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AN agreement has come into force meaning the cost of making and receiving mobile calls within the European Union is now cheaper.
The new EuroTariff has been introduced to force mobile phone companies to cut prices and bring to an end striking differences in call rates across Europe.
UK users often paid some of the highest prices, but from today the cost of making a call can be no more than 34p a minute, and 17p to receive a call.
ALTHOUGH the impact of low-cost flights is often quoted as the main reason behind the popularity of a place in France, the increased competition on the ferry routes across the Channel shouldn't be discounted.
The Independent newspaper's Simon Calder highlights a couple of £30 each way ticket deals for a car and their occupants.
The two main operators, P&O Ferries and SeaFrance are offering passengers the chance to save, although availability is likely to be limited and travel restrictions apply.
THIS reflection of stalactites, from Les Grottes de Lacave in the Lot, features in the This French Life photo album on Flickr.
Taken by jojo79 it captures the dark, reflective atmosphere of the caves, which you access via a small train, with the chambers up to 60 metres high.
Staying in the south west and artist Adam Cope has been out gathering the last of the sunflowers from the fields near his home in the Dordogne.
More on: Pics, computers and wedding bells
SATURDAY morning classes are to end from la rentrée 2008 for primary school children, although older pupils will not be so lucky.
With parent's social lives changing, many have expressed their dissatisfaction with a system that denied families the chance to spend weekends together.
The decision has been announced by education minister Xavier Darcos, although how the lost time will be made up has not yet been decided upon, it is possible the summer holiday period may be reduced.
Related article:
Count down to, La Rentrée
HERE is a another handy resource for those people keen to improve their French, this time care of the BBC.
They are promoting a 12 week course, delivered via email, which will offer tips and advice over a three month period before finishing with an 'end of course' assessment.
All you do is sign up with your email address, confirm your registration and then each week a lesson lands in your inbox - great for those keen to improve their language skills.
IT has been quite a while since I wrote about some of the new internet tools and tips I've discovered that you can use to help give your holiday home website a bit of a brush up.
So I thought with the nights beginning to draw in, and maybe your thoughts are drifting off to revamping a web page or two, I'd point out my recent finds.
THE problems thrown up by President Sarkozy's plans to restrict access to health services has thrown up many questions and comments.
The new rules will mean people who are under retirement age, and not working, who move to France from the end of this month will need to take out private medical insurance.
But Euro MP Mary Honeyball has raised the issue of how disabled Britons will be able to get medical insurance for pre-existing conditions, claiming this goes against European Union laws.
More on: Fears over impact of health changes for disabled people
HERE are a few interesting stops out on the internet, taking in everything from Vélib' bikes in Paris to changing attitudes towards bull fighting in the south of France.
The first story is a look at life in les banlieues two years after the riots, many believe little has changed, while a campaign is being led against bull fighting from the Dordogne town of Périgueux, organised by the Comité radicalement anti corrida.
More on: Taking in a few stops on the web
EVERYONE knows Alfred. Well, everyone in the handsome city of Montpellier at least, writes Jeremy Josephs.
Situated within a stone’s throw from Richard Branson’s swish and spanking new Virgin Mega-Store, Alfred the hatmaker stands out more than the odd kilometre or two because of its faded 1930s facia and fittings – evidently the last time a single centime was spent on the shop.
More on: Alfred, the hatmaker of Montpellier
CHALON-sur-Saône, Saône et Loire, Burgundy, is not a town to rest on its laurels. With the annual Foire attracting on average an extra 1000 people each year, in 2006 33,000 people attended, they expect this year to be bigger and better than ever.
Being held at Parc Expo from September 28 to October 7 there are 150 exhibitors from a range of businesses and entertainment lined up to entertain visitors with special dedication to people with reduced mobility.
ALTHOUGH you may know the word troubadour is drawn from the Occitan language, did you know cauliflower is as well?
Caulet flòri is the Occitan original and the linguistic territory that makes up the langue d'oc stretches from the Atlantic coast to the Alps; the Pyrennes to Auvergne.
More on: Occitan language and culture
THE impact of changes to the French health system on people heading to France who are under retirement age is beginning to look a little clearer.
The Daily Telegraph reports that for those currently in the system they will be able to remain in it, the tougher rules will apply to non-working foreigners, such as early retirees, who move to France after the end of this month.
The Sécurité Sociale website provides a more complete explanation, in French, with point number four highlighting the changes for those set to arrive in France.
For further information contact the English language service of France's CPAM: +33 8 20 90 42 12 or CLEISS (France's helpdesk for international mobility and social security): + 33 (0)1 45 26 33 41
Update 06/10/07)
Round up of French health changes
MARKET stalls struggling beneath the weight of the harvest season, that's what this photograph from These Days in French Life means to me.
It is just one of the recent additions to the This French Life Flickr photo album.
Elsewhere on the site and a question has been left on the forum asking what someone can do when they have just a day in Bordeaux and if you are a builder, based near Moulin in the Auvergne, a reader requires work on a barn.
SEPTEMBER means the start of the hunting season in France, or la chasse, and it can be quite a shock to see a group of hunters heading past your house.
The Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs claims the pastime is only second in the number of participants to football, and stresses the procedures involved in ensuring its members are properly regulated.
More on: The hunting season in France
THIS weekend sees the Pinkathlon charity walk take place around the village of Amou, in les Landes.
The walk itself takes place on Sunday, but there will be plenty of music and dance throughout the weekend including Basque music and Scottish bagpipes.
Organiser Maureen Grall says everyone is invited to take part in the 15km walk in aid of breast cancer and prostate cancer research.
ALTHOUGH autumn may be knocking on the door, there is still plenty of opportunity to enjoy events and festivals taking place in the cities and villages of France.
From the famous Nuit Blanche in Paris to celebrations of apples and chestnuts there is much to discover over the next few weeks.
Sculpture at Mas dArtigny, in Saint-Paul de Vence
The lawns and grove at the Mas d'Artigny are home to a selection of contemporary sculptures. The theme of the collection is escape and the work of 20 sculptors is featured in the exhibition. Open to the public every day from 9am to 10pm.
September 7 to March 10, 2008
More on: Enjoy autumn festivals in France
THE honeymoon period is well and truly over for Sarkozy as rail unions have announced strike action for October 17.
The opposition to the president's plans to trim the public sector and make people work longer before retiring has been growing.
But now five rail unions, led by the CGT, have said they are unhappy with his proposals to end some of the advantages enjoyed by those on public sector pensions.
Update (15/10/07)
Eurostar warn of cancellations
NOW I realise that it is not exactly comparing like with like but if you are wondering if you can up the rate on your gite next year a recent survey of hotel prices in France might help.
The Hotels.com website draws together figures from more than 30,000 hotels from around the world basing its findings on the prices actually paid, not those advertised.
More on: Hotel rates in France increase
IF you need a bit of a boost to ensure you keep up with your study of the French language, then a study claims being fluent in two languages keeps your brain in good shape.
The BBC reports that researchers from Canada found that those who were fluent in two languages rather than just one were sharper mentally.
But if you can't get your head around the present and future tense, or trip over your mon, ma and mes, then just wear a t-shirt and point to things.
AROUND 2,000 videos have been made available online covering subjects as diverse as climate change, prison life and the Occitan language.
Canal-U offers 12 channels featuring interviews, conference recordings and documentaries that can be watched through your web browser, and some even feature full transcriptions.
Although aimed at teachers and students, the videos are available to anyone and you are sure to turn up an interesting report or two.
Related article: French TV archives online
IT is nearly two years since riots took place on many housing estates across France, which saw thousands of cars burnt out and shops and businesses damaged.
Following his election earlier this year President Sarkozy has launched an initiative aimed at improving life on the estates, with improved employment prospects at the heart of the plans.
More on: Plan to boost job prospects
LOW-COST operator easyJet looks set to open a new base at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, according to newspaper reports.
A deal is likely to be announced next month and the Lyon base would join easyJet's existing operations at Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.
THE internet lets you stay in touch with family, but also opens up the possibility to make new friends and share tips on French life via the many forums out there.
Most forums are based around long standing internet rules, so you will need to provide a username and password to log in, which will let you post a message and in some cases contact other members directly.
Many of the sites will be split up into different sections so that conversations can take place around a particular theme.
More on: Browsing forums in France
HERE are two rich and entertaining articles from The Times Online which will take you deep into the south west of France.
The first is from former parliamentary sketch writer Matthew Parris who writes about a walk through the Pyrenees which he says makes you think "warm sun, wind and light, streaks of snow and diamond-sparkling tarns".
The second piece is from travel writer Anthony Peregrine who tells the tale of the Corbières mountains, with a rich history stretching back through the centuries it is "a region for people to hole up in".
TAKE a chance to wind down for the weekend with this photo from the This French Life Flickr album by Fil the bodyguard, titled Fin du Jour.
UNFORTUNATELY one of the reasons people struggle in France is because finding work can prove very difficult, even if you have strong language skills and experience.
A real problem is that the jobs that are available are usually scattered around between different government institutions so there is no central spot where you can discover more.
More on: Finding agricultural work in France
HERE is a simple to use website for those keen to improve their French language skills by listening to the spoken word.
Mango Languages is a new site that features 100 lessons in nearly a dozen languages, including French, which takes you from the most basic phrases to more 'real life' encounters.
More on: Online French language learning
TWO new routes to France from Leeds Bradford Airport have been announced by low-cost airline Jet2.com.
Three flights a week will operate to Avignon, starting May 22 next year, and two days later a weekly service will be launched to La Rochelle.
Also the airline's existing route to Paris will now operate twice a day and flights to Toulouse will increase to two a week.
THE coverage offered by the French equivalent of Freeview, called TNT (Télévision Numérique Terrestre), is slowly reaching out across the country.
This autumn sees the service extended to more locations in the north and east of France when 19 new transmitters are opened, offering a selection of digital channels, including the major ones such as TF1 and France 2, as well as Arte and video music.
NOW this would be an incredible coincidence, finding a reader of This French Life who also crossed the Channel on the first Eurostar train between London and Paris.
Eurostar is searching for passengers and well wishers who travelled on the first day of service, or who were at Waterloo International, on November 14, 1994 - the date services began nearly 13 years ago.
The search is being launched to mark the opening of the new St Pancras International station and the High Speed 1 track in Kent, which will allow trains to travel at 186mph.
More on: Eurostar look for first passengers
IF you have closed the shutters on your holiday home for the season, you may want to think again.
Travel network TripAdvisor says a poll it conducted of more than 1,800 visitors to its website found that 90 per cent of British respondents were planning on getting away this autumn.
More on: Autumn trip away appeals to many
ONE thing you can't deny the French authorities are good at is the collection of statistics, with the official body INSEE providing a vast range of data.
Recent findings include the fact that the population of metropolitan France now stands at 61.2 million people, while the number of births continues to rise and people are living longer.
More on: Population of France heading upwards
THE impact of changes to the provision of health care for those people living in France, who are under the retirement age and not working are beginning to crystallise.
The Connexions newspaper has followed up on its earlier story after speaking to the French Ministry of Health and the Department of Health in the UK.
HERE is something a little different, a French duo based in Sheffield whose amusing take on life in the UK and France is sure to make you smile.
The Lovers are Fred de Fred and Marion Benoist, who clearly draw an influence from the French music of the 60s and 70s, with a touch of Sheffield's very own Jarvis Cocker - PT on the Why Travel to France site is a recent convert.
More on: French music in Sheffield, and more
NEXT week sees the 24th Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, which sees many state buildings and museums open their doors to visitors.
On September 15 and 16 special events and tours of buildings across the country will take place, giving people a chance to see behind the scenes of public buildings such as the Élysée, the Senate, ministries and embassies.
More on: Journées Européennes du Patrimoine
THE influence that Napoleon Bonaparte still holds on France, and the world, today is quite incredible, it didn't take long for people to compare Sarkozy to the famous man.
But if you take a little bit of time to listen to a series of podcasts about Napoleon and you can discover his impact on the map of Europe and its history.
THE opening game of the Rugby World Cup got off to a great start for the neutral, but it wasn't so good for the French fans.
The hosts went down 17-12 to Argentina, as les Blues suffered a bout of stage fright, letting the Pumas sweep up the pieces and gain a deserved victory.
Under the gaze of President Sarkozy, who has practically said he expects France to win, the French XV struggled to find any rhythm, while Argentina had confidence in their game plan.
More on: France suffer stage fright
IF you associate cricket with just Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, South Africa and England; think again.
Cricket in France is becoming more and more popular and is overseen by France Cricket, the governing body for the sport which works with 56 clubs and has issued over 1,000 cricket licences.
The French cricketing calendar includes the forthcoming Indoor Cricket World Cup in Bristol, England, from September 20 to 30, where a team will compete, but I was keen to find out more about the future of the game, and how indoor cricket differs from the game we all know, so spoke to Entraîneur National, Dave Szumowski.
ACCORDING to The Economist both France and the UK come out near the bottom of a table ranking the quality of life in 20 different countries.
The magazine's Pocket World in Figures 2008 guide puts France in 16th position, and the UK one spot behind, while Norway comes top with Iceland and Australia making up the top three.
The thisismoney website takes a look at more stats, and shows the UK has 9,767 recorded crimes per 100,000 population - such fears often drive people across the Channel.
TWO rather over the top articles from The Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph about changes to health cover for people living in France have caused distress amongst many.
Message boards and websites have been busy since the stories were published over the weekend as readers worried if they would continue to receive health cover.
Paris correspondent for The Times, Charles Bremner, has updated the earlier piece via his blog and the Internet French Property site has also written a more balanced feature about the changes.
A SPECIAL Eurostar service between Paris and London marking the opening of the new high speed track through Kent has set a a record journey time of two hours three minutes.
The train left Gare du Nord station in Paris at 10.44CET, arriving in St Pancras International at 11.47BST, travelling at speeds of up to 200mph (320km/h) on the Ligne a Grande Vitesse across northern France and on the UK’s new track, High Speed 1.
THERE must be something about the colours and light in France that draw artists and photographers to capture the stunning landscapes and buildings you can see at almost every turn.
In the past couple of days I have crossed three interesting websites that capture the French countryside and its villages in very distinctive ways, using both the camera and the paint brush.
More on: Photos and paintings of France
HERE is a fun feature to help you improve your French language skills, courtesy of international television channel TV5.
The Merci Professeur videos offer you quick sound bites on French words and language, delivered in a snappy manner that can become quite addictive.
Each clip takes a couple of minutes and covers everything from whether après-midi is masculine or feminine to the use of the word tennis - even the introductory music will make you tap your toes.
TWO years ago Maureen Grall organised a sponsored walk around the streets of Amou, in the Landes, to raise funds in support of breast cancer research.
The event proved such a success that later this month the whole village will mark the event with a weekend of regional music, culminating in another walk which hopes to top the €15,000 raised in 2005.
Maureen, who has lived in France for many years but is originally from Stirling, in Scotland, has been able to draw together Scottish musicians, Basque singer David Olaizola and Canadian band Chakidor.
More on: Pinkathlon takes to the road again
A NEW addition to the site, titled Picks, can be found just beneath the header image at the top of each page.
It is a selection of news articles and web pages that I think may appeal to you, which I've bookmarked as I travel around the internet.
More on: Picking out French articles and news
USERS of internet services provided by free.fr should be on the lookout for a scam email warning that access to your account is limited.
I received a message recently that asks you to enter your username and password but it is a "phishing" attempt to steal your details, a description of the message can be found on the Secuser.com website.
As ever you should delete such messages straight away and visit the website directly by typing it out in your address bar, and here are some other scams that may land in your in-box.
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