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THE HAT
May 2014
THE HERAULT AND AUDE TIMES
ISSN: 2273-2748
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE MAGAZINE www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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The Herault & Aude Times
EDITORIAL “My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul (Maori proverb) Editorial May The local economy shows signs of improvement (INSEE – National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), not quite as exciting as reported in some French press, but like the burgeoning buds of spring, this news represents hope for many.
Julia Leclerc, founder and owner of VinoCircus Where did you grow up? I grew up in Assas, in the heart of this magnificent historic village, 10km from Pic St Loup..
(More Page 8)
Meanwhile, on the subject of number crunching, The HAT (and its previous incarnations) reaches its 24th issue… 24, a number which has significance in mathematics, science, religion, music, and sports. It is the smallest number which has exactly eight divisors. It is also a highly composite number, a semi-meandric number, and a semi-perfect number; and along with its octonian chums 5 and 8, mathematician John Baez describes these three numbers as having unique and mysterious qualities, providing the deeper reason why the universe must have 10 dimensions . In science 24 is the atomic number of chromium; in Christian apocalyptic literature it represents the compete church, being the sum of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles of The Lamb of God; in Western music there are 24 major and minor keys; 24 May 24 is the birthday of Queen Victoria and Captain Christopher Newport who founded the colony of James Town on the coast of Virginia; it is also the date when France and Britain opened the trans-Atlantic Concorde service to Washington in 1976. 24 is the department number of Dordogne; and 24 Jours is the title of Alexandre Arcady’s new film that on the brutal kidnapping and murder of the young Parisian Jew, Ilan Halimi in 2006 and the police mishandling of the situation (released 30th April). In this issue 24, Gnaeus considers the impact of local election results; we talk to Julie Leclerc of VinoCircus (My Place, page 8); young journalist (age 14) Jean-Baptiste Abet (or Le Roux as he prefers to be known) writes on young French fashion; Stuart Turpie explains pétanque (page 47) and Martin Hudson looks at French banking and highlights some of the aspects you should be aware of.
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The HAT The Herault & AudeTimes - 1 Grand Rue, St Thibery,34630 (11100) Publisher: Gatsby B - Editor : Emma F - Advertising Director: Tom B Advertising: Vicky M-B - Thomas Muhr Art Editor: Daisy B - Art: The-Green-Light.com EDITORIAL editor@theheraultandaudetimes.com PUBLISHER gatsby@theheraultandaudetimes.com gatsby@lapublishinggroup.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Online or contact us on gatsby@theheraultandaudetimes.com ADVERTISING For display advertising, print classifieds please call 0624 80 24 32 or mail advertising@theheraultandaudetimes.com For free classified online advertising please visit http://classifieds.theheraulttimes.com www.theheraultandaudetimes.comPYRIG HT AND DISCLAIMER
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he writers and contributors are the stars of this magazine and without them I would have all of my hair and would not be drinking gin at 9am every day. Having said that, you should know more about them. All their bios can be found at www.theheraultandaudetimes.com. Please read them, they deserve to be recognised for their fantastic contribution and for being patient and generous to me.
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t: 0468 90 55 17
his magazine is intended for the use of the individual(s) who picked it up. This magazine may contain information that is helpful, opinionated and can at times be unsuitable for overly sensitive Persons with no cultural credibility. If you are not sure then may we politely suggest that you pass it onto someone else as to continue reading is not recommended and may constitute an irritating social faux pas. No animals were harmed in the making of this magazine, and believe it or not one single opinion is definitive- period.
ISSN: 2273-2748 4
The Herault & Aude Times
CONTENTS
May 2014
08 My Place
Julia Leclerc, founder and owner of VinoCircus
12 Wine Times
It’s time for Rosé and more from Rosemary George and Laurence Turetti
16 GTBY
Theo King talks to a midwife aout the job, the hours and more
15 Festival du Printemps
This years festival promises a feast of performances
18 Municipal Selections
Gnaeus looks at the lie of the land now the election dust has settled
34 WIN an iPad
Currencies Direct have one to give away!
24 The French View
Some say Russia shold be in Ukraine, others don’t. Read the French view.
03 Editorial 06 Letters 08 My Place 09 And Another Thing 12 Wine Times 16 GTBY 20 Lifestyle 22 Music 23 History 25 A French View 27 English for Expat Children 28 - 31 Art 32 Recipes 34 Business 38 In the Garden 40 Subscribe 42 E-male 42 - 46 Classified Ads 47 Sport
The Cover Story
W
e are proud to have the talents of Mr Barry Beckett producing the wonderful original covers that you currently see. And online now you can purchase these beautiful images and have a piece of the Languedoc in your own home.
Prints and selected Limited Editions available. Barry Beckett 2013 All rights reserved
dharmacamera@googlemail.com
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Don’t Miss in May Thursday 29th May, 21h Freestyle Motorcross and Trial Bike Show
An evening of motor sport disciplines, featuring Julien Dupont (Trial freestyle), David Rinaldo (European chamion UEM 2013), Rémi Bizouard (3 time FMX world champion), Brice Izzo (2nd in the IFMXF worldcup), Edgar Torronterras (FMX) and José Mirallès Parks&Suites Arena, Perols For information and booking www.ps-arena.com ** WIC Women’s International Club, Langedoc Rousillon Extraordinary Charity Sale in Saint Chinian, Sunday morning, 22nd June 08.30 – 13.30. Salle de l’Abbatiale in Saint Chinian, Stands offering ladies, gents and children’s clothing, French and foreign books, toys, jewellery, bric-a-brac, home and tableware, home-made cakes, plants, electrical goods and not forgetting the tombola + more All proceeds for four charities: Le Secours Populaire, The Alzheimer Society, La Ligue contre le Cancer and SPA. Come along, you won’t be disappointed. More info at: info@wic-lr.com or visit the website at www.wic-lr.com
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Festival 3rd-29th June
Chateau d’O, Montpellier Info: www.printempsdescomediens.com tel: 0467 63 66 66
Selection of shows to look out for: Contemporary circus Petit Mal (17/18/19 June) ;La Machine (6/7/8 June) ; Morsure (13/14/15/17/18/19 June) ;Duo à Trois/ Le Diable au corps (17/18/19 June) ; Tempus Fugit? (23/24/25/27/28/29 June) ; Sinergio (5/6/7/9/1/11 June) Musical theatre Macbeth, adaptation of (6/7 June) Music Fete de la Musique (21st June) – Free, Theatre Molière, Le Misanthrope (12/13/14 June);The Notes (Macbeth), with British director Dan Jemmett
Welcome to the letters page
TEXT US
Do you have something to say? About the magazine? Ab
Letters
Hey The cover of your last issue was beautiful. That was a stunning example of Spring and joy and a remarkable photograph and choice. My thanks and respect to all involved. Jane March Issue cover A quick text to say wow. What ac over. Made me feel good just looking at it it. Well done. Freda by text Trains I read in your March issue the article on travelling to Venice and Italy. First class information and thank you. I would ask however that your writer Mr Elliott does not presume that all who want to do this will want or be needing an over 60’s price plan. I for one am under that age and it is a little more expensive. Pascal Oh no! A friend told me that you did a piece on the archbishop of Montpellier and so I found your magazine (Airport Perpignan) and turned pages to find it in ‘the childrens section’. I was so offended I didn’t read it. The status and importance of this position surely deserves, no, does deserve a lot more gravitas and respect than a mere mention on a childrens page. Another example perhaps of the lack
of respect shown to something that gives great meaning and comfort to many. Steven P, Aude
you so much for sharing thes ancient and delicious dishes, I look forward to your next recipes.Kind wishes, Elizabeth Oh Steven, are we a little (St Etienne de Gourgas, intimidated by children? I know, let’s enact chitty chitty Magazine? bang bang and you can be I recently moved from Nice the ‘child catcher’. It was a (work) where I had lived for great piece and respectful 6 years and one of the things and interesting....Are you? I missed was a good and informative English language GTBY magazine. And then I found What a coup for your maga- yours. Excellent magazine zine. Not only did you speak and thanks, I look forward to to Piérre-Marie Carré, Arch- it. Tom Lin bishop of Montpellier but you had a young reporter I am soooo wonderful it meet and talk to him. I do frightens me sometimes. find these articles refreshing and informative and to allow Ooh someone of a younger age I received your newsletto do it is really good. Keep ter and read the letter from it up. And I subscribed, thank the man who told you (and you.. Karen, Leeds. UK all Anglo-Saxons) to leave before the uprising against French Kissing you takes place. I just have Ha ha ha...any chance you to ask, was it real? I laughed got a picture of your hus- out loud at the letter and the band. Wendy S response, truly terrible and also so sad that in todays Food global world there are peoDear Aby Merat, ple still so set in their ways I love your recipes and suc- Please carry on and know cessfully made the Abgoosht that for every one of those that is delicious. I was going letters and people there are to try the Addas Pollo but I 100 who appreciate the hard don;t understand when do work and effort you and your you add the raisins and fresh team put in. dates, is that left out to the Sara by text end? Am going to make the Maas O Kair today :) Thank It was real Sara, and not to
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bout life? Do you have a question or even a complaint? Send your letters to gatsby@theheraultandaudetimes.com
me who you must realise am handsome and charming but to our business columnist. If you missed it, read it online, it is good.. That time so the tourists and visitors are coming as the sun warms us in a golden glow. Anybody notice if the prices have gone up in cafés in Pézenas, Roquebrun, St Guilhem and others yet? Please withhold. A spokesman said “ Due to people who only come out for a coffee to show off to their friends we put the prices up. If they drink here all year we’ll keep them lower’. Ha! Tech Is your tech person anti Apple? I have read his (her) articles for nearly 2 years now and there appears to be a bias towards Microsoft. What are the chances of a piece on the new iPhone or the fantastic computers that they make? A disgruntled Apple fan. Clermont L’Herault. Tech 2 Thank you so much for the Emale article on Windows 8. You may laugh at me but I didn’t know how to turn the computer off for nearly 2 weeks, I just
Letters
closed the lid and thought that was it. More please. Rachel
Business Does anyone else think that rents in some of the prettiest towns in our region have gone mad? Prices have increased up to 40% in 3 years. I accept inflation and demand for the summer months but with so many empty shops and even more that are just there for the summer season would it not be forward thinking to encourage people and businesses who wish to set up all year businesses by being realistic? I am currently looking in Montpellier which believe it or not is cheaper. Hannah Television Has anyone actually confirmed that we can have a smaller satellite in the Hérault than the ones being recommended in the Aude? I recently used another ex-pat site (website only) and a firm came round and told me I needed a 1.2 metre minimum dish. This obviously cost a bit more but you do listen to the professionals don’t you? Anyway, I was more than a little confused when my next door but one neighbour had a 1.1 metre dish put in and it worked perfectly. And to add insult to injury 3 more people in the vil-
lage also have the smaller dish. I know it isn’t much when written down but the size is visibly different and I am a little annoyed. Any help gratefully received. Brian H. Nr Montpellier Hi Brian. Had a quick chat with a guy who knows about landing space shuttles and although all is individual you can normally be good with a 110cm dish in the Hérault but you should go bigger (up to 145cm in the Aude. And if you want advice look in the magazine...... Litter Your editorial last month talked about the joys of living here and the pleasure of childrens bikes and pushchairs being left on the street. And all lovely and flowery it was too. But what about litter and shopping trolleys. Where I live there is a big problem with rubbish, mainly beer bottles and Macdonald wrappers so you can guess the age group. Our Mairie like many have a fantastic cleaning company (probably owned by the Mayor eh!) but in the evening it is spoiling my village and there is now music constantly blaring out. Ex-pats should petition for noise controls and a clip around the ear wouldn’t hurt some of these youngsters either. Name and
address supplied. I’m starting a petition against people who move to France and then try to create ‘little England’ or little Australia’ or “little USA. Democratic of course, if I get more than 3 people agree you have to leave! Noise When I moved here (just outside Pézenas) it was a quaint village with a lot of English expats and a few of us others. Life was as you would want it but now there is loud music almost every night either from peoples houses or from restaurants putting on music. It is spoiling the charm and beauty of my life and I am sure many others. Hi, I called you a cab. Were you an only child? My ball. Play by my rules or I’ll go home. Nah!! Bet Ok, so this is a bet. Are you ever worried that someone isgoing to take offense to your comments? Julie E Why would they Julie? Unless you send a really dumb email like yours why else would I send you a copy of Tintin to read instead. Ta ta....
FOU D’Anglais
NOW IN MONTPELLIER all your favourite foods from home frozen sausages and bacon scones and tea, delicious homemade cakes baked potatoes, pies and sandwiches 10, Rue Anatole France 34000 Montpellier 04 67 29 60 49 Tuesday to Saturday 10-6 www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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My Place Julia Leclerc, founder and owner of VinoCircus
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Assas, in the heart of this magnificent historic village, 10km from Pic St Loup. Would you tell us about your family? My family is very important to me. I come from a family of modest means, my grandfather was Kabylian [a berber ethnic group native to Kabylie in northern Algeria] and very courageous. My maternal family passed the values of work and courage on to me. My mother, Djamila, who owns the chambre d’hote and gites Mas des Violettes in Valflaunès is still working, due to the success of her business. My father was more a self taught man; an artist, he was a man with strong human values. For a while he was an educational specialist at the children’s home in St Mathieu. He taught me the art of self expression through all manner of things in life, and how to express feelings, but equally about who we really are and to be proud of that. Today, my mother is my best advisor. I call her 10 times a day for everything. My grandmother, with whom I am very close, will be my first employee. She has, at 78, so much energy, so many things to share and a rigor that I still can’t match, essential for the setting up of my business. I have one brother and one sister who I
The People that make up the Languedoc am also very close to. They live about 3 kms away and we see each other at least once a week, our children are close and we raise them together. The family is essential for my personal growth; the advice or constructive criticism that they give me is important for building my career. It is difficult to have the necessary perspective to criticize oneself when you work for yourself. Do you have any stories growing up? So many! I had 6 friends during my childhood who were very dear to me: Raphael, Julien, Philippe, Baptiste, Ahmed and Pierre Antoine; we were always out in our village. But the best memories are when we wanted to organize a 13th birthday for one of us. The Mairie refused to lend us a hall, so we went to see the lady of the manor who lent us a room and the gardens of the chateau, we were like royalty!
I act a lot from instinct and am very dynamic… sometimes I reflect afterwards. I am also quite zen, very positive and ultra optimistic, anything is possible when you have the means. There are no problems, only solutions. My philosophy is to be happy, to contemplate life, to love one another, to not blame anyone. My motto is ‘Peace and Love’. Setting up a business doing something I love corresponds completely with those ideals. Where did your inspiration for your business VinoCircus come from? I was exporting wine to China when I had the idea. The business world is too superficial for me. Making big money doesn’t interest me; meeting passionate people and discovery is much more enriching. I prefer to help local producers sell, via events or
Where is your favourite place? My village, I love the Chateau d’Assas and the pine forests of the Chateau. Where does your love of food come from? A general love of good food and creativity. And for the circus? The idea of roaming. VinoCircus has existed for 2 years, at the beginning it was a travelling association of wine events across the department. For you what are the most important things in your life? Love. Happiness. Respect for oneself and others. Do you have a lifestyle and philosophy that you follow? Yes, I am a bit rock’n roll.
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My Place
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original concepts, more than selling at the lowest possible prices in China. Can you tell us more? I decided therefore to create wine events: such as organising a meeting between a DJ and a vigneron, ‘oenorandos’ (taking people out walking in the beautiful countryside and providing tastings of good wines), cinema evenings with wine, wine and theatre, etc… What drives you? Life and happiness. What’s your favourite dish? I don’t have one, but I do have real addiction for aubergine and black sesame seeds. (continued on next page....)
Round and round and round and round
I
can’t lie, this week has been harrowing but in the end I have a solution for all you who cherish the quieter moments. First off the post arrived and in it was the first of many letters, calls and emails that many of us dread and wake up in the night in anticipation of.... picture the scene: “Hey mum, where’s the jam?” “In the fridge where it always is”. “Hi darling, posts been, letters for you...” “Oh look children, grandmas coming in 6 weeks....” Like a cuckoo in springtime or snails crossing my road the relatives and friends are coming. Now don’t think I’m bad. I love my mum and my friends but look to your neighbours or thinnk back to last year and don’t tell me you didn’t complain just a little bit. I used to think that mum arriving meant free time or that friends arriving meant I would kick off the sandals, swish my hair like a L’Oreal ad (is that what the editor meant by product placement?) and let the world flow over me. Oh no. A trip to the supermarket is like a pre-school outing..... you go for bread and cat food and you spend an hour while they pick up items like a grapefruit and proudly repeat “pamplemousse” to all who will listen.
And why am I going out everyday? A friend of mine last year said to me after driving for an hour to see the architectural and engineering masterpiece (his words of course) that is the Millau bridge, “You must be as excited as I am to see this magnificent feat of engineering?” “Hmm, yes, and I only have to come back 6 more times this year with other guests!”
continued....
the future? 2014: Transformation. I would like to develop my activity and rekindle people’s love for itinerant traders. I really believe in that. I am also president of ‘Made in Pic St Loup’, an association of professionals for tourism in Pic St Loup. I would like to see harmony between all the different actors in tourism. I am approaching wine producers who don’t always play the game. For the future, I would like to stay close to Pic St Loup, which brings me so much positive energy.
Apart from world poverty, if you could do anything to change the world what would it be? I would eradicate religions and ownership, the reason why wars exist. When you are not organising VinoCircus, how do you spend your free time? I am hyper-active, I love bargain hunting, collecting, DIY, doing up my house, dress making, painting, playing pétanque, dancing all night and spending time with the people I love. What are your objectives for 2014? And for
I don’t mind people coming to stay. In fact, I don’t understand the ‘living here, free holidays for everyone I know’ people who complain. Life is pretty good and with the long hours of sun it only seems fair to share it around with friends and family who don’t have the same access. Just don’t make me work a 16 hour day just to keep you happy! And this is how I struck on a cunning plan. I had written my list (I love lists) and was
off to buy bits and pieces when I came across a ‘rond-point’. I love roundabouts in France. They haven’t been ‘a-round’ (pun intended) that long, a concept I think introduced from the Brits (who love them) to ease their overcrowded roads and the confusion has been a great source of interest and fun to me and my husband. So I am off to said blue backgrounded shop (advertising alert) and I approach said roundabout. And there before me and other perplexed, bemused and surprised drivers is a man going round and round the roundabout. Not once or twice... but very sedately, this car was going round and round this small roundabout and stopping anyone else from driving. There were car horns, one man leaning on his car door screaming abuse (while casually inhaling on an e-cigarette) and ducking in to presumably explain all to his wife. And then it dawned on me. Hire a taxi driver to take your guests on a tour of the various art works decorating many of our roundabouts. Going round and round the roundabout and hearing and seeing all the different intonations of gallic charm should ensure a couple of hours af peace for me and a great story for when they get back home! **
For more information on VinoCircus contact: vinocircus@gmail.com
Sandblasting Services For all your paint removing problems Doors - shutters - beams - Graffitipools and blockwork Call 0629807283 or e-mail sandblasting.service@hotmail.com
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Train Journeys from the region Austria and Germany
Vienna Belvedere Palace
F
or anyone planning a rail journey in Germany or Austria, the big question is how to get to the starting point?
I guess that many will choose to travel from Béziers or Montpellier. If you want to avoid Paris, then the early morning 0718 TGV from Béziers, 0802 from Montpellier to Geneva with a change in Lyon Part Dieu is the best, cost from 72.50 euros. Arriving in Geneva at 13.26 you continue on the 1418 departure to arrive in Zurich at 16.56 cost 42 Swiss Francs. The onward journey from Zurich offers several options either to Munich and beyond in Germany or to Austria passing the very beautiful Swiss lakes, crossing Liechtenstein in a few minutes and then through the Arlberg pass down into Innsbruck. As it is a holiday trip, we recommend that you overnight in Zurich, that is if you do not want to arrive late in the evening at your next destination. So for Innsbruck take the 10.40 departure from Zurich and arrive at 14.16 at Innsbruck’s main station, price from 52.00 Swiss Francs. Innsbruck is always worth a night or two, the ‘Goldenes Dachl’ at the end of the Herzog Friedrich’s Strasse is the delight of a walk around the city. After enjoying your first Vienna Schnitzel and an overnight stay, leave Innsbruck by the intercity train to Salzburg 10.22 arriving in Salzburg at 12.03 cost from 43 euros.
Salzburg the birthplace of Mozart is a city with lots on offer; cross the river Salzach and visit the Schloss Mirabell and gardens. Mozart was born in an elegant house on the Getreide Gasse. Enjoy a Mozart Kugeln a small round marzipan chocolate sweet. If you pick a hot day take the bus out to Hellbrunn the bishop’s castle at Anif just a few minutes bus ride from the city centre. The gardens are worth the visit but join the short tour to visit the fountains, I will not tell you what happens as it will spoil the fun! Salzburg is the starting point for The Austrian Salzkammergut Lake District, you can get there from the bus station just outside of the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. Take the bus to Bad Ischl, price only 3 euros. The bus passes Lake Fuschl where the Red Bull factory is located, the next lake is the Wolfgangsee, the White Horse Inn of the Operetta offers a very restful stay and the lake steamer stops a few paces from the reception. If you do plan an overnight stop then take the mountain steam rack and pin railway up the Schafberg Mountain. Bad Ischl is a special stop with the Kaiser’s former summer villa and the great grandson of the Kaiser is sometimes there to show you around. Be sure to sample the coffee and the famous ‘Zauner Stollen’ chocolate cake at the Zauner Konditorei in the Pfarrgasse. From Bad Ischl you can continue by train back along the Mondsee lake to the
The Herault & Aude Times
Salzburg to Vienna main line changing at Attnang Pucheim where you catch a fast train to Vienna. Take the 0935 from Bad Ischl 1304 and arrive in Vienna Westbahnhof,
cost 19.90 euros. Vienna is more a question of what to do and where to visit. It merits a few days stop over and the Hotel Mailberger Hof a few paces from the Vienna State Opera is central and very comfortable, their breakfasts alone merit the stay. The way home from Vienna is to take the 0930 train direct from Vienna to Geneva arriving 20.15 and changing in Zurich cost approx. 91.90 euros. The return from Geneva to Montpellier costs 72.50 euros. For travellers to Germany you can take the train direct from Zurich to Munich, the fastest train takes an average of just over four hours, so perhaps an overnight in Zurich might prove a pleasant stopover. The 0916 departure arrives in Munich at 1328, cost from 61.00 Swiss Francs. (cont)
Origin of French fries A
re chips French or Belgian? Common sense dictates that it is more than likely that the humble frite or chip was invented around about the same time in a number of locations, however the mystery of batons of potato fried in boiling oil intrigues gastronomic specialists, in particular those from the other side of the border in Belgian where the dish is part of its national heritage. “La
frite is the daughter of street food. That’s why it’s difficult to establish where they originated,” explains food specialist Madeleine Ferrière. A dish with its roots in the
…..And from Frites to a blissful Anglo Saxon union with Fish... we were delighted to discover recently Paula and Alex’s mobile ‘Mr Fish & Chips’. “Not being of retirement age, we realised we needed to come up with an entrepreneurial idea in order to ‘gagner sa vie’ and the idea of fish and chips was given to us by friends in Paris, where is being warmly embraced as a genuine, original and delicious meal. We loved this idea as area is synonymous with ‘les fruits de la mer’ and thought it would be a logical offering and probably a welcome change
Fact -
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as they’d expect. It’s fish suppers all round!” You can find us at: Marseillan Plage, brocante, Sunday Saint-Thibery, outside the Mairie, Tuesday 11 - 13h Asprian, Wednesday 18h-20h30 Bouzigues, Friday11-14h from the ubiquitous pizza! We have been thrilled by the positive reaction to good old fish and chips by the French - they love it and especially love mushy peas! Initially hesitant, after the first taste they are invariably regular customers. As for the Brits, they are delighted to find Sarson’s vinegar, fat chips, beer battered cod and a meal wrapped in paper just
hile the Belgians may or may not have invented the French fry, today, they do consume the most French fries per capita of any country in Europe.
(cont) Once in Bavaria’s capital a day or two not forgetting that Munich is the beer capital of Germany and if in October then the Oktober
popular culture of two countries, the origin of the humble chip has led to a number of legends. In France, it is defended as the “pomme frite du Pont-Neuf”, invented by the itinerant sellers on the old Paris bridge just before the French Revolution in 1789. A theory which has long been in vogue amongst writers: “The taste of frites is Parisian,” wrote Louis Ferdinand Céline in his Voyage au bout de la nuit.
We are interested in visiting other villages, so please contact us and we will approach the local mairie for a placement. All suggestions welcome. We also cater for weddings, private functions and fetes, etc. www.mrfishandchips.com info@mrfishandchips.com Tel: 04 67 11 00 59 or 06 38 02 26 89.
Fact -
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teak fries, or chips, actually tend to have lower fat content than normal French fries, due to the lower surface to volume ratio.
Fest is the event never to pass by. After a short stay on to Dresden and Leipzig. 09.15 dep Munich 14.21 arr Leipzig cost 64.00 euros, Leipzig Germany’s centre of art and music once part, like Dresden, of the German Democratic Republic the DDR offers a whole host of cultural activities. Dresden is little over 1 hour and 30 minutes away at a cost of 22.00 euros Dresden largely destroyed by the RAF at the end of world war two has been restored to its former medieval glory. Close by and merely a couple of hours by paddle steamer trip along the river Elbe brings you to Germany’s most well-known city of ceramics, Meissen a treasure house. The holiday in Germany at the end you have the option of travelling back by train or by Easyjet’s flights to Bale and Montpellier.
Chris Elliott; author of ‘The Lost Railway Lines of l’Hérault’ and joint author of ‘Night Ferry 1936 – 1980’
Websites French Railways; www.voyagessncf.fr, Swiss Railways; www.sbb.ch Austrian Railways; www.oebb.at, German Railways; www.db.de Zauner Konditorei; www.zauner.at www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
11
Wine Times
Rosemary George
Wines for Easter S
Rosemary George Rosemary George was lured into the wine trade by a glass of the Wine Society’s champagne at a job interview and subsequently became one of the first women to become a Master of Wine, back in 1979. She has been a freelance wine writer since 1981 and is the author of eleven books. Both her first and last books were both about Chablis. Others include The Wines of New Zealand, two books on Tuscany, the most recent being Treading Grapes; Walking through the Vineyards of Tuscany, as well as The Wines of the South of France which covers the vineyards between from Banyuls and Bellet, from the Spanish to the Italian border, and also Corsica. She also contributes to various magazines such as Decanter, India Sommelier, www.zesterdaily.com and writes a blog on the Languedoc: www tastelanguedoc.blogspot.com
pring is in the air, with fruit trees in flower and the vines bursting into bud, and it is time to start thinking about wines for Easter lamb and spring dishes. So here are some suggestions, not winter warmers, but lighter more ethereal wines to suit the season. Serge and Sylviane Pierrat-Martin at Château des Hospitaliers in the village of St. Christol make an eclectic range of wines, including some unusual blends, such as Pinot Cinsaut. The 2012 vintage of this is rounded, ripe and supple, with fresh red fruit and sufficient tannin to balance the fruit. It is fresh, and gouleyant, making for easy drinking, especially at a bargain 6.00€ Sangiovese with Syrah is yet another unusual blend, especially for the Languedoc, as Sangiovese is more usually found in Tuscany for Chianti. Another easy drinking red comes from Domaine Henry in the village of St. Georges d’Orques. François Henry describes his 2011 le Coteau, Coteaux du Languedoc as ‘un vin des copains’, a blend of Syrah, Carignan, Cinsaut and Grenache, for easy drinking at 6.50€ The grapes are given a short maceration resulting in some fresh ripe fruit with a streak of tannin, and satisfying juicy croquant finish. An elegant Faugères would make a perfect accompaniment to Easter lamb, such as 2012 Lou Cazalet (9.00) from Domaine St. Antonin on the outskirts of the village of Lenthéric. This is a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre that are aged in vat, and Syrah that is aged in foudres. Frederic Albaret looks for elegance in his wines, and he does not like hard tannins, and that is just what he achieved in this delicious Faugères. There is red fruit on both nose and palate with some spice and herbs of the garrigues, balanced with some silky tannins, and a long finish. One of my favourite Montpeyroux comes from Alain Chabanon. His entry level Campredon for 13.00€ is a blend of 50% Syrah with Grenache and Mourvèdre, and an élevage in
Bespoke massage, Mobile service Group bookings taken. Thai massages, Reflexology, Neck and face massage, Reiki, Oil massage. Susannah 0652752445 / 0467243142 Based in Ceps / Cazedarnes 12
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vat. The nose is fresh and perfumed, and the palate is redolent of red fruit, with an elegant streak of tannin. Alain also makes an unusual white wine, Trelans, a blend of Vermentino and Chenin Blanc, which you find more usually in the Loire Valley. It is fresh with hints of dry honey, and a lovely textured mouth feel. Easter Sunday this year is the day of the annual Montpeyroux open cellars, with 22 wine growers scattered round the village pouring their wines. Limoux is not only known for sparkling wine, but also for serious Pinot Noir. One of my favourite comes from Domaine de Mouscaillo. Earlier this year I tasted their very first vintage at the Vinisud wine fair, the 2004 Pinot Noir, which was still extraordinarily youthful, with some firm fruit on the palate. The current, 2011 vintage, is more perfumed with ripe fruit, more body and an elegant finish. 17.00€. Clément Mengus of Domaine Cazaban in Cabardès made his very first white wine in 2012. Coup de Foudre, Pays d’Oc (11.80€) is a blend of Grenache Gris from 90 year old vines, with some Chenin and Roussanne. The wine is aged in a large barrel, and there is a touch of honey on the palate with balancing acidity and a long finish. Clément’s Cabardès, les Petites Rangées, is a blend of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, for Cabardès is where the grape varieties of the Languedoc meets those of Bordeaux and the south west. The 2012, for 11.80€, is beautifully balanced, with some ripe fruit and a tannic streak and will go perfectly with Easter lamb.
Rosemary George M.W www.tastelanguedocblogspot.com
Laurence Turetti
The Rosés 2013 have arrived….
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osé is a wine which can be drunk throughout the year and goes particularly well with lighter meals in spring and summer. Served ideally at 12°, its freshness has a very pleasing effect when the ambient temperature increases. The ‘Brother Benjamin’ of white and red wine, the younger rosé is often treated with contempt. Made from pressed juice shortly after the harvest or a short maceration in vats, it contains very little tannin and keeps for a short time. It is drunk during its youth and, fragile, doesn’t last well through a year. Sensitive to oxidation which gives it an orange colour and a gentle aftertaste, rosé is a delicate wine. Well chosen, it is the easy compromise for a meal between good friends where wine lovers and beginners can be reconciled over a good quality rosé. 2013 is a good vintage for Languedoc rosés. The Domaine de la Sapinière on the outskirts of Carcassonne has created a rosé Malepère AOC. It is made from four grape varieties usually found in the appellation of red wines: Merlot, Cabernet franc, Cabernet rosé and a hint of Grenache. It is clear coloured and perfectly balanced and has a very aromatic nose with notes of grapefruit
and star anise. Seductive, it goes well with Mediterranean food but also with a curry. In Minervois, Borie de Maurel makes a 100% syrah rosé from thirty year old vines. Crisp and intense, it is heady and complex and can accompany sophisticated dishes: salmon with creamy leek sauce, for example. In a more laid back style, the cave of Anne de Joyeuse in Limoux has just
Laurence Turetti Laurence Turetti is a historian who has a ph.D. from the University of Metz. Born in the Aude into a family of vignerons, she returned to her home more than ten years ago. Head of a wine boutique in the centre of Limoux, l’Atelier des Vignerons, she continues her search of discovery across Languedoc-Roussillon for the pearls of the vineyards. brings colour to out-door dining. It is also the first wine of the year released by vignerons. An ode to good times and to happiness. Adresses : Domaine La Sapinière – Maquens (11) Borie de Maurel – Félines Minervois (34)
brought out ‘Happy Day’, a fresh, lively rosé with sweet and acid notes. With its jazzy feel, it will be available for tasting during the concerts of the festival of wind instruments: Cuivrée special, which takes place during the first weekend of May in Limoux. The ‘blue jeans’ of rosés is offered by the Fabre family in Corbières, Instant rosé and is good for any menu and for any occasion. It is, moreover, the best value for money: an aromatic nose with citrus notes and good length on the palate. Rosé is, par excellence, the wine which heralds the spring: as soon as the sun makes an appearance and the terraces bloom, it
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Anne de Joyeuse – Limoux (11) Château de Luc – Luc sur Orbieu (11)
www.languedocwineshop.com
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This year the has varied over the rom classical and annual Festival du contemporary, years, but without yet always exception it is Printemps at Chateau always poetic t i m e l e s s , performances d’O, Montpellier promises and masterful, b l e n d i n g include Marx in a feast of a line-up, with a t r a d i t i o n a l dialolgue with Shakespeare, circus arts and banquet of contemporary innovation from Pasolini with all over the world. Molière, Bergman circus, theatre, music In 2012, it was with Gainsbourgh. and poetry… the Québécois from The magic of theatre
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brings life to voices of authors from past and present who, always in search of meaning, tirelessly search the world to understand it better. The Festival de Printemps is not complete without contemporary circus. The range
Why the title ‘Petit Mal’? It was our director´s [juggler par excellence Maksim Komaro] idea. The name comes from the book by the French writer Paulo Virilio, “The Aesthetics of Disappearance”. Could you tell us about your performers, their backgrounds, training and how you found them/or they found you? We met through circus training in Turku, Finland. Rauli has a gymnastic backround, Kalle, breakdance and myself martial arts before we started the circus training. If you were describing the show to a child, how would you describe it? These guys came down to earth from Venus trying to live in show business and wishing to take their “knowhow” back to Venus and start a new kind of life back home. Martial arts form an integral part of the performance, how and why did this come about? I felt it matched the “world” we were working on in this project, 14
7 Doigts de la Main; in 2013, Australians from Circa; this year sees Finland’s The Race Horse Company footing the bill with their innovative show Petit Mal.
The HAT talks to The Race Horse Company about the show (below):
both for the nature of the show and you see what you choose to and for the show’s physical put your attention into. language it was needed. France has an international Who are your fiercest critics? reputation for contemporary Yourself and everyone, sheep circus, where would you care what the wolf thinks about place Finland in this art form? them! We do have contemporary What drives the company? circus in Finland as well…. we Toyota Dyna 300, Toyota also drink your wines...however Carina 2, Scania r93!!! Passion, in Finland circus doesn’t have love and the inexplicable need as good position as you have in of making all those ideas that France. come out of your head. We love your ultimate Can you describe how objective ‘to conquer the the performance ideas for world’, after your tour in Petit Mal came together? North America, where next? A combination of our personal Back home, working on a new backgrounds and our collective show. thoughts about circus at that The Race Horse Company time. And our need to honestly conjures up the image of a express the right thing for us. dynamic and fast paced company, One influence was something is this how you see yourselves? I saw while traveling in Nepal. There is often a big difference in I saw from a window of the how you see yourself compared bus a small boy standing in the to what other people think. ruins of a house, lots of rubbish Michel de Montaigne says, around, and he was looking at “Peace of mind is based on not the scenery around him with 3d being concerned about what glasses. I shared this experience others think of you.” to the working crew, the beauty * of that moment; there´s hope The Herault & Aude Times
Selection of shows to look out for: Contemporary circus Petit Mal (17/18/19 June) ;La Machine (6/7/8 June) ; Morsure (13/14/15/17/18/19 June) ;Duo à Trois/ Le Diable au corps (17/18/19 June) ; Tempus Fugit? (23/24/25/27/28/29 June) ; Sinergio (5/6/7/9/1/11 June) Musical theatre Macbeth, adaptation of Verdi’s Macbeth (6/7 June) Music Fete de la Musique (21st June) – Free, 18h30-1h30 Theatre Molière, Le Misanthrope (12/13/14 June);The Notes (Macbeth), with British director Dan Jemmett Festival 3rd-29th June Chateau d’O, 2539 Ave du Père Soulas, Montpellier Information/reservations: www.printempsdescomediens.com tel: 0467 63 66 66
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G T B Y
Marie Papavero Mid-wife €1,800 rising to €2,800 pm One week 48 hours, the next 24, so an average of 35 hours though each hospital is different. 5 weeks p.a. We work Christmas, New Year’s Eve, all the fêtes nationales.
Name: Occupation: Income: Hours / week: Holidays:
Good To Be Young
WRITTEN BY YOUNG JOURNALISTS
Young journalist Theo King’s column ‘My Way’. Interviews with professionals about how they got to where they are today, the reward
Marie Papavero
Mid-wife
We had on-the-job training in the morning and classes in the afternoon – 6.30 am to 6.30 pm every day. And in the 2nd year we had 12-hour shifts on-duty, still learning, but being in situations which make you mature quickly. At 19 I felt I was really in the world of work, whereas my friends were still living a student life.
Born in Longwy, Lorraine 1962 Diplomas: university diplomas in sophrology and acupuncture[1]. Master II in education- The job: he mid-wife accompanies the mother al psychology from the declaration of pregnancy un-
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Up to 18:
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am the eldest of five children: my father was a steel-worker and came to France with my mother from Italy. When I was very young I liked reading, especially the Famous Five books. Then, when I was about ten, my brother’s god-mother started studying midwifery and I used to listen to her talking with my mother. They discussed births, my mother reminiscing about her mid-wife, an almost mythical character, and there was something about the job which tied in with the books I was reading. More than a nurse or doctor, it had something to do with the mysteries of life.
Studying: 18 to 25
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took a Bacc. Sciences. I thought a lot about my future, and it always came back to being a mid-wife. So even before the bacc I passed the concours to go to the school for midwives. Nowadays you have to do a year’s medicine at university. If you pass the 1st year exams you go on to study midwifery for 4 years, but when I trained you went straight into midwifery school.
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til a few days after the birth. Pregnancy is not an illness, but it has to be monitored to make sure everything happens normally. So the role of the mid-wife is to follow the pregnant woman’s progress in everything that is physical. She does the ultra-sound scans, medical visits, preparation for the birth. I work in a Centre Hospitalier Universitaire where there are 3,600 births a year. We have ante-natal consultation rooms and a section for medically assisted procreation, where midwives work with doctors. Then there are the delivery rooms, with a section for at-risk pregnancies. Lastly, everything post-natal. It’s impossible to understand what we do from a book or interview. There’s a dimension which is very personal. We are at the very heart of life, the heart of the family, of the couple. But we are also confronted with a lot of suffering, and that makes us ask many questions: what is the meaning of life? Why are we born?
How I work
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’m on duty for 12 hours and you never know what you’re going to see. A typiThe Herault & Aude Times
cal shift starts at 7.30 when we take over from the midwives going off-duty. A woman’s first labour can easily last 8 hours, so there’s often an overlap. There are three of us in a team. Obviously nobody makes an appointment, so when the bell rings, we open the door and take it from there. In obstetrics when it’s good it’s good, but when something goes wrong it’s an emergency – if a woman starts to haemorrhage, if there’s foetal suffering at some point we have to intervene quickly.
Satisfaction
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he job is about life, it is life, and everyone’s life is different, every mother is different, every birth unique. I’ve never had the feeling I am doing the same thing I did yesterday.
What pisses me off
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he conditions we work in. The lack of staff. It can make life very difficult. The mid-wife faces alone situations of life and death. Because she can prescribe medicines, she has medical status, but this status has never been completely recognised. Mid-wives don’t want to be doctors but we want the same recognition. If only we could earn as much as an engineer. People say, “Oh what a wonderful job, you’re bringing a life into the world.” But also we bring dead babies into the world, and babies whose mothers have already signed them away for adoption. There are very difficult births: misshapen babies with huge heads. You need always to master your emotions and that’s not easy. When you leave work and you’ve
Young FRENCH Fashion
By Young journalist, Le Roux
ds and the frustrations. been through something like that (PAUSE) you can’t talk about it.
What are the qualities needed?
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he heart of the mid-wife’s work is patience. We accompany, we watch, but we never know when a mother’s going to give birth. Nor how long it’s going to take. So we wait. Gentleness – you must have empathy with the mother – she needs constant reassurance. The father too. Courage is important, and stamina – when you’re
“Fashion changes, but style endures,” as stated by our dear Coco Chanel. You need to have an open mind in order to understand this phrase. Effectively, some people confuse fashion and style. Or rather ‘fashions’ and ‘styles’. Style was without doubt created from different fashions and is more or less timeless. It is only a concept. A concept anchored in civilizations, in styles of life. But let’s talk instead about fashion which is above all the subject of this article. La mode. But which fashion? I want to talk about the clothes that people are wear-
ing which reflect our society and lifestyle here. Fashion has more recently turned towards ‘vintage’ and ‘retro’ and reflects a certain nostalgia for a bygone age. Just the fact of taking ‘selfies’ with filters which gives a photo an antique feel is indicative. This fashion for the past, so very ‘hipster’, has started to become very popular. I have always been, without wanting to brag, into fashion. It’s an urge. Perhaps it’s a bit stupid but in fact I don’t follow fashion to be like others, but rather to be different. Here, in Limoux, Narbonne, Carcassonne, young people are fashionable but, for example, they are two or three years behind young people from Paris, London, Berlin, etc. However, the fashion trend which was not so long ago generally frowned upon is slowly spreading everywhere. The trendiest places from Soho to NY, the hipsters and bobos (bourgeois-bohemians) of Paris and London, are more and more into “Normcore”. That is to say, oversized jumpers, running shoes, baggy shirts, basic t-shirts, jeans, high socks: the very basic. Hipsters ‘don’t want to be considered as people who try to conform to a style, they want to be confused with tourists, with the ‘ploucs’ (bumpkins) and ‘beaufs’ (rednecks) and average people. Fashion changes, although fashion is no longer fashion. No matter what the country or city.
on nights you don’t sleep. Humility. But the midwife can also bring an element I call tenderness. Tenderness is being aware of, understanding the human being in its entirety – and that means being in harmony with oneself. The quality of her presence helps everyone’s welfare. This child you are helping into the world creates an event – a rich, fertile event because as it grows up the child will generate a thousand new relationships. Each birth gives a human being the chance to become, to grow as a person. Each birth increases the capacity of love. www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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Municipal Selections The lies of the land are exposed
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n recent weeks, we have been living through yet another round of municipal selections. However, there has been a distinctly different feel about them as the socialist government slides
Gnaeus
socialists is taking place everywhere, it can be seen that some mayors in The Aude rely on being re-elected no matter what. Naturally, a good local mayor keeps his seat.
support the Oc
The Queen of Paris The French Press The Loser
further down the slope of absolute unpopularity exacerbated by a leadership seemingly unequal to the task, simply because it doesn’t lead. At the same time, a familiar face has reappeared almost “Obama-like” offering an alternative type of political salvation trailing
behind him an earlier quinquinat of faltering promises and financial misgivings. The Aude has its own peculiar communal complexion. There are those Communes, 73 all-told with over 1,000 inhabitants such as Carcassonne, Cuxac d’Aude, Leucate, LézignanCorbières, Montredon-des-Corbières, Narbonne, Ouveillan, Palaja, Peyriacde-Mer, Quillan, Salles d’Aude, Sigean and Trèbes. In any case and even more so in areas where the population is below 1,000 inhabitants, The Aude has a very local character which often transcends politi cal party frontiers. Thus, although an electoral drubbing of 18
Of the major talking points prior to the municipales were to what extent the socialists would be punished for the incompetence of the Hollande administration; how the Front National would perform this time round and would Paris remain socialist under a new mayor? The last question was the most easily answered as Anne Hidalgo originally from Cadiz, Spain, now French, of course, was elected as socialist mayor of Paris. This has added a finer nuance of pink to the political colour of the capital and has been positively welcomed for the most part. Her political comrades, however, had not only a torrid first round but, a week later, the net effect of two years of left wing governance stripped the socialists of the control of many key cities and towns, while the UMP triumphed and the FN had some important successes, too. The Aude had its own story to relate. It certainly followed the national trend with a good one-third abstention rate or more depending on the place among the electorate. Narbonne put the “New Narbonne” candidate Didier Mouly back in power at the expense of the socialist Jacques Bascou who, incidentally, was criticised by those who
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citane movement for being disdainful of it. Perhaps that made the difference for him and something no candidate can afford to ignore these days. Carcassonne also followed the trend in removing the left wing Jean-Claude Pérez in favour once more of Gérard Larrat. Apart from an old vote-buying issue, there were also accusations of alleged “homophobie” one side against “mysoginie” (hatred of women) the other, making this become a very acrimonious campaign between the two rounds. Sometimes these days the impression is given that such accusations are an easily employed and convenient expedient exploited to rally support to the cause. Ultimately, they help no one. The gains made by the FN here are a new feature to municipal life. Certainly admonitory for the future, they were, however, more significant in neighbouring areas. For example, in Perpignan the party faithful and others had to be summoned to ensure the standing mayor M. Pujol overturned a first round defeat by Louis Aliot to re-secure his mayoral position. In addition, in Béziers, Robert Ménard, the journalist, renouncing his FN labelling but with FN support ousted a still-incredulous Raymond Couderc. M. Couderc will have to awake soon and ask himself why the city under his formal mayoral authority for three terms has declined into a real and systemic impoverishment visible to any outside visitor. Let us hope voters have chosen wisely the people they have placed in power for six more years. Let us hope as well that mayors will be there as a priority for the people they serve more than for any political party to which they belong. *
Diary of a wine Domaine
It’s not all drinking wine on the terrace you know...
T AOTEAORA
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wo years ago, Leïla BENALI came back from 4 years in New Zealand to Montpellier.
There, she learnt the Maori language at the University of Christchurch and discovered in depth this wonderful culture. Back here, she created the association “Lumière d’étincelles”, and decided for her first event to draw on her experience among the Maori people to share what she found beautiful in it.
The Association “Lumière d’Etincelles”, in partnership with La Maison Pour Tous Albertine Sarrazin, presents an exhibition, based on her travel story, highlighting the courage, strength and determination of a people. The Maori people of New Zealand A people who despite wars, colonisation, deforestation, acculturation, managed to save and preserve its culture, tradition, and language. Maori is now an official language in New Zealand, the Haka is known worldwide through the National Rugby Team: the All Blacks, tattooing is highly prized. Their history is traced in the form of an exposition, supported by old and recent photos (1860 – present) and by the projection of a Maori film “Paikea” or “Whale Rider” by Niki Caro. A show of Polynesian songs and dances (with Haka) will transport you down under straight to the other side of the world. Exhibition: 12th to 28th May 2014.
his week we hosted 4 American journalists at the Chateau. The day before, our server was being worked on and I couldn’t print our documentation for them. So, that morning I could be seen literally running around launching the printing, preparing the wines to pair with the lunch menu, decanting our top vintages and trying to track down our owner, Gontran Dondain. He is a real character and has done an amazing job restructuring the vineyard and winery and creating a beautiful wine tourism centre, hotel and restaurant in only 16 years. He has boundless energy for his 70 something years, is constantly brimming with ideas and is obsessive in his love of wine. We run to keep up with him! But he also has little concept of time, if he gets engrossed in what he is doing any schedule goes out the window. I tried to ensure nothing was arranged that morning for him, but was nonetheless apprehensive. With so many projects going on locally, I know if something occurs to him and he goes off to pose a question or brief a collaborator, I’ll have lost him for at least a couple of hours. Added to this, Melanie our young and talented winemaker who would answer technical questions had earlier been called down to the large bottling project that was taking place under her supervision. I greeted the journalists and gave them the background to all the projects, the history of the building and the work that had gone into making the winery what it is. I was still delighted to see Melanie arrive just before the cellar visit, as if we had planned it down to the second! Then began a whistle-stop tasting of 10 of our wines and as we started on the reds Gontran arrived and took over the job of host, a job that he does perfectly as he has a story for everything, has lead a fascinating life and is the person the term bon vivant was invented for. From there on it was plain sailing. We finished the tasting, went for lunch on the sunny terrace at the restaurant, tasted another three wines, talked, laughed and they left leaving business cards and promises to come back and see the completed spa and residences. Despite the adrenaline that morning (or perhaps because of it), I love this part of my job. I get to taste fabulous wines, albeit having to spit, a hard habit to develop! I can truly be myself speaking in English and my colleagues get more of an idea of who I really am. I may be fluent in French but quick repartee and witty asides are still some way off! And I see that we are a good team, we all have our own expertise, our own role to play, and our timing and coordination is impeccable, even if it’s not always prearranged that way! Tara Lechartier Marketing & Communication
Opening evening: 16th May, 2014 from 18h followed by a performance of Polynesian (Tahiti) songs and dances at 19h and a dinner aperitif. Intervention by Leïla BENALI on Maori Culture 23rd May 2014 at 18h followed by the projection of Maori movie “Paikea” at 19h. Snacks available on site. Venue: La Maison Pour Tous Albertine Sarrazin, Parc de la Guirlande, 43 rue Tour Gayraud (Tram L3 – Arceaux), Montpellier. www.lumiere-d-etincelles.fr www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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HT Life Style in partnership with
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Thai Massage text: Susannah Cartwright
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discovered Thai massage when I was 20 and received my first Thai massage by a friend who was training. I was immediately intrigued by it as it was like nothing else I had experienced in massage. In those days the courses were extremely expensive for the first level and at the time I didn’t have the money to invest in it. Later on in life when I had already established myself in certain other therapies, I came across an advert with the FHT (Federation of Holistic Therapy) in the UK who I was a member of for an introductory course in Manchester. The associations stipulate that you have to have taken a course in body massage first to qualify in Thai massage. This didn’t make any sense to me as Thai massage has absolutely nothing to do with western-style massage, and is in its own right a method of well being. When I met Simon Gall from the London school of Traditional Massage (LTSM) he agreed with my view and to come and teach a group of us traditional Thai Massage. Since then I have travelled with LSTM to Thailand to take the advanced course alongside Simon and Thai trainers and have since returned to add to my training and extend my knowledge and the differences in techniques from various schools in Chaing Mai. There are few written texts on Thai massage as it has been passed down through families, so I don’t follow one particular teacher or philosophy, rather I use what works for me and my clients whilst keeping within the tradition of the country. I think once you have progressed so far in your training it is really beneficial to go and train further in Thailand in order to fully understand its roots.
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Thai Massage Traditional Thai massage, also known as Thai-yoga massage (Nuad Boran - ‘ancient massage’ in Thai), is historically and culturally related to India, Buddhism and yoga. The practical expression of loving kindness can be traced to Thailand more than 2,500 years ago from the Vajrayana or the Diamond Healing lineage of Tibet. It is deeply influenced by Indian Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine. Thai Massage incorporates elements of mindfulness, gentle rocking, deep stretching, and rhythmic compression to create a singular healing experience. Through the gentle assistance of the masseur, who uses rocking, thumb pressure and rhythmic compression, the body is prepared for stretches which help open the joints without resistance. Working the Sen or energy lines by acupressure, the massage treats the whole body. It is performed on a mat on the floor and the client wears light, loose-fitting clothing. The session can last from one hour to three hours or more. The treatment style is slow, deliberate, gentle, non-invasive, and suitable for even the most fragile person. Thai Foot Massage Ancient Thai foot massage (Nuad Pan Boran) is the application of pressure onto particular areas of the soles of the feet. A reflex action in another part of the body is stimulated by the manipulation of each specific area. Foot reflexology massage uses hands, fingers, thumbs, knuckles,
and a rounded wooden stick with lotion or oil. Reflexology foot massage as practiced in Thailand is an ancient therapeutic procedure that has become popular today. Originally the knowledge and techniques The Herault & Aude Times
were closely held secrets kept alive and passed down through generations by the Buddhist monks of the Thai Royal Palace. Thai foot reflexology is a marriage between the ancient healing arts of Reflexology, Chinese Tuina, Japanese Shiatsu and Indian Ayurvedic yoga. Working with the feet, lower leg and knees frees up blocked energy within the body’s many sens lines (Thai-based meridians) to produce a deep and unique feeling of balance, relaxation and well-being. Thai foot massage is a holistic healing technique that provides relaxation, balance in the body’s various systems, and healthy blood circulation. It is known as a therapy to foster general good health and mental serenity. Crystals of calcium and uric acid (toxic wastes) that have built up are dispersed. Thai Foot Massage is a treatment of the lower legs and feet that involves physically stretching and massaging to open Sen (energy). There are 10 major energy lines that run throughout the body from the top of the head down to the soles of the feet, where they end as pressure points. It is these that provide a map of the whole body and the organs. By stimulating these mind and body are encouraged to restore their own natural healthy balance, therefore keeping the whole body harmonized. Enhanced flow of blood and nutrients tend to maintain or improve the healthy condition of the body parts, and many ailments are cured or reduced. The immune system is boosted, healing is accelerated, the body is refreshed, and the mind is cleared of stress and you are left with a general feeling of tranquility, calmness, and well being. Certification To be fully qualified as a Thai massage therapist the first course is 5 days for a level 1 practitioner, with a further 3-6 month practice period, which includes keeping a log of clients and treatment sessions, culminating with a practical exam. Certification of Thai foot massage can be given after a 5 day training and practical exam. In France there is currently no recognised certification process for any massage therapies other than kineseothérapie, so to practice you are required to provide evidence with an attestation from your school or trainer that you have completed the appropriate training.
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Contact Maggie on maggie@maggieminter.co.uk
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Stages of Change
he definition of change is ‘to make or become different’, but the process of change isn’t always easy. Making changes in your life can feel uncomfortable and therefore it’s easier to simply stop trying. If you want to lose weight, you may find just the thought of going to the gym will put you off even starting. Or if you start dieting on a Monday you’ve stopped by Wednesday. Change needs to be approached at a number of different levels in order to be sustainable. There are six logical levels of change. 1. Environment – where/when 2. Behaviour - what 3. Capabilities - how 4. Values and beliefs - why 5. Identity - who 6. Purpose – who else So in the weight losing example, the environment is about the where. Maybe there isn’t a gym nearby, or you don’t want to exercise with other people. Perhaps you find it difficult being in the kitchen with a full fridge. This is the stage at which most people give up! However, if you are able to move through the levels, you might look at what behaviour you’re demonstrating that’s stopping you getting what you want. To overcome the initial block, think about what you can do differently. Get up 10 minutes earlier and go for a walk or make a shopping list to avoid buying tempting food. The third level is your capabilities. Are
you able to exercise, do you need to learn anything that will enable you to do it better. Can you add some jogging into your walk, or maybe read a book on nutrition and begin to learn about food science. The fourth level is what you believe. Are your values in alignment with your goal? Do you believe you can lose weight with exercise and diet. If your beliefs are in conflict with your goal, you’ll find reasons why you can’t proceed. Having worked through the first four levels of change and focussing on reaching your goal, the fifth level about how you feel about yourself. This is your identify level. Here, things really begin to happen because you focus on who you need to become. You are now the person who is fit and healthy. Once you reach this stage, change is inevitable. You are now the person who believes in themselves. Who values their health and well-being. Someone who has all the skills and capabilities to reach their goal, who is taking control and staying committed and making sure that nothing is getting in the way of their progress. Everything is in alignment. The last level is in the area of your life purpose; where you are fuelling your spiritual side. If this is important to you, you’re able to get in touch with your deeper self and you can begin to see how you might support others on their journey of change.
Courses May 17:Relaxing face and neck massage course, morning or afternoon sessions: 9h-12h or 14h-17h Venue: Studio de Yoga Cazadarnes Price: 30€ May 18: Introduction to Thai Massage. Practice for friends and family:10h-17h Venue: Studio de Yoga Cazadarnes Price:60 € June 2-5:Thai massage course Level 1 (with or without qualification certificate) Venue: Studio de Yoga Cazadarnes Price: 360€ (without certificate) For information on examination and certificate contact below June 6: Thai foot massage course Venue: Studio de Yoga Cazadarnes Price: 60€ without certification/ 99€ with certification. 40€ with Thai massage course For all further information and booking please contact Sue Cartwright:Susannah_cartwright@ hotmail.com or 0652752445. Susannah has been practicing a range of massage therapies for over 10 years, and teaching for the last 4. Maggie is a personal coach and hypnotherapist: If you wish to contact her personally to discuss any issues, please email: maggie@maggieminter.co.uk
Feeling Ill? Be glad you are here......... In its 2000 assessment of world health care systems, the World Health Organization found that France provided “close to best overall health care” in the world. In 2011, France spent 11.6% of GDP on health care, more than anywhere in Europe.
www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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The Music Page - In partnership with:
‘Family Trees’ RichardOn Pullen Music Each month as I sit down to write this I worry that I’ve been listening to music that just refuses to connect with anything else and it was with this fear that I approached “ A Little Jazz Mass” in the church in Ouveillan at the end of March organised by the conservatoire in Narbonne( conservatoire@legrandnarbonne.com) - it was the brainchild of Bob Chilcott who was one of the original King’s Singers - a 1970s vocal harmony group started by six choristers from Kings College , Cambridge who would pop up with alarming regularity on the Morcambe and Wise show with such ditties as “ I’m a train “ but who also covered Randy Newman’s “Short People” and “Blackbird” which was then shamelessly borrowed by “Glee Club” thirty five years later ( I thank my daughter Lily for bringing this to my attention). Bob , however , is now described by the Observer as “a contemporary hero of British church music “ and has set the latin Missa Brevis in a variety of jazz vocal styles much as on the record “Missa Luba” where the same pieces are sung in the style of music from the Democratic Republic of Congo (this is one of the few vinyl records I have retained from my youth where I almost wore out the track “Sanctus” as featured in the film “If” by Lindsey Anderson in 1968) - a thoroughly uplifting evening in a beautiful setting .
Richards) - she had the moves of Tina Turner on “Proud Mary”, the voice of Al Green on “Take me to the river” , the tenderness of Bonnie Raitt on “It’s over this time” and the stage theatrics of Van
Morrison (see The Band’s farewell concert “The Last Waltz” filmed by Martin Scorsese in 1976 ) In the jazz field all the labels seem to be putting out classic albums on high quality vinyl which I am sure sounds beautiful and resonant but I haven’t had a record player since they were called “record players” so I cannot review them for you! Instead I have dug deep for you gentle readers and found a lovely release called “Amoureuse” by Elisabeth Kontomanou. Elisabeth is a French singer originally from Guinea who you can sample on “Youtube” with the classic Bobby Hebb track “Sunny” (see Bobby and Ron Carter play this also on “Youtube”) or “Spotify” has all of her albums for streaming before buying. Elisabeth plays now with a great young guitarist called Joey Belmondo (a name I would choose for myself if I looked like him and played with his heart) but she can also be found on “Voices” by Mike Stern in 2001 (Mike is ex-Miles Davis Band but find a more recent “Play” on Youtube) By contrast Chitra and I went to Sortie Ouest ( www.sortieouest.fr) to see Robin McKelle where for over two hours in the big top Ms McKelle certainly was the tent show queen (courtesy of Jagger/
Gotta Go… (as Georgie Fame might have said) **
MAY 23, MILEY CYRUS - 15 OCTOBER, KYLIE MINOGUE - 17 JULY, LANA DL REY 30 JULY, JAMES BLUNT - 20 JULY, FRANZ FERDINAND - THE HAT HAS TICKETS -
WATCH THIS SPACE TO WIN! For a Calendar of events in English visit the website Search The Herault and Aude Times
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The Herault & Aude Times
What’s In a name?
Sue Hicks looks into history through Street names.
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s you cast your vote at the European elections, you may struggle to recall the names of the founding fathers of the EU. Jean Monnet (1888-1979) is unlikely to be the first name that comes to mind yet he played a key role in the movement towards European union. “Take no books. No one can think for you. Look out of the window, talk to people” said Jean Monnet’s father as he sent his teenage son, who had left school at 16, to London and then to the United States to learn the family cognac business. When war broke out in 1914, Jean Monnet was declared unfit for military service and he worked as an economic intermediary to coordinate the war supplies of the allies. His professional aptitude well established, despite the lack of formal qualifications and at the age of 31, he was named Deputy Secretary General of the League of Nations in 1919. On the death of his father in 1923, Jean Monnet returned to Cognac and turned around the fortunes of the declining family business. He also became closely involved with the national finances of various eastern European countries such as Romania and Poland and advised the Chinese government in the reorganisation of the railway network. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Jean Monnet became President of a FrancoBritish committee set up to co-ordinate the combining of the two countries production capacities. He was closely involved in the draft proclamation on 16 June 1940 that “in future France and Great Britain will no longer be two nations but a single AngloFrench Union” which had been welcomed by de Gaulle and Churchill and which was approved by the British War Cabinet. The plan was dismissed by the French government, by then based in Bordeaux, and Petain is reported to have said “it was an invitation to marry a corpse.” The hope had been that this federal union would keep the French fighting but it came too late and the following day, the newly formed French government surrendered. Jean Monnet was sent to America to over-
see the purchase of war supplies and the economist John Maynard Keynes said that Jean Monnet probably shortened the war by a year by his enormous efforts working on the Victory Programme for the Allied Cause in Washington. Jean Monnet greatly impressed President Roosevelt and his experience and the personal connections made proved to be of great use when he moved to Algiers to join General de Gaulle where he
proved to be an effective intermediary between the haughty de Gaulle and the suspicious President. After the war, Jean Monnet was a key figure in the five year plan to reconstruct the French economy. He had for a long time believed that “The European states must constitute themselves into a federation” and he began work on what became known at the Schuman Declaration of 1950 which proposed to place all the German-French production of coal and steel under one high authority. With the agreement of the governments of Germany (Adenauer is reported to have said “this man [Monnet] has been sent to us by God”), Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, this became the European Coal and Steel Community, the predecessor of the European Economic Community and subsequent European Union. Disappointed not to be able to get agreement to a Defence Union, he set up in 1955 the Action Committee for the United States of Europe which he lead until 1975.
described as bustling, lively, cosmopolitan, persuasive, courteous and dapper man who was obliged to no-one and to no party and was hostile to all pretensions. He himself explained that “a man with an idea must take it to powerful personages who can put it into practice” and that “men in power are short of new ideas; they lack the time and they lack the information but they want to do good so long as they get the credit for it”. His belief in the power of supra national institutions and the need to integrate and not exclude the vanquished guided him. Perhaps his father’s purchase of a brandy co-operative in 1897 (‘stronger together’) shaped Jean Monnet’s views as would have his attendance at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. He looked for small steps that would be acceptable to nation states, practical ways in which people could work together and saw himself as a problem solver who believed fervently in the power of discussion to spark of ideas. For him, step one in addressing any issue was to get agreement as to what the problem was and his intra-personal skills and international experience enabled him to do this where others might have failed. As early as the year of his death in 1979, the first street was named after him and he now has 533 attestations. His remains were moved to the Pantheon in 1988. Jean Monnet must have the last word. “In my work, one has to forget about laurels. Whatever others may say about it, I have no liking for the shade, but if it is only at the price of self-effacement that I can conclude matters, well, in that case I chose the shade” *
Jean Monnet, unelected to any position, appears to have had unique skills as well as being a fluent English speaker. He has been www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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The French VIEW _
Translation by Alison Reid
Ukraine: No Solution Without Russia (Pro) Written by Pierre Beylau top dreaming! Europe cannot think of handling the crisis of a country in ruins, which is historically attached to Russia, alone. Salvation must come from Moscow. There is no getting away from the facts: in Ukraine, the issues are at the same time complex, and incredibly simple. But hearts must not be allowed to rule heads. Issue 1: The country is not homogenous. The West is culturally Ukrainian. The East (Donbas, the richest part of the country) and the South (Crimea) are Russian. The new authorities produced by the revolution at Maidan are looking to commit a terrible blunder: to do away with the use of Russian as an official language in the regions in which it is the most highly used language. Issue 2: Ukraine is historically linked to Russia. The origins of these two countries are inextricably intertwined. In the 9th century, Kiev was the capital of the enormous state Kievan Rus. Over the centuries, this country became divided into regional powers, notably Russia, Poland and the AustroHungarian Empire. But from the time of Catherine II until independence in 1991, the majority of present day Ukraine was under Russian sovereignty, with the exception of a short period after the October Revolution. Issue 3: The country is in ruins.
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Several billion dollars are desperately needed to see to Ukraine’s most urgent needs. And without a doubt, at least 30 billion dollars more will be needed in the years to come. The exchange reserves have melted away like snow on a spring morning. Prior to recent events, their value was estimated at around 17 billion dollars,
but the debt service charge alone will come to at least 13 billion dollars this year. All assuming that the Russians, who sell their gas at a reduced price in Ukraine, do not decide to up the bill… The EU and the IMF are willing to help, but only if the Russians make an effort to begin work on structural reform. This is a big ask in a country where corruption is a national sport, seen across the entire political spectrum. Fact 4: The collapse of Ukraine would not be in Russia’s interests. Moscow has increased pressure and Russian armoured personnel carriers are conscientiously working the fields of the border under the pretext of a manoeuvre. “The Russians are scripting the tensions” suspects one specialist. But it is unlikely that Russia desires a split with Ukraine. Russian banks have around 50 billion dollars tied up in the Ukrainian economy. 60% of Russian gas is supplied to Europe, in particular Germany, and it is still sent through Ukraine, even if new gas pipes (North Stream and South Stream) will allow it to bypass the country. Rule 5: Ukraine is not destined to join the EU. “A partnership, yes. Membership, no”. Such is the attitude of most of the European Member States, Poland excluded. But of course, any expansion of the EU is a just a pipe dream in the current climate. It would require ratification from ever Member State. We might as well get comfortable, the wait could be long. “In the Ukrainian crisis, Russia is a friend, not a foe” says the French side meanwhile. And it should be remembered that Vladimir Putin will be paying a visit to Paris in April and again in June for the D-day commemorations. It would appear then, that we must try to become bedfellows with the bear.
The Ukrainian Honour (Anti)
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o here is a country in which hunting homosexuals and people from North Caucasus has become a national sport. Here is a country where, on the 20th April, the anniversary of the birth of Adolf Hitler, the “non-Slavs” were invited to remain at home so as to avoid being attacked. Here is a country where, when one thousand young people took to the streets in 2006 to protest against the Duma’s potential banning of Jewish associations suspected to have “made a pact with the Devil”, they did so wearing masks, for fear of turning up on the Facebook page of some member of the ‘white patrol’ who would come and kick their heads in. And here we have this same country which, through its president’s voice, whilst criticizing France and Germany, has the unbelievable cheek to declare that the Ukrainian revolution will mark the return of Fascism to Europe. The idea would be laughable if so many men and women had not already paid with their lives for the right for survivors not to hear such insults. And also, if there were not quite so many feeble-minded or gullible people in France who seem ready to say to themselves: “well, no smoke without fire… after all, are the Ukrainians really as innocent as all that? In romanticising these protests, couldn’t the West have been taken in by a revolution which isn’t quite what it seems?” Etc.
Gary Jackson
Painter Decorator - Plasterer Partition walls - Laminate flooring Honest and reliable t: 06 23 33 30 22 24
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So ok, let’s have a look at it. As these questions must be answered, let’s go through them one by one: Yes, of course there exists in Ukraine (as in everywhere else in Europe) an ultranation alist tradition. No, this country, home to communist revolutionary Nestor Makhno, the ‘Holocaust by bullets’ and the massacre site Babi Yar, has obviously not managed to avoid the anti-Semitism virus. And yes, of course, there are some small Right wing groups at Maidan, including one party, Svoboda, which up until ten years ago defined itself as ‘social nationalist’. However: 1. At its peak, in the October elections in 2012, Svoboda won 10% of Ukrainian votes– sure, this is a lot, but it is still fewer votes than have been won by similar parties in the Netherlands, in Austria or, yes, in France. 2. Far from progressing and, as Putin’s propaganda is constantly repeating throughout Europe, benefitting from the radicalisation of demonstrations in Ukraine, this party has suffered the opposite effect, with the emergence of new leaders diluting the monopoly on radicalism and thus marginalising Svoboda. Have all of the polls, including the recent survey carried out by the SOCIS Institute on the 31st January, not shown less than 5% support for Svoboda? 3. The key people concerned, those who have turned out in force on Maidan square, have made no mistake: local Jewish institutions (the Judaica Institute, the Kiev-Mohyla academy),Ukrainian representatives from international Jewish organisations (Josef Zissels of the World Jewish Congress) and certain figures of moral authority (philosopher Constantin Sigov, a specialist involved in the work of Emmanuel Levinas) – none have doubted, even for a second, that their place was there,
as part of this enormous group in which Cossacks rub shoulders with rabbis, and the descendants of survivors of the Holocaust stand with those of survivors of the Holodomor, the Ukrainian Famine-genocide of the 1930s, ordered and orchestrated by Stalin. 4. It should also be noted that over the last three months, Maidan square, home to all words and all freedoms, has heard all kinds of speakers, even the most fanciful. But during all of this time, there is one ‘fancy’ that has never been heard, not from any of these people: the insanity of anti-Semitism. 5. It is remarkable, too, that the media from the whole world over has had ample time during the last three months to scrutinise the walls of graffiti produced by modern revolutions and prominent in Maidan – and yet, if there is one sort of graffiti that has not been seen there, once again highlighted, filmed and photographed, it is antiSemitic graffiti. There is not one single occurrence. Of course, it’s not all goodness and love. Vigilence is still required, as normal, when the merged collective threaten to turn into a terrorist group or a lynch mob. But, with all due respect to the Putinist mis-informers, we are not at that stage. At the moment, things are progressing as if a sort of brotherhood of pain and struggle has grown up between the peoples of Ukraine and between the descendants of
victims of Hitler’s massacres, Stalin’s massacres and massacres by both – a brotherhood which evokes memories of the ‘solidarity of the shaken’, dear to the great Jan Patočka. And one thing is certain: the only demonstrations characterised by anti-Semitism have come from the other side – the side of fallen power which attempts to lecture those living in democracies. Amongst many other cases we find, for example, that of the Berkut militia, whose website, during the last days of the repression, highlighted the alleged ‘Jewish origins’ of Maidan leaders and superimposed, in clear neo-Nazi style, the Star of David and the swastika… Such is the reality, not the cliché. Such is the true face of this revolution, which at this point, appears admirable. And such is the face that we must bear in mind when the leaders of a New Ukraine come knocking at the European Union’s doors. For them, Europe is not just a territory, it is a name. It is a name which signifies, as it did for the founders of the European Union, a great leap out of the ranks of totalitarian murderers. So a word to the wise: may we be ready for this Ukrainian version of the ‘heroism of reason’ that philosopher Edmund Husserl believed to be at the heart of our Europe. Written by Bernard-Henri Lévy
DID YOU KNOW?
* The word ‘France’ means ‘land of francs’. The Franks are Germanic tribes who lived in Northern Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. * The face of the statue of Liberty is that of Isabelle Boyer, the wife of Isaac Singer, the maker of sewing machines........a French crush!! www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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Un Certain Regard: Film Clubs and Societies
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n an earlier part of our brief journey through the French cinema, we looked at how the industry itself managed to maintain its own seat-occupancy levels by playing, as it were, to its audiences. Directors knew the public taste for comedy, drama and musicals alongside a few experimental genre. However, this alone was not sufficient over a long term period because the American and Italian challenge was considerable, in fact, over-whelming. We have seen how the French government protected French cinema with its ticket levy proceeds of which were fed back into the indigenous film network with its own particular effects over genre choices and quality. Another very important factor occurred with the gradual arrival of the film club the first of which appeared in April 1907 at number 5 boulevard Montmartre, Paris.
This was created and financed at first by Edmond Benoit-Lévy with a projection room and an archive. As the great visionary over the French cinema that he was, it was he who had opened the luxurious salle de cinéma de Paris L’Omnia-Pathé in 1906. Studying the career of this development in the history of the French cinema is a rich source of information right up to his demise in August 1959. He was a filmdirector, founder, benefactor and conference organiser. He also embraced the international network of Alliance Française to promote the French cinema and films in the French language. After the First World War, there were other notable film society foundations in Paris 26
Continuing:
by the Italian Riciotto Canudo in 1921 and film critic Louis Delluc who had also established the cinema magazine Cinéa.
In the 1930s, a series of significant movements took place which fostered love and enthusiasm for the French film. Les Amis du Cinéma was set up in Nice by Jean Vigo. He resisted the norm of the production studios in Nice at the time by propagating support for the documentary type film cinéma-vérité by Dziga Vertov, a director Vigo much admired. The “friends” club was open to raise public awareness for French and foreign films but to members only for originals and censored films, such as Le Cuirassé Potemkine and La ligne générale by Sergueï M. Eisenstein. A year later, the film society Cercle du cinéma which eventually became the Cinémathèque française was founded by Henri Langlois and Georges Franju for the projection and archiving of old French films. Situated at 51 rue de Bercy in Paris’ 12th district, the Cinémathèque française has helped French cinema and its film-makers develop through the tribulations of the Occupation and the post-war years. Today, it continues to fulfil its original mission alongside programming major classics in retrospectives and tributes to film-makers; actors and producers; exhibitions of items from its Passion Cinéma and other exposés. Ciné-clubs flowered all over France after the Second World War, Annecy being among the first in 1945 with its emerging International Animated Film Festival. At the same time, the avant-garde movement formed its own film society in 1948. This was known as Objectif49 with Jean Cocteau as its president. The foundational membership was illustrious, including André Bazin together with Jean-Charles Tacchella, Doniol-Valcroze, Astruc, Claude The Herault & Aude Times
Screenplay by: Karl Leonie
Mauriac, René Clément and Pierre Kast. It staged Festival du Film Maudit in Biarritz the following year. As a formal movement it was ephemeral but its influence was considerable in promoting film genre such as documentaries, ethnographies, cartoons, experimental and short-films. For anyone who enjoys French cinema here in France and who has been overseas where French expatriate communities exist with the abovementioned Alliances, the ciné-clubs is a familiar idea. Cinemas, educational institutions, workplaces, youth centres and other social networks have them. The law of 1901 allowing associations to form has led to the central role of these as educative and cultural societies by an act of 1953 when the Ministère de l’Education Nationale agreed to the Fédération de Loisirs et Culture (Flec) based in Montreuil, acting as the pivotal administrative organisation. There are also four other regional centres too based in Paris (Interfilm); Caluire (U.F.O.L.E.I.S.); Strasbourg (C.R.C.C.) and at Béziers (Fédération des ciné-clubs de la Méditerrannée). Film societies can levy membership fees and can qualify for financial support for their activities. These include not only film projections but also seminars, lectures,
English for Expat Children - An indispensable guide
The Whisper Game
debates and discussions, among others. Love for cinema (cinéphilia) as the seventh art is the essential objective. In the next issue of The HAT, we continue once again with our journey of the French cinema through to the end of the twentieth century.
There are endless ways to engage your children with the English language; talking being the key one. Once communication is confident you can harness a child’s natural curiosity in ways that will help them build their supporting language skills. This remains the case regardless of your child’s age, although more often than not it gets increasingly tricky once your child becomes a teenager! That’s not to say that it isn’t equally valuable at each stage just that your strategy may need to evolve. One game that can be played with most age groups is the whisper game. Younger children can find it exciting, and even slightly mysterious, whilst older children enjoy it too, especially if they enjoy mild acts of sabotage! To play the whisper is started off with a simple phrase whispered to the first player. The whispered message is then passed around the group until everyone has participated and the message is back where it started. That message is then compared to the original message and will have likely morphed into all sorts of nonsense. It is important that players are not allowed to repeat themselves (and so deliver the message only once) and this game is definitely a case of the more players the sillier. In a similar way you could create a group story. Each player invents a sentence or paragraph and then the narrative passes on to the next player. This can be done in writing by passing pieces of paper around the group, folding the paper down over what has been written before as it’s passed on and then reading it all out once everyone has contributed. Younger players will probably get more out of it by playing verbally; an older child or an adult could always act as scribe to capture the magic. You might find it helpful to create some sort of structure for each player’s turn: 1. Describe the character. 2. Describe where they are. 3. What are they thinking? 4. What are they doing? etc. Another really versatile and helpful imaginative activity is to take a passage from a book; the first paragraph of a novel is often a good way to start. Ask your child to predict what might happen, who that person is, what situation they might be in, what has happened before and what could happen after. This is a great jumping off point for a creative writing activity and really invaluable when integrated into any form of reading together. Enjoy! Laura Smith has a BA Hons) in English and a background which includes nannying, arts’ groups for children, supporting early readers, teaching English as foreign language in Spanish and Italian schools and examining children for the Cambridge Examining board. www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
Having a baby in France. Part 2 - Appointments - lots!
Hérault Baaaaby!
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nce we’d confirmed the pregnancy ourselves we made an appointment with our GP who gave us the option of meeting with the local midwife or those at the hospital (which I believe would’ve included regular meetings with an obstetrician as well as a variety of midwives). We chose the local option. The GP gave us a list of blood and urine tests to take. From that point on our monthly appointments would be with our midwife and we would check in with our GP after scans to keep her updated. Several days later we met with the local midwife who added to our tests list and with whom we discussed the birth options; particularly the possibility of having a home birth. Days after I took the blood and urine tests. This made me feel quite feeble and I was very happy that I had been driven to the appointment given the number of vials needed for the long list of tests. With the first trimester already being surprisingly exhausting I would’ve felt wary of getting behind the wheel myself. The regular monthly tests after this point have been far less dramatic and easy to handle alone as long as you’re armed with snacks for after the tests which you need to take on an empty stomach. We had our 12 week scan at the hospital, but it was too early to check everything so we had to make another appointment for a few weeks later. We consulted with both our GP and midwife after the scan. At which point the midwife declared the pregnancy and we sent out that first batch of paperwork to various bodies. At 4½ months we had our first haptonomy session: A hands-on method enabling both parents to communicate with the baby in utero! A breath of fresh air within a largely medical focused system. We had our 20 week scan at the hospital. We had decided to start seeing the midwives at the hospital instead of our local midwife from this point to get used to the environment we would be in for the birth itself. The previous appointment with our local midwife involved another long list of blood and urine tests (including one for pregnancy-onset diabetes) to have before the first appointment with the hospital midwives. And that’s where we stand with a 24 week old baby somersaulting around and a second trimester that is more energetic than the first. 27
Foucault which here served as the single fulcrum for the productions. Foucault initiated a new science; the science of utopic spaces described as heterotopic. Foucault understands by this principle a ‘dreamy science ‘which describes an ‘elsewhere without place’. The Author names a few of them - garden, cemeteries, prisons, museums, asylums, libraries and boats. Each student was asked to ‘incorporate’ in his or her productions various spaces and intentions.
Hors Situ # IV ‘Heteropy’ or the acrobatic exercise of word interpretation Exhibition of the preparatory class for the Beaux-arts School, Sète
A printed text was posted at the entry of the show explaining the notion of Heterotopy
“As you came in, it was just a mess” described the works as a ‘happy traffic’, adding that the students ‘were let free to decide’. Perhaps a bit hypocritical but I approved this notion, as of course these students are not yet in the Beaux-arts. They can therefore afford to work as blurry beginners. As usual, with the French academic dicta, the power of speech as curveball is of foremost importance. This is confirmed by the explanation of a young
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he preparatory class of Beaux-arts school, Sète had two weeks to organize its end-of-year exhibition or, more precisely, ‘mobile workshops’. The incitation given, Heteropy, originates from French philosopher Michel Foucault whose writing was part of the school year. A puzzling series of installations by students was hence shown at Chapelle du Quartier Haut, Sète 22-30 March 2014. A beautiful professional exhibition space whose wear is part of the charm was entrusted to preparatory students: imagine girls wearing lipstick and boys smoking roll-ups. Each individual exhibition space was drawn by lot and the students had to go along with what was allocated to them. Heterotopy is a concept forged by Michel
as follows: ‘(…) there is a form of abuse in the act of appropriating oneself a given space. This one necessarily personal is a workshop, the idea of a workshop, part of a workshop, an imagined workshop for a room to imagine (un atelier imaginé pour une pièce à imaginer), an exiguous workshop like a bed in a dormitory, or a cage for cats.’ As you came in, it was just a mess. It looked as though the Chapel was filled with piles of papers, garbage, sketches, plastic and cheap photographs pinned on the walls. Pseudo-artistic sculptures were installed in each individual space. A few stood out as marginally original while the happy crowd raved before the very ephemeral beauties. At least everyone knew the art was installation. It didn’t matter what the meaning or the project was, really. All that mattered was that the spaces existed, full of Heterotopic Junk. One of the teachers unconvincingly
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The Herault & Aude Times
student standing near her Heterotopy: a toilet brush and a sucker coated with a thick layer of glittered paint placed on a triangular cardboard plinth. She managed to find a wall-paper printed with toilet basin as a complementary background. Her self-confidence will help open the Beauxarts’ door. The very difficult and, in this case, improvised exercise of installation art had to be expressed as ‘a space within the space’ coupled with the bouncing justification of work in process. But pass that stage and it is up to the students to fall flat on their faces. Only one of them was brave enough to exhibit a series of 55 small gouache paintings. Not bad for future Beaux-arts candidates. At the time of The Era of the Codes where art must be guessed and heard more than seen, the fourth edition of Hors Situ deepens the sense of illusory perception and opens wider the abyss of ‘Utopic Creation’. Dominique Aclange
Corot in the Northern light Musée des Beaux-arts de Carcassonne 21 February-21 May 2014 1 rue de Verdun 11000 Carcassonne Free entry
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he exhibition ‘Corot dans la lumière du Nord’ (Corot in the Northern light) at the Beaux-arts Museum, Carcassonne is an opportunity to re-discover a landscape painter whose personal attachment for Northern France has inspired fine and delicate narrative paintings. Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (Paris 17961875) was taught by Achille Etna Michallon (1796- 1822) and kept his advice to stick with realist landscape representation and to avoid its idealization. Corot in the Northern light focuses on a particular period in the painter’s life. Corot’s first stay in the north of France dates 1830. In the late 1840’s he befriended Constant Dutilleux (18071865) painter and draftsman and from that time on, Corot became familiar with Dutilleux’s town Arras and its surrounds where he painted from nature. In 1852, Camille Corot left Paris and moved to Arras called by Dutilleux’s friendship which lasted until his death.
The exhibition shows otherlandscape painters alongside the work of Corot such as Dutilleux and Charles Desavary (1837-1885) painter, photographer and lithographer. If the name of Camille Corot resonates even for the novice, his paintings are still to be discovered. The intimacy of rural life is finely depicted and the human presence stands humble and small. Foliage and terrain are captured witnessing life before the industrial revolution. His use of green looks almost translucent. Corot used to sketch his views before re-painting them in his studio. His stroke is precise, delicate and sensitive. Dunkerque les bassins de pêche, 1857 (Dunkerque, fishing ponds) shows a mastery of perspective and gives depth to the landscapes. Another primordial aspect in his paintings are skylights: Paysage en Hollande, 1854 (Landscape in Holland), a group of houses on a sky backdrop is reflected on to the canal. Pale and static, silvery hues reflect the Northern light. The exhibition also includes examples of Cliché-verre, a hybrid technique used by Corot in 1853 combining engraving and photography. Corot and the Northern light brings together more than 130 artworks by Corot and the School of Arras. Its major interest is to make Corot and landscape painting more familiar to all.
Montpellier Paris London Newcastle Milan Rome Berlin New York Chicago www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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La Panacée
Top: The 7th Continent Bottom: Peter Jellitsch, ink and pencil on paper 2014 Background: Animation 2013
Breaking News from the Ether (Dernières Nouvelles de l’Ether) 7February/22 June 2014 Centre de culture contemporaine 14 rue de l’école de pharmacie 34000 Montpellier Tel. 04 34 88 79 79 info@lapanacee.orgwww. lapanacee.org Open Wed to Sat 12h-20h/ Sunday 10h-18h Entry is free and accessible for handicapped persons ‘Breaking News of the Ether at La Panacée’, Montpellier comes after last season’s sequence: ‘You have a message’. Notions in contemporary art seen as enigmatic become the point of focus. La Panacée opened in July 2013 and has as its central ambition ‘to explore new artistic searches’, ‘to question our perceptions’ and ‘to write projects linked with the technological environment of visual and digital art’. The Ether was, in the 19th century, at the heart of developments in science and technology. This invisible substance was supposed to allow the propagation of a set of acoustic, electromagnetic and light waves. The idea was that experiments bring to light the existence of wave phenomenon, hitherto imperceptible but nonetheless at the source of modern media and technology. The exhibition shows no less than 62 ‘ethereal’ pieces, some indeed very ‘abstract’ in the physical sense of the word. At the core of this rendez-vous in
Beaux-arts Museum Carcassonne Cérès Franco Act 1 1 rue de Verdun , 11000 Carcassonne Tel. 04 68 77 73 70 www.carcassonne.fr 27 September 2013/28 September 2014 Closed Monday - Free entry
L.A.C Sigean Nicolas Daubanes Sabotage & Doris Schlaepfer Disturbed Silence 1 rue de la berre-Hameau du lac,11130 Sigean Tel. 04 68 48 83 62 http://lac.narbonne.com/ Until 25 May 2014 Every day except Tuesday 14h00-17h00
First part of the series, the Cérès Franco Collection Act 1 displays Popular Art from Brazil and South America. Carved wooden objects and masks, beautifully coloured naïve paintings give a happy atmosphere to the museum. An ideal visit for young children and adults alike destined to inspire creativity. 30
The Lieu d’Art Contemporain, Sigean (L.A.C) begins the new artistic season with Nicolas Daubanes and Doris Schlaepfer. Daubanes who recently exhibited at the MRAC Library, Sérignan pursues his artistic search with the notion of incarceration in mind. Doris Schlaepfer who lives in Aude draws and paints abstract forms close to splashes and waves. Jean Messagier’s paintings are also shown as homage from the Moget family.
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ART
search of the ‘spirit’ are the image, movement and sound. As examples of ‘concepts’ moving on to ‘things’: an electric wire plugged to a wooden board on one end and to a false wall socket on the other (Telepathic piece by Robert Barry, 1969) a giant luminous ‘fried egg’ (The 7th Continent by Berdaguer & Pejus, 2001), a video of a hand holding a mobile phone and sending SMS’s with pretend earphone next to it. Other artworks when not with wire are weird. The pieces on display are described as a ‘process of dematerialization of art work’. This idea first came to the fore in the 1960s at the same time as the deployment of Cybernetics, I n f o r m a t i o n Technology and Algorithms and is hence exploited. This is why some artists here represented reinvent the definition of art while others are busy building fantasy thoughts of a so-called ‘visual telepathy’. In the entry hall a series of Casques EHS by Berdaguer & Pejus are placed on a mannequin’s head. They are beautifully named Quadruplex, Hexicosierdron, Octopod and Icidodecaerdron followed by the family name of Relaxed electro hypersensible. I am not too sure what they are for. Maybe in case of an alien invasion we can telepathically communicate? Who knows? Continuing my perambulation, a term more appropriate than visit, I saw a woman trip over the Telepathic piece mentioned above forcing the board to collapse.Was it an improvised test? She managed to put the ‘thought’ back up, although the wrong
way round. John Cage Variation VII (1966) was inaudible due to a defect in the acoustic system and I passed by very quickly the other ‘decorations’ such as Pipe, Voltage and metal detector (2014) by Liam Gillick and 1619 an animation
by Laurent Grasso (2007). Peter Jellitsch’s drawings were by far my favorite. His drawings, infinite series of little arrows pointing in various but organized directions translated movement and dynamic like an organic breath. The tour completed we are back to: coffee, restaurant and reception area. This contemporary art
center also has an auditorium, a patio and offers 29 residency places for post- graduate students who will no doubt have more ethereal communications to present in the future. D o m i n i q u e Aclange
Atget Museum Montpellier D’autres corps la même âme (Other bodies, the same soul) UFR Médecine,2 rue de l’Evolve de Médecine 34060 Montpellier Tél : 04 34 43 35 00 www.univ-montp1.fr med-nimes@univ-montp1.fr Until 29 May 2014 Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday 13h30-17h30 Free entry Spanish artist Jaume Ojea is currently sponsored by Sparkle- the Oxygen Tank to presents 22 inks on paper inspired by Rembrandt’s painting The anatomy lesson at the Atget museum, Montpellier. Each drawing represents part of the body of a renowned personality of the Arts and Letters affected by a serious illness
Toy Museum - New Collection 2 Bis Rue Montmorency, 34120 Pézenas Tel.04 67 35 92 88 contact@jouets-merveilles.com www.jouets-merveilles.com Entry fees: adults 5€-reduced price 3€ July, August, September open every day 10h00-20h00 1 October 30 June 14h00-19h00 & closed Mondays The Toy museum is situated next to the Tourism Office in Pézenas and offers the discovery of 8000 pieces through 4 rooms on about 300m2. Toys from all over Europe, Japan and America are a sweet reminder of one’s childhood.
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Fait Maison
Mediterranean Couscous
Recipes from a Kiwi in France
Serves 8-10.
Mediterranean influences RACHEL PANCKHURST Rachel Panckhurst went to Montpellier, France, at the age of eighteen, to learn French in a one-month intensive course. Thirty-five years later, she is still there and holds dual nationality. Since 1992 she has been a maître de conferences (senior lecturer/assistant professor) in French computational linguistics at the University of Montpellier.
Summer Raspberry Tiramisu (Rachel) 18 amaretti biscuits, crushed (or any sweet biscuits; the belgian cinnamon speculoos biscuits are nice) 250 g mascarpone 250 g low-fat plain yoghurt 200 g raspberries 50 g icing sugar 50 g non-salted pistachios, chopped finely (optional) Beat mascarpone and sugar.
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Layer as follows in a deep glass dish or in individual glasses — verrines, for a perfect visual effect: place crushed amaretti at the bottom, then part of the mascarpone and sugar, then some raspberries, then start over and finish with raspberries and pistachios on top. Refrigerate for several hours.
but I prefer the mix of both. In France mascarpone comes in punnets of 250 g, therefore I thought I’d try this with just one. The result is pleasing. I like this lighter version of the traditional tiramisu recipe. It’s perfect for summer evenings. **
If you prefer a richer tiramisu you can replace the yoghurt with a second punnet of mascarpone,
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1 kg fine couscous grain (rolled out and steamed twice in the upper part of the couscous pot; more grain can be used since the process is the same whatever the quantity) 1–2 kg lamb (neck, shoulder, leg) cut into chunks, and chicken pieces 100 g butter 4 tbsp oil 2–3 tomatoes 3–4 turnips 1 stick celery 3–4 courgettes/zucchini 3–4 carrots 1 green pepper (optional) 3 potatoes (optional) 1 leek (optional) 1 handful chickpeas (or more, soaked in water overnight) 1 tsp pepper several threads saffron (or 1 tsp turmeric) 1–2 tsp ras el hanout (in specialist stores) 1–2 tsp cinnamon 1–2 tsp paprika harissa (specialist stores) salt
Method 1. In Laure’s description of her couscous recipe, she suggested putting on babouches - North African slippers - and traditional clothes, to feel the gentle pull toward North African culture. 2. The couscous cooker is a kind of tall steamer, where meat and juices can cook in the bottom compartment while couscous grain steams in the top. It always has a teatowel tied around its middle (see below). 3. Gently fry onion, tomato, meat, pepper, cinnamon, saffron, paprika, ras el hanout, salt, chickpeas until meat has browned. 4. Add 2 litres of water (or more depending on quantity of meat — the water needs to cover it) and bring to the boil. Lower heat slightly. 5. Before steaming couscous grain, wet it with cold water and leave it for a few minutes to swell slightly. Add water little by little, working it through with the fingertips. 6. Put the couscous grain in the top compartment of the cooker. 7. Replace the lid and tie a tea-towel around the cooker to seal it so that no juices escape. Once steam is coming through to the top compartment, steam for 15 minutes. 8. Take the couscous grain off the cooker and place in a large flat round dish. Separate grains, with a fork while it is still hot, then with clean hands. 9. Peel vegetables, cut lengthwise and add to broth.
10. Return couscous grain to the top of the cooker and steam for a further 15 minutes. Take it off once more and place in a large flat round dish and separate grains with fork then hands, as before. Add 100 g butter and leave to melt. Sprinkle with cinnamon and black pepper. Mix and make sure grains are separated. 11. Once the meat and vegetables are cooked, serve the grain in the large flat dish and the broth and meat in another deep platter. 12. Some of the sauce can be separated and mixed with strong harissa (hot red pepper) paste for those who like a kick.
is ever as good as theirs. Fait Cuisine, by Rachel Pankhurst This book is for sale at http://leanpub.com/faitmaison
A friend passing on a recipe will often start off by saying that there are many ways to make it. Invariably, though, some particular ingredient will distinguish it from another’s recipe. One person’s special tip for couscous is to add cubed pumpkin at the onset of the cooking. It breaks up and blends perfectly into the broth to make a luscious creamy sauce. Laure and Akila prefer not to add potatoes. And they warned me that at the onset you must use cold water to wet the couscous grain. I had always used hot. These details make the difference. Not that my couscous
Recipe Times
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33
Daphne Foulkes There has been so much happening since I last wrote that it was difficult for me to decide what to write about. So this month, I am covering more than one subject. FOREIGN ACCOUNT DECLARATION For those of you completing French income tax returns, it is very important that you also include a list of bank accounts and life assurance investments outside of France. At the moment, it is not necessary to declare the value of the accounts/policies (unless you are subject to wealth tax), only the existence of the accounts and policies. If you don’t disclose, the penalties for non-disclosure are severe at €1,500 for each undisclosed foreign bank account or €10,000 if the account is in a State or territory that has not concluded an administrative agreement with France to exchange information, in the fight against fiscal fraud. However, if the total value of all unreported accounts is €50,000 or more, then the penalty is increased to 5%, if this results in a greater amount. The Fisc can go back 10 years in its investigations and if you cannot prove the source of the funds, it will be treated as a gift or inheritance and taxed at 60% of the highest value in the 10 year period. For undisclosed life insurance policies, the fines are similar at €1,500 per undisclosed policy or 5% if greater, where the total value of the undisclosed policies exceeds €50,000. In addition, payments made from abroad to undisclosed foreign policies are treated as taxable income in the year, unless you can prove otherwise. If you are taxed, a further interest penalty of 40% will be added to the tax liability resulting from the amount invested! So it does not pay not to declare. Even if the account/policy is of little value, you must declare the existence or face the prospect of a heavy fine if the Fisc find out! UK PENSIONS REFORM UK pensions made big news in March, as the Chancellor announced, in the budget, proposals to reform the private system. Overall, there will be greater flexibility for the majority of people, as they are given the chance to decide “how” and “when” to use their private pension pots. More flexibility is good, but it could come at a price. For 1 18/02/2014 example,Landscape-Adverts-HAT.pdf if people spend all of their retirement16:38 savings too
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May
quickly, they could be left with insufficient income during the later years of their retirement. Space prevents me from providing more information here and so please go to my full article on our website at http://www.spectrum-ifa.com/ proposed-uk-pension-changes/. FORTHCOMING CLIENT SENMINARS We are now taking bookings for our Spring Client Seminars – Le Tour de Finance. There is no charge for any of our seminars and the speakers’ presentations are followed by a buffet lunch/refreshments. The dates for the local events are: 21st May - Hotel La Villa Duflot, 66000 Perpignan 21st May - Hotel Abbaye École de Sorèze, 81540 Sorèze 22nd May - Côté Mas, 34530 Montagnac 23rd May – Montpellier Massane Golf & Spa Hotel, 34670 Baillargues All events take place from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm with the exception of Soreze, which takes place from 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm. The seminars are always very popular and so early booking is recommended. If you would like to attend one of the seminars, or have a confidential discussion about your financial situation, please contact me by telephone on 04 68 20 30 17 or by e-mail at daphne.foulkes@spectrum-ifa.com. The above outline is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute advice or a recommendation from The Spectrum IFA Group to take any particular action on the subject of investment of financial assets or on the mitigation of taxes. The Spectrum IFA Group advisers do not charge any fees directly to clients for their time or for advice given, as can be seen from our Client Charter at http://www.spectrum-ifa.com/spectrum-ifa-client-charter/. Daphne Foulkes SIRET 522 658 194 00017 Numéro d’immatriculation ORIAS 10 056 800
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN AN IPAD? Competition time
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or the chance to win all you have to do is simply complete the sentence below and send by email to fiona.w@currenciesdirect.
com. The deadline for the competition is 30th June and the winner will be contacted shortly afterwards. Good luck everyone!! In no more than 10 words, please complete the following sentence. “I use (may use) Currencies Direct for my international money transfer because__________”
Business Interviews, rhetoric and opinion. Michael D’Artag writes, interviews or comments on topics that impact you. Please and thank you “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” The quote above is from Abraham Lincoln and it is curious isn’t it when you look around the western countries to see what politicians really achieve anymore. I wrote last month of the power and vision of entrepreneurs in France. We really are in the top echelons when it comes to seed businesses but there is no funding and off they go to more favourable climes. But as pointed out to me by a political writer recently this is not totally fair. What about the €10b the French government put in place over 3 years to aid and assist small business. Well, partly right. Many western economies are trying to reduce unemployment. America uses number manipulation, Italy blames anyone but themselves. But in France and the UK they have pretty similar ideas. Hollande here and UK Prime Minister Cameron have both
overseen tax cuts via social security charges to try and encourage small businesses to employ extra staff. The UK is openly asking (yep, asking) small businesses to consider taking on staff and using the reduction to help fund it. France has almost the same plan. €10b euros has been put aside over 5 years and employment is the key. But here’s the crunch. In the UK it is hoped that small businesses will use the opportunity to take on staff. In France, this is not an incentivised plan, this is a need to bring about ‘National recovery’ and small businesses must take on staff as the state has so kindly offered incentives. It is so important that you see the difference here as I believe it will begin changing soon. This is not about politics, this is about rule. In France, the government makes decisions and the people are expected to follow because they have been told to. The reason entrepreneurs are so good in France is because they fight against this and innovate instead of following the herd. Long may they continue.
Fiona Let’s talk Currency, Let’s talk LE TOUR DE FINANCE…
L
e Tour de Finance is an annual event led and organised by Currencies Direct. Following a tour circuit around France, Le Tour is a fantastic opportunity for anyone in the area to come along and find out all the need to know about life in France as an expat. Let’s face it moving to a foreign country is a challenge and there are always questions that need to be answered. Le Tour gathers together some great partners covering many useful aspects of relocation – e.g. healthcare, pensions, financial investments and, of course, currency exchange! And is if that wasn’t enough at the end of the session you are invited to enjoy a tasty, free, buffet lunch, with a chance to mingle with all the speakers and find out more information on any topic covered. The 2014 Tour kicks off in May and this year there is not one but three chances to come along and see us in this region (actually four counting Soreze – technically in the Tarn but very close to Castelnaudary!)… So where can you find us? On 21st May we will be at the fantastic La Villa Duflot in Perpignan (66000). From there we hit the road up to the beautiful Hotel & Spa Abbaye Ecole de Soreze (81540) for our first evening event running from 5.30pm until 9pm On 22nd May we head to the Pezenas area, where our venue is the fabulous Cote Mas (the chateau of Paul Mas), whose fantastic wine selections will no
doubt be on offer. Cote Mas can be found at Montagnac (34530). Finally for the Languedoc leg of the 2014 Tour de Finance we head to Montpellier on 23rd May for our event at the luxurious Montpellier Massane (34670). All events (with the exception of Soreze) run from 10am until 2.30pm. Entry is free so it really is a great opportunity to, not only find out all you need to know about moving to and living in France, but to meet and socialise with fellow expats in your area. I’m sure you will agree our venues for this year’s tour are wonderful and we are really excited about getting started and hopefully meeting many of you there. We will be joined by, among others, my fellow HAT contributor Daphne Foulkes and her Spectrum colleagues in the area, plus we will have representatives from the world of accountancy, insurance, healthcare and the legal profession….. Don’t miss out, for all information and to register visit the website www.letourdefinance.com I look forward to meeting you in May. Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me on 04 68 20 41 35 or on my mobile which is 06 43 88 61 82 or via email fiona.w@currenciesdirect.com Or you can contact Matt Watson in our London office. Matt is contactable on 00 44 (0)207 847 9446 or if you are calling from France you can reach him on 00 33 (0)329 271 459 or on email at matt.w@currenciesdirect.com PS. Don’t forget to enter our competition for a chance to win a brand new shiny iPad!! Closing date is 30th June.
A Positve Outlook
The productivity rate per hour in France is higher than in America. and locally the economy of the Languedoc is showing iprovement. Not as much as some would shout but a start.
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Twighlight –
The magical hour Based in northern Dordogne, Leanne and Mike set up ‘Twighlight’ 6 years ago and currently work with associations across the departments, theirs is a story worth reading… Twilight is our home. It is where we now fill with old, sick and disabled dogs. Our ethos is that those here would otherwise be dead prematurely or just waiting in a cage to die ... without love or dignity. Our aim was just to ensure that a few dogs were given the very best end to their days and luckily for a few... years. However, the older dogs’ plight is a miserable number, so we now average on or over 30 at any one time (wishing we could do more). We have no cages or rules, we all live together. This breaks large numbers of dogs’ laws, but we want them all to know and feel this is their home, safe, filled with love and where they have all they need ... to eat, and medical care. Twilight is a sanctuary for those last days before passing over the rainbow bridge. We set up some 6 years ago now. We came to France with our 3 golden retrievers ... when we were down to our last girl, Teg, she was sad and we went looking for a companion. This was a heart- breaking eye-opener. We visited many refuges and SPAs ... and the standards varied, but what was clear, was that for many of the oldies it was going to be a bleak place to die ... that is assuming they were not euthanized early to make space for the seemingly endless numbers of abandoned, unloved or bereaved dogs. We are informal, due to laws of caging issues, something we will never do. But we run financially like any other association, non- profit making and needing every little bit of help possible to ensure the number of dogs can keep coming and they can have what they need. A typical 24 hours ... of course, there is no such thing, as so much varies but I will try to give you an outline by using yesterday: Mike rises about 6.30, not really through choice ... but the children are starting to wake and call and tummies are rumbling! He (sometimes I) will come down to some very excited ‘puddings’ as we call the dogs. Open the back door ... where the tolerant 36
eighbourhood will hear them spill out into the garden (2 acres) and say good morn to the world. We then need to clear the night’s toileting. This is quite mighty really, as many are incontinent. Kettle on for a cuppa and check the sleeping ones are sleeping and haven’t slipped across the bridge in the night. Hellos commence all around, with a swift check that everyone looks OK. Breakfast then needs preparing. 30 bowls yesterday, 8 different amounts, with 4 different types of food and 9 on medication. It takes a minimum of an hour to prepare as the ‘soup’ needs to cool for those with no teeth. Many eat under the lean to, but several like special corners or staying and eating in bed. It is quiet, calm and each have their own bowl. It is lovely to watch. Then the house takes a minimum of 2 hours to do a basic clean, 5 hours on the day that all the bed bases are washed and furniture moved. Mike cleans and lays the fires in winter, replenishes the dog food buckets, helps me with the bedding and towel washing and drying. The phone goes, I check urgent emails on the hoof ... but it is now about 1 or 2 ish and time to eat quickly and chat on any catch up. If we need a vet run we usually go now, unless it is better the vet comes here, which he does when we need and to keep in touch with them all for basic checkups. In the afternoon we try to catch up with the ongoing renovations, grass cutting ... general living stuff - which we seem never to be on top of. Yesterday was our monthly collection run. Amazing volunteers take our van and collect bric-a- brac/bedding/ donations of food, etc. on our behalf from collection points. On return, this needs emptying, sorting and storing. Betwixt, Mike has fed the dogs again and I managed a play and small walk with some of the more energetic babes. Also, several need ointments rubbing in or a wash ... or an extra cuddle if a bit down. By 8 o’clock it’s time for a bath to ease our own arthritic bodies! The dogs have settled again, knowing that soon we will be sitting down for a TV hour. Then doggie lap cuddles. Hope at the moment needs help with her breathing, and Dick is having a fitting phase. We carry blind Stevie
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upstairs, the first of our dogs to break the bedroom rule as he is too anxious to leave, crying all night. The lights go out. Sometimes we make 6 hours uninterrupted. Last night Quito was calling out, and new boy Duke and the Moon needed a 2am cuddles and calm. Then it is 6.30 again. No admin done yesterday, the emails and calls are
immense, but I hope people understand why I am delayed. Fundraising plans need doing ... maybe today. Little Chien is looking at me for a hug ... so I do that first, and Sausage needs his dressing changing… We work with so many other associations it is lovely. Poorpaws in the Lot was our inspiration; Sue works alone like us and is a marvel. Phoenix have several dogs here at any one time and we have a very caring, close relationship. The fundraising organization Hope, are our saviours but also moral support on the phone or visits ... we feel very blessed. Many SPAs (or local refuges) now work closely, Perigueux, Limoges, Cahors, Carcassone, Sainte, Narbonne, Calais to name just a few. Levriers & Co, Isabelle, Doglinks and several other groups too ... the network is superb. There are also individuals, our local old folks home and doctors as well as Maries and Gendarmeries.
The dogs’ backgrounds vary. From loving homes where their owner has died or become too sick. Abandoned due to no more use, growing tumours or ill health that owners do not want to deal with, domestic changes, shamefaced just don’t want them anymore ... or unhappy in an SPA/refuge or about to be euthanized at a full refuge due to space. They come from all over the world now.
We use the vets second closest to us at Chalus. They are quite magical and supportive in every sense. They train us up to do a lot of things we can do ourselves, rather than rely on them. We have a phone call procedure to allow them to give us permission to give treatments in a hurry. They give us a discount and we couldn’t do what we do without them ... we consider them an integral part of our team. They clearly think we are mad, but in a nice way and their support is shown in their care. Two dogs are touching us deeply at the moment. Holly, who was disabled and needed a trolley. She was only 3 years old and we had to say ‘goodnight’ to her as things were getting severely uncomfortable for her. She was so brave, and we did everything together ... I miss her. Now, Hope, a most precious soul who has clearly had a grim life, found starving on the streets. She has made it here, but the cancer is so far gone - she will not have long with us. But that is Twilight, we will allow her to end her days with a full tummy, meds to keep her pain free and more love than perhaps in her whole lifetime before ... a sad mixed blessing. We are motivated by the love. We do not have children together, so these are our ‘puddings’. It is a grave injustice that any animal should die unloved, in pain or hungry at any age, but when they have had a lifetime, they deserve all the comfort they can. Our contribution to the numbers is so very small, but we do what we can. Now, it would be selfish to live any other way. There is no help too small for us. Bedding is a big one, as incontinence is the norm for us. Towels to wash, but to aid cleaning too. Just like any disinfectant ... we use tons. Food of course, and if anyone wants to save their ‘brown stuff’ (coppers) ... or send a cheque to help with vet bills, that is wonderful. Or ... perhaps adopt an oldie yourself, the love and reward are immense. Thank you for caring Leanne and Mike Whitley www.twilightchiens.com 0033 (0)5 53 32 62 37
On The Music Side: by Lilian Armand
Wild Karma Hi Guys n’ Gals ! It’s been a long time but nevermind, the music’s still rockin’ up my world! Today I have the pleasure of introducing some other friends o’ mine from Clermont l’Herault... folks,
please welcome Wild Karma. Alright, now I want all of you to dress yourselves with your most beautiful tuxedo, brush your hair back with some good ol’ gomina, jump in a shiny cadillac and let’s go back in the future 60 years ago when rock’n’roll started to drive people crazy ! Some people might have forgotten what was this kind of music, but don’t worry, Wild Karma’s here to put these insane rhythms back in your head all night long ! As they started playing grunge
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under the name of “Karma” 10 years ago, they have since utterly changed their style to join the Rock’n’roll/Rock Hillbilly family which has never stopped existing. You think this kind of music is reserved for old people? C’mon guys, it’s wrong, and if you don’t believe me, go and see them performing, they’ll show you how it’s done!
TI hope you’ll enjoy their music, and finally, you can check them our or contact them with the following links: www.facebook.com/pages/Wildkarma/340605764193?fref=ts -wild-karma.bandcamp.com
by Lilian Armand MORE SOON................
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In The Garden with Gill Pound
O
verall a warm spring and May will generally bring warm weather, the ground can dry out quickly so do keep an eye on the water needs of plants that you have just planted; in general, and however drought resistant plants are, they will still need watering during the first summer to make sure that they develop a good root system during their first year in the garden. When watering it is better to water less often but making sure that water penetrates the soil, you want roots to go deeply rather than developing a surface rooting system. A deep rooting system means that plants will be less susceptible to wind rock, drought and winter cold whereas the opposite is the case if your plants have shallow root systems. For many plants it is helpful to create a small depression around the base of the plant to help direct the water to the plant’s
roots. May is often one of the busiest months in the garden as we are still planting but also trying to keep up with weeding, grass cutting, etc. During May think about the following: • if you have a lawn this is a good time to repair any gaps in the lawn and to fertilise the lawn before summer • watch out for red lily beetles • prune spring flowering shrubs after flowering • spring flowering bulbs can be lifted and divided after flowering • give shrubs a handful of slow release fertiliser (engrais à liberation lente) • as the weather warms up less helpful animal life in the garden gets active – keep an eye out for damage by slugs, snails, insects, etc and take appropriate action.
• Give some attention to plants which you grow in pots or troughs for the balcony or terrace and have been protecting over winter. They may need repotting or, if not, it is a good idea to remove the top layer of soil in the pot and add some new soil enriched with medium release fertiliser. • Planting in general May is still a good time for planting, try to get most planting done by the end of the month. Remember to try and plan for colour and interest in the garden later in the year as well as buying plants which look lovely now. Check also on drought tolerance and winter hardiness of plants that you are interested in buying. Try and improve the soil where you plant, many local soils are a limy clay that can be improved by the addition of some organic material and some clean sand and/or gravel for better soil structure and drainage (never use builder’s sand which has poor texture and often contains chemical impurities). Water in well. Provide stakes or other support if necessary. • Clip evergreen hedges The lovely Mexican Orange Blossom or Choisya ternata is usually in flower in May. This is an evergreen shrub with glossy, aromatic foliage that forms an attractive dome shape of about 1m50 height with similar spread. It has scented flowers and usually flowers in the spring and again in the autumn and will sometimes flower at other times depending on the weather. It appreciates some additional watering during the summer months and likes sun or half shade. You may also find Choisya Aztec Pearl for sale, this is similar but the foliage is more finely dissected. Choisya Sundance is a form with golden foliage although I find that this fails to look at it’s best in the intense light of the Languedoc. *
One View Landscaping The local soluuon to all of your landscaping and garden requirements
e: enquiries@oneviewlandscaping.com t: 0033 (0) 609 54 06 62 38
The Herault & Aude Times
- Arrficial Grass Specialists - Ornamental Gravel - Decking - Garden Design - Mobile Home Soluuons - Bespoke Garden Furniture
Nature Notes Alan Kennedy Don’t forget that at La Petite Pépinière de Caunes we shall be holding our Open Weekend on the 31st May and 1st June 2014, the programme will be similar to previous years – more details on www.lapetitepepiniere.com under Weekend Portes Ouvertes and we shall hope to see you there. Many of you will be aware that during our advertised opening hours we are not exactly swamped with visitors and more and more of our sales are for specific projects and orders .... so, we are going to restrict our regular opening times to one weekend a month but will still always be available at any time for you to come and visit the garden, talk plants (and maybe even buy one) by appointment - just email or phone to organise a time. Do remember that we can always welcome groups of visitors to the garden so for clubs and societies this may be something that you would
like to consider for your calendar. Regular opening times for the next few months will be 7/8/9 March, 11/12/13 April, 9/10/11 May, 6/7/8 June, after that we will review how things have gone. For further information contact Gill Pound at La Petite Pépinière de Caunes, 21, Avenue de la Montagne Noire, (route de Citou) 11160, Caunes-Minervois. Tel: 04 68 78 43 81,
email Gill@lapetitepepiniere.com www.lapetitepepiniere.com
The Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, known in France as l’héron cendré, is among the more abundant and widespread of the various wading birds in the family Ardeidae, which includes egrets and bitterns, as well as herons. It is common in the Languedoc, throughout France, and elsewhere in temperate Europe, Asia and southern Africa, wherever suitable stretches of shallow water occur. Some populations migrate from colder regions to the Mediterranean and Africa in the winter, but in France the birds are present all the year. The grey heron is a large bird, standing up to a metre tall, with a wingspan close to two metres. Plumage is in general grey above and dull white below. Adults have white heads, with a slender dark crest and a broad black stripe running from above the eye to the back of the head. The birds fly with their long necks retracted, a feature which distinguishes herons and bitterns from other large wading birds like storks, cranes and spoonbills, which fly with extended necks. Grey herons usually breed in colonies, generally in woodland near water, but they sometimes build their nests in reed beds. They form monogamous pairs each breeding season. Males collect the building material for the nests, mostly sticks and grass, but the females organise their construction. Typically between two and five eggs are laid in early spring and both parents are involved in incubation and rearing the
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young. Outside the breeding season they tend to live solitary lives, often selecting and remaining for substantial periods in quite small territories where they hunt and roost.
Their principal food is fish, but grey herons are opportunistic hunters and often take amphibians, as well as small birds and mammals. For this reason, perhaps, they have adapted well to some urban environments. They can manage territories as small as garden ponds and most ornamental lakes will have their resident herons stalking slowly through the water or standing motionless in a secluded corner, waiting for prey to come within reach. In the Netherlands they have become urban scavengers in some cities, patrolling street markets and other places where pickings may be had to supplement the hunting of live prey.
39
Banking In France - In laymans terms
A
strong and controlled banking environment exists in France but with that control and with the Bank of France as gatekeeper it is difficult to penetrate at times and the question keeps rising, “Who guards the guards?” The French banking system is one that many find a little curious when they first engage with it. Why? Because there is an archaic but heavily regulated system in place that the French are fighting to keep. In 2012 legislation was proposed (since amended with the regularity of Americas congress) that would ring fence certain trading activities ensuring that banks are not exposed to certain ‘risk’ situations. The French banking industry shouted that they were protecting the economy and supporting France but it further exposed some questionable trading and market activity. It can be argued that they should protect their interests. It is expected that when accounts are forthcoming French banks will have paid out more than €3 billion. Many tales of individual’s difficulty with their French banks are often heard over coffee but is it really that different to other countries? There are over 380,000 people employed in the French banking system and in 2012 during the global recession French banks lent just over €1.9 trillion to individuals and businesses in France. For individuals and small businesses there are a few basic differences that you need to get your head around that will make life easier from the beginning. This issue focusses on personal banking: Accounts There is a myth that you need a French address to open a bank account in France. This is NOT true. Many expatriates open accounts before arrival and almost all banks facilitate this easily. Taxes Whatever taxes you pay, either personal or property and secured businesses do pay them as you receive them. The expression ‘the only sure thing is death and taxes’ has an addendum in France and that is of the ‘freezing’ of your account if you don’t pay. If you forget or delay then a legal order called an Avis à Tiers Détenteur or a Saisie Arrêt can be applied which blocks your account until the debt is paid. In certain cases the money can be taken without consent but the account is still ‘frozen’ until you acquire the correct paperwork. Transfers
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Wherever you transfer money from you should be aware that banks in France are allowed an additional 48hrs to ‘clear’ your funds if they choose. And although they won’t admit it publicly this is not uncommon (if they choose). This is important because if you use your account before the additional two days have passed you will receive charges if you have insufficient funds in your account. You may also be charged not just for sending the transfer but some banks charge for receiving your money. Cheques Unlike many countries, cheques are still a main source of payment in France but carry much more gravitas then elsewhere. Do not write a cheque if you are low on funds or awaiting cleared funds. You cannot cancel a cheque in France unless it is stolen or lost. (Some banks do allow in certain circumstances but avoid if you can). A cheque is valid for 1 year and 8 days, so monitoring your account is crucial. In normal circumstances a cheque should clear in 3 days but be prepared from anything up to 10 days. If you should write a cheque and there are insufficient funds the penalties can be severe. This applies even to very small amounts. In most cases a letter will be sent to you demanding immediate funding and the Banque de France will be notified. Your account may be frozen until the payee has received funds equivalent to the cheque, evidence of which must be provided in writing. You may however be advised that you can no longer issue cheques and if this is not the first time then you may be black-listed from holding a bank account in France for 5-7 years. Easy Banking La Poste offer a card cash account with limited card allowance at the bottom end of their range that is ideal for those on limited budgets or students and those with low credit ratings. This is a start facility only. Due to space that is the first part of the banking review. I will talk in future issues of Small businesses in banking, the tricks to better banking and the indecencies that sometime appear. I leave you with a statistical fact that many will smile over. In 2012 it was stated that over 70% of all banking employees were in direct contact with customers. I read this when in a queue in my local bank where I counted 11 staff in sight with only one available to serve the waiting customers. In contact with customers, a trader I know says it is true, most bank employees send letters to customers with fines and charges!
Postcode.......................................................................... Country .......................................................................... Email ..........................................................................
The Herault & Aude Times
PROPERTY
Properties with Income Potential Part 1: Chambres d’hôtes
€1,054,000€ - A stylish Maison de aitre with 5 ensuite bedrooms, caretaker’s apartment, secluded garden and pool, currently run as an upmarket boutique chambres d’hôtes, in the Corbieres
€742,000€ - An immaculately presented chambres d’hôtes with 5 ensuite bedrooms and separate gite in a stately Maison Bourgoise with an internal swimming pool and garden, in a village close to the Canal du Midi
€459,000€ - A superb Maison de Maitre, converted with taste to offer a 4 bedroom chambres d’hotes and a 3-room private quarters, located in the center of a popular town in the Aude
In 2003, we set out for a new life in France with our 5 year old daughter, Lily, a car full of belongings and a dream of running a chambres d’hôtes. After 3 months of searching, we found a completely unmodernised Maison de Maître in a pretty little village in the Herault, and set about the mammoth task of converting a property with just one toilet into a business with 5 ensuite bedrooms for guests and living quarters for us. We were very fortunate to find a great project manager and construction team, who transformed the property in record time. And thank goodness too, as our son, Jude, was born literally a month after we moved in! However, with a new baby, and Richard finding work with a local estate agency, the dream of running a chambres d’hôtes full-time somewhat fell by the wayside…... Nevertheless, the effort of transforming our house did pay dividends 5 years later when we decided to move. The capital appreciation on our property meant that we could climb the property ladder and ac-
quire a property more suited to our then current needs. We sold our home to a lovely young couple who now run a very successful full-time business there. The bed & breakfast business is still one of the most popular options for income generation among the foreigners looking to move to France. Demand for properties that can be run in this way has remained constant in our 10 year experience, so investing in such property seems a safe option. Whether you are investing in the running of it or in the capital appreciation that comes from converting a property, this still remains a viable way to earn a living in France. For us, the experience of establishing and managing the business, albeit parttime, was an extremely positive one. We met a lot of interesting people along the way, some of whom have became good friends. Certainly, it is something we would not hesitate to go back to one day, should our circumstances change! Richard & Chitra - Pullen Real Estate +33 (0)4 68 48 84 03 +33 (0)6 76 64 10 10/ (0)6 87 72 17 32 info@pullenfrance.com www.pullenfrance.com
The HAT Property section for professionals is for organisations that can offer a professional and consistent service to clients and guarantee the following: 1. A native English speaking representative 2. A reply to first contact within 24hrs 3. A first class professional service at all times.
A listing from these organisations can be found on the website www.theherailtandaudetimes.com This site is also available for private lettings LATEST AD 15 mn from Montpellier: Haughtiness neo ancient country-house of 700 m ² on 2 levels, on plot of land 3750 m ². 2 swimming pool and hammam, Luxury services(performances): 8 rooms(chambers), among which 7 guest houses of 25 m ² each, with possibility of additional arrangement(development) CHRISTOPHE 0681 72 03 19
Agence Guy Estate Agency English/French owned 25 years of experience
www.pezenas-immobilier.com agenceguy@wanadoo.fr tel 0467 98 37 77 mob 0622 34 30 56 “Quality Assured” www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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The Geek we call ‘E-Male’
I’m sexy and I know it.... You can call me ‘M8’
So here I am and let me tell you….I’m in gadget heaven. I was happily awaiting my Nokia 1020 smartphone when I had this idea…. And lo and behold, thanks to a very generous man in a long coat smoking a cigarette and La Poste I had for 96hrs the Nokia 1020, the Samsung Galaxy S5, the HTC One M8 and the iPhone 5S. Now as you avid tech loving disciples know, I can’t review all these phones in this space so I have asked and even granted space on the HAT website because believe me, it is difficult to choose. So, in reverse order, I offer you my choice and you can all argue with me but you know what? My column, my choice….. 4. Nokia 1020 Windows Phone - I cannot categorise this with the others because in truth this is all about the camera. All 41megs of it. It is without a doubt the mobile camera for all except professionals. I took the same image on all the phones and my jaw is still on the floor. If you use Office 365 at home or the office then this phone comes up trumps again and the call quality is very good too. (At last) It’s Windows, it works really well and the camera is awesome but it is for purists and camera geeks. 3. iPhone 5S – I know, behind 2 Android devices but hey, what
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did you expect? I have been quite a critic in recent times of Apple but only because they have changed the world. The 5s is a fantastic phone. I could stop there, really I could. This is the phone that uses the iOS7 system as it was meant to be used. Quick, good battery life, the apps that rule the world; this is another masterpiece from Apple but look closer and it is the iPhone 5 with a souped up engine. Now the 6 is coming and it needs to shake me up like a Kylie song on a hot day. 2. Samsung Galaxy S5 – For the general user that wants to cover all bases this is your baby. Powerful processor, good camera, waterproof and a great battery life (hallelujah) this phone is all things to all men and women. A larger 5.1 inch screen it is a beauty….BUT…. it still feels like a children’s plastic toy. Like the S3 and S4 it is ruined by the cheap plastic but hey ho, beauty is on the inside right ? 1. HTC One M8 – So, I pick Android for my top2. That should really annoy some of you. But this phone made me wear a bib I dribbled so much. Pick it up and it is like holding power and stealth and your partner all in one. Beautifully crafted on the outside it’s just as good on the inside. Fast processor, great camera and user interface. This is the phone you take home to meet your mother……. Please read the full reviews online. No fancy stuff, just pictures and my opinion……Ciao.
C L A S S I F I E D S
The Herault & Aude Times
Classified Adverts
Lerab Ling Buddhist Centre Programme
Ac
Exdiy hiyS Vdhié 22dJ2014 08h30—13h30
SdASihii
Aziggi
All proceeds go to Charity iic-.c
Classified Adverts Electrician
ASSOCIATIONS
The Tuesday Club A lively group of English speaking people from all nationalities meet to hear talks, exchange ideas and socialise. www.tuesdayclub.eu tuesdayclub.fr@gmail.com **
Anglophone Group Languedoc Roussillon (AGLR) Adults & childrens’ activities including bridge, golf, French conversation, cooking, excursions in convivial atmosphere www.anglophone-group-languedoc-roussillon.com/ AGLRSete@yahoo.co.uk **
We meet at Maison pour Tous, Florensac, second Thursday of each month, at 1430h (except July & Aug).Info: 0467 77 19 06 www.wicmediterranee.org. **
(N.I.C.E.I.C. Registered in UK 1986-2008) Rewires or extra lights/sockets. Siret registered Tel: Terry Smith 0467 95 82 05 Email: smith_terence@orange.fr **
PROPERTY SERVICES/
SERVICES
Door Restore Is your Front Door showing its age? Try Door Restore. Specialists in the restoration and repair of all wooden exterior and interior doors and shutters. On-site repairs or workshop restoration Contact us for a site visit Free quotation Tel: 0671 52 61 93 m: door-restore@hotmail.fr
SERVICES
Commercial Cleaning Machine for hire.Cleans soft furnishings, rugs, mattresses, sunbed cushions, car interiors, etc.Contact Trudi: 0499570589 trudi@ppm34.fr ** French PLUMBER Plumbing - Heating- Gas t: 0467 00 11 19 p:0689 02 31 62 Denis Huyart 34630 **
DECOR
WIC, Women’s International Club is an international group of ladies, for all nationalities, who meet to share experiences, knowledge and to have some fun. Meetings are conducted in both French and English and commence at 14.30 on the first Thursday of each month at Salle de l’Abbatiale, Saint Chinian For further information please contact info@wic-lr.com www.wic-lr.com
Decorate your home with a Scandinavian style and sophistication.
Scandinavian furniture, tableware and decor. 23 rue des Chevaliers de st Jean You will find us behind the Post Office in Pezenas www.troissoeurs.com Port. 0634509015 Dom. 0963211140 **
GRACE NICOLS HOMES: You own a property near Montpellier, Grace Nicols Homes is specialised in holiday rentals of luxury and characterful homes in Montpellier and its region. We offer full marketing and management service for your home. Avoid the hassle involved in short letting, we will handle it for you: Secure keyholding service, changeovers, house cleaning, laundry, pool and garden maintenance, and more services on request. oliviaf@gracenicols.com tel: 0607801094 ** Perfect Property Management Professional, reliable company for all of your property needs. Changeovers, pool maintenance and repairs, project management. Siret registered. Contact Trudi: 0499570589 trudi@ppm34.fr www.perfectpropertymanagement.com **
Gray Solutions Bilingual building and renovation project management, with excellent tried and tested teams covering all trades. Bernie Gray 06 49 21 55 71 www.gray-solutions.co.uk ** Roofing and Building Services Roofs replaced or repaired: Leaks, Insulation, Velux, Guttering, New beams, Structural, Terraces. Building maintenance and repairs. References. Professional – Reliable longden888@lycos.com Karl : 06 04 45 63 57 Paul : 06 34 95 19 71
Man Around the House Property Maintenance Company based in Pezenas we can cater for all your renovations or repairs with over 25 years experience you can trust your problems to us. PH.0467767527 or /0785080703. Email. martinmullin58@gmail.com ** READER RECOMMENDED DYSON RENOVATIONS, Qualified British Builder Full house renovations. Tiling, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Decorating. Qualified electricians, Professional and Reliable. Tel 06 27 55 04 79 dysonrenovations@gmail.com
www.dysonpropertyrenovations.com
** European Property Services *Supply and fit windows and doors and conservatories. * Supply and fit shutters in all materials * Supply and fit kitchens * Repair windows and doors Contact Paul Roberts t: 0467 62 30 65 m: 0627 59 22 08 email: europeanpropertyservices @live.com ** For All Your Property Care Needs Complete pool care inc. winter shutdown, gardening inc strimming, changeovers, general painting interior and exterior, varnishing, oiling shutters etc. Siret registered est 10 years Tel: 04 67 24 83 72. M: 06 87 64 97 29 www.property34fr.com **
LANGUEDOC PROPERTY SERVICE.COM Help in Hérault with property repairs & garden maintenance, pools, decoration, keyholding & changeovers. Established. Bilingual. 06 31 74 45 88 **
www.roofingbuildingservices.com
www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
**
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Classified Adverts PROPERTY SERVICES/ GARDENING SERVICES
Roquebrun Property Management Personalised services for holiday homes and seasonal rentals. Full or ‘pay as you go’ service. Homes available to rent for 1- 15 people. Call Sue on 0652752445. wwwroquebrunproperty.com **
RT MULTISERVICES No job too small - Painting, decorating, land clearence, keyholding. Translations. Collections, deliveries, removals. Regular van trips to/from UK. Reliable, local, bi-lingual. Chris 06 84 29 34 34 e-mail chris.remnant@orange.fr ** Painter Decorator Plasterer Partition walls Laminate flooring Honest and reliable 06 23 33 30 22 Gary Jackson **
Master builder 30 years experience in France HANDYMAN/ SKILLED CARPENTER WITH VAN Removals. All types of repairs. Flatpack assembly. Furniture/ storage solutions built. Tiling, painting, electrics. Rubbish/Garden clearance/maintenance. No job too small. Col O’Neill 06 48 86 98 66. Photos www.meubles-creatifs.fr **
General building, roofing, roof terrace, facades, kitchens, bathrooms. Raymond Kelly, Kelly Projets company 04 67 77 64 20 www.kelly-projets.com *
WELL-BEING READERS RECOMMEND
Bespoke massage, Mobile service Group bookings taken. Thai massages, Reflexology, Neck and face massage, Reiki, Oil massage. Susannah 0652 75 24 45 / 0467 24 31 42 Based in Ceps / Cazedarnes ** Nathalie Esthetic Fabulous, affordable, beauty treatments - Nathalie Esthetic 4, Place du Marché St Thibéry Tue-Sat, Mon & evenings by appt. Tel : Nathalie on 06 47 40 10 45 ** Centre d’Ostéopathie et d’Intégration Structurelle (®Rolfing) Recently opened in Lodève Annette Beckett qualified osteopath since 1992 cranial osteopathy for adults, children, babies annette@beckettosteo.com Barry P. Beckett Certified Rolfer, Rolf Institute 1993 Structural Integration, Postural Improvement, Osteopathics. motionpresent@gmail.com 06 30 64 88 40 **
BABYSITTING
Bilingual English/French Childminder Babysitter available weekdays evening or weekends lots of experience and references. Fun, caring, patient,22yr old female, non smoker confident driver (0467) 88 11 05
CLASSES
**
Nizas Langues French language lessons & Translation Service. (near Pézenas 34320) Qualified teacher & native speaker with over 25 yrs. experience of teaching French in the UK – GCSE & AS/A Level. Hours to suit you 8.00 am – 8.00 pm. Price from 15€/hr 0ne to One. Tailor made programmes – 10 lessons 100€. Small groups on request. 04 34 53 18 36 info@nizaslangues.com www.nizaslangues.com
**
POSITIONS OFFERED / WANTED
Fully qualified mechanic (speaks a little French) Relocating to Saint Marcel / Narbonne area 30 yrs experience Subaru Kia Peugeot and Aston Martin Historic racing cars. Seeking contacts with garages in 30 - 40 mins driving of Narbonne chrislawmon@yahoo.com **
PROPERTY FOR SALE Prepare your gardens Now. Dick Fowler Construction Liner Pools, Solid Pools All house renovation and construction work Email; fowlerbatiment@gmail.com Port: 0670 91 12 17 Check out www.houzz.com/decklevel-pooldesigns and then call me!
Make use of spring monthsto install money saving water systems. Put in place building projects, paving and landscaping. Easy to maintain hedges, dry lawns, beds and waterfeatures. Mathieu Goudou Le Jardinier Prompt, reliable & perfect English. Tel 0623 463542
**
TRANSLATION SERVICES
READERS RECOMMEND Independent Anglophone translator. All texts considered. Working languages: French, Spanish, English - Contact Alison: aer.translations@gmail.com ** 44
The Herault & Aude Times
Castelnau-de-Guers ville Characterful village House with kitchen/dining-room, bedroom, sitting-room, bathroom and WC 58.000 € Marie Desvignes Telephone: 0614 39 98 81 *
Classified Adverts PROPERTY - Rental
LUNAS RIVERSIDE HOUSE Available for long term rental. First occupancy after total restoration. Two double bedrooms, 2 lounges, 2 WC/Shower Complete kitchen, private terrace, wine cellar, Jacuzzi Spa. Electric eco panel heating. Info: English /en Français: mas_sagal@hotmail.com 0034 972 661585 ** Close to Pézenas 2 Bedroom House to Rent / Buy Garage, Terrace, (Stairs) 2 s/c studio flats attached. Seperate entrance. 10 minutes by car from Pézenas. All amenitied v close. €650pcm or €161,000 Enq: 0644 80 24 32 **
PROPERTY FOR SALE A VENDRE / ESPAGNE/ COSTA DORADA
Terrain constructible 764 metres carre 20 minutes de Tarragone 8 minutes de la plage Zone residentielle, eau, electricite, Village catalan authentique: Vespella à 3km de Torredembarra 40000 Euros contacter:Mme Reverchon :003 t: 4638 41 82 56
gigi.llaurado@hotmail.com **
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Marseillan Ville (Hérault) Four bedroom three story vigneron Marseillan Ville Two large bedrooms ensuite, master bedroom with balcony, garage to fit four cars, large kitchen / dining and living area on the top floor, large terrace. OFCH and Air Con throughout. Contact 0035 38 72 41 4002 ado_carey@yahoo.com **
Maison De L’Orb, Béziers Beautiful five bedroom bed and breakfast overlooking Pont Vieux and river. Private garden, bathing pool, fantastic breakfast. Book: www.maisondelorb.com info@maisondelorb.com ** LARGE TRADITIONAL HOUSE FOR SALE 200m2 beautifully renovated house between Pézenas and Clerment l’Hérault. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms; self-contained top floor master bedroom with terrace + separate entrance. Is gîte if income required. Dining room, large modern kitchen, 65m2 living room, remise/workshop, landscaped garden with terrace. t: 04 67 44 37 73 for more details / to view
** PROPERTY WANTED
House for Sale. Bédarieux.
Currently laid out as a four bedroom, family town house with a glorious terrace garden; fully rewired with completely new plumbing fitted, full central heating installed in a quarter earmarked for substantial modernisation and redevelopment. Free municipal car parks are adjacent and the centre of town containing a variety of shops / weekly market is a two minute walk. Numerous supermarkets and garages are handily placed. I am reluctantly looking for a much smaller house to reflect my changed situation. €270k Contact: posiwilliams@ymail.com **
HOUSE SEARCH
Swedish Househunter Karin Kloo Your help finding your French home in Languedoc karin@husilaguedoc.se
Sweet home for sale in the heart of the village 40 square meters 30 minutes from Vias airport, 30 minutes from the beach, 45000 Euros Genevieve: 0608 62 81 24 0467 26 44 09 **
B&B
** MOBILE HOMES FOR SALE.
Prices starting from 1500€ up to 6000€. Wide range in stock. Transport and installation available on request. Telephone: 0609 54 06 62. **
ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES FOR AS LITTLE AS €15.00 PER ISSUE
Join us today advertising
@theheraultandaudetimes.com
** FOOD AND WINE
Cakes by Ann - since 1980 Rich fruit cakes for your celebrations. Hand made to order Helen REMNANT 06 89 61 06 88 helen.remnant1@orange.fr **
Courses / Lessons
CANAL BARGE B & B
An unforgettable barging experience. Limited bookings available for June. Special occasion dinner, bed and breakfast on ‘Pastis’ at Vias. From €125.00 per night p.p Contact Brian at: boutiquebargecruises@gmail.com
Phone: 0330 434457765 Mobile: +33 0613554177 www.boutiquebargecruises.com **
CHURCHES
The Church of England at St. Pargoire, Holy Communion 2nd Sunday each month at 1030 am. Everyone welcome. Details achstp@gmail.com ** International Chapel of Montpellier Worship Services in English Children’s Bible Class provided Services held every Sunday at 11:00am Website: www.internationalchapel.eu **
HIRE
Piano Teacher Wanted
I am looking for someone to teach me to play the piano freestyle. I can already read sheet music. Lessons at my home or yours. Prices please to amikgo@yahoo.co.uk 04 67 37 05 55
** French Lessons
French lessons, one to one or small groups in the heart of Pézenas with a French native teacher Hélèna (00 33) 0650772414
Hire a 2cv Convertable for the day or longer. A wonderful slice of French Culture. More info at: www.cornelia-rentaduck.com
**
** www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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FOR SALE Satellites FOR SALE
TRIAX TD 110CM SAT DISHES 120 EUR OTHER DISHES IN STOCK 110CM / 120CM PRICES ON REQUEST DELIVERY AVAILABLE Ashley 0609 54 06 62 or 0499 41 61 80 enquiries@problemsolved.info ** COUNSELLING SERVICE
Shenanigan’s Irish owned and run, family pub and restaurant. Come and join us for the best prices in the Languedoc. All rugby, Gaelic and Hurling shown live. Guinness & Bulmers Home cooked food, prepared daily.Plate of the day 10e with a glass of wine. Taxi available. Open all year. Vias centre – 0430 17 83 87.
**
UK qualified, experienced counsellor. Helping resolve your crises or long term issues Depression/Stress/Relationship issues/Addiction/Bereavement/ Trauma/Anxiety/Anger/Abuse/ Isolation/Eating Disorders/Illness Individuals, Couples, Adolescents Face2face, telephone, skype Shona Luck 04 67 90 70 01 shonaluck@orange.fr Confidentiality and BACP ethics assured **
BOOKS
English Bookshop - Pézenas Please call in for a chat plus your favourite English foods. Delightful & unusual gifts for family, friends and you! A wide selection of English books. Rue St Jean ** English Books and Cards available at The English Bookstall: These markets; Monday - Bedarieux, Tuesday - Marseillan Ville, Wednesday Clermont l’Hérault, Sat- Lodève. Kerith 0467 96 68 87 ** Le Bookshop - Librairie Anglophone / café 8 rue du Bras de Fer Montpellier T/F: 04 67 66 22 90 contact@lebookshop.com www.lebookshop.com ** English Books at the Bourse, Pézenas. First Sunday of every month from 10 to 12. The Café de la Bourse is next to the Hotel Moliere in Pézenas. All books are 1 Euro or less. Excellent coffee and company. Want to book a table? Call Carole on 0467905910 46
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n every village and every town the Hérault and Aude has a chance for you to visit and explore the magnificent produce and wares that it offers. Below is a selection, please visit www.theheraulttimes.com for a complete listing
AUDE
Restaurant L’Amandine 3 Place du 14 juillet, 34450, Vias In the historic centre of Vias village, traditional, family restaurant, serving fresh local produce & quality wines Open daily for lunch & dinner English Spoken Tel: 04.67.30.29.78.
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La Charnière Bar Restaurant A newly opened bar / Restaurant in Beziers Aiming to combine the serving of top class food with a special rugby ambiance. Place Jean Jaurés, Beziers t: 0467 36 83 10 **
EMERGENCY NUMBERS Police - 17 Fire - Pompiers - 18 Medical - SAMU - 15 Sea Rescue (Land) - 112 Sea Rescue (Sea) - CH 16 SOS Europe - 112 Child Abuse - 119 EDF (Electricity) English Line 0556 17 40 70
Markets Carcassonne every morning (except Sunday) in Les Halles; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning, Place Carnot Narbonne every morning in Les Halles inc. Sunday; Thursday morning opposite the hospital, clothes and diverse until 16h by the canal; Saturday morning, Organic market, place Forum Lézignan-Corbières Wednesday mornings (centre); Grand Foire every first Wednesday in the month until 16h Castelnaudary Monday morning (Place Verdun-Cours de la République) Bram Wednesday morning Espéraza Thursday and Sunday morning Gruissan Monday, Wed & Saturday morning Limoux - Friday morning Olonzac Tuesday morning Port La Nouvelle Saturday (place de l’église) and Wednesday morning Sigean Tuesday and Friday morning Quillan Wednesday and Saturday morning Trèbes Sunday morning Saint Pierre la mer Every morning
The Herault & Aude Times
HÉRAULT AGDE – Thursday morning. Covered market every morning, except Monday BEZIERS Friday morning: Flower market in the Allèes Paul Riquet Saturday morning: vegetables in the Allèes Paul Riquet; organic produce by Les Halles/ Sunday morning:large general market CESSENON-SUR-ORB Tuesday morning Produce / Saturday morning: various LODEVE – Saturday morning MEZE – Thursday and Sunday morning MONS-LA-TRIVALLE Thursday morning MONTPELLIER – Historic centre, Monday to Thursday 7h to 13h30, Friday and Saturday from 7h to 1800h (full list of Montpellier markets on HT PEZENAS Saturday morning SAINT-CHINIAN – Thursday and Sunday SETE – Monday morning: regional produce/Wednesday morning: various/Thursday morning: organic and regional produce/Friday morning: regional produce.
HAT Sport by Stuart Turpie
A game of pétanque starts with a circle or rond traced on the ground. The small ball (jack) or bouchon is thrown between 6 and 10 metres and the first boule is thrown to land as near as possible to it. The oppo-
nents must then try to better this with their boules. At the finish of the end the side with the boules nearest win the points. They then restart the game from the place where they have just finished. So far so good. Pétanque is clearly related to all the bowling games played across Europe. Usually you play three a side (triplettes) with 2 boules each or (doublettes) with 3 each. The most points a team can score during an end is therefore 6, though this is rare. Most ends lead to just 1 or 2. The first team to score 13 win the partie. Its the roles of players that adds to the interest. Pointeurs try to carefully place their boules. Tireurs have the attacking role and try to crack the opponents boules out of the way as if the boules are an insult to
PLEASE HELP!!
their sensibilities. A tir that stays in the spot, replacing the op ponents boule, is a carreau and is a shot of some quality in deed. Pétanque originated in Provence and comes from the Provencial word for two feet on the ground.Other bowling games allow for steps forward to throw the boule. You can see how pétanque appeals to people of all ages and sizes since finesse rather than power is crucial. The terrains can be difficult and level the playing field too. It is very much part of life in the Midi. Discussion(heatedly) of tactics, disputing the score or distances, bad temper or good grace in defeat, fit in nicely with the local frame of mind. Leading the way for the Brits in the region are Stuart and Norma Parkway. They have a small vineyard near Cazouls-les-Béziers and have a good reputation in local pétanque. They took up the game in south London and played at several clubs before finishing at Hartley in Kent. Norma , who is an excellent tireur, was indeed a triples champion of England. Fair enough there are just 3000 registered players in GB compared to 15000 in Herault but she still proved herself to be a champion. Last season she reached the final of the prestigious Bessilles concours, enhancing her reputation. Stuart and Norma are members of the club at Colombiers near Beziers and are constantly encouraging people to take up the sport. The ambience at Colombiers is very good and like most clubs they are on the look out for new faces. The Womens International Club of St Chinian meet regularly to play at different vlllage boulodromes. The site; www. cd34petanque.com has information for all the Hérault clubs whilst Aude has a similar site. To join a club will cost usually only 25 euros a year which covers insurance and allows you to take part in club festivities. All good fun and a good way to integrate into the local community. Of course it is possible to play in a completely leisurely way and
-SPA CARCASSONNE
another dog, whom the couple adopted at the same time, Swiffer was not so easy out of the refuge. Rather than ask for help, the couple battled on, but things escalated and they reluctantly and tearfully, brought Swiffer back. He was born in January 2004, so will not be easy to rehome. We will castrate him in any case, but maybe he would be best as an
dogrescuecarcassonne. co.uk/
SWIFFER He was adopted from the SPA 6 months ago by an English couple who wanted him to only know love from then on. Problem was that although he shared his kennel at the SPA quite happily with
plenty of people are not registered. When friends meet up for a game of doublettes or triplettes the losers of the first partie insist on la revanche to get even. A third game, la belle, can then round off a pleasant afternoons play. Things are heating up in rugby XVs Pro D2. Narbonne are knocking on the door for promotion. Béziers look safe and Carcassonne might even stay up yet. Disappointing that the Tour de France this year will cross the region on a rest day! No sprint finishes at Montpellier to look forward to. In rugby XIII, FC Lézignan have much improved to reach the championship semi finals. AS Carcassonne have a chance to join them along side Limoux. There is little difference between the sides apart from Toulouse Olympique who have the strongest squad. In football Montpellier will be good enough to stay in
Ligue 1. Fabregues look to have the Division Honneur wrapped up. Lattes womens basketball and Béziers Angels volleyball look likely to both end up second in their sports in France. Bravo! *
only dog, or with someone who is able to discipline him. Swiffer is Pyrenean sheepdog cross and is great with people of all ages. Please give him a second chance! *
www.theheraultandaudetimes.com
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The Herault & Aude Times