What should I take to France? ( we are moving there)

[smellymelly]

We are trying to sort our things out, for selling, charity, packing etc. And I need advice on what we can take with us...

We know we have to leave washing machine, fridge etc, but can we take and use things like the kettle, toaster, hair dryer etc?

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haha!!!
Well, I know my sister (who lives in Ain) always appreciates a good granary loaf or two on our frequents visits chez elle. Not really the sort of stuff that lasts though...

My brother missed marmite and Heinz baked beans when he lived abroad!

If you use a side by side pushchair for your twins change it for a tandem option. The pavements are sometimes really narrow with trees planted in the middle, cars parked and such like impossible with a wide pushchair. You should be able to get marmite & beans at large branches of the carrefour supermarket in the foreign section. Newspapers can be tricky if your area doesn't have lots of expats. Get some adaptor pugs for small electrical items - otherwise probably easier to just sell them in the uk & buy a new toaster, kettle etc in france.

I used to frequesnt 'le comptoir irlandais' shops whenever I had the urge for crap chocolate (fruit 'n' nut, flake), horlicks, proper tea or some other comfort food from home
But I have, over time, managed to kick this habit and am now investing more time and money buying new stuff to eat from the food-sellers over here. It's silly not to take advantage of the wonderful cakes and meats that are available, for example.

By now, there are a few French and Breton delicacies that I would sorely miss if ever I went back home to live! And we're BLESSED to have to good fishmongers just around the corner, who sell locally caught fish and crabs, and a great saturday-morning market. So food-wise, you will definitely be better off - not to mention the wine, of course

Having said that, NOTHING can beat a good cooked breakfast on a Sunday morning

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ggglimpopo, get some chipolatas with herbs from the butchers! gorgeous! and you'll know what's in them...

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no risotto rice or parmesan in any breton supermarche I have ever been in

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when my dp tried marmite for the first time, I thought his lips were going to fall off - he calls it 'rust' because that's what it tastes like to him - but he now loves it and brings it out for his french friends/family to try, as if it were the biggest delicacy ever....

I've never had trouble buying parmesan from the hypermarket
Mature cheddar, of course, is a no-no... but deep down, the french don't really believe that anyone else can make cheese....

Enid, if you're anywhere near Lorient, go to the covered market there and I can GUARANTEE lovely parmesan and risotto rice will be found on the Italian food stall there.

ooh how fantastic what day is it on?

we are in Bannalec about 40 mins from Lorient

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Hausfrau, we get cornflour in CH - Maisstarke - which is sold as Maizena.

We bring back High Juice Squash, gravy granules, stuffing, Cadbury's chocolate and buttons, Milky Way stars, Milky Bar buttons, English comics and magazines, English educational workbooks, Hula Hoops, cake making/icing stuff, HP sauce, ready made steamed puds, Tetley Tea bags... over the counter medicines, vitamins/fish oils...

Enid, it's on every day except Monday - even open on Sunday morning.
There is an outdoor market on the same site on Saturday mornings.
I know of Bannalec, my dp has worked there. Do you like it there?

where do you live enid? i am originally from brittany near rennes. love my country but love uk too! am going to france in july/august - could be fun to meet breton mumsnet!!

very happy to bring some risotto rice and parmesan - as well as my favourite pj tips to you guys! ... and jelly for the kids?!

I dont live in Bannalec unfortunately.

we go there and stay in a friends cottage every year.

It is loooooooooovely

you might want to take some clothes... possibly some money... shoes! shoes are a good thing to take, i think they might wear them over there... do they wear shoes in france?... and pocket knife to fight off strange foreigners. good luck.

crikey la rochelle, ddi you r h sell his business? envious good luck