Live in France? Join us for a gentil thread

[TheAccidentalExhibitionist]

So how about a lovely supportive, information sharing thread for us mumsnetters living in France?
I've been here for two years, this is my second time living here so 4 years in total.
I have my moans about France, the paperwork, the driving but other than that I love it

Agree the prices are high on some WH Smith stuff, but I got more than a kilo of Robertsons mincemeat for 8 euros which I thought could have been worse.

I want sausage rolls now. Has anyone been to the M and S that just opened up in Aeroville, near CDG airport? Its my closest one AND open on a Sunday, but I have heard tales of huge overcrowding and 45m waits for a parking space...

It's my nearest one too. About 300 km away. Tempted though :o

Bought pâte feuilletée and sausagemeat?

I like the prosecco sold on houra.fr - IIRC it's about EUR 9 a bottle.

Nigella's chestnut stuffing made with Monoprix Gourmet peeled chestnuts in a jar instead of her half whole/half puréed mixture is very good. Just crush some of the chestnuts.

I should have mentioned FIL is quite patriotic when it comes to wine.
He's happy to eat Christmas pudding though!

My Super u (45) have an offer on nicholas feuillette champagne - 3 x bottles for 43 euros or something like that. It is a fantastic champagne IMO.

Thanks. I see that brand all the time, usually on offer. Always a bit dubious about products that are always on offer. But if you say it's good....

I usually buy direct from the grower in Verzenay - Grand Cru nv for about €15 a bottle. They will send, and bottles are packed in cartons of 6. We've been getting it from them since 1989 and Mme Busin is lovely. Rumour has it that she speaks English, but have always spoken French to her.

Oops, should have said Christian Busin - that's the name of the grower.

Does anyone have any idea where to get mincemeat online? Round my parts I can get lime marmelade but not mincemeat...

Maybe epicerie barenton or british corner shop? Not checked though.

Thanks for the autoentrepreneur tips Impofdarkness & Petiteraleuse, I'll look into it. I know English teaching makes lots of sense..but somehow doesn't get any enthusiasm going :-S Everyone seems to be so fana for British stuff in general though, I'm not sure whether it's from the Olympics, but every shop will have something Union flag-ed & in the supermarket the other day I noticed every single item of kids clothing had writing in English, maybe some mileage for un shop très British! :)
Have applied for my first couple of jobs this week but no reply as yet..safe to say not getting any hopes up.
Am shamelessly plundering all baking/cookery tips btw, thanks muchly - if I'm going to be a layabout for a while, I might as well learn to cook! Clearsomespace, not sure whereabouts you are, but we've got through a fair few bottles of Crémant de Bordeaux recently which might work? Normally about 6-7€ bottle so good value.

I'm in the Somme.
Crémant would be fine but the different brands vary so much, sometimes it can be pretty horrible. Do you remember the brand you enjoyed?

Make your own mincemeat! It's very easy and all it involves is a little stirring.

Well yes and no. The problem is that mincemeat needs suet and suet means finding graisse de rognon at the butcher's and clarifying, hardening, grating....
I do bring back packs of suet because my OH loves steak and kidney pudding for a treat, but it doesn't keep that long and I have never found it in a supermarket. I have seen jars of mincemeat sometimes and a slug of Calva works wonders....

You don't always need suet for mincemeat - have a look at some of Nigella's recipes. Some of those are suet free. I made one with rhubarb that didn't use suet and kept well.

Quick question - I'm filling in a certificate of custom for the British Embassy before I get married next year. It says "address of intended marriage": is this the address of the local town hall, does anyone know? And does anyone have an idea of the turn-around time for them to get the form back to me?

Ok I'll take that as a no!

I'd have to look back through our paperwork but I'm fairly sure the address is the place you will get married - although ours was the other way round (French embassy, marrying in the UK) it's likely to be a standard question. No idea on turnaround!

schnapps our local British shop closed last year People like the idea but aren't prepared to pay in reality. How are you finding French military culture? I'm trying to think whether we know anyone in Landes at the moment (DH is Navy) but drawing a blank apart from possibly a psychologist.

In other news I'm trying not to get my hopes up that I'm in early labour...

ooh exciting!

Nothing :( Just contractions that woke me up and I had to breathe through but not enough to stop me dozing between them and now they've vanished. Not fair.

Gripe of the day: fines for children's library books! Why???

Glad to say we don't have fines for children's library books - just an email reminder!

-7 here (outer reaches of yvelines) this morning...

when are you due Nom?

Is your library like ours nom (think you are in Calvados too) and doesn't do bangin' and stampin' so you never know when the books are due back? Bonkers!

Hi Clearsomespace, only just seen this, sorry - afraid I can't remember the name, as we're quite near Bordeaux there's normally quite a few there..one up from the cheapest normally does it! (Maybe we're still philistines..) but the rosé version keeps me happy :)
Nomdeclavier, military culture very good so far thanks! Everyone's been really welcoming & tolerant of my average to mediocre French :) Possibly because quite a few of them have done exchanges so empathise but we're also bit of a novelty I think (no other Brits round these parts that I know of). Helps that I'm ex-mil myself so I know the score a bit..The job for the other half on the other hand..rather 'frustrant' so far I think!
I think my shop très British would be less food (British cuisine still seen as an oxymoron I think!) and more household/clothes etc, there just seems to be an appetite in general for Brit fashion/branding/logos etc, maybe just more the youngsters who all seem to have visited the UK? Have any Paris-based folks seen any pure Anglophile-type shops there? It's all a pipe dream anyway! I think..:)