May 2, 2008: What do you want to read about on Aude France?
Comments: 1 | Categories: Daily life in France , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France , Travel , Weblogs
So ... what would you like me to write about on Aude France? You can add a comment, send me an email, or you can use the new little Skribit box to the left and add something there. I'd really appreciate the feedback.

February 28, 2008: Corbieres Garden - Late February
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Daily life in France , Living and working in France
A little rain for the garden and voila! - more flowers My garden seems to be happy with the little bit of rain we've had over the few days. Very little, we need a lot more. The daffodils have been...

February 27, 2008: Website design and web development in Languedoc, France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Weblogs
Website designer - one of my day jobs I've been designing websites for about 9 years. My first site was Ode to Aude. I was starting to look for a house here and needed a way to keep track of...

February 22, 2008: Late February, early morning - Corbieres
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France
Well earlyish anyway! I wish I could include the sounds of the birds in the post. It was about 7 a.m. when I took the first picture and it was silent and still. 15 minutes later the air was filled...

February 15, 2008: Bike Rental in the Aude
Comments: 4 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Travel
Rent a bicycle for your holiday in the Aude - and have it delivered to your gite! Mellow Velos is a terrific idea. They rent bicycles in the Aude. That in itself is good news. They also deliver them to...

February 14, 2008: At the Vival in Montlaur
Comments: 0 | Categories: Daily life in France , Living and working in France
So cute ... so big!!!!

February 1, 2008: Customer Support Call Centres in France
Comments: 2 | Categories: Daily life in France , Living and working in France
.. plus ca change ... Customer Support call centres are probably the same the world over. Unfortunately. In France there's a nice little wrinkle - the call isn't free. The time that you're on hold waiting for a live person...

January 29, 2008: I Know it isn't Spring in the Aude Yet But ...
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France
... it feels like spring. On Sunday I saw an almond tree in bloom near Servies-en-Val and saw a couple more today on the way to Carcassonne. It's very early for them to be blooming, usually it's mid-February before they...

January 15, 2008: New Number Plate System in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Daily life in France , Living and working in France
New laws in France only work if the French want them to work It's worth reading the article in the Independent about changes ot the system of issuing number (licence) plates to cars in France. The Aude is one of...

November 19, 2007: Autumn in the Corbieres
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
Just outside of Monze, a wine making village in the Corbieres, about 15 minutes south east of Carcassonne.

November 10, 2007: France and Dog Poo
Comments: 1 | Categories: Daily life in France , Living and working in France , Travel
The end of dog poo on French sidewalks? One can only hope. But ... this is France and it often seems that people choose which laws they want to obey. It seems to me that there isn't as much dog...

October 31, 2007: Halloween in France
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
It's Halloween I don't know if Halloween is the same all over France but in the Aude they do something that seems very odd to me. It may only be in Narbonne but during the day children in costumes -...

October 26, 2007: Learning to write an e-mail in French
Comments: 0 | Categories: Daily life in France , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France
Tools to help you write French Does the thought of having to write something in French strike fear in your heart? Me too. It's quite possible that some of the things I've written are circulating the internet as thigh-slappingly funny...

October 25, 2007: French Bank Holidays - 2008
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
Public holidays in France - 2008 1 January 2008 New Year's Day 24 March Easter Monday 1 May Ascention Day 1 May Labour Day 8 May Fête de la Victoire 1945 - WWII Victory Day 14 July Bastille Day -...

October 23, 2007: Transferring Money to France for a house purchase
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
Reliable, fast, cheap currency transfer to France Usually I deal with people who have signed a compromis de vente for a property purchase in France and now have to transfer the deposit. They also have to transfer the balance of...

October 22, 2007: The Spice Lady at the Market in Carcassonne
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
The spice lady I've been buying herbs and spices from Martine Machuron - the 'spice lady' - for 7 years. Before I moved to France I used to go to the Lezignan market to buy the best herbs de province...

October 21, 2007: Lagrasse Brocante
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
A vide grenier in Lagrasse ... .. is not exactly like other vide-greniers in the Aude. At least not like the ones I go to. It's usually combined with a Foire Brocante which means that there is more expensive stuff...

October 19, 2007: An Afternoon in Narbonne
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Aude France images , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
October is a beautiful time to visit Narbonne Autumn is my favourite time of the year in the south of France. The weather is usually perfect, restaurants and bars haven't yet closed for the winter, it's a perfect time for...

October 16, 2007: Parking in Perpignan
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
I didn't get lost! I don't often go to Perpignan because I usually get lost, don't find what I'm looking for, and end up being very frustrated. Today I didn't get lost. I knew where I wanted to end up...

October 16, 2007: Autumn Colours in the South of France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
Fall colours in the Aude If you aren't North American you probably don't have any idea what 'fall colours in the Aude' means. You may even have to be from the eastern part of North America, I don't know. Fall...

October 15, 2007: Lost and Found at Geant 2, Carcassonne
Comments: 0 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude
Lost my earring A couple of weeks ago I was putting groceries in the back of my car at Geant La Cite and somehow snagged my earring in my collar. The back fell into a grocery bag but the earring...

October 13, 2007: World Cup, Anyone?
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Travel
I think Flo's a Party Girl Tonight France is playing England in the Rugby World Cup and Flo is ready. She dressed for the game before she went to work this morning. Not that she has tickets. She lives in...

October 12, 2007: Last Day of the Vendange at Domneuve
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
This afternoon they finished picking the grapes at the Celliers des Troubadours. At lunch time they discovered that the part of the mechanical picker that separates the grapes from the leaves wasn't working and that it would take a day...

October 7, 2007: Stuffed Squirrel in Trebes
Comments: 2 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
Today at the vide grenier in Trebes ... I saw the stuffed squirrel. It's back. I haven't seen it for more than a year. I thought someone had finally bought it and given it a home. No, there it was,...

October 3, 2007: Vendange 2007 - Domneuve - The Harvest
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
I can't remember if this is the 5th or 6th vendange for the Celliers des Troubadours. It's the 4th one since I moved to Domneuve. For the first time they picked grapes on Sunday, working all day. It was still...

September 30, 2007: Fresh Fig and Walnut Bread - or Cake - Recipe
Comments: 2 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France
The figs are ripe - although not a big crop this year. The summer was too dry. I wanted a recipe for fresh figs but I didn't want Fig Bars. I assume that they're like Fig Newtons and I hate...

September 28, 2007: Geneva
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
6 hours in Geneva Did I mention that it was about 7 pm when I finally arrived in Geneva on Wednesday? And that R was understandably crabby but heroically restrained himself. We were supposed to be meeting a friend for...

September 27, 2007: Driving to Geneva
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
Yesterday there was a full moon ... Are you expecting me to wax poetic about seeing the moon rise over the lake in Geneva? Don't. It's not that kind of post. I had planned to get up early yesterday so...

September 25, 2007: France - Hotels on the Auto Route
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
If you've ever driven on any of the auto routes in France you'll have noticed that some of the aires - service areas - have hotels. And, if you're like me, you've wondered why anyone would want to stay in...

September 25, 2007: Alfred, the hatmaker of Montpellier - from This French Life
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: Alfred, the hatmaker of Montpellier : This French Life. A convoluted reference on my part. An interesting post about the owner of the hat shop in Montpelier from Craig McGinty, written by Jeremy Josephs.

September 23, 2007: Gardening in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France
Sad Lavender in a Sad Garden Not only are my dogs and cats annoyed that I was away all summer, my garden is also upset. Sad, in fact. I'd describe myself as a Darwinian gardener. My garden has to survive...

June 3, 2007: Church on a hill in the Corbieres
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
This is where I want to live - Have you ever driven past something for years and never noticed it? And, once you do notice it, wonder how you have possibly missed it? I must have driven past this church...

June 1, 2007: Toulouse - Fondation Bemberg
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Travel
Art in Toulouse Fondation Bemberg Place Assezat, 31000 Toulouse, France - 05 61 12 06 89 After all these years I finally made it to the Fondation Bemberg in Toulouse this week. I'll go again. I fully expected to like...

May 27, 2007: Decisions, decisions
Comments: 0 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Stuff
I seem to be having trouble with the big decisions today. Should I go for a walk? Or a bike ride? Or sew? If I sew do I want to make shorts, or pajama bottoms, or a top? Or do...

May 25, 2007: Lunch in Carcassonne, or, I was a Panna Cotta Virgin
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
L'Endroit, a restaurant in Carcassonne 18 rue de l'Aigle d'Or 0468 71 00 20 open Tuesday through Saturday. Yesterday a friend and I met for lunch in Carcassonne. I never have a clue where to eat and usually end up...

April 2, 2007: audexchange
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Shopping in the Aude
Sort of like Freecycle™ in the Aude - but different Keith Redfern has set up a Google group called audexchange for those of us in the Aude. It's a simple concept. Join the group and then list anything you don't...

March 29, 2007: Pictures of the Corbieres
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
Well, one picture of the Corbieres and a couple of sheep in the Corbieres Today I went to look at some land in the middle of the Corbieres. Beautiful views, a sunny day, it was lovely.

March 25, 2007: Sunday in Limoux with Mom
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
My mother arrived yesterday for her first visit to this part of France. She's staying at Le Monastere in Limoux for two weeks as part of a group of 4 Canadian women. It's perfect because for two weeks she'll be...

March 23, 2007: TVA on Renovating a Property in France
Comments: 1 | Categories: Cheap houses for sale in the Aude , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
It's confusing even in English I find a lot of things in France confusing and assumed that it's because my French language skills leave something to be desired. Apparently that's not the only reason, some things are just confusing. A...

March 15, 2007: This Weekend in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
If you're planning to be in the Aude this coming weekend, March 16th thru March 18, there's a lot going on. You can choose from a ceramics open-house in Limoux or a Music and Poetry Festival in La Cite in...

March 2, 2007: The cost of living in France: This French Life
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: The cost of living in France: This French Life. This will help you plan life in France.

February 25, 2007: Spring in the Aude - could it be?
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
My daffodils think that spring is here So do the almond trees - always an indicator of almost spring in the Aude We haven't really had winter and we still need rain but it certainly feels like spring. I hope...

February 18, 2007: A Day at the Farm
Comments: 2 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
Well, not a day exactly Last week I listed a farm for sale near Castelnaudary and Mirepoix. It's lovely if you're looking for a property with a bit of land - 5 hectares - a great view, a renovated house...

February 16, 2007: Morning Coffee in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France
Cafe It's always fascinated me to see people rush into a cafe in France, head to the counter, order un cafe - which comes in a tiny cup - toss it back, drop some coins on the counter, and leave....

February 15, 2007: Becoming Multi-lingual in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
Learning a new language No, not French. Brit. As opposed to English. I'm Canadian, I already speak English. It's Brit that I have trouble with. I was writing a post about a blood donor clinic on Audecentric when I realized...

February 14, 2007: Art in Fabrezan - Clos de Souquet
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude
Le Clos de Souquets in Fabrezan Last night the Clos de Souquet had a triple opening and the place was packed. The triple occasion was the opening of the restaurant for the season, more than a month earlier than usual,...

February 14, 2007: Starting a Business in France: This French Life
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: Review of Starting a Business in France: This French Life. If you're planning to live permanently in France and to earn a living you're probably going to start your own business. Based on Craig's review this sounds like a...

February 8, 2007: Communes in the Aude - a challenge
Comments: 4 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Travel
Do you live in one of the 438 communes in the Aude Or own a vacation home in an Aude village? Did you spend a memorable vacation in the Aude? Show us your pictures. I had a notion that someday...

February 7, 2007: And they call meringue meringay
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
They call the wind meringue A while ago I posted about the way locals pronounce marin. To me it sounds like meringue and I spent quite a while thinking that the south wind was call the Meringue. Today I was...

February 5, 2007: Art Cards from the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
Happy Birthday Valentine's Day Cards Lovely cards for any occasion from Arts-et-Cartes. This is the online shop for a group of artists all living in the Aude. As far as I can tell some of the cards are reproductions of...

February 4, 2007: What's on in the Aude?
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Travel
Do you live in the Aude? Are you planning to buy a house here? Or do you already have a vacation home here? Wouldn't it be nice to find out about things before they happen? I always seem to find...

February 3, 2007: Canadian Blogger in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Weblogs
This is a blatant example of shameless self-promotion It's nice to be thought of as a Canadian blogger Because I am a Canadian blogger, I just don't blog about Canada. Well, I do when I'm in Canada but mostly I'm...

February 2, 2007: Working in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
If you're thinking about moving permanently to France and working here Craig McGinty as a post about reciprocal recognition of qualifications that's a good starting place to gather information. thisfrenchlife.com: Open up France with your skills.

February 1, 2007: 8 hours in La Jonquiera - epilogue
Comments: 1 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Travel
We're all back in the Aude, safe and sound with a new clutch cable Monday - another trip to La Jonquiera Lynn and Steve, good friends extraordinaire, made another trip to La Jonquiera on Monday. This time it was to...

January 31, 2007: 8 hours in La Jonquiera - part 4
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Travel
I get rescued Read part 1 - in which my clutch cable breaks Read part 2 - in which I finally find the French for clutch cable Read part 3 - in which I finally get to Figueres Meanwhile, back...

January 30, 2007: 8 hours in La Jonquiera - part 3
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Travel
Right, so what now? Read part 1 - in which my clutch cable breaks Read part 2 - in which I finally find the French from clutch cable Taking the road less traveled I remembered the tollbooth guy saying "mecanicien,...

January 30, 2007: Canada's 'smart female bloggers'
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Stuff , Weblogs
A Challenge: Who are Canada's 'smart female bloggers'? Liberal Catnip is a blog about Canadian politics. She has a post in response to a post from someone else about someone else's post - too complicated to explain but you can...

January 29, 2007: 8 hours in La Jonquiera - part 2
Comments: 2 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Travel
In which I discover the French for clutch cable Read part 1 in which I start my quest for the French for clutch cable. Killing time It was incredibly windy yesterday. The drive from Narbonne to Perpignan was a battle...

January 28, 2007: 8 hours in La Jonquiera - part 1
Comments: 4 | Categories: Aude day trips , Aude France images , Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Travel
What's the French for clutch cable? Spanish Adventures It was 10 degrees in Figueres yesterday. I think. I was there for 20 minutes and didn't get out of the car. Yesterday morning I headed off to Figueres for warmth and...

January 27, 2007: Surviving Winter in the Aude
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France
Baby it's cold inside It does get cold in the south of France First, let me say that I'm not a fan of winter, at least not cold winter. I'm not a fan of really hot summer weather either but...

January 26, 2007: France - smoking ban in effect February 1, 2007
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
Time to quit smoking in France The first phase of the French government's ban on smoking in public places takes effect on February 1, 2007. As of that date smoking is banned in enclosed spaces and covered spaces that are...

January 24, 2007: Winter arrives in the Aude- the shepherd was right!
Comments: 2 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
It's winter in the south of France The shepherd called it, he said winter would arrive on Tuesday, and it did. In case we didn't get it, nature decided to demonstrate the variety of winter weather available. In the course...

January 21, 2007: Seven chefs all stirring
Comments: 2 | Categories: Birth of a blog , Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Weblogs
Need chefs who can write - or not write. Originally published on January 8, 2007 Do you know any chefs? Do your kids know any chefs? Maybe your friends do. I need your help finding a chef - 5, 6,...

January 19, 2007: Tap water or Toilet Water
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
Interesting and informative post on Paris water wars from Charles Bremner's Paris Weblog. And a great image from Cristaline's ad campaign.

January 19, 2007: Shepherd predicts arrival of winter in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Travel
"On Tuesday, it will be winter" We've had a very mild winter in the Aude so far this year. Lots of days where it's warm enough to have lunch outside and not need a jacket. Glorious. Except. We need rain....

January 14, 2007: The road to Camplong in the Aude, Languedoc
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
Camplong, in the Corbieres. January 14, 2007

January 14, 2007: Find the Population of any Town or Village in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France , Travel
What's the population of Carcassonne, or of Montlaur, or Fontcouverte? Or any town in the Aude? 44,000, 522, and 425, respectively. And it's easy to find out. L'encyclopedie des Villes de France is a wealth of demographic information. Enter the...

January 13, 2007: Adventures in Blogging
Comments: 1 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Weblogs
Here one minute, gone the next I host and maintain the back-end (the stuff behind the scenes) of reed writes, a blog by Canadian journalist Jim Reed. Yesterday I sent it soaring off into the ether. You'd think after all...

January 11, 2007: First day of the winter sales in Paris
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel , Weblogs
The politics behind the sales in France It's worth taking a minute to read Charles Bremner's post - Winter Sales, Paris Style. Sales in Paris started at 8 am this year, rather than at 9.30. At the large departments stores...

January 10, 2007: Comfort Food - recipe for Gratin Dauphinois (or Scalloped Potatoes)
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Weblogs
Cheese and carbs - the ultimate comfort combination! Closed for Flu I have flu. Not to accuse anyone but .... my daughter got sick on Dec 30th. I came back to France on Jan 3 and got sick on Friday...

January 7, 2007: Before you look at houses for sale in the Aude - part 3
Comments: 2 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
More tips to help you buy property in the Aude, or anywhere in France French Home Truths Be realistic If your budget is 100,000 euros be realistic about what you can buy. I know that you really want a renovated...

January 7, 2007: Winter Sales in the Aude - Soldes d'Hiver
Comments: 0 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
Sales in the Aude start on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - Gird your loins and prepare to shop 'til you drop. In France the dates that shops and stores can have sales are regulated by the government. There are 2...

January 5, 2007: Skype - lost the plot?
Comments: 4 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France
Is Skype crazy? Skype rant From the Skype web site - my emphasis On January 18th 2007 we will announce an innovative and disruptive pricing structure to give Skype users even more exciting and cost effective ways to keep in...

January 5, 2007: Tongue in Cheek - a blog about living in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel , Weblogs
Tongue in Cheek is Corey Amaro's blog about living in France. Beautiful pictures and lots of great brocante finds

January 5, 2007: Beautiful Moleskins pages
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Stuff , Weblogs
P7240181_web Originally uploaded by Kathrin Jebsen-Marwedel. Kathrin Jebsen-Marwedel has wonderful images in her flick sets of Moleskin pages. Be careful, it's hard not to look at them all and realize that hours have past. Good when you're looking for inspiration...

January 4, 2007: Flaw in Adobe PDF Software
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Stuff , Weblogs
Explorer 6 and Firefox targeted by flaw in Adobe Reader From CBC and The Associated Press Computer security researchers said Wednesday they have discovered a vulnerability in Adobe Systems Inc.'s ubiquitous Acrobat Reader software that allows cyber-intruders to attack personal...

January 4, 2007: French Bank holidays - 2007 - Public Holidays in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
1 January New Year's Day (Monday) 8 April Easter (Sunday) 9 April Easter (Monday) 1 May Labour Day (Tuesday) 8 May Fête de la Victoire 1945 - WWII Victory Day (Tuesday) 17 May Ascension Day (Thursday) 28 May Whitmonday 14...

January 2, 2007: Geoportail - aerial map of France
Comments: 2 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France , Travel , Weblogs
Mapping France GeoPortail is a French Government sponsored map site. Right now it offer maps or aerial views and in 2007 will also have 3D views of France. In the future there will also be comprehensive communal information. It's an...

January 1, 2007: Ethiopian Food in Toronto
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
One of the things I miss in the Aude is ethnic food. Food that isn't French or 'frenchified'. Toronto is a terrific place for ethnic food. On Saturday we went to Addis Ababa - 1184 Queen Street West for anyone...

January 1, 2007: Procrastination and eating frogs
Comments: 0 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Stuff
Yeah, yeah, it's on my list! My ability to procrastinate has grown over time. Or my ability to distinguish between what's important and what isn't has shrunk. Both have reached levels that need to be addressed. It's a new year,...

December 31, 2006: Ode to Aude - all singing all dancing
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France , Stuff
New design for Ode to Aude OK, so it's not all singing all dancing but I have finally redesigned Ode to Aude and cleaned out all the links that didn't work. Look Ma, no tables For those of you who...

December 31, 2006: And the French for timing belt is ...
Comments: 2 | Categories: Life's Little Mysteries , Living and working in France , Stuff , Weblogs
... courroie crantée Finally! The answer to the question I posed in November, 2004 - What's the French for Timing Belt? Thank you Craig McGinty. and This French Life.He posted about FreeLang, a site offering free dictionaries to download. There...

December 27, 2006: Chat en Oeuf Wine
Comments: 1 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
Brilliant! And it tastes good too! and for those of us who didn't get it ...

December 25, 2006: Aude (11) - Pharmacies by town
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
A list of pharmacies in the Aude, alphabetically by town. Link: Aude (11) - Pharmacies - class�s par ville.

December 20, 2006: Find a therapist in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Stuff
Dealing with everyday stress in a foreign country If you're the kind of person who would never get help from a therapist then this post isn't for you. If, on the other hand, you sometimes need some outside help with...

December 9, 2006: Want to buy a cheap house in the Aude? Renovate!
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
It's the same old story, if you want to buy a house in the Aude and your budget is limited the very best deal is to buy a property that needs some work. To renovate. A limited budget isn't the...

December 9, 2006: Handcrafted jewelry in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude
If you're looking for a Christmas gift for someone special you might want to check out Lunes - at 21 rue des Vignerons in Luc sur Orbieu. Call ahead for opening hours - 0468 27 69 95 Kylee Milner creates...

December 5, 2006: The Aude - Domneuve - morning - Dec 5, 2006
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Travel
This morning, risking life and limb, confronting my fear of heights, I went out to the edge of the catwalk above the wine cuves to talke pictures of the dawn and the morning mist. (OK, it wasn't that bad!)

December 5, 2006: Before you look at houses for sale in the Aude - part 2
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
Do your homework before you look at properties for sale in France Step by step guide to finding a house in the Aude Second in a series of posts about buying real estate in the Aude in the south of...

December 2, 2006: November light in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
Painters and their critics have raved about the light in the south of France for a very long time. It's all been said. And it's true. The light in the Aude is wonderful. And November is amazing. It's a softer...

December 1, 2006: Playing Post Office in Montlaur
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France
When I went to the post office in Montlaur today the door was closed. On sunny days the door is always open and this was definitely a sunny day. I turned the handle and pushed. Nothing. It seemed to be...

November 29, 2006: Narbonne
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Aude France images , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
Narbonne doesn't 'sing' to me and I'm not sure why. All the ingredients are there. The Canal du Robine running through the city, a market every morning in Les Halles, a very impressive cathedral, lots of restaurants, a theatre. It should work but, for me, it doesn't. I don't feel a buzz, that energy that makes a city 'sympa'.

November 27, 2006: Aude France on This French Life
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Stuff , Weblogs
Thanks to Craig McGinty at This French Life for his 'review' of Aude France.

November 27, 2006: Soreze - in the Tarn
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Living and working in France , Travel
Sorreze in the Tarn - an easy day trip if you're in the Aude On the A 61 before the Castelnaudary exit - or before the Villefranche exit - there's a sign for Soreze. It shows an octagonal church tower....

November 26, 2006: Before you look at houses for sale in the Aude - part 1
Comments: 2 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
A village house is a village house but the Corbieres is not the Razes So you want to buy a house in the Aude What now? It depends on whether or not you know the Aude. If you do, skip...

November 25, 2006: The market in Revel
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude day trips , Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
Saturday morning market in Revel The market in Revel - in department 31, the Haute Garonne, not the Aude - is classed as either one of the 100 most beautiful markets in France or one of the 10 most beautiful....

November 24, 2006: This is your life. Live it.
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Stuff , Weblogs
Thanks to gapingvoid for the inspiration. This is a very personal post but does relate to France. Really. It's where I live my life. This is your life, live it. Don't reach the end of your life regretting the things...

November 22, 2006: Fried eggs in France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Stuff , Travel , Weblogs
And in the weird food tips category - There are cooking times for eggs on the inside of the carton of the eggs I buy in France - not a bad idea I suppose. There is also the strangest egg...

November 19, 2006: Homps - Restaurant les Tonneliers
Comments: 1 | Categories: Aude France images , Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
I keep going back for the steak frites The Restaurant les Tonneliers is my favourite restaurant in Homps. Of course it's the only restaurant I've actually been to in Homps. The formule express - 13.00 euros, is a salad, steak...

November 17, 2006: Retrieving France Telecom messages
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France , Stuff
France Telecom Messagerie - 3125 Have you had the message beeping tone on your phone but when you try to access the message the recording says you don't have any? Do you retrieve your messages by dialling 3125? If so...

November 15, 2006: Vide grenier, LaRedorte, 19 Nov
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Shopping in the Aude , Travel
Vide Grenier - LaRedorte Nov. 19, 2006 If you're in the Aude this coming Sunday, November 19, plan to go to the vide grenier in LaRedorte. Think of all the cheap Christmas gifts you can buy. I'm still Christmas shopping,...

November 14, 2006: Mirepoix Cathedral Christmas Carol Service 2006
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
Mirepoix Cathedral Christmas Carols Sunday Dec 17, 2006 at 17.00 Last year a friend and I went to the Christmas Carol service in Mirepoix and it was lovely. Music in a mediaeval cathedral and the opportunity to sing your favourite...

November 12, 2006: Village House with a Garden in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
If you're budget is under 150,000 euros you're not likely to find a house with a garden in the Aude Are you having trouble finding a village house with a garden for sale in the Aude? Do you send e-mail...

November 11, 2006: Charity shops in Carcassonne
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Stuff , Travel
If you're Canadian think Goodwill, Sally Ann, those kinds of stores. If you're British think Oxfam. The kinds of operations that often include some kind of workshop where donated articles are cleaned up, repaired, and then sold. Or just sold...

November 11, 2006: More to life in the Aude than just working
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Stuff
You may have noticed that the posts on this blog are less real estate in the Aude focused than they once were. And more frequent. When I started this 2 years ago it really did have a real estate foucs....

November 9, 2006: Boules in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
Boules - or is it Petanque? I googled boules and the Wikipedia short definition - Boules /bul/ is a collective name for games played with metal balls - made me think of some business deals I've been involved in. Discover...

November 8, 2006: 300 Days of sunshine a year in the Aude
Comments: 1 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France , Travel
300 days of sunshine Have you noticed how many websites devoted to Languedoc Roussillon say that on average we get 300 days of sunshine a year? I think one of mine says that, or one of my old ones said...

November 6, 2006: Do your homework before you move to France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
Do your homework before you move to France If you're thinking about moving to France check Don't Move to France - until you've done your homework. It has a lot of information about living in France, pros and cons re...

November 6, 2006: Counting sheep in French - a 2000 word post
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
Because a picture is worth 1000 words. (And it's taken me hours to fix my design - a coding booboo on my part)

November 4, 2006: FREE - restored house on former domaine in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
Free: Fully restored master's house on former wine domaine near Laredorte Is it possible? Can you actualy get this 5 br, 500 m2 house with a 2 1/2 acre walled park for free? Yes. If you have 1,350,000 euros to...

November 3, 2006: Learn to speak French in just 4 1/2 years
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France , Travel
Can you tell that I've been reading an article about creating compelling headlines? Did the headline grab you? What I really want to say is "When you're ready to buy property in the Aude, PICK ME! PICK ME!" but I...

November 2, 2006: Aude plus sheep equals cheese
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Travel
MMMMMMM ... French cheese. So many choices. Runny, smelly, hard, soft, crumbly, young, aged, cows' milk, ewes' milk, goats' milk, crusty, veined, I could go on and on. I blame it on the sheep. I saw them on Saturday on...

November 1, 2006: Vide grenier in Fabrezan in the Aude, France
Comments: 4 | Categories: Living and working in France
A friend and I went to a vide grenier in Fabrezan today. He's furnishing a house and is in the market for almost everything. I'm looking for really nice old linen sheets and for Christmas presents - in a couple...

November 1, 2006: So why the south of France?
Comments: 9 | Categories: Aude property listings , Food and Drink , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France , Travel
Why France? Why the Aude? More specifically, why the Aude? What is it that draws you here? The food, the wine, the climate, the landscape, the slower pace? Is it a long held dream or something you just decided recently?...

October 29, 2006: Cats and dogs
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
No, not rain. It's been a gorgeous weekend. Yesterday was absolute perfection. About 24 degrees, sunny, clear blue sky, no breeze, an autumn day defined. I spent the evening with friends, sitting outside on their terrace. I came home and...

October 28, 2006: Trying to buy a chateau - 3
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
Did they get to see the chateau? Are they going to buy it? Yesterday morning - Friday - was a circus of missed calles, concurrent calls, subsequent calls and messages. Finally the client, the listing agent and I agreed to...

October 27, 2006: St Pierre des Champs, near Lagrasse
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
When you think about a small village in the south of France what do you imagine? Before I came to the Aude I had no idea how small a small village could be. 127 people. Or how wonderful. A chateau...

October 27, 2006: Lauragais near Salles-sur-l'Hers
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Real estate in France
A few days ago I posted a picture of my favourite view in the Aude. A friend commented that it wasn't very spectacular, that there are better views in this part of France. No argument there. It made me think...

October 26, 2006: Still trying to buy a chateau
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Real estate in France
The whole chateau thing keeps getting stranger. My client finally insisted in speaking directly with the listing agent. Fine with me. they're both French and I'm sure whoever yells the loudest will win. Apparently it was my client because I...

October 24, 2006: My favourite view in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude France images , Living and working in France , Travel
This is my favourite view in the Aude. It's just outside of Monze, a small village between Carcassonne and Lagrasse. I pass it almost every day and I always slow down to look. I love the little bridge, the winding...

October 23, 2006: You may need to be North American
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
I keep saying that I'm going to take pictures of signs that strike me as funny - and then I forget. Today I took this, of a cafe in Carcassonne. I was going to take one of the awning but...

July 16, 2006: Brocante in Lagrasse
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
A brocante is an upscale vide grenier, nicer stuff, cleaned up, better displays, higher prices. Lagrasse has 3 or 4 brocantes every summer. I didn't even realize there was one today until I drove into the village. It's a glorious...

July 9, 2006: Rosemary, Thyme and Broom
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Today I drove to Molieres, a hameau of 5 houses near Ladern from Domneuve, where I live. Basically I went from one end of the Val de Daigne to the other. It takes about 25 minutes and it subtly beautiful....

July 8, 2006: Summer Saturday in Carcassonne
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France
My niece and I went to the market in Carcassonne this morning to get herbs de Provence for her to take to her father in Canada. The spice lady who is at the Carcassonne market on Saturday and the Lezignan...

July 7, 2006: Lavender
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
My lavender is bloooming. Not that I have a lot of lavender. Maybe 6 plants. I have them near the edge of the garden so the flowers lean out and I brush against them when I walk past. The scent...

July 6, 2006: The French Way
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
Life here can be pretty laid back. In Servies there has been a stop sign but no stop line for years. Today they added a line. By hand. With a paint brush! And in a hameau in the Montagnes Noir...

June 30, 2006: Cigales - Cicadas in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
It's hot today, about 35. Apparently it's been hot for a week but I was in Paris so coming back to this yesterday was a shock. Every year I forget about the cicadas - les cigales. I forget how loud...

June 21, 2006: St Pierre des Champs in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Aude property listings , Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
St Pierre is about 6 km from Lagrasse in the Corbieres. Very charming. Stone houses, a chateau on the hill, little winding lanes, swimming holes in the river, and a lovely stone cottage for sale.

June 13, 2006: Euchre, in the Aude
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France
Someday I'll get back to real estate in the Aude but in the meantime, there's more to life than working. I've always thought of euchre as a Canadian card game, more specifically, an Eastern Canadian card game, because no one...

June 12, 2006: Wind in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
I really wanted to call this post "..and they call the wind Meringue" but a big part of the reason for this blog is to help people who are thinking about buying a house here and with that title no...

June 10, 2006: Vide Grenier season in the Aude
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France
Vide Grenier literally means empty attic. I always find it hard to explain what they are to people who haven't experienced one; like a car boot sale but with dealers, like a neighbourhood garage sale, like a flea market but...

June 8, 2006: Dying on the vine
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
It's sad to see so many vines being pulled out right now. It isn't to upgrade them, it's because there's no market for the wine. It isn't that long ago that Corbieres wines were vin tres ordinaire, wines only a...

June 6, 2006: Summer arrives in the Aude
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
Summer never arrives here slowly. It stomps in overnight with a drum-roll and high temperatures. It arrived on Sunday night. It was about 15 degrees on Sunday, and cooler that that for the week preceding, yesterday it was about 27,...

June 5, 2006: Cherries
Comments: 1 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France
I love cherry season. Right now my goal is to show houses that have cherry trees and to get there early so I can sample while I wait for my clients. Big, round, shiny, almost black cherries. Warm from the...

May 31, 2006: oh no, two in a row
Comments: 4 | Categories: Living and working in France
I love living in France. Really, I absolutely love it here. I'm saying this because yesterday's post might have sounded a bit negative. Today's might too. It's just France. It's different here. I finally got around to calling my internet...

May 17, 2005: UK television programs about France
Comments: 3 | Categories: Living and working in France , Owning a house in France , Real estate in France
UK television has a lot to answer for when it comes to providing accurate information about buying and owning property in France. I got this e-mail yesterday: I was watching a programme on tele and it said if you have...

May 15, 2005: You meet the nicest people ...
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
I hope it's ok to post a comment from someone. This arrived and made my day. Hi, Just have to ask this question....Why in heavens name don't you just write a book? I stumbled on to this site by accident,And...

May 5, 2005: I laughed, he yelled - cultural differences
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
I know, it's been ages since I posted. I need about 10 more hours in a day. On to the post .. Has anyone else noticed that the French have no problem getting angry and speaking their minds? sometimes at...

March 18, 2005: Send me my typos, my transpositions, my mis-spellings
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France
This post is for Marcus Williamson. Excuses first. I'm not a great typist, need a new keyboard, and am dyslexic. It makes for interesting typos. And of course I can no longer spell because I use a computer. And, naturally,...

March 17, 2005: Arts and Culture in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Travel
I knew there had to be artists in the Aude, that I just hadn't found them. Apparently they all hang out near Esperaza. Explains why I missed them. Thanks to Marcus Williamson and his site Aude Culture I've now discovered...

March 15, 2005: Spring in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
After whining so much about the weather and how cold this winter has been I thought that spring deserved equal time. It's glorious and has been since last Thursday, apparently the weather forecast wasn't a lie. The sun is shining,...

March 8, 2005: Wind in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Provence has the Mistral. Perpignan has the Taramonte. We have wind. I've never heard a name for it. The locals do make a distinction between the wind from the sea - south - and the wind from the mountains -...

March 4, 2005: Lies in the weather forecast
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
This is definitely a lousy winter. It's so cold and has been cold for so long. I know that people who live in places with cold winters think I'm a baby. Mark's brother David lives in Winnipeg and when I...

February 12, 2005: Brand name recipes cookbook
Comments: 0 | Categories: Food and Drink , Living and working in France
I've just finished redesigning a web site for a cookbook, Retro Cooks: Brand Name Recipes from the 1940s to the 1970s, by Nina Notaro. 300 brand name recipes. And she had more, they just wouldn't fit in the book. One...

February 3, 2005: Ikea in Toulouse
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Going to Ikea in a country other than your own is a very strange experience. Everything is the same, but it isn't. Other than the Ikea stores in Toronto the only other one I've been to is the Ikea in...

January 31, 2005: This winter in the Aude
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
It's been so cold for the past week that I've been feeling like I'll never get warm again. Our house isn't cold-proofed. There's still a hole in the roof where we took out a chimney, there's a hole in the...

January 13, 2005: Agent commercial immobilier
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France , Real estate in France
For anyone working as an agent commercial immobilier in France this is a confusing time. In November I started hearing rumours that as of January 1, 2005 there would no longer be any such thing. That any agent co would...

January 12, 2005: Sales in France
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
The winter sales started today in Carcassonne and I assume all over France. There are two sales times here, January and July. I think both last for about three weeks. Markdowns seem to range from 10% to 50%. I seem...

January 8, 2005: Flu
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
So it probably had to happen, I think I have flu. (lots of sympathetic murmurs heard in the background) BUT - before I continue, a moment of wild synchronicity. I just posted a comment on Alison May's blog - Brocante...

December 28, 2004: Hammam in Paris
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
I love Paris. You can have a terrific time here without spending a ton of money. (Or you can spend a ton of money). We're here for 10 days with my daughter Megan and her partner John. Yesterday Meg and...

December 8, 2004: Joe Cocker en concert : fiche artiste, dernier album, liste des concerts
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Sorry, I forgot to post the link to Joe Cocker tickets. Link: Joe Cocker en concert : fiche artiste, dernier album, liste des concerts.

December 8, 2004: AUDE FLYER 2/2004
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
I got an e-mail newsletter today that I don't remember subscribing to but was happy to receive. Lots of info about what's on in the Aude and close by. Joe Cocker is in Toulouse June 1. Link: AUDE FLYER 2/2004....

December 7, 2004: Learning to Live in France
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France
A guest post today from my partner Mark. One thing I found in Southern France was the almost complete lack of drive-in coffee, burger, and doughnut shops. Anywhere in Canada it is possible to find a Tim Hortons, Starbucks, or...

December 4, 2004: The first Saturday in December
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
It's possible that I could have picked a worse day to go to Toulouse. I'm not sure how though. It didn't even cross my mind that people would be Christmas shopping. We needed a porcelain shelf for a client's bathroom...

December 4, 2004: French Drivers License
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: Driving Study Guide - Americans in France.

December 3, 2004: Cats and dogs
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
We live in a small house on a domaine in the Corbieres. Somehow we've ended up with 3 cats and 2 dogs. I understand about the cats. The dogs are still a surprise to me. I didn't think I was...

December 3, 2004: Bag this!
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: A Day in Paris.

December 3, 2004: Getting Established To Do Business As A Foreigner In France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: Getting Established To Do Business As A Foreigner In France.

December 2, 2004: Working with the French
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: BBC - Languages for work - Working with the French.

December 2, 2004: INFO POST: Work in France - Web resources - View topic :: Total France
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: INFO POST: Work in France - Web resources - View topic :: Total France.

November 27, 2004: What's the French word for timing belt?
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
A week ago my car - '92 Renault 19 diesel - died in the McDonald's parking lot in Limoux. I'd been at a friend's and out of mobile range all day so had stopped to check my messages, pee, and...

November 22, 2004: Plumber, tiler, want to hire
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
I have English builder friends doing renovations in the Aude and their experience bears out everything I read about unemployment here. Way more work available than people to do it. They need people to work with them. They can't find...

November 18, 2004: The Workplace: In Europe, the jobless don't move
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Link: The Workplace: In Europe, the jobless don't move. Interesting article in the International Herald Tribune about unemployment in the EU.

November 16, 2004: Learning to speak French
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
I read an interview with the woman who started VEF - I've forgotten her name, more about that later - and she said that she was 75% bilingual. How does she quantify it? Is it an average or is it...

November 15, 2004: Registering to work in France
Comments: 2 | Categories: Living and working in France
This is the best information that I've seen about working in France. Trading in France Means Paying in France.

November 8, 2004: Used stuff
Comments: 1 | Categories: Living and working in France
I love vide greniers, brocantes, depots achat vente, and marches aux puce. They all sell used stuff but are all a bit different. A vide grenier - literally empty attic - is like a garage sale in a village, or...

November 8, 2004: Computer Hell
Comments: 0 | Categories: Living and working in France
Doesn't really matter where you live, computer hell is computer hell. I lost four days last week reformatting my hard drive and reinstalling all my software. The thing I don't understand is why, when you install the same stuff you...

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