving in France
French Education
La Rentrée des Classes.
The Summer holidays are nearing the end in France and everyone is preparing for “La Rentrée des Classes” after an eight-week break
Find out about the separate geographical school zones in France
Children’s Summer camps in Brittany
Sandrine and Philippe are looking for English-speaking Summer camps in Brittany, where they live, for their children, aged 5 and 7.
Do you know of an English-speaking children’s Summer camp in Brittany? Let us know!
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
May 1st and the Fête du Travail
May 1st in France brings to mind lily of the valley, Fête du Travail, demonstrations but also vandalism caused by Black Blocs
Etiquette surrounding the French aperitif
Is there an etiquette to observe when inviting French friends over for aperitif? Cindy, our guest blogger, has discovered that there is.
Find out how to offer French apéro and avoid social embarrassment
Muguet (Lily of the Valley) in France on 1st May
Muguet is very popular in France on 1st May each year. It is offered as a gift to friends and loved ones to wish them good luck.
Find out more about the tradition of lily of the valley every May 1st.
Give Lily of the Valley to someone on 1st May
The Fête du Travail is the first of the bank holidays in May. This public holiday is also the day when muguet is given to friends and family.
Read about the French tradition of giving Lily of the Valley
Gardening in France
A lunar calendar to improve my gardening skills
Does the lunar calendar work for planting fruit, vegetables, flowers, for sowing seeds, or for simply gardening?
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? You would think so. Well, it may not be so simple.
Read why you should contact the mairie or fire service before doing so
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
Do not 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
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 your own website to market your holiday rental property or are holiday rental listing sites good enough to deliver the return you need for your money?
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
