under lockdown

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UK unveils GHIC cards

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in short supply. The application process for the new cards has since gone live, along with images of what they will look like. The new cards are emblazoned with the Union Flag, with a second smaller flag as a hologram in the corner.

Some have accused the new design of feeding into the rising wave of British nationalism post-Brexit, as well as angering some in Northern Ireland. “The government recognises sensitivities around flags in Northern Ireland,” a statement on the government website reads. “As such, residents in Northern Ireland will be provided with an option to choose an alternative version of the GHIC card, which they will be able to apply for shortly.”

As further details emerged, it would appear that the only current difference between the EHIC and GHIC is that the “Global” version is in fact only valid for use within the EU, so unlike the EHIC – and British-issued EHIC going forwards – the GHIC will not now cover you in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, all members of the wider EEA/EFTA. The UK has stated that it is seeking to conclude new reciprocal social security and healthcare agreements with these states in the future.

Current EHIC cards remain valid until the expiry date shown – they are typically valid for five years – but on renewal, you will need to apply for the new GHIC card. Whilst

© Department of Health and Social Care

both cards entitle you to the same level of local cover as a resident of the country you are visiting, including treatment for chronic or pre-existing conditions, they are not a replacement for health insurance, and do not cover events such as holiday cancellation, mountain rescue and repatriation.

If you are French resident and have an EHIC card issued by the French health authorities, this will continue to be valid across the EU/EEA as well as the UK. ■

Raclette sales soar during lockdown

The first lockdown saw a boom for the eye makeup sector and a slump in lipstick sales, as the wearing of face masks became part of everyday life. The onset of colder weather and continued restrictions due to the current pandemic have also led to huge changes in our habits. The latest evidence of this is a surge in the sale of raclette machines, to the point where manufacturers are having to ramp up production to satisfy demand.

Retailer Darty has reported a 300% increase in sales, with Fnac and Boulanger also selling more than twice the usual number of raclette devices. Unsurprisingly, there has also been a similar surge in the sales of raclette cheese as more and more people choose the traditional comfort food on a cold winter's night.

The French have long loved raclette, which for many brings back happy memories of better times. “Raclette is a safe haven, cuddly and comforting... everyone wants raclette,” believes Pierre Gay a cheesemaker from Annecy, in Haute-Savoie. “It is a comfort dish for these troubled times.” According to one recent survey the French consume on average one kilogram of raclette each year and one third of the population claim that it is their favourite dish!

In further evidence of how many of us have been spending our time in recent months, the puzzle maker Ravensburg and the shoemaker Crocs have both also reported spikes in sales. ■

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Baker's hunger strike saves apprentice from deportation

Abaker from Besançon in eastern France has saved his apprentice from deportation after going on hunger strike in protest at the threat. Stéphane Ravacley had spent more than a year training Laye Fodé Traoré since taking him on in September 2019 after he arrived in France as an unaccompanied minor. The baker describes his charge as “a good kid”, but after he recently turned 18, the young Guinean was informed he faced being sent back to his homeland in West Africa.

The town's mayor, Anne Vignot, wrote to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin asking for Traoré to be allowed to stay in France, saying in her letter that “the desire to expel this future baker is incomprehensible”.

Stéphane went one step further and began a very public hunger strike in a bid to bring attention to the case and put pressure on the authorities. “My doctor tells me I'm in a fragile state, but I don't care. I know I'm right,” the 50-year-old said in the early days of his protest, adding that he had a history of blood circulation problems in his lungs.

The case drew widespread support, with 200,000 people signing a petition demanding the Guinean be allowed to stay. President Macron was among the politicians and highprofile celebrities to come out in support of his appeal.

After eight days without food, Stéphane was briefly admitted to hospital after collapsing getting out of his car, but on the tenth day it was announced that the appeal had been successful and the young apprentice had been given permission to stay in France. “Laye has been regularised! He is coming back to work on Tuesday!” said the baker, adding that the young man had “practically cried” on hearing the news. “He thanked his boss, his teachers and the French State. It is a great joy and a victory. Now we are going to fight for the others in the same position.” In 2019, France deported around 24,000 people. Around 140,000 people were given refugee status, including 5,000 from Guinea, while 113,000 foreign nationals gained French nationality, according to figures from the French Interior Ministry. ■

@francebleu / Twitter

Dordogne lagging on internet pledge

One of the government’s flagship projects is to provide high-speed internet to every home in the country. Originally launched in 2013, the plan aims to provide every household with “very highspeed internet” - which the government defines as a minimum of 30 Mb/s - by the end of 2022 and a fibre connection by 2025.

Whilst the roll-out of 4G has given more people access to “highspeed internet” (8 Mb/s), the Dordogne still has large areas with limited or no coverage and according to the government’s own figures, as of June last year just 10% of households have access to fibre. With 9% coverage, only the rural Ardèche department is less connected.

Elsewhere in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the Creuse has similar problems, whereas the Charente (20%) and Lot-et-Garonne (26%) fare much better and half of all households in the Gironde are already on fibre.

Presented with these figures, a spokesperson for the department remained philosophical: “44,000 households are in the process of being connected. The Dordogne is a very rural and sprawling department which has never been a priority for operators. Instead, the choice was made to increase speed before switching to fibre. We have also favoured physical infrastructure over aerial solutions, which takes longer to install.”

Despite the slow start, the department remains confident that all 300,000 households will be connected to fibre by the 2025 deadline, in a project that will have cost €475 million once complete. ■

Dordogne road deaths hit record low in 2020

One positive aspect of last year’s lockdowns was a reduction in the number of accidents on the department’s roads. Hot on the heals of record lows in 2019, figures have shown a further 20-25% reduction in accidents, injuries and deaths last year: after 24 road deaths two years ago, 19 people lost their lives in 2020.

In 2018, the government controversially reduced the national speed limit from 90 km/h to 80 km/h in a move that was one of the catalysts for the gilets jaunes movement that crippled the country. Supporters of the reduction have pointed to the lower traffic accident statistics as vindication of the government’s move, despite many departments subsequently rolling back the changes.

Whilst the lower number of deaths in 2019 may well have been at least partly due to the reduced speed limit, last year’s drop will to a large extent be a direct result of reduced traffic during the coronavirus pandemic; the fewer cars on the road, the fewer accidents occur. As is the case most years, July and August saw the most accidents in the Dordogne, as the department welcomed the usual influx of holidaymakers. ■

Scientists Bordeaux-ver the moon as wine returns

Adozen bottles of Bordeaux have landed safely back on planet Earth after spending a year aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Unfortunately for the astronauts, the wine was not there for drinking, but was instead part of a scientific research project contributing to understanding sustainable agriculture.

In November 2019, SpaceX launched the bottles of wine into space for an experiment run by the start-up Space Cargo Unlimited. The bottles were later joined by 320 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vine canes and spent about a year orbiting the Earth on the ISS while they aged. “Our goal is to tackle the solution of how we’re going to have an agriculture tomorrow that is both organic and healthy and able to feed humanity, and we think space has the key,” said Nicolas Gaume, CEO and co-founder of Space Cargo Unlimited.

After a successfully landing, the wines and vines were due to be flown to France for analysis by a team of specialists at the University of Bordeaux’s wine institute, the ISVV. The samples will also be compared against control samples that stayed behind on Earth. Scientists hope that testing the effects of extreme stresses on the plants, caused by extended periods of zero gravity, could help design more robust crops. “We’re going to look at everything that has evolved,” Gaume said. “We’ll do a whole genome sequencing of the plants, to provide a clear view of all the DNA changes that could have happened during the stay on the ISS.”

If the experiments are successful, there may also be a longer-term benefit, with future astronauts potentially able to enjoy a glass with their evening meal: “Being French, it’s part of life to have some good food and good wine!” Gaume confirmed.

The bottles of wine were each encased in a metal tube during their space adventure, but remained corked during the journey. Space Cargo Unlimited said that they plan to open two of the bottles later in February in the presence of some of the country’s top wine experts in what will probably be Earth’s first tasting session of Space-wine. ■

Credit: NASA/Roscosmos / Wikipedia (2018)

36-38 rue du Temple, 24500 EYMET Tel: 05 53 27 83 45 Email: info@agence-eleonor.com Web: www.agence-eleonor.com Offi ces in: Eymet, Villeréal, St. Cyprien, Monpazier, Bergerac, Lalinde, Issigeac and Ste. Foy-la-Grande

Ref: 9199-EY 381,600 € HAI DPE: Vierge

Large property comprising a 4-bed main house with attached barns, a 2-bed house for modernisation and a house requiring complete renovation. 3 ½ acres of land with a large barn, 2 ponds & a spring. Taux d’honoraires 21,600€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 9197-MO 160,500 € HAI DPE: D

6 km from a village with amenities, this house comprises an entrance, kitchen, sitting room with fi replace, 3 bedrooms, bathroom, utility room and garage. ¼ acre of garden with a pool. Taux d’honoraires 10,500€ (7%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur Ref: 9188-MO 206,700 € HAI DPE: Vierge

Rare opportunity to buy this fantastic, fully renovated town house with courtyard. Located in a quiet street. Excellent short term lettings investment, ideal lock and leave holiday home, comfortable main house. Taux d’honoraires 11,700€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 9182-MO 294,250 € HAI DPE: C

South facing, with panoramic views and a 11x5 m swimming pool, this house is split into two separate 2-bed apartments but could easily be used as one large main house. On just under ½ acre of garden with a garage.

Taux d’honoraires 19,250€ (7%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur Ref: 9169-EY 151,200 € HAI DPE: N/R

Only 2 mins from a historic village with all amenities, this countryside property consists of a 2-bed farmhouse to fi nish renovating, adjoining barn, a large barn and a tobacco barn on over an acre of land. Taux d’honoraires 11,200€ (8%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 9170-EY 50,000 € HAI DPE: N/R

In the countryside but close to a historic village with amenities, bungalow and adjoining outbuilding to renovate. Entrance hall, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room. Great potential! Taux d’honoraires 5,000€ (forfait) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

www.agence-eleonor.com

Agence Eleonor Estate Agency are recruiting for our offi ces in Eymet, Villeréal and Sainte-Foy, please contact Terrie Simpson by email: info@agence-eleonor.com. We are looking for motivated individuals with good communication skills who enjoy working as part of a Team. Experience not necessary as full training will be given.

Agence Eleonor - Bergerac

19 rue du Colonel de Chadois, 24100 BERGERAC Tel: 05 53 27 89 59 - Email: bergerac@agence-eleonor.com

Ref: 9143-BGC 441,000 € HAI

Stone property of approximately 175 m2 with breathtaking views, 20 minutes from Bergerac. Set in an idyllic, calm and rural area. The grounds of approximately 1,750 m2 make this property a must see! DPE: Vierge

Taux d’honoraires 21,000€ (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 9067-BGC 971,850 € HAI

Stunning 18th C castle property on ≈5 acres. Five reception rooms, 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. Guest house to renovate. Swimming pool with pool house. Minutes from the centre of Bergerac. DPE: Vierge Ref: 8607-BGC 392,200 € HAI

A lovely longère about 160 m2 , with 5 bedrooms, a swimming pool and, outbuildings (about 200 m2) on 5,4 acres of land less than 20 minutes from Bergerac. DPE: C

Taux d’honoraires 22,000€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 8514-BGC 599,999 € HAI

Exceptional 5-bed property on 26 acres of fenced, landscaped land with panoramic views. Garden, woods, pond, lake in a calm area. Spacious main house, bright comfortable and ecological, apartment and outbuildings. DPE: A

Agence Eleonor - Lalinde

19 rue des Déportés, 24150 LALINDE Tel: 05 53 73 30 62 - Email: lalinde@agence-eleonor.com

Ref: 8991-LA 525,000 € HAI

At the end of a private lane, with a private entrance. 270 m² in total, more than 9 hectares of land, currently used as a little farm. 4 bedrooms, possible to add a 5th bedroom suite on the ground fl oor. DPE: D

Taux d’honoraires 25,000€ (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 8879-LA 160,500 € HAI

This 3 story building from the 1900s. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large living room, plus 100 m² barn, a 45 m² cellar with an extra kitchen, a well, a bread oven and a 40 m² garage. 1000 m² land. DPE: E Ref: 9053-LA 551,250 € HAI

Large Périgord farm house with a private lime tree driveway on 13 hectares of land. The 225 m2 property comprises 4 bedrooms: 2 on the ground floor and 1 with private bathroom and dressing. DPE: D

Taux d’honoraires 26,250 € (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur

Ref: 8840-LA 330,000 € HAI

Traditional Perigourdine house of 170 m² recently renovated with garage and cellar, all on over 1.2 hectares of fl at land. With pond and veggie patch. 4 Bedrooms, 2 with private bathrooms, 1 on ground fl oor. DPE: D