The Bugle Dordogne - Feb 2017 by The Bugle

New rules for under-18 travellers

From January, unaccompanied youths will need a special permit, signed by a parent, to leave the country >> Page 9 November 2016 - Issue #85

Dordogne

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CCTV to be installed in all abattoirs Following a series of scandals caught on film across France, all slaughterhouses will have CCTV cameras from 2018 MPs stressed that the sole purpose of the cameras was to monitor animal welfare and not to monitor workers in general. The changes come in the wake of a parliamentary report commissioned by France’s National Assembly in March of last year. The government had called for the report after the emergence of several videos filmed by the animal rights group L214, which showed workers in French abattoirs inflicting extreme acts of cruelty on animals. The 225-page report suggested 65 measures to improve the “transparency and the inadequate controls” at the slaughterhouses. Many animal rights lobbyists have hailed the decision as a step in the right direction, but some say it

>> continued on page 10

Pain au chocolat or chocolatine? - pg 4

Le Parisien to ditch opinion polls - pg 8

Pollution stickers for Paris drivers - pg 10

The Bugle Business Directory - pg 15-17

fter a series of r e c e n t scandals, F r a n c e ’s parliament has voted to install CCTV cameras in slaughterhouses across the country. MPs voted to place the cameras “in areas where the animals are delivered, kept, immobilized, stunned, and slaughtered”. Subject to approval by the Senate, the changes are due to come into force at all of the country’s 263 abattoirs at the beginning of 2018, following trials at a number of locations over the course of 2017. Under the new rules, animal protection officials, workers’ representatives and employees designated by the company running the abattoir will have access to the film, which may not be kept for more than a month.

The mollusc keeping our rivers clean - page 4

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rikey, it’s been a cold month! It wasn’t long ago that I was chatting to someone locally about the lack of snow in recent years and how we haven’t had a really cold winter for a while. Why is it that only bad fate can be tempted?! We have a little electronic gauge on the display of our car and my 5-year-old loves to tell me the temperature on the way to school each day. It blew her tiny little mind to discover that there is a number lower than zero! Minus 12 is the lowest we registered round here, but I know some areas have had lower and friends of ours just a few minutes away, but on higher ground, have had snow for weeks now (we only had it for a day or two). It is a very different kind of cold here, though. Friends and family phone and ask how the weather is and we casually say it’s minus 10 and they gasp in shock. But in reality, the sun is out, the sky is blue and the air is crisp. If you have the right clothes, it is definitely the best time of year for a walk in my opinion. Plus, I don’t completely understand the science, but I am sure that -1 in Manchester feels colder than -10

here. Something to do with the humidity. I visited Brussels in January for a friend’s milestone birthday and after a few minutes wandering around the Grand Place in zero degree temperatures, I was as cold as I have been in many years. I am a scientist at heart and don’t tend to have much time for Nan’s “My knee’s playing up, there must be a storm coming” logic, but that day I was literally cold to my bones. Maybe she was on to something...? Typically, we chose the coldest week of the year to start walking our children to the bus stop, rather than driving them to their different schools. They’re old enough now, it saves money (and the environment) and we figured that the walk would do us good. Some children in the next village already get the bus, so we arranged with the Mairie for them to get picked up there... to much confusion. “But the bus can stop in your hamlet, opposite your house...?” We tried to explain that we thought the 8-minute walk would be good exercise for the family, but although our request was eventually accepted, I think they filed it under “Mad dogs and Englishmen”. Since Christmas, I have one of those watches that tells you how

many steps you’ve taken in a day. I think it’s officially called a Fitbit, but I call it the Guiltometer. One downside of working at a computer and from home is that I have a very sedentary life, so hitting my 10,000 steps target is not always easy. My daily totals are a constant source of shame and embarrassment... one of the reasons we have started walking the kids to the school bus! One day I glanced at my watch in the late afternoon and was shocked to see I’d only taken 1,800 steps all day!! I took this as a challenge, however. Not to complete the remaining 8,200 by midnight, but to see if I could get through the day and into bed in under 2,500!! It took a lot of planning: if you get up, make sure you get at least 3 things done and go to the toilet, even if you don’t need to; don’t put milk in your tea as that’s two extra trips from the kettle to the fridge; better still, get your wife to make the tea for you, etc. I’m ashamed to say that I even employed the services of my children for several errands by pretending to be waiting for the phone to ring. But what the heck, I run around after them enough usually. It wasn’t easy, but by taking the stairs two at a time on the way to bed, I made it... I was strangely proud!! Elsewhere this month, there were plenty of stories involving the 45th President of the United States of America. Under a flurry of executive orders, travel bans and conversations with President Hollande, it was hard to keep up and things were changing so fast, we left them alone for now. I’ve no doubt we’ll be covering the local implications of his election

in the coming months, and instead have looked at the tough job French translators have putting his words into their mother tongue (see pg 12). It’s not something I’d considered before, but how do you translate what he says? Whilst you always know what he means, his speech is a stream of consciousness and doesn’t make sense when written down. I read the full English transcript of his lengthy interview with journalists from the New York Times and it is often barely recognisable as English... the words are there, but there’s no sentence structure. It must be an incredibly difficult challenge for French translators. Although he has already spoken to Hollande, there will soon be a new president who will need to decipher his meaning and rebuild the transatlantic relationship. Who that will be should become clearer over the coming months, so watch this space!

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INSIDE this edition 3-6 Local News 7-12 National News

Until next month!

13-14 French Life

Steve Martindale, Editor

15-17 Directory 18 Community 19-20 What’s On

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LOCAL NEWS ♦ 3

FEBRUARY 2017 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

More Beynac road closures Baguette vending machines

ongestion in Beynac has been an issue locally for a score of years with various schemes proposed, only to be placed in abeyance. At last an attempt to solve the problem is due to be completed in mid-February. Ironically this scheme to improve traffic flow begins with road closures. Anyone familiar with the Beynac bottleneck will know that work has been ongoing for several years to improve pedestrian access and widen the road, but the RD 703 will now be closed until 17th February as work is completed. While traders accept the temporary measures, some customers have expressed surprise at one 4 km detour. €2.7 million is being invested to create a more fluid route through the town and safer walkways, with work being jointly funded by the commune, the State and the Dordogne departmental council. The beautiful town and

its unique location make it a magnet for tourism during holiday periods and an important contributor to the local economy. The medieval charm of Beynac is also one of its liabilities and traffic congestion damages tourists’ enjoyment of this lovely spot and impacts the quality of life for residents. Mayor of Beynac, Alain Passerieux, explained that this series of improvements has been on the table for 10 years and it is expected that all tourist traffic will find the town far easier to navigate. “A town seri-

ous about tourism must at least be able to accommodate camper vans through its streets,” he said. The present scheme has no bearing on the proposed €30 million Beynac bypass, the controversial new route that has been the subject of local protests for years. While the protesters have exhausted all legal avenues there is now hope that the current improvements will provide all the much needed improvements that Beynac requires, rendering a bypass unnecessary. ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

t happens to thousands of families every day: the baker’s shop is closed and you have no bread! It’s a scenario most expats have faced at some point as they get to learn the rhythms of French life. Furthermore, with working patterns steadily changing, many people find themselves making their journey homeward after the boulangerie closes its doors. As a result, one Dordogne baker has come up with a practical solution to supply that precious pain after hours. Grégory Fourey, head of the Firmin bakery franchise, has been trialling bread vending machines installed in and around Périgueux. Firmin franchise operators are also found in a dozen departments across France. Firmin has been in the bakery business since its foundation in Périgueux in 2006, using traditional and hi-tech methods to produce a variety of breads. The bakeries also serve

sandwiches, chips, griddled meats and pastries. Grégory said, “We have up to a half dozen different bread products on offer from the machines. The old economic model of the family bakery is no longer in tune with the way we live nowadays. We have to adapt.” Two machines have been on test, one in Marsac and the other in the St-Georges district of Périgueux. Further trials are planned for outlying areas where there is no local baker. Thanks to vast advances in technology the bread is maintained in perfect condition and comes out with a relatively small markup at €1.00 - the same baguette costs €0.95 from the baker’s shop. The Firmin franchise has plans to extend its 24-hour bakery machine network across France to offer fresh bread wherever and whenever it is needed. ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

Eymet still open for business

Residents of Eymet, as well as visitors to the popular Thursday market, may have noticed the extensive building work being done to parts of the town centre. Whilst the 7-week project will create wider and more pedestrianfriendly streets, the short-term impact has been the closure of parts of the town to vehicles, with diversions put in place. The work began on 17th January, but the mairie and local businesses are keen to stress that although drivers may have to take a small detour, it is business as usual across the town. The essential upgrades will be completed in plenty of time for Eymet to welcome the Tour de France in July this year!

4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ FEBRUARY 2017

The shellfish keeping the What is a chocolatine? Dordogne’s rivers clean

n January, a new farm was inaugurated at Firbeix on the border of the HauteVienne and Dordogne; more than 70 scientists, civic leaders, conservationists, local dignitaries and state administrators came together to learn about this innovative and important project for the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park. The farm at Firbeix is not like most farms in Nouvelle Aquitaine. There are no chickens, cows, sheep, grass, cereals or ground crops. There is no soil to plough and sow, no harvests to gather in... its entire livestock comprises Margaritifera margaritifera. Not a common type of beast, Margaritifera, commonly known as the freshwater pearl mussel, are not even edible, so “what’s the point?” you may well ask. The answer is twofold, both simple and complex. The Dronne has been maintained for millennia as a clean and healthy watercourse, largely down to these diminutive shellfish. Each individual mussel filters around 50 litres of water per day, removing micro-pollutants and small debris. Thousands of other species in the river depend on this function to maintain biodiversity and natural balance. The mussels’ work and their very existence, however, are hindered by dams, millraces and weirs that interfere with free flow and over the course of the 20th century the mussel population has fallen, putting them in an “at risk” category, in danger of extinction. Obstacles at four sites, no longer in use, are now in the process of being re-

moved between Firbeix and St-Pardoux-laRivière in order to protect the mussels’ environment, but the real technical challenge comes at the new farm in Firbeix. Financed by a consortium of universities, regional funds, research organisations, the Natural Park and the EC, the “farm” just off the RN21 aims to recreate the complex life cycle of these molluscs. The mussels begin life as a harmless parasite living in young trout. They then pass on to adult fish, and finally fall to the river bed to settle in and become what most would recognise as mussels. There they do their recycling work for up to an amazing 100 years! The Firbeix centre aims to completely recreate this life cycle on a shellfish scale, before releasing the mussels both into the river within the faro trout and also directly as premature mussels. The mature creatures do produce tiny pearls and 32,000 of these once decorated French queen Marie de Medici’s gown! In 2017, however, the real treasure is guaranteeing the continued health of the “Smiling Dronne” for centuries to come! The 201-kilometre river Dronne rises in Haute Vienne, crossing 4 other departments before running into the river Isle at Coutras. According to legend, after the battle of Châlus, a band of Richard the Lionheart’s men followed the gorges of the Dronne before arriving and settling on the river plain around Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière and SaintFront-la-Rivière, Dordogne. ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

Police drama filmed in Sarlat

The Dordogne is well known amongst film-makers as a wonderful source of exciting locations and regularly features on the big and small screen. The latest TV drama taking set in the department will begin filming in Sarlat during February and March. Thierry Bordes, locations licensing chief at the Dordogne Conseil départemental, announced the go-ahead for this high-profile series production in late January. The telefilm is the latest in the “Meurtres à...” series which sees an investigative duo solve a crime whilst highlighting the local area, and has the working title of “Meurtres à Sarlat” (Murder in Sarlat). The 90-minute drama features two well-known French stars, Thierry Godard and Cécile Bois. Cécile previously starred as Candice Renoir in the long-running France 2 cop soap of the same name. Over the 38 episodes, Cécile played a woman who returns to work as a police officer after a ten-year break raising a family. The 20-day filming schedule will also take in locations around Les Eyzies and the show will be broadcast on France 3 later in 2017. ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

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t is a debate that has raged across France for decades, if not centuries... what do you call the chocolate-filled pastries so common in the country's bakeries? Most expats will probably answer pain au chocolat, the term we tend to hear when first learning the language. Much of the country would disagree, however, and vocally insist that the pastry is in fact a chocolatine. A website has even been created to try to settle the argument once and for all and the results are in: of the 110,000 people surveyed 59.8% say pain au chocolat and 40.2% say chocolatine, but which you choose will most likely be decided by where you live. Those in the south-west of France almost all use chocolatine, with the remainder of the country opting for pain au chocolat (see map). The chocolatine camp feel they should no longer be overlooked and one group of pupils from the southwestern town of Montauban recently penned a letter to

Dordogne Corrèze Charente Haute-Vienne Creuse

Map and statistics courtesy of: www.chocolatineoupainauchocolat.fr France's president in a bid to get the word chocolatine added to the French dictionary. “It's a word of our region, where a lot of people live, and there's no reason why the rest of the country shouldn't know it. We're proud to be from the south,” one pupil told La Dépêche du Midi newspaper. With linguistic battle lines drawn up, Bugle

Pain au chocolat (%) 5 6 10 57 82

readers find themselves on the front line. In the Dordogne it is most definitely a chocolatine, a fact that pastry lovers in neighbouring Charente and Corrèze would agree with. Travel a short distance to the north, however, and your request may be met with blank stares in other departments of Nouvelle Aquitaine (see table below). ■

Chocolatine (%) 95 94 90 43 18

LOCAL NEWS ♦ 5

FEBRUARY 2017 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Green heating in Périgueux 21st century gold rush

s everybody knows, heating costs are constantly on the rise, while the calls for sustainable fuels become more and more strident. In the Dordogne’s capital, Périgueux, a scheme is being put in place to provide a low-cost green answer to this dilemma, for private homes and publicly owned buildings. Work began in mid-January by the riverside fire station, near the end of boulevard Lakanal, to clear the site for the construction of a new heating source. Demolition of disused buildings at the end of January was the first sign, making way for the Chaufferie St-Georges site. This ambitious project will provide group heating for a large number of public buildings, and private households on the underground network’s route will also be offered a connection from €1,000. Fired by 87% biomass fuel, originating from sustainable wood, the contractors propose heat for domestic spaces and hot water, at a lower

cost than town gas, and delivered by a 4.8 km network of below-ground pipes. The public buildings benefitting from the scheme include the Gendarmerie, Francheville hospital, a retirement home, school, theatre, swimming pool and a range of administrative offices. The contractors, Engie Cofely, estimate that the scheme will be operating before the end of 2017. The biomass unit is designed to use 5,300 tonnes of wood per year. To provide backup for this 3.5 megawatt equipment, a gas-fired standby system of 7.6 megawatts is to be included. The scheme passes through one of the oldest parts of Périgueux from the Roman and GalloRoman eras, which were themselves characterised by elaborate domestic heating systems. Archaeologists are undertaking their own dig along the route, especially on the very site of the heating unit. “There’s an ancient city under here,” they say. ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

Local toys for refugee orphans

The Bugle reported last month on the work being done for refugees by the Dordogne’s Omnis Association at their FAB HUB 24 collection centre in Saint-Paul-la-Roche. A delivery of hundreds of toys reached the hostel for scores of Syrian orphan children in early January. Aid workers in the camp in Turkey created a toys emporium from donations made by British expats in the Dordogne and across France, to the delight of the children. FAB HUB 24 would like a van of its own, a bigger warehouse and the use of a rent-free shop. Offers and more information on donating or helping on Facebook: FAB HUB 24 France. For information about refugee aid visit http://franceandbeyond.fr. ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

here’s nothing new about gold mines in the southwest of France and both gold and silver have been mined in this area since Celtic times. It was only towards the end of the 20th century, however, that the area became generally regarded in mining circles as “worked-out”. One mining company now hopes to reverse this status and has been given permission to start prospecting for the precious metals in Haute-Vienne and the Dordogne. Société Cordier Mines is investing over €4.5 million in the quest. The authorisation is strictly limited geographically to an area of 261 square kilometres encompassing Jumilhac-le-Grand and nine communes in the Haute-Vienne. The company’s permissions also allow it to prospect for antimony along with gold and silver. This area includes previously surveyed and mined loca-

tions, particularly those of the erstwhile COGEMA organisation, now Areva. As they hurtle past Bessines, travellers on the A20 pass its former uranium mine, today an Areva research centre. Interest in mining gold fell at the turn of the century as the price of gold began to drop, falling to €14,000 per kilo in 2006. Today’s price, however, is closer to €37,000 per kilo. Clear and simple arithmetic, combined with a potential geological bonanza, makes for a commercially irresistible challenge, although prospecting is yet to begin. There is naturally a de-

gree of public concern about possible pollution, dust, traffic and waste, which are to be balanced against the new jobs that may result from the work. Areva points to its own safe and clean operations in Europe and to COGEMA’s former facilities which have been transformed into beautifully landscaped areas, 100% safe and unpolluted. Previously suspect areas have been transformed into valuable assets for leisure and tourism. At €37 per gramme, it might be worth having a little dig in your own garden! ■ Brian Hinchcliffe

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gles Champion in 1954, and we belonged to Nutley Bowls Club in Sussex. The game was in our blood, so to speak.” The couple finally took the plunge and, having found the ideal location in the south of the Dordogne, moved to Eymet in 2015 and started work on the project in January of the following year. “The rainfall that winter proved to be the worst for a long time, and for weeks the project could not proceed as the ground was too wet for the heavy plant machinery to move,” continued Tony. “Eventually things started up again and the huge rolls of AstroTurf were finally fitted to the cement base ten months later. The pathways of stone tiling were laid, and a small rockery created. The name Parsons Meade Bowls Club, picked out in white marble stones, gives the finishing touch to the bank. The clubhouse is all but complete and will be ready for the

here are few more quintessentially British pursuits than bowls; a popular pastime in the UK, but a rare sight in rural France. The Dordogne does have a bowling club based in the north of the department at Mareuil, but now, bowls fans in the south of the department have something to be excited about as the Parsons Meade Bowling Club is set to open shortly just outside Eymet, close to the borders of the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne. The club is the vision of Tony and Judy Smith, who have worked tirelessly for over a year to make their bowling club a reality. “In 2010, my wife and I began to talk seriously about making our dream of building a full-size bowling green in the countryside of France come true,” explained Tony, speaking to The Bugle. “My wife’s father, Len Parsons, was the Kent County Sin-

New bowling green to open in Dordogne

opening by the Mayor of Eymet in early spring, along with the changing and toilet facilities.” One reason that bowls greens are a rare sight in continental Europe is that the weather makes their maintenance a particular problem. Advances in AstroTurf technology over the years have made this less of a problem, however, and the Parsons Meade members will be able to enjoy a state-of-theart synthetic surface, laid by UK specialists Dales Sports, that will not deteriorate on the long, sunny summer days. The club hopes to attract visiting clubs from the UK, Spain and across Europe to play matches against the Ey-

met team, with the beautiful French countryside providing the idyllic backdrop. Tony and Judy’s ambitions do not stop there, however. “Eventually we hope to become internationally known, and attract teams from Malta, South Africa and even Australia! This would, in turn, bring business to local gîtes and guest houses and can only benefit the local economy. With the support of the local residents of Eymet we feel confident we will soon have a strong team.” Whilst many expats may have played to some degree in the UK, anyone will be welcome to join the club and take up the game. Experienced

members will be available to give coaching to those who might not have previously played and general enjoyment of this sport is very much on the agenda. Whilst Tony and Judy have built the green and all the facilities privately, the club will be run by its members and funded by subscriptions. The club is located 3 km outside Eymet on the D18 (towards Ste-Foy-laGrande) - type “Parsons Meade Bowling Club” into Google Maps for the exact location. For more information and to register interest, or for details of upcoming open days, contact Tony or Judy on 09 83 93 88 11 or 06 63 44 55 58. ■

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 7

FEBRUARY 2017 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

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ook around any bar, café or restaurant and you will probably see more than a few people ignoring the person they are sat with and staring blankly at their smartphone. Whilst much of this compulsive email and social media checking is private in nature, many will be checking work emails or responding to out-of-hours requests from bosses and colleagues. The government has now deemed this a significant enough problem to intervene and from January, French companies are required to guarantee a “right to disconnect” to their employees outside of agreed work hours. The new legislation obliges organisations with more than 50 workers to begin negotiations with employees and establish a charter to define their rights when it comes to logging off. Overuse of digital devices has been blamed for everything from burnout to sleeplessness as well as relationship problems, with many employees uncertain of when they can switch off. A study published in October showed that more than a third of French workers used their devices to do work out of hours every day and around 60% of employees were in favour of regulation to clarify their rights. The new measures were introduced by labour minister Myriam El Khomri, who commissioned a report which was submit-

ted in September 2015 and warned about the health impact of “info-obesity” that afflicts many workplaces. “It often happens that I'm interrupted by urgent problems in my free time, or need to reply to emails out of hours,” one woman told AFP news agency, asking for her real name and her company's not to be used. “No one forces me to do it, but I get work email on my telephone and other managers have the same thing.” On a recent holiday, she received regular requests from her team of six, meaning she couldn't switch off as she would have liked. “I could have said 'I don't care', but then it puts other people in difficulty...” According to Peter Fleming, an expert on the workplace at the University of London, many employees suffer from the “hard-work culture” of larger corporations and also from an “obsessive attachment to their work identity”. “For many people, a job has moved from something we do and become something that we are,” he told AFP. “And 24/7 email really amplifies that trend.” A number of companies have already taken measures to reduce burnout among workers by limiting out-of-hours messaging. Energy giant Areva and insurer Axa have introduced changes including cutting email connections in the evening and weekends or even destroying emails automatically that are sent to employees while they are on

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holiday. Telecoms company Orange has also been at the forefront of the issue following a scandal in 2008-09 which saw 35 employees take their own lives, with stress and burnout blamed in many cases. Following the scandal, Orange's 150,000 employees now benefit from a promise they will not be penalised for failing to check email outside of the office. According to Jérôme Barre, the company's head of HR, managers are being trained to understand that “if a boss sends an email in the mid-

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dle of the weekend his employees will feel obliged to reply”. He added that, on the other hand, no one is prevented from catching up on work at home and the rules contain flexibility for people who work remotely or with colleagues in other time zones. “If in my personal way of working it's more comfortable for me to finish something at the weekend, we can't ban it,” Barre explained. “But I don't necessarily have to send the result of my work on Sunday night. It can wait until Monday morning.” ■

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8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ FEBRUARY 2017

Le Parisien to stop using opinion polls

s France gears up for presidential elections, many people have been looking to opinion polls to tell them who is most likely to be living in the Elysée Palace come May. Following incorrect predictions at the UK's general election in 2015, Britain's shock exit from the European Union and Trump's surprise election, the reputation of the polling industry has taken a beating and, as a result, one of France's leading newspapers has announced that it will no longer be using opinion polls. Le Parisien has said it will stop commissioning polls from Ipsos in the run-up to the French presidential elections and will instead do more on-theground reporting to sound out the public mood. “Rather than just talking about what some see as errors in the polls, we’ve decided to go back to the core of our profession: going out in the field, proximity to people,” the paper's editorial director Stéphane Albouy announced. According to Albouy, newspapers need to listen to critics who see journalists as being “cut off from reality”, but denied that Le Parisien had made er-

rors in being over-reliant on polls in the past. “I’m not attacking opinion polls. They don’t do their job badly, they give a snapshot. The problem is the way the media uses them,” he said, adding that his newspaper's new approach “will make us closer to our readers”. France has one of the highest rates of political opinion polling in the world and there are typically hundreds of major national polls in the year leading up to a presidential election, with about one a day dominating front page headlines. Some French politicians have even begun to publicly turn on the polling culture. “Welcome to the unpollable,” François Fillon joked in his New Year’s address to the press recently, saying that more information could be better learned from listening to the “silent, feverish France” struggling on the periphery. Ironically, Fillon is currently seen as the favourite to be France's next president, despite himself being written off by pollsters as a no-hoper only months ago. He suffered low ratings throughout the right’s primary race to choose its candidate, then began to rise sharply in the polls in the last days of the campaign before securing a stagger-

ing win. “France publishes a massive amount of opinion polls and that won’t stop despite Le Parisien’s decision,” said Yves-Marie Cann, political director at the Elabe polling group in Paris. “The purpose of polls is to shed light on the public debate. They are a useful indicator but we always say they must not be the only indicator - on-the-ground journalism is just as important. We have to keep looking at the whole picture, including what is being said on social networks and what commentators are saying.” ■

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Unlimited youth travel for €79/month National rail operator SNCF has introduced a new youth card that will allow unlimited travel on high-speed TGV trains for just €79 a month. The deal, which is available online for 16- to 27-year-olds, also covers slower intercity trains and is aimed at encouraging more younger people onto the rails. Currently, younger people are far more likely to take the bus or car pool. One recent study showed that students accounted for 19 per cent of the nation's bus travel, even though they only make up 5 per cent of the population. Train travel is relatively expensive in France, which at an average €17.59 per 100 kilometres ranks fifth amongst European countries, behind Switzerland (€47.44 per 100km), the UK (€23.44), the Netherlands (€21.86), and Belgium (€20.54). ■

Wanted British paedophile caught

ne of Britain's most wanted men has been arrested in France, apparently by chance, after being involved in a car crash. Stephen Carruthers, a suspected paedophile, was originally arrested in England in March 2014, but later skipped bail and went on the run. “A man wanted by British police was found by chance after he'd been hiding out for a year in a hamlet in the Lot,” announced Véronique Jacob, police chief for Cahors in south-west France, speaking to AFP news agency. Carruthers was one of Britain's most wanted fugitives and features on the British National Crime Agency's (NCA) list of runaways believed to be hiding abroad. “The majority of our most wanted fugitives are captured as a result of intelligence-led operations, but with Carruthers his days on the run ended thanks to a huge slice of luck,” admitted the NCA's Matt Burton in a statement. “Now, after being at large for nearly three years, he will be re-

turned to the UK to face justice.” The 43-year-old was admitted to hospital in Cahors after suffering multiple injuries following a car accident, but could not be identified. “Wanting to inform his family, hospital staff tried to find out where the victim was living in the department, but without success,” explained the local police chief. “Therefore, we were informed and we intervened. He had a passport on him, which appeared to be false. We investigated and it turned out he's one of the top 10 wanted criminal paedophiles!” Living in France under a false identity, local police were finally able to discover his real name after checking an EU law enforcement database and Carruthers subsequently confirmed his true identity at the hospital. He will now be extradited to Britain to face charges of making indecent images of children. Following his original arrest in 2014, a computer was recovered and found to contain 5,332 images of children. ■

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NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 9

FEBRUARY 2017 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

Fresh victory for PIP France may buy back breast implant victims lost da Vinci sketch

French court has ruled that German certification agency TUV Rheinland must pay €60 million in compensation to thousands of women for its role in approving faulty breast implants produced by manufacturer Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP). The administrative court in the southern French city of Toulon ordered TUV to provisionally pay €3,000 to each plaintiff in a giant class action case concerning 20,000 victims across 14 countries. “The final amount will be determined after an assessment, but TUV is required to make a provisional payment of €3,000 per person,” confirmed lawyer Laurent Gaudon, representing 7,000 of the women. A previous ruling in which the same Toulon court ordered TUV to compensate 1,700 victims was subsequently overturned by another court in a case that is still winding its way through the justice system. TUV maintains its innocence in the scandal, arguing that it was only responsible for monitoring the manufacturing process and not the content or quality of the implants. The company's lawyer Cecile Derycke said the firm would appeal the latest ruling, saying the court “persists in ignoring very clear elements of the PIP

dossier that establish that TUV Rheinland fulfilled its mission of a certifying body with diligence and full conformity with applicable regulations”. The court said that if TUV staff had carried out “the slightest unannounced inspection... the fraud would have been easily detected”. At the height of its powers, PIP was the world's third biggest supplier of breast implants, but cut costs for over a decade by using an illegal concoction of industrial and agricultural silicone not fit for use on humans. At around €5 per litre, it was seven times cheaper than medical-grade silicone - a costcutting measure that saved the company millions of euros per year. The scandal came to light after surgeons warned authorities there was an abnormally high rupture rate among PIP implants. Gendarmes searching the business in southern France then found cans of industrial silicone in a van. Soon after-

wards, the company was closed and its products taken off the market. Company founder JeanClaude Mas denied that the implants posed any health risks, calling the women who complained “fragile people, or people who are doing this for money”, but was eventually jailed for four years and fined €75,000 in 2016 after a police investigation unravelled the sophisticated fraud. The counterfeit silicone was used in implants given to some 300,000 women. About onequarter of those subsequently removed were found to have ruptured, regulators said, raising concerns over the longterm health effects of exposure to their contents. Two other legal cases are pending against Mas, one for involuntary manslaughter - the implants were suspected in several deaths from systemic toxicity - and another linked to the financial implications of the scandal. ■

he rare da Vinci sketch recently discovered in a dusty attic (see last month's Bugle) has been declared a national treasure, meaning that the government can move to keep the work of art in France. The government now has a “right of preemption” under which it has 30 months to purchase items that it deems should remain in the country. The find is extremely rare, and the last da Vinci drawing that came to market equalled the world record for an Old Master drawing when it sold for $10 million in 2001. The 'new' drawing has been valued at €15 million, a sum that the government will now try to raise to avoid the artwork being sold privately at auction. The lost Renaissance drawing by artist Leonardo da Vinci was found in an attic by a retired doctor. Paris auctioneer Tajan said there was no doubt the “extraordinary discovery” was indeed one of eight drawings of The Martyred Saint Sebastian mentioned in the Codex Atlanticus, a list

compiled by the Italian genius and master draftsman. “The attribution is quite incontestable,” said one of the experts who authenticated the find, despite the absence of pre-20th century ownership history. “What we have here is an open-and-shut case. It’s an exciting discovery.” When the auction house contacted the owner to tell him of the drawing's provenance and value, he is reported to have calmly replied: “I’m very pleased, but I have other interests in life than money”. ■

New travel rules for under-18s From 15th January, any person under the age of 18, who lives in France, will require a signed document authorising them to leave the country if they are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The measure, which had been removed in 2012, has been reintroduced primarily to tackle the problem of French youths travelling abroad and becoming radicalised, and could have a significant impact on expat families. The rules affect minors of any nationality who habitually live in France, so will immediately affect youths flying back to the UK alone to visit family and friends. Anyone travelling with a parent or legal guardian will not be affected by the changes. As well as their own travel documents, unaccompanied minors will now also need a signed “authorisation de sortie du territoire” (AST) form as well as a photocopy of the passport or ID card of the parent or guardian who signed the form. The AST carries a validity expiry date that can not exceed one year from the date it was signed. The form - Cerfa n°15646*01 - can be downloaded from the government website: www.service-public.fr ■

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10 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ FEBRUARY 2017

CCTV for all Pollution stickers introduced Slaughterhouses to target Paris smog may amount to little more than a symbolic gesture. “Compulsory CCTV does not solve animal cruelty. What we want is more controls especially around the stunning of animals,” said Leopoldine Charbonneaux, director of Compassion in World Farming. “Stunning is when the animal is made unconscious so when you cut its throat it doesn’t feel pain. These problems aren’t new, it’s just that they’re revealed to the public via social media. The lack of training of staff who handle the animals is also creating unnecessary suffering... even cruelty.” Opponents of CCTV monitoring, including a union representing abattoir workers, argue that “animal protection at slaughterhouses cannot be guaranteed by cameras”, but by “more workers, training and common sense”. Dominique Langlois, who heads Interbev, a national association for livestock professionals told AFP that he was not hostile to the idea of trialling CCTV but that he “believes more in the relevance of trained veterinary monitors than in a video surveillance system”. One aspect of the meat processing industry that has hit the headlines re-

cently is the practice of slaughtering pregnant animals and the subsequent disposal of the foetus. This was also brought to the public’s attention following the release of a video, this time inside Limoges’ abattoir, in 2016. The slaughtering of pregnant cows is a controversial practice in several European countries. Germany has recently submitted an initiative to the European Commission to bring it to an end. Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands have also shown interest in banning the practice. EU law states that cows cannot be slaughtered if they have passed their eighth month of pregnancy, but L214 says the images show some of the slaughtered cows are well beyond this point. The organisation wants the practice ended or at least the law toughened. Following the video’s release, there was widespread public outrage, but abattoir director Pascal Pain insisted the video showed nothing illegal was taking place. “The images of pregnant cows that I have seen do not reveal any irregularity, unlike the practice of bringing a camera into a place where taking pictures is subject to authorization,” Pain said. “My job is to respect the regulations, not to have any qualms.” ■

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uthorities in France have long been battling pollution in an attempt to improve the country's air quality, especially in and around Paris. The latest move is the introduction of anti-pollution stickers which must displayed in vehicle windscreens in the capital. Failure to do so will result in a fine. The sticker scheme affects vehicles travelling inside the city's périphérique ring road and covers cars, lorries, motorcycles and scooters, and also bans some vehicles from the city during weekdays. It follows numerous spikes in pollution in which smog has descended over the French capital, forcing traffic reduction measures and the introduction of free public transport on the worst days. The six different coloured Crit’Air stickers indicate the age and cleanliness of a vehicle, ranging from a level 1 to a level 5 sticker for the most polluting; there is also a green sticker for electric or hydrogen vehicles. Under the scheme, certain “unclassified” vehicles will now be banned from the city from Monday to Friday during peak times between 8 am and 8 pm: petrol and diesel cars registered before 1996; vans registered before 1997; pre-2000 scooters and motorbikes; and lorries, trucks and buses from before 2001. The Crit'Air system also

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applies to foreign-registered vehicles, which have been given until March to obtain their stickers. These cost €4.18 each and can be bought online - www.certificat-air. gouv.fr According to the government, 1.4m Crit’Air stickers have been ordered through the official website, but a police check carried out across Paris in January found only one in 50 vehicles stopped was displaying the correct sticker. About 600,000 vehicles are estimated to drive in and around the city every day and those found without stickers can be fined €68, rising to €138 for lorries. On numerous occasions during the recent spike in pollution and smog levels over the capital, authorities have cut traffic by banning half of

all cars from the city's roads at any one time, based on whether their number plate caries an odd or even number. With the new sticker system, pollution spikes will see authorities restricting traffic by banning those with various coloured stickers. They'll start by banning level 5 vehicles, then they'll move downwards from there. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has been waging a war against

New speed camera designs unveiled

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the city's motorists in recent years and has been vocal in her desire to halve the number of cars on the roads by making life increasingly difficult for drivers. “More cars means more pollution, fewer cars means less pollution. It seems obvious but in this post-truth age there are those who would argue that fewer cars means more pollution. We prefer to stick to the truth,” Hidalgo told journalists recently. ■

ways obvious how fast you are supposed to be going. This could now change as the interior ministry unveiled a new design for the warning signs. Changes include the removal of the im-

age of the truck as well as the text at the top and bottom which reads “For your safety” and “Frequent radar controls ahead”. “We've done studies that show the words weren't even read on the previous signs,” said a spokesperson. More usefully, the signs will now include a reminder of the legal speed limit on that stretch of road, which for many foreign drivers is often hard to remember. ■

Frenchman sets world over-105 cycling record French cyclist Robert Marchand set a new world record for the furthest distance travelled in one hour when he covered 22.547 kilometres at the national velodrome to the west of Paris recently. Whilst congratulating him on his success, it should be noted that he does not face much competition in the “over-105” category! Born in 1911, the former national gymnastics champion, boxer and firefighter did not start cycling until he was 67 and puts his enduring fitness down to a healthy diet... and lots of exercise. “I've done sport all my life, eaten loads of fruit and vegetables, not drunk too much coffee,” he said before the record attempt. “I cycle between 10 and 20 kilometres a day, but I don't train outside. I'm afraid I might catch flu!” Despite his new record, Father Time does appear to finally be slowing him down: he covered 26.927 kilometres when he set the world record in the over-100 category back in 2014. He had an excuse ready, however: “I didn't see the sign saying there were 10 minutes to go, otherwise I would have gone faster... I’m now waiting for a rival!” ■

FEBRUARY 2017 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

NATIONAL NEWS ♦ 11

12 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ FEBRUARY 2017

What to do when you're The brews brothers lost in Trumpslation?

cause, most of the time, when he speaks he seems to not quite know where he’s going,” explained Viennot. “It’s as if he has thematic clouds in his head that he picks from with no need of a logical thread to link them.” All of which makes translating his words into the structured and logical French language incredibly difficult. Anyone fancy having a go at the French for bigly? “Trump’s vocabulary is limited, his syntax is broken; he repeats the same phrases over and over, forcing the translator to follow suit,” explained Viennot.

The difficulty for the translator, therefore, lies in accurately conveying his style and tone and not in understanding his meaning. “Trump is very easy to understand. He doesn't employ secondary meanings, never uses cultural references and so far has not given any long speeches,” continued Viennot. “In addition, he tends to use very simple vocabulary. The act of translating consists in carrying a meaning from one set of readers to another, and to make sure that the readers of your words will feel the same as the readers of the original text.” ■

ife will change irrevocably for many people around the world following Donald Trump's inauguration as President of the United States, but one group in particular that we should perhaps spare a thought for is the world's pool of translators, who now have the unenviable task of translating Trump's ramblings into their mother tongue. “C'est dur de bien traduire quelqu'un qui parle si mal” (It's difficult to translate someone who speaks so badly), said French translator Bérengère Viennot, writing for Slate.fr. Respected newspaper Le Monde ran with: “Faut-il traduire l’homme comme il parle ou lisser sa syntaxe hachée et risquer de laisser penser qu’il s’exprime normalement ?” (Should you translate the man as he speaks or smooth over his broken syntax and risk people thinking he talks normally?) “Trump is not easy to translate, first of all, be-

rance once again has its own monastic beer after a Benedictine abbey in northern France has revived a centuries old tradition. Between Gregorian chants, the monks of the Saint-Wandrille monastery have been busy honing their brewing skills and the fruits of their labour finally went on sale just before Christmas. “This is the only beer currently produced in France by monks in their own monastery,” the abbey now proudly says on its website. With no monastic beers brewed in France since the Abbaye de Sept-Fons stopped production in 1935, there has been much interest in the project and the initial reaction has been very positive. “For me it's a major event, one of the most important since I began my career in 1973,” said French beer expert Hervé Marziou, who advised the monks as they established their brewery. By the start of this year, 25,000 half litre bottles had already been sold from the abbey's shop, online (www.st-wandrille.com) and from other specialist retailers for €4.50 per bottle and the new brew has received positive feedback from the craft beer market. The monks plan to brew 80,000 litres of beer each year and will use the profits to help restore the monastery cloisters. The idea was born back in 2014 when the monastery was investigating

new money-making ideas and two of the monks took up the brewing challenge. After studying at an agricultural college in Douai, the pair began experimenting with a brewing kit they were given by British friends on a trip to Quarr Abbey, a Benedictine monastery on the Isle of Wight. “If the beer has an English taste, it is because the recipe includes four English hops varieties, grown in France - two bitter hops and two aromatic ones,” Brother Matthieu explained. “They set themselves apart from Belgian monastic beers that are slightly sweet, but are less bitter than the beers typical of northern France,” said Thierry Cauet, who taught the monks in Douai, adding that the taste would agree with most beer drinkers. Monastic breweries were common during the Middle Ages at a time when monks and nuns were expected to live by their own labour and not accept charity - the so-called Rule of Saint Benedict. The practice suffered, however, when many religious orders were dissolved after the French Revolution and whilst monastic beers still flourish among neighbouring countries, especially Belgium, the tradition was lost in France. Fans of craft beers will now hope that other monasteries across the country will follow the suit of SaintWandrille to re-establish this venerable tradition. ■

Long weekend away anyone? Lovers of a long weekend may have felt cheated by 2016 which saw 3 public holidays fall on a Sunday, but the 2017 calendar has better news. Five public holidays fall on a Monday, with Bastille Day taking place on a Friday, which means that 2017 will have 6 long weekends. Not only that, but with Ascension Day on a Thursday and Assumption Day on a Tuesday, there are two further opportunities to faire le pont as the French say (literally “make the bridge”) and take a four-day-weekend. Here are the official 2017 public holidays: New Year's Day Easter Monday Labor Day Victory in Europe Day (end of WWII) Ascension Day Pentecost Bastille Day Assumption Day All Saints' Day Remembrance Day Christmas

Jour de l'An Lundi de Pâques Fête du Travail Fête de la Victoire

Sunday 1st January Monday 17th April Monday 1st May Monday 8th May

Jeudi de l'Ascension Lundi de Pentecôte Fête nationale française Assomption Toussaint Armistice Noël

Thursday 25th May Monday 5th June Friday 14th July Tuesday 15th August Wednesday 1st November Saturday 11th November Monday 25th December

FRENCH LIFE ♦ 13

FEBRUARY 2017 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

In the garden - jobs for February

ep, well it’s cold outside (minus 10°C this morning), but the days are noticeably lengthening - no longer is it pitch black at 5 pm. It’s daylight!! So we’re heading in the right direction, and relatively soon the garden will be waking up. But for the moment this cold spell reminds us to be prudent. Work if you’re so inclined, but have a plan B for everything, in case the ‘bad’ weather continues, or gets worse. If struggling with the elements isn’t your thing, spend productive time preparing and planning for later. In fact, this is a really good month for all sorts of garden preparation. Look at your seed stock; list what you have and then you can see quite easily which varieties you are missing and will need to acquire, and what you’ve already got plenty of. If you’ve got a consistently warm place in your house, why not start sprouting seeds to eat? Getting your early fix of vitamins can only help stave off all the bugs that have been going round. If you’ve got a warm and light place - a windowsill for example - start sowing a few salad leaves, cress or radishes. It's so nice to see the first crops growing, even in tiny quantities. Tell yourselves that microgreens are all the rage in fancy restaurants, and virtually impossible to buy in here! Some seeds may need a period of cold to help them germinate - often perennials whose seeds would ordinarily lie dormant during the winter before sprouting in the spring - so if you’re going to grow this kind of stuff, now is a good time to make the most of the chilly weather - see http://permaculturenews.org/2012/08/04/how-to-germinateyour-seeds/ for useful advice. Keep an eye on sensitive plants, mak-

by Michelle Pierce ing sure they’re well protected and watered sparingly. Also keep an eye on your greenhouses, gutters and water butts, so that nothing is damaged by the cold. Make a mental plan about how you will collect water in the spring - this year may well be as dry and hot as the last, and make a sketch if necessary to optimise the effects of gravity, so that you avoid having to carry endless heavy watering cans. Aim to clear and organize at least a section of your greenhouse or tunnel, allowing you to get a head start for early sowings of leaf vegetables. If the really cold weather continues, it could be useful to heat up this area, even if it’s very small, say a couple of square metres, by laying down a piece of fleece on to the ground surface for a few weeks. Bring a few pots of bulbs into a warmer area, to force them on for earlier flowering. Everyone loves flowers at the start of the year, don’t they? Nothing is more cheery than a bowl of scented hyacinths, or a pot of cheeky blue muscari. Start thinking about planting or sowing biannuals, like forget-menot, primulas or pansies. If you want flowers this year, plant them, if you want flowers next year, sow them. While the very vigorous climbers like Virginia Creeper or climbing roses have no leaves, it’s much easier to see their real spread so it’s a good time to have a look and see whether they need pruning back this year. Generally, February can be a good month for pruning, but exercise caution about species which react badly to being pruned in the cold (like stone fruit, etc.) and those that will flower on last year’s wood, like jasmines. If you prune them now they won’t flower this year. Prune back grape vines, kiwi fruit and

wisteria, too, but not if it’s freezing. Think about pruning the summer-flowering shrubs and sub-shrubs: lavender, hypericum, buddleia, pheasant eye, cloudberry, privet, etc. and prune roses if needed. If you are going to manure your ground, now is a good time. If you don’t plan to dig, spread cardboard over the surface before you spread your ‘fumier’. This can be a good strategy by itself, to stop early weed growth, but anchor it down with rocks or textile staples. Put a mini tunnel in place, or a cloche, and start sowing early veg (when temperatures are a bit warmer) like spinach, carrots, beetroot, peas, lambs lettuce, etc. The other option is to make a hotbox in a corner of the garden pile fresh manure and straw or leaves about 2 foot deep, then place a thick layer of earth on top. Leave a couple of weeks before plant-

ing seeds or seedlings directly into this. If you want to force rhubarb, escarole or sorrel, put an upturned black bucket over the plant to keep the light out, and hopefully up the warmth. If the temperature is super cold, you could try piling manure over the bucket. By the end of this month, it’s getting near the limit for planting bare root trees and shrubs, so do so before. Finally, remember that hard frosts (and snow) lock water up, which is therefore not available to plants - especially if they’re in containers. So keep an eye out for suffering plants and water with cool, or slightly warm, water but this is best done in the mid to late morning - you don’t want to burn leaves in sun or have water freeze. So, lots of lovely things to look forward to... Good gardening! ■

Get to know the 2017 French tax landscape - Blevins Franks

s the dust settles on another new year, it is a good idea to make sure you know where you stand with your taxes. Doing this now means you could limit exposure to unnecessary taxation, take advantage of available opportunities, and avoid any nasty surprises at the end of the year.

tax rates of as much as 64.5% on your investments. However, there are compliant, tax-efficient arrangements available in France that can help you lower this tax liability, sometimes significantly.

Income tax

Introducing PAYE

Income

Tax Rate

Up to €9,710

Nil

€9,710 to €26,818

14%

€26,818 to €71,898

30%

€71,898 to €152,260

41%

Although not due to come into effect until January 2018, you should be aware that a French Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system is planned. Not only will this apply to employed and self-employed individuals, it will affect those receiving French pensions and French unfurnished letting income. If you are a French resident, it will also apply to your wages, pensions and annuities paid by non-French entities, although it is not yet clear how this will work. While there is a chance that the PAYE reform may be undone by the incoming president, you should prepare for an end to the current system where taxes are payable in arrears at the end of each tax year. As a result, most of your 2017 income may escape the usual income tax and social charges in 2018, although any income classified as ‘exceptional’ will still be subject to the normal scale rates of tax.

Over €152,260

45%

Wealth tax

There are no changes to French income tax rates for 2017 (payable on 2016 income). The income tax bands for each rate have increased very slightly, however. For example, last year’s €9,700 nil rate band has increased by €10, and the 45% top rate band is up €152 for a new threshold of €152,260.

Individuals with a taxable income of up to €18,500 (€37,000 for couples) could benefit from a new 20% tax reduction. There is also scaled relief available for individuals earning up to €20,500, and €41,000 for couples. The supposedly temporary ‘exceptional tax’ is still in place for 2017. This charges an extra 3% or 4% for income over €250,000 and €500,000 respectively, with higher thresholds for families. Remember, income tax is payable on earnings, pensions, rental income and investment income, and you are taxed as a household rather than as an individual. Take advice to make sure you are taking advantage of available tax-efficient structures for holding your wealth and investment assets. Social charges No changes to social charges in 2017 means your income continues to attract up to an extra 15.5% in tax. Together with income taxes, this can invite combined

Despite rumours that the wealth tax ‘holiday’ period would be extended from five to eight years, this has not happened. So new residents of France still need to start paying wealth tax on non-French assets five years from arrival. You are liable for wealth tax if your taxable worldwide assets are above €1.3 million, at rates of 0.5% to 1.5% on assets over €800,000. However, the French tax system still limits your combined income tax, wealth tax and social charges liability to 75% of your total income. While this sounds high, it does provide tax planning opportunities. Wealth tax can prove costly for those unprepared for it, so if you are affected, seek advice on how you can legitimately lower this tax liability. Succession tax There have been no major developments here for 2017, although the succession tax reduction for families

has been removed. Previously, beneficiaries with more than three children could reduce their French succession tax by €610 per third and subsequent child on inheritances from a parent or spouse, and €305 on legacies from more distant relatives. Even if the removal of these allowances does not affect you, the new year is a good time to review your estate planning and make sure your arrangements are up to date. Remember, French succession tax works differently from UK inheritance tax and the effect on your heirs depends on their relationship to you. Stepchildren and unmarried partners, for example, are seen as 'non-relatives' and face tax rates as high as 60% on inheritances and gifts. The ‘forced heirship’ rules also mean that natural children could inherit up to 75% of your estate, regardless of your intentions. While you can override forced heirship by opting for UK law to apply under the ‘Brussels IV’ EU regulation, this is complex and can have unexpected consequences. Also, bear in mind that this will only affect how your estate is distributed – it will not remove your liability for French succession tax. Take personalised advice to ensure your legacy is dealt with according to your wishes while protecting your heirs from unnecessary taxation. Tax planning It is important to understand how French taxation affects you personally, and establish tax planning solutions based on your unique objectives and family circumstances. Even if you have already done this, regular review is essential to make sure your arrangements are up to date. For expatriates, an adviser with cross-border experience can help you make the most of opportunities offered by the French tax system. ■ Tel: 05 53 63 49 19 Email: bergerac@blevinsfranks.com Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

14 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ FEBRUARY 2017

Chocolate - dark secrets by Julia Watson

his travels, it wasn't a success, most probably because he presented it in the manner in which he had come across it - drunk highly spiced and sugarless, the Aztec and Mayan way. But 17 years later, in 1519, Cortes tried again, having impolitely slaughtered Montezuma who had introduced him to the drink. This time, though, the Spaniards added two other New World discoveries - sugar and vanilla, making 'xocoatl' so much more palatable that it quickly became the rage in fashionable society. In 18th century England, Sir Hans Sloane, personal physician to Queen Anne, along with diarist Samuel Pepys, encouraged the making of it with milk instead of water to promote its medicinal properties. But only in 1828 did Dutchman Coenraad J. Van Houten invent a press that could extract two thirds of the bean's 53% fat content, leaving a cake of powdered cocoa. Two decades on, the English confectionery firm of Joseph Fry added sugar and chocolate liquor from the roasted cocoa bean (the word the English found easier than 'cacao' to pronounce) to the extracted cocoa butter, and so produced the first chocolate confectionary. In case you should deprive yourself of chocolate because you believe it’s bad for you, think again. A 2010 US study over nine years of 32,000

Swedish women between 48 and 83 found that those eating two 19 to 30 gramme servings of dark chocolate once or twice a week cut the risk of developing heart failure by a third. However, those who ate it every day didn't reap the benefit because of chocolate's less positive high levels of fat and sugar. But then, nor did those who ate only one to three servings a month. In reasonable amounts, the benefits of chocolate's flavanoids, which can lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease, kick in. The study's leader, Dr Murray Mittleman, director of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston, said, "You can't ignore that chocolate is a relatively calorie-dense food and large amounts of habitual consumption is going to raise your risks for weight gain. But if you're going to have a treat, dark chocolate is probably a good choice, as long as it's in moderation." So a little chocolate eaten regularly is good, too much eaten too often is bad, and too little eaten too seldom without any apparent effect, either good or bad. When cooking with chocolate, always use chocolate with no less than 70% cocoa butter or cocoa solids. Chocolate with less produces a far less in-

his is the month of St Valentine’s Day. Think of the 14th and, most likely, you think of chocolate. Then your thighs. But the Aztecs and Mayans thought of its buying power. Chocolate originated with these indigenous peoples of Mexico, to whom it was the nearest thing to a standard currency. Tributes and purchases were made in single 'nibs' or pods that contained the beans. With a tree so valuable, serious rituals would take place before the seeds to grow them were sown, to ensure the future health of the bush. For four days and nights they were exposed to moonlight and, according to 19th century historian, H. H. Bancroft, the tillers of the soil had to 'sleep apart from their wives and concubines for several days, in order that on the night before planting they might indulge their passions to the fullest extent.' I can’t say whether the biodynamic farmers of the Limousin and elsewhere follow the same practice. This may explain why chocolates symbolize romance though more scientifically you could point to the presence in chocolate of phenylethylamine, the same chemical stimulated naturally in the brain by falling in love. When Columbus introduced chocolate to the court of King Ferdinand on his return from

Chocolate sabayon

Serves 8 (in case you have a whole host of admirers) 8 ounces (225g) semi sweet chocolate melted over a bain marie of simmering water then allowed to cool a little 8 ounces (225ml) crème entière, whipped to soft peaks 8 organic egg yolks, whipped until pale and fluffy 8 individual ovenproof baking ramekins Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolks. Next fold the chocolate into the cream/yolk mixture. Divide into the 8 ovenproof dishes. Set in a roasting pan filled half with boiling water and bake for about 11 minutes in a 150°C oven or until you can see very slight cracks in the top of the ‘sabayon'. Serve with a jug of cream or crème fraîche.

tense flavor and an exaggerated sweetness, sugar having been substituted for cocoa solids in order to promote taste. ■

Julia Watson has been a long-time Food Writer for newspapers and magazines in the US and the UK.

A tour of the lesser known Bergerac wines

friend of mine is coming to visit who is a very serious wine lover and who wants me to take him and his wife around the Bergerac vineyards. It sounds easy but in fact it is quite complicated. My instant reaction was to take them around the classics like Château de Tiregand in the Pécharmant, perhaps the best-known historically of the vineyards. Then I would go for that handful of gifted winemakers who have over the past generation restored the reputation of Bergerac wines. They are the new classics, like the Rymans of Château de la Jaubertie; the De Conti family of Tour des Gendres; les Verdots of David Fourtout and Jean-Marc and Nicole Dournel of Domaine des Costes. But then I looked again at my friend’s message, and he said he would particularly like to visit some of the smaller and lesser-known vineyards, making interesting and exciting wines that he would have trouble finding outside the region. So I began thinking of Terre Vieille and of Château du Rooy and of Jocelyne Pécou’s Château d’Elle in the Pécharmant, or of Humphrey Temperley’s Chateau Lestevenie in Gageac or of Terroir Feely and Château Le Payral in Saussignac. As I began to plan the trip with the aid of a map, I realized that I was missing something. What my friend needed was a sense of the wide range of the wines of Bergerac and that I should plan a trip to each of the sub-regions. So I should start over by the Bordeaux border in the Montravel with Daniel Hecquet’s Château Puy Servain and with the Deffarge family’s Château Moulin Caresse. The Montravel has a more maritime and thus more temperate climate than most of the Bergerac, with earlier budding and the soil is slightly different, alluvial and containing a lot of limestone. It holds moisture rather longer, which allows for slower ripening which is exactly what the Merlot grape wants, producing a smooth and to my taste a charmingly voluptuous wine. Even writing those words brings back the memory of a glorious bottle from Château de la Mallevieille of their cuvée Imagine. Then we should head south, crossing the river at SteFoy-la-Grande and heading for Saussignac. Tradition-

by Martin Walker

ally known for its sweet wines, rather like Monbazillac, it is now home to an impressive number of organic and bio-dynamic vineyards who are making exciting and complex wines. A complex patchwork of small and rounded hills and gentle valleys, the region has a range of terroirs, mainly clay limestone but with some flinty patches and different drainage patterns. There are few better places to get a sense of how terroir and the steepness of a slope can change a wine. Go south towards Monestier and the land starts to smooth out again. At Chateau Lestevenie you can discover what wonders Humphrey Temperley can conjure from the often underestimated Cabernet Franc grape. At Château Monestier La Tour you will find the most modern and carefully planned bio-dynamic vineyard in France. Further south still, heading down to Eymet, is the region around Sigoulès, where Château Thénac is producing some remarkably good wines under the emblem of Côtes-de-Bergerac and using grapes that I had never heard of, like Ondenc and Fer Servadou. This looks a little like heathland with a steady wind and a microclimate that is slightly cooler than in the valleys. They also make a very fine eau de vie of prunes. Then we should head south-east to the Monbazillac and no visit to the Bergerac is complete with a stop at the splendid Château, and there could be no better place for lunch than the Tour des Vents restaurant. There are so many great winemakers here that it is difficult to pick out any single one, except the legendary Château Tirecul La Gravière, one of the very few wines ever to be awarded a maximum 100 points by Robert Parker. But I think I’d take my friends to Domaine de Grange Neuve, where the Castaing family have been long established and the place is run as a kind of family commune. I first came across their wines when chairing a jury and we gave the prize to their Monbazillac. But I have also started buying their Bergerac Sec in a box for my everyday drinking. Then I would visit David Fourtout at les Verdots and Hugh Ryman at Jaubertie before returning north across

the river at Bergerac and visiting the Maison des Vins. We should stop off at Pierre Desmartis’ Château La Vieille Bergerie to taste his cuvée Quercus white wine. I have already let my friend know before his trip that Pierre’s website carries a number of informative videos of work on the vines in each of the four seasons. (http:// www.vieille-bergerie.fr/en/watch_our_videos.html) Then we are into the Pécharmant, where I would happily spend an entire day simply tasting the different winemakers’ variations on this richly rewarding wine. And suddenly I get caught with a sense of guilt that I have not managed to include Château Montdoyen or Laulerie or des Eyssards or Bélingard or Clos d’Yvigne or several other of my favourites. Still, on the way home I can always stop off at the outstanding wine store of the region, the ever-welcoming Julien de Savignac in Le Bugue. They have just about everything. ■ Martin Walker, author of the best-selling ‘Bruno, chief of police’ novels, is a Grand Consul de la Vinée de Bergerac. Formerly a journalist, he spent 25 years as foreign correspondent for The Guardian and then became editor-in-chief of United Press International. He and his wife Julia have had a home in the Périgord since 1999 and one of his great hobbies is visiting the vineyards of Bergerac.

Très Jolie

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DIRECTORY ♦ 15

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Business Directory

Your indispensable guide to finding local businesses & artisans Animals & Pets

SHAMPOOCHIENS Dog Grooming Parlour All breeds catered for Clipping, hand stripping and bathing 30 years’ experience 24500 Eymet

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Auto Services

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Building Services Painters/Decorators Simon Carter

Painter & Decorator Qualified craftsman with over 25 years UK experience, now based Haute-Vienne/north Dordogne border.

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ADVERTORIAL

Houses on Internet: A Global Property Network

ouses on Internet – Global Property Services (hereafter referred to as “HOI-GPS”) is the internet/marketing company that has been helping people sell their French property to buyers worldwide for over 7 years now. Richard Kroon, founder and director of the company: “The improved global economy resulted in a huge increase in sales in 2016. It was a very good year for most of our clients and for us.” “We did see some hesitation from British buyers right after the Brexit referendum, but that didn’t last very long. There are always people who want to buy a property in France, no matter what.” As HOI-GPS advertises each property worldwide, the British are only part of their buyers. People from Australia, the USA, Belgium, Holland, United Kingdom, Swit-

zerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Canada and of course France are among their clients too. Richard continues: “Our continuous global marketing is definitely paying off and guarantees a worldwide exposure of your property to buyers wherever they live.” The actual work all starts with the presentation of a property. If that’s not good enough, all other marketing efforts are useless. Our photographers usually take 150 to 200 photos of a house and in addition copy any good (summer) photos our clients may have themselves. About 50 to 60 of these photos are selected, enhanced and presented on the dedicated website we make for each property. The texts don’t just describe the house, garden and outbuildings, but information about shopping, schools, airports and leisure is giv-

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en too. When the website for the house is online, we first connect it to our main HOI-GPS websites which attract over 135,000 visitors from 40+ countries each month. Most of these people find us through Google and additional Google advertising. To reach an even larger audience, a summary of the presentation of the house is also placed on several other leading property websites, making it all one big global property network. As the property market has become a global one, a prospective buyer can be on the other side of the world while the owner is in bed sleeping. With our approach, the buyer does not have to wait and can see the entire property whenever he wants, at the moment he is interested in it. For more information on HOI-

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GPS or to market your property through them, visit their website. The page “Selling a property” explains how they work step by step. ■

La Poutre

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Gifts & Crafts Ivan Petley

3D Puzzle Maker Handmade, fully interlocking, multi-layered 3D puzzles from just €9. Keyrings €2 plus other unique gift ideas. Customisation and personalisation possible. Postal delivery options across France.

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ADVERTORIAL

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

simple solar energy system that runs on its own, even when you are not there! – And provides a free heat supplement in winter. The Solarventi air panel was invented more than 20 years ago by Hans Jørgen Christensen, from Aidt Miljø, with the backing of the Danish government. He wanted to use the sun’s energy for airing and ventilation of the thousands of holiday homes on the West coast of Jutland, - houses that were left empty and unheated for long periods - houses with damp problems, mould and bad odours - houses that left their owners with discomfort, lots of work and expense. He wanted a system that would be safe, simple, without the need for radiators, water and/ or mains electricity. Slowly but surely, the first Solarventi model came together.

How it works The principle behind Solarventi is simple: a small, built-in, solar cell powers a 12V fan that is connected to an air vent, a control unit and an on/ off switch. Whenever the sun shines, the air in the solar panel is heated and the fan, receiving power from the solar cell, introduces warm, dry air into your home at the rate of 20 to 100 cubic metres per hour. The initial models were more than capable of keeping the cottages dry (and ventilated), even with the limited sunshine hours available in Denmark during the winter season. Since that time, the technology has really come along in leaps and bounds. Now, more than 20 years later, the 3rd and 4th generation Solarventi have exceeded all expectations. In Southern Europe, Solar-

HOLIDAY HOMES IN THE UK

venti is not only used for ventilation/dehumidification purposes; with far more winter sunshine hours, it also provides a substantial heating supplement. Several technical and governmental studies show that incoming air temperature can be increased by as much as 40°C. A DIY Solution? The installation process is very straightforward and should only take two or three hours. All that is needed is a drill, hammer and chisel to make a hole in the wall. Roof installations are also possible. In fact, the Solarventi was originally designed to be a DIY product - in Scandinavia it still is. There are no electrical or water connections and it can be safely left running, even when the property is empty. Solarventi requires no maintenance

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- if the property is unoccupied during the hot summer months, then it can be left running at low speeds for ventilation and dehumidification purposes or simply switched off. With a range of panel sizes, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of buildings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is increasing rapidly. From Greenland to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■ Units start from €630 TTC. Several ex-demonstration models available at reduced prices, call for details.

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ADVERTORIAL

Online radio station for English-speaking expats

Ex-patradio.com is a brand new online internet radio station, which launched live on 21st March 2016. The station is designed for English-speaking expats. The aim is to have a variety of shows, ranging from chat shows through to music programming covering a full spectrum of musical tastes. Our DJ presenter music shows include: • ‘The Golden Oldies’ with Mick Hennell, featuring tracks from the 50s and 60s • ‘The Beat Goes On’ with Steve Bell, showcasing new expat bands, musicians and singers • ‘The Blend’ with Ira, our American presenter, with the best of Creole and Swamp music through to rare blues cuts • ‘The All Day Special’ with station founder, Dave Hailwood • ‘The Roast Beef’ and a little Country and Western from 'The Southern Comfort’ with Wayne Allen • ‘The Retro Chart Show’ with Dave Mac • ‘Soul Time’ with Max Morrison - a great new show of Northern Soul • ‘The Nostalgia Club’ with David Sibbald - songs from the 50s • ‘Smooth Jazz’ with Phil Johnson • ‘Good Vibes’ with Anne Dessens Our ‘live’ coffee morning chat shows with station founder, Dave Hailwood, feature regular specialist contributors, covering topics such as women’s issues, gardening, sport, travel, cuisine and eduction... in fact, anything that affects expats. Our audience is encouraged to join in via email or phone with comments, questions

and requests. Ex-pat Radio aims to be an international station, with an approachable local feel to it. Our website also features businesses, advertising their services and trades. If you are interested in sponsoring one of our shows on a regular basis, or would like a commercial made and aired, please get in touch with Catherine Brown at catherine@ ex-patradio.com Email us with requests, stories, jokes, local events in your area, sports groups, and anything else. We want to hear it all.. So get typing to: dave@ex-patradio.com Like us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/expatradiofrance/ Tweet us on: @ExpatRadioFr And listen live now!

www.ex-patradio.com

18 ♦ COMMUNITY

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ FEBRUARY 2017

Advertising in The Bugle Business Directory Advertising your business couldn’t be easier. Text only, boxed listings are available in our Business Directory from just €13.50/month. Alternatively, why not spotlight your business with an Advertorial, available from 1/6 Page (€50 HT) up to Full Page (€300 HT). Both Directory Adverts and Advertorials represent a cost effective way to put your brand in front of more than 25,000 pairs of eyes each month!!

For more information on any of our advertising options, please feel free to give us a call on 05 55 41 17 76 or send an email to sales24@thebugle.eu

6-Month Contract

12-Month Contract

€108

Small b&w Directory Ad

(€18/month)

Large b&w Directory Ad

(€24/month)

Small Colour Directory Ad

(€27/month)

Large Colour Directory Ad

(€36/month)

€162

(€13.50/month)

€144

€216

(€18/month)

€162

€243

(€20.25/month)

€216

Large Directory Ad 46mm x 71mm (Actual Size) 45 words max Small Directory Ad 46mm x 46mm (Actual Size)

30 words max

€324

(€27/month)

Directory Advertising is available either in black and white or colour, and in either small (30 words max) or large (45 words max) format. Directory adverts may only contain text - no logos, images or artwork are allowed. The minimum contract length is 6 months. Advertising is payable on publication. All prices are HT.

Blue 3-year-old Braque/Pointer X Please meet Blue, a happy, loving little man with a love and zest for life. He is full of fun and has loads of love to give to the right family! He loves his walks but will pull on the lead. A gentle leader would take care of that problem and he is not particularly obedient off lead so training would be a must. Blue’s problem is that he doesn't like lots of noise or shouting, he gets stressed and withdrawn, even shaking sometimes, so his new family would need to be calm around him. Although he is great and proven with kids over six years old, perhaps a more mature environment would suit him better. Blue is great with other dogs, he loves to play and, in his foster home, has his own cat Lulu who he loves to chase, it's not serious though or she wouldn't choose to sleep in the same basket as him very happily! So if you are looking for a faithful, loving, funny and playful companion please take Blue! Blue is medium-sized, castrated, vaccinated, microchipped and wormed so ready to find his forever home!

For more details, please contact: Jane Percival on 05 46 33 15 41 / 06 66 89 73 63 or at percival.john@wanadoo.fr (17160 Mons). www.phoenixasso.com www.facebook.com/PhoenixAssociationFrance

UPCOMING AQUITAINE CHURCH SERVICES The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine covers the Dordogne, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, and Condom (Gers). All services are held in English. For further details, please see our website: www.churchinaquitaine.org or contact Chaplaincy Administration: Amy Owensmith, +33 (0) 607 04 07 77 chapaq.office@gmail.com SUNDAY 05 FEBRUARY 10:30 Service of the Word – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Limeuil 11:00 Holy Communion - Doudrac 15:00 French-Madagascan Communion – Bordeaux 16:00 Evensong – Bertric Burée

Wednesday 08 February 11:00 BCP Holy Communion – Bertric Burée SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 All Age Worship – Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil 10:30 Morning Prayer – Monteton

Monday

Market Days

Beynac Le Fleix Les Eyzies Ste-Alvère

Tuesday

Beaumont du Périgord Bergerac (bio market) Brantôme Cénac-et-Saint-Julien Lanouaille Le Bugue Mareuil Neuvic Ribérac Salignac Eyvigues Thenon Trémolat

Wednesday Bergerac Gardonne Hautefort Jumilhac-le-Grand La Tour Blanche Montpon-Ménestérol Montignac Périgueux Piégut Pluviers Razac

Sarlat Siorac-en-Périgord Vélines Domme Excideuil Eymet La Coquille Lalinde Monpazier St Astier St-Julien-de-Lampon Terrasson

Le Bugue Montignac Mussidan Neuvic Nontron Périgueux Razac Sarlat Sigoulès St Aulaye Ste-Foy-la-Grande Thiviers Verteillac Villefranche du Périgord

Friday

Sunday

Thursday

Bergerac Brantôme Cubjac Le Buisson Ribérac Sarlat Vergt

Saturday

Agonac Beaumont du Périgord Belvès Bergerac Lalinde La Roche Chalais

10:30 Family Service – Négrondes Tuesday 14 February 11:30 Holy Communion - Envals Thursday 16 February 10:30 BCP Holy Communion - Limeuil SUNDAY 19 FEBRUARY 10:30 Family Service – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion – Chancelade 10:30 Holy Communion – Dondas 10:30 Morning Worship – Limeuil 10:30 Prayer & Praise – Monteton 11:00 Prayer & Praise – Sainte Nathalène Thursday 23 February 11:00 Holy Communion – Condom SUNDAY 26 FEBRUARY 10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions – Eymet Temple 10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil 10:30 Holy Communion - Monteton 10:30 Holy Communion – Négrondes

Bergerac Couze St Front Daglan Gardonne Issigeac Pontours Pressignac-Vicq Rouffignac Sarlat Sorges St Cyprien St Génies St Pardoux la Rivière See www.jours-de-marche.fr for more information

WHAT’S ON ♦ 19

FEBRUARY 2017 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu

WHAT’S

Music in the Dordogne sponsored by ARCADES Join us for concerts in the air conditioned new hall in Le Buisson, mostly of classical music, with top class French, English, Russian and other international performers. Concert tickets cost €15 including wine in the interval. All events are organised by volunteers and serve also as a meeting ground for the French and international communities of the Dordogne, including ACIP and La Tulipe.

Venue - Le Buisson de Cadouin, Nouvelle Salle des Fêtes, Avenue Aquitaine

For more info, tel 06 87 88 15 33 or 05 53 23 86 22 or visit http://www.arcadesinfo.com/

Sunday 12th February at 4 pm Oboe Piano Duets by Laurent Gignoux and Hervé N’Kaoua

Programme: Mendelssohn Sonata op 4 in F min. for violin and piano (transcribed for oboe); Schubert Klavierstücke D960 nos. 1 and 2 (piano solo); Clara Schumann Three Romances op 22 for violin (transcribed for oboe); Chopin Nocturnes op 9 nos. 2 and 3 (piano solo); Brahms Sonata in E min. for cello and piano Op. 38 (transcribed for oboe). Intermissions followed by more works by Dietrich, Brahms, Schumann, Liszt and Kalliwoda. Both musicians have won prestigious international awards for their solo and ensemble performances and both continue their international careers whilst enjoying teaching our next generation of musicians.

Exhibition - paintings and pigments in prehistoric art 5th-26th February “The secret of the land” by Claudie and Francis Hunziger (loaned by the Departmental Archives of the Dordogne) & “Ancestral Life” by Corinne Tichadou. Issigeac tourist office. Tue-Sat from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 5.30 pm, Sun from 10 am to 12.30 pm. Closed on Mondays. Free admission.

BOOKSTOP screenings Dan Bessie’s 2017 season in UNDERSTANDING FILM

WHEN: Sunday 12th February at 2 pm and the second Sunday of each month to October. With discussion and a refreshment break, a few programmes may be longer than the average of 2 hours and 30 minutes. WHERE: Bookstop, 19 rue Victor Hugo, Brantôme RESERVATIONS: Please contact Howard on 06 51 45 57 49 or via email at bookstop24@gmail.com. We have room for up to 20 (no need to register for the entire series). FEE: €7.50 - Includes tea or coffee (maybe popcorn too!) Cake and other items will be available for purchase. First screening is the lesser known but highly acclaimed INTO THE WEST. Adapted from an Irish legend, the story finds a single-minded horse leading two traveler boys on a poignant adventure. Live action and not a fantasy film; adults will be as caught up in it as will teens who are already fans of serious stories. THE DISCUSSION: We’ll talk about what goes into the making of the films, content, construction, creative decision-making, and the role of the director, actors, technicians and the critical reception each film received. At the end of each programme Dan will present three choices for the subsequent screening. Overall, there’ll be an eclectic mix from several countries (Brazil, China, France, Greece, Japan, the US and the UK), from semi-ridiculous comedy to socially relevant drama to offbeat morality tales, with one session devoted to entertaining clips from a variety of films, and drawn from YouTube! As this is our first Brantôme series, please encourage friends to come. For questions and comments please contact Dan at at danbes@volcano.net

Sarlat Goose Festival – Fest’Oie On 4th and 5th March, Sarlat once again celebrates its favourite animal. With its noisy flocks of geese honking their way through the medieval town, countless stands offering regional produce, carcass soup (a local tradition) to warm visitors up, music from the banda, workshops and demonstrations by farmers and artisans, and free entertainment for the children, there is something for everyone! Not to mention the great banquet. Not to be missed, this gastronomic feast offers foie gras in abundance, prepared by the best sarladais chefs. To reserve contact the Sarlat tourist office tel 05 53 31 45 45. For more information about the events visit www.sarlat-tourisme.com/festoie

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Directeur: Steve Martindale Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve Martindale Siège Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois France SIRET: 514 989 748 00017

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20 ♦ WHAT’S ON