This French Life

Mobile phone roaming charges in EU cut

Making or receiving a mobile phone call abroad will be cheaper in the EU from 1 July, but will still cost a lot more than a domestic call. The EU would like to see tariff differences disappear by 2015.

From 1 July, it will cost €0.35 a minute* to make a phone call and €0.11 to receive one. The cost of sending a text message remains at a maximum of €0.11 while it costs nothing to receive one.

via www.europarl.europa.eu

Abbaye Nouvelle, a place of hidden stories

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AS you walk around the Abbaye Nouvelle, found between Gourdon and Salviac in the Lot (map), you begin to wonder what life the monks must have experienced in this corner of south west France.

Félibrée celebrations taking place in Belves

WALKING around Belvès, in the Dordogne, this morning and the excitement was building in the village before the start of this year's Félibrée celebrations.

Travelling with pets between UK and France made easier

FROM the start of next year it is going to be much easier to travel with animals between the UK and France after the loosening of the pet passport rules.

The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced that from 1 January 2012 owners will find it easier to travel into the UK with pets from the EU and listed non-EU countries such as the USA and Australia.

Gone will be the requirement for a six month wait after blood test results, instead pets will be able to travel 21 days after being vaccinated against rabies.

Two French journalists in Afghanistan freed : NPR

L'actualité internationale

French television has reported that two journalists held hostage in Afghanistan since December 2009 were freed Wednesday.

France-3 television said in a flash across their screen that their reporters Stephane Taponier and Herve Ghesquiere have been released, without providing further details. Their translator, Reza Din, was also released.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the two men were in good health and would be returning shortly to their homeland after one of France's longest hostage ordeals.

via www.npr.org

What wine goes with your cheese? There's an abundance of choice

Photo by Jetalone

AT the French dinner table, the cheese course usually follows the plat, or main course.

If there is wine left from earlier in the meal, then this is what usually accompanies the cheese. But if by chance its time to crack open another bottle, there are some rules of thumb to follow that can flatter both the wine and the cheese, writes Vino Veritas.

Adding the finishing touches to Le Cuvage

BRIAN Franklin continues his story of how he and his wife, Lucy, slowly and sympathetically returned a collection of outbuildings found in the grounds of the Chateau des Cresses, in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France.

And Brian also passes on some of his top tips for making a success of a large house renovation project in France.

One of the salient reasons our Le Cuvage project progressed with such confidence and competence was the planning.

UK Border Agency warns of travel delays on Thursday

THE UK Border Agency (UKBA) has said that travellers may face delays on Thursday at ports, airports and international rail terminals.

In joining public sector protests on June 30, the Public and Commercial Services union will take strike action beginning at 6pm on Wednesday 29 June, ending it at midnight on Thursday 30 June.

Find details of product recalls in France

THERE have been a number of health scares in recent days in relation to food products.

With this in mind you might want to pop in your favourites a page on the Que Choisir website, the equivalent of Which? magazine, that highlights product recalls on French items.

The page provides a run down of products either by date or subject with information on the steps you can take if you find you've bought something that faces a recall.

You can stay in touch with the work of Que Choisir by signing up to their newsletter, this not only features the studies they undertake on products which you access via subscription, but mentions the latest recall news.

New EU rules for online shopping

THE European Parliament has agreed on EU-wide rules that offer shoppers more rights when making online purchases.

Online traders must give buyers precise information on the total price, the goods ordered and full contact details, and purchasers will have longer to send back items they decide they do not want.