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LANGUEDOCPAGES

A vintage year?

As the grape harvest gets under way, localproducers look forward to a bumper crop

FULL STORY

PAGES 2-3

What’s onEvents acrossthe region

Master chefCooking for theTour de Francep6 p16

Ideal homeYou could build ityourself p8

Winegrower Jonathan Hesford inRoussillon: “The key is to be consistentlygreat, not greatly consistent.”

publishers of

New!September 2011 - Issue 2

95c

LANGUEDOC winegrower Pascal Fulla hasbeen farming grapes at Le Mas de l’Ecriture, inthe Terrasses du Larzac area north-west ofMontpellier, for more than 10 years. He com-ments: “July was a fairly cool, rainy month, soin my opinion, any ground that might havebeen gained previously has now been lost.

“I think our harvest will happen at prettymuch the same time as it did last year, aroundSeptember 5, all things being equal. Trying topredict harvest dates is rather like asking aship’s navigator which course he is going toplot when he’s sailing between two ports: thewind can rise or fall, conditions can changefrom one day to the next.

“My decision to start harvesting will be madethe day before, on the basis of the ripeness ofthe grapes, the weather forecast, and the avail-ability of my pickers. I’m quietly confident atthe moment, but it’s too early to say how the2011 vintage will be.”

Down in the Cabardès appellation, nearCarcassonne, Ryan O’Connell and his parentsrun their family domaine, O’Vineyards. Theyharvest comparatively late “because the vine-yard is so far inland. with a bit of altitude. Thismeans that we will hear about all the peculiar-ities of the vintage from harvesters east of us.If it’s a drier, concentrated year, we’ll know

that the machines will get sticky if we don'trinse off every couple of hours.

Ryan said: “If the hand harvests are takingmore time because there are more grapebunches or lots of foliage obstructing view, weknow to bring in more staff. Additionally,being so late to harvest, I get to take the bestharvesting teams from my neighbours. As longas they’re not already in the throes of huntingseason, the local harvesters are usually happyto tack on a couple extra weeks of seasonalwork, and whenever we can, we put tourists towork.”

Ryan feels that his vines are a little ahead ofschedule: “I’ll probably start tasting and labtesting grapes in early September.

“We know it’s time when my dog Muse startseating grapes. We used to use a refractometer– it’s a funny, telescope-looking thing that tellshow much sugar is in the grapes by how muchtheir juice bends sunlight. But ours was stolenin 2006, and we’ve been doing it by taste eversince. When we think the grapes taste good,and once we get the nod of approval from ourdog, we’ll bring a sample of grapes into the labto test for sugars and various acids, and thenwe’re in business.”

Trained oenologist Virgile Joly makes winefrom his organically-grown grapes in Saint-

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age temperatures and rain, combined withrecord-breaking warmer weather in spring(April was the hottest in 50 years), resulted inearly flowering of the vines, which in turn ledproducers to predict a premature start to theirgrape picking. However, an exceptionally coolJuly changed the picture somewhat.

White grapes mature more quickly than redand are thus picked earlier. At the Pomérolscooperative winery near the Thau Lagoon, theSauvignon grapes are the first to be broughtin, usually in mid-August.

Across France, viticulteurs have been quotedas saying they expect a good vintage – betterthan last year, but not as good as 2009, whichwas considered exceptional – but as usual theyhave been keeping a very close eye on theweather as the time for harvesting approaches.The decision they make on when to pick theirgrapes is crucial to the success of the winesthey produce.

A WARM spring and a comparatively wetsummer have raised expectations among thewinegrowers of Languedoc-Roussillon thatthis year’s vintage will be a good one, withearly harvests and bumper crops of grapes.

Roussillon producer Pierre-Henri de laFabrègue claims to be the very first Frenchwinegrower to have started la vendange thisyear, taking the secateurs to his Muscat PetitGrain grapes on August 4. His Domaine deRombeau at Rivesaltes produces dry whiteMuscat which is sold as en primeur wine onthe third Thursday of October.

“It’s practically a record, give or take a day,”said Mr de la Fabrègue, who recalls beginning

harvest on August 3 some 10 years ago butwho usually brings his grapes in aroundAugust 10.

The domaine is renowned for starting onthe harvest before others because of its partic-ularly sunny situation, the way its grapes areplanted and farmed and the fact that MuscatPetit Grain matures earlier than most.

Given the weather conditions of the last fewmonths, Mr de la Fabrègue is predicting thathis volume will be 10% higher than average,which tallies with a general estimation that2011 yields across France will be greater thanin 2010.

In the Hérault department, lower than aver-

Winegrowershave highhopes for agood vintage

How they choose

The weatherhas beenkind to thegrapes thisyear and thesigns pointto a bumperharvest,reportsLOUISEHURREN

Grower Virgile Joly among his organic vines in

Above left: waiting for the grapes to arrive for

News 3Languedoc Pages September 2011

THE wine industry has a for-midable store of ancient skillsand traditions, but today, asharvest time approaches,some French winemakers arelooking up into space beforethey make their decisions.

A perfect vintage is allabout timing: pick too earlyand the grapes will be under-ripe, but wait too long andthe resulting wine can be anover-alcoholic disaster. Muchdepends on the skill of thegrower, but modern technol-ogy also has a place.

Guidance comes from cam-eras mounted on satelliteswhich take multispectralimages from more than 500miles above the earth at therate of 1,000 plots every eightseconds.

Each photograph covers anarea of 34 square miles andthese images are used todetect the surface area andvariation of leaf canopyacross vineyards, which inturn helps to determine thewell-being of vines, and thepresence of disease.

The process starts in July atthe onset of véraison, themoment the grapes begin toripen and change colour. Thegrowers supply details oftheir vines and grape vari-eties. The satellites collect thedata that produces multi-coloured maps, which areused to ascertain whichgrapes are ripe, and to pin-point variations of qualitywithin specific plots.

when to harvest

l’Hérault: “I think we are going to be looking at a very good vintage in 2011”

Technologysits besidetradition

processing. Above left: near Montpellier, Pascal Fulla checks the ripeness of his grapes

Saturnin-de-Lucian, Hérault. He remarks:“The best vintages are from years when thecycle starts early but then slows up, as seemsto be the case this year, because it means thatthe vegetative part of the vines’ cycle is effec-tively longer. If this is combined with suffi-cient rainfall, the heat necessary for goodripening of the grapes, and large differences intemperature between night and day – whichhas been the case in our area – then thingslook very positive.

“I think we are going to be looking at a verygood vintage in 2011, but we shouldn’t countour chickens before they’re hatched. What weneed as we come up to the end of the vineyard

cycle is warm, dryweather, with tem-peratures around18°C at night and30-32°C by day.”

Jonathan Hesford’sDomaine Treloar is atTrouillas in theRoussillon. He says2011 has been “astrange and unpre-dictable year in termsof weather. We had amoderate winter but

with frequent rain. Spring was much hotterand both vines and weeds grew alarminglyquickly. For once the weather was hot and dryduring the flowering of the Grenache, whichhas resulted in much less coulure (wheregrapes fail to fertilise and fall off) than anyyear since 2006. However, by the time theSyrah and Mourvèdre flowered, the cool wetweather had come back, resulting in smallerberries alongside large ones, which reduces theyield but will probably give us richer wines.

“The best wines will be made by those whocorrectly assess the ripeness of their grapesrather than relying on tradition or on simplesugar readings. The cooperatives will have atough job as they are trying to manage manydifferent vineyards run by many differentgrowers and their room for flexibility is muchless than that of a small producer.

“I will see what we actually have in the vine-yards, take plenty of samples, watch the weath-er forecasts and pick according to acidity andripeness, rather than sugar content.

“I don’t believe in trying to predict the gen-eral quality of the vintage in a region asdiverse as the Roussillon. Here, the best wine-growers who understand their own terroir willalways make good wine. The key is to be con-sistently great, not greatly consistent.”

EVERY year, the start of the grape harvest is traditionallymarked in Languedoc’s Faugères appellation by the time-honoured Ban des Vendanges ceremony.

Held in a different village each time, this colourful event isa good-humoured moment that brings together the wine-growers and general public for a symbolic grape-pickingsession in the presence of the Commanderie de Faugères(a group of men and women who work to promote the appel-lation’s wines), who accompany the proceedings on a horse-drawn cart.

The assembled company then returns to the village for thereading of the banns, which declare the official start of thevineyard work, and then it’s time for a glass of wine, somelocal produce and live music.

Ryan O’Connell: “ourdog knows best”

THE overloaded A9 motor-way through Languedoc-Roussillon continues to givecause for concern.

The weight of summer holi-day and “back to work” ren-trée traffic has resulted inprolonged jams and manyaccidents, some of them fatal,over the last two months.

Even as holidaymakers hit

the road on the third week-end of July for le granddépart, or great exodus, traf-fic had only just returnedto normal after a 10-hour jamfollowing an incidentbetween Sète and Béziers thatclaimed the lives of twopeople.

During that same weekenda third person died as a result

of another accident. Runningfrom Orange to Perpignan,the A9 is France's third-busiest motorway. It carries adaily average of 60,000 vehi-cles, based on 2010 figures.

During the summer, trafficlevels increase by 30% as hol-idaymakers head for Spainand Morocco. In theMontpellier area, levels canrise as high as 100,000 vehi-cles per day, peaking at130,000, and 15% of this traf-fic is accounted for by HGVs.

This month will see theregional government androad safety authorities con-tinue to debate four differentplans to reroute the A9 with aview to allieviating conges-tion in the Montpellier areaand improve safety.

Death and delays on A94 News Languedoc Pages September 2011

THE tiny village of Sougraigne in the Audehas hit the headlines after an acrimoniousdispute led to the revelation of the allegedwhereabouts of hidden treasure.

Some 150,000 tourists visit the village annu-ally in the hope of discovering buried bounty.The treasures are rumoured to includeVisigoth gold, riches belonging to the KnightsTemplar and the Cathars, and ancient scrollssaid to show that Jesus fathered a child withMary Magdalene.

Digging has been outlawed, but three intrep-id men were convinced they knew the rightlocation. When two of them published a book

on the subject without consulting the thirdmember of the team, a falling-out ensuedwhich resulted in the spurned former col-league publishing a photo online showing thealleged hiding place of the spoils, a cave on ahillside called Pech d’En-Couty.

Furious, his former colleagues contactedpolice to ask them to patrol the area aroundSougraigne to prevent a gold rush and “thepillaging of national heritage.”

Sougraigne is close to Rennes-le-Château,another Languedoc location rumoured to hideuntold treasure which partly inspired DanBrown’s The DaVinci Code.

New Béziers flights

Police in ‘treasure’ alert

Low-costtaxi serviceset to grow

Laptop giftfor students

As we werefor Michelin

Tram lineson course

Newcomerswelcome

Bugarachwine is thelast word

GOOD news for the 32,000students starting lycée inLanguedoc-Roussillon thisSeptember: each will be givena laptop computer, courtesyof the regional governmentand the French national edu-cation system.

The laptops will be loadedwith free software and linkedto the region’s newly-createdEspace Numérique de Travail,an online space that facilitatesthe sharing of tools, resourcesand services relating to aneducational project.

THE latest issue of thefamous Guide Michelin is out,but there is little good newsin the new edition forLanguedoc-Roussillon’s toprestaurants. No new stars or“Bib Gourmands” have beenawarded this time round.

However, the region canstill take pride in the 26Michelin-starred gourmeteating places that it retains.

WORK on the third andfourth lines of Montpellier'stramway system continuesapace, with testing of theoverhead electricity cablesand delivery of the ChristianLacroix-designed trams forLine 3 scheduled for earlyautumn.

A total of 19 bright, sea-themed carriages are set toarrive by the end of themonth and 43km of overheadcables will be installed byNovember.

THE Anglophone Group ofLanguedoc-Roussillon hasbeen created to supportEnglish-speaking newcomersto the region, while promot-ing friendship and links withthe French community. Itoffers a range of of activitiesfor adults, teens and toddlers.For details visit www.anglo-phone-group-languedoc-roussillon.com

MONTPELLIER has beenselected as a future host ofthe Grand Sud BusinessSummit, which is to becomean annual event following itsinauguration in Toulouse inNovember.

Some 500 company heads,politicians, academics andjournalists from Bordeaux,Toulouse and Montpellier areexpected to attend the sum-mit, with the aim of formingbusiness relationships anddebating issuess relating tothe economic development ofthe area, including the impactof the planned high-speedrail line joining the Atlanticand the Mediterranean.

Montpellier will host thesummit in 2013.

Summit inMontpellier

EIGHTEEN months afterlaunching in Avignon, thelow-cost taxi companyEasytake has introduced itsservice in Montpellier andhas plans to expand intoNîmes in mid-September.

The service, defined by thecompany as “low-cost, chauf-feur-driven transport of pas-sengers”, is available 24 hoursa day, seven days a week,within a 50km radius of eachcity where it operates.

Clients book their cars inadvance via the Easytakewebsite or by phone. Pricesare on a sliding scale accord-ing to the distance of thejourney. The lowest is €8,which covers up to 7km. Themost expensive is €38, whichallows a customer to travel

between 25km and the maxi-mum 50km.

Easytake claims to havecreated 40 jobs in Montpellier(80 were generated when thecompany made its début inAvignon in January 2010)and operates a fleet of 20vehicles in the city.

A company spokespersonconfirmed it plans morefranchises in other parts ofLanguedoc-Roussillon by theend of the year.

Local cabbies have beenconcerned about Easytake’sarrival in Languedoc, claim-ing that the new servicerepresents unfair competi-tion. They took legal action,lodging an official complaint,but their case has been reject-ed by the courts.

Deals on wheels: Easytake taxis in Montpellier

THE Aude village ofBugarach, which wefeatured last edition, is inthe news again. The ham-let has seen a steady flow

of visitors and newcom-ers who

claim itis

RYANAIR has announced that it will be offering a newroute from Béziers-Cap d’Agde airport to Manchester,starting on April 1, 2012, with flights twice a week. Thisbrings to seven the destinations offered by the companyfrom Béziers, the others being Bristol, London,Düsseldorf, Stockholm, Oslo and Paris-Beauvais.Manchester. The only other Manchester link fromLanguedoc-Roussillon is by BMI Baby from Perpignan.

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AS WELL as being the world's largest singlewine-producing region, Languedoc-Roussillon is also the place whereChampagne was allegedly invented. Ofcourse, it can’t be called Champagne – onlysparkling wines made in that region maycarry the name – but research has shownthat the first recorded mention of sparklingwhite wine was recorded by Benedictinemonks in France in 1531, at an abbey inSaint Hilaire.

Produced near the town of Limoux, thiswine was and still is known as “Blanquette”(meaning “the small white”). The monksstored their Blanquette in flasks usingstoppers sourced from the local cork forest,enabling the secondary fermentation in thebottle that creates those delightful bubbles.

Today, Blanquette wine is made under fiveAOP (appellation d’origine protégée – the newname for what used to be AOC, or appella-tion d’origine controlée) designations. Threeof these wines – Blanquette de Limoux,Blanquette méthode ancestrale and Crémantde Limoux – are sparkling and they domi-nate the production in this part ofLanguedoc-Roussillon.

The main grape grown in the area isMauzac (also known locally as Blanquette),which must constitute 90% of the wine usedto make Blanquette de Limoux. Its distinc-tive apple flavours and aromas of freshly-cutgrass make it easy to recognise. The othertwo authorised grapes are Chardonnay and

Chenin Blanc.Declared an AOC in 1938 (it was the firstAOC established in the Languedoc region),Blanquette de Limoux represents some of thebest value among French sparkling wines.

Did you know?

THE Mediterranean diet andlifestyle are generally thoughtof as healthy, but residents ofLanguedoc-Roussillon mayget a surprise if they readEmmanuel Vigneron’s latestbook, Les inégalités de santédans les territoires français.

Mr Vigneron, who is a pro-fessor at Paul-ValéryUniversity in Montpellier,examines the disparitiesamong French regions interms of health and lifeexpectancy.

He concludes that in thesouth of France, people dieearlier than elsewhere andthat premature deaths (beforethe age of 65) are compara-tively more common in theMidi. In Béziers, for example,Mr Vigneron finds that themortality rate is 21% higherthan the French nationalaverage.

Drilling down to the finerdetails reveals that peopleliving on the outskirts of

Perpignan and Béziers tendto have longer lives thanthose in the centre. However,for some reason the oppositeis the case in Montpellier.

Mr Vigneron also paints arather gloomy picture of lifeexpectancy in Arles, Sète,Narbonne, and Carcassonne.

The author says variationsin health and life expectancyhave become more acuteduring the past 15 years. Sofar as Languedoc-Roussillonis concerned, he suggests thatthe problem lies in the lackof medical infrastructure inthe more isolated areas ofthe region.

He points out that compa-nies are reluctant to invest inparts of the country wheretheir employees cannotaccess healthcare easily andthus it is hard to improve thesituation. The time has come,he says, for a rethink of theway the French medicalsystem is organised.

Midi lifestyledoesn’t givea longer life

Clubs goon show

Take more trains for €1FOLLOWING the success of the “take the train for one euro”scheme introduced this summer on the line between Nîmesand Le Grau du Roi, the Languedoc-Roussillon regional gov-ernment has announced plans to expand it to other lines in thePyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Lozère and Hérault departmentsserved by TER (regional express) trains.

Scheduled for December 2011 is the Perpignan/Villefranchede Conflent service. Others planned are Carcassonne/Quillan(spring 2012), La Bastide/Mende/Marvejols (summer 2012)and Béziers/Bédarieux (December 2012)

PresidentrememberedGEORGES FRECHE, formerLanguedoc-Roussillon presi-dent and Montpellier mayor,has been commemorated bythe founding of an associa-tion in his name.

His widow Claudine is hon-orary president and among25 founder members arepainter Pierre Soulages, actorGérard Depardieu and localbusinessman Louis Nicollin.

One of the aims of the asso-ciation is to “nurture youngtalent in the fields of busi-ness, culture, architecture,law and medicine,” via a pro-gramme of events, meetings,debates and awards.

Georges Frêche was mayorof Montpellier from 1977 to2004, and president ofMontpellier Agglomérationand Languedoc-Roussillonbetween 2004 and 2010. Hedied in October last year.

MONTPELLIER’S Foiredes Associations onSeptember 11 is one ofmany such events intowns and citiesthroughout the region atwhich local clubs pro-mote their social andsporting activities.

Held over a weekend,these gatherings offer theideal opportunity to findnew ways of enlargingyour social circle, tolearn a new skill or tobrush up rusty knowl-edge. Contact your localmairie for details.

the only place in the worldthat will be spared theApocalypse on December21, 2012.

Now, wine merchant JeanPla has used locally-grownGrenache grapes to createan “Apocalypse wine”,Cuvée Bugarach. “At first,

it was just a joke,” says MrPla. “With all the hoo-hagoing on about Bugarach, Iwanted to lighten things upa bit and bring some freshair to the subject.”

He is still laughing, claim-ing that in just two weekshe has sold 1,500 of the

3,000 bottles he has pro-duced. “People like thelabel,” he says. “It's a niceGrenache wine from theAgly valley, which I alreadysell successfully in Japan.”

Expect to see moreCuvée Bugarach on theshelves soon.

The place that gavebirth to the bubbly

6 What’s On Languedoc Pages September 2011

notice board

THE distinctively-named PIG (ParentInfant Group) is a Castelnau-based“mums and toddlers” group foundedin 2003 by a British expat mother of small children who craved thecompany of others. Today it is run byBritish-born Lulu Laporte, who tookover in 2008 soon after she arrived inLanguedoc with her family.

Lulu says: “PIG encourages bilingual(French/English) children to improvetheir English language skills, provid-ing a fun, friendly, English-speakingenvironment for kids aged up to five.

“From five upwards, our morestructured sister group, Outbound,provides classes and activites forEnglish language learning andpractice.”

The group meets in term time only,every other Wednedsay, at La Masiondes Enfants Montessori school inCastelnau-le-Lez, near Montpellier.On alternative Wednesdays the grouphas “out and about” gatherings, which

might take place at the beach or thezoo, in a park or at members’ homes.

“PIG has been invaluable to mesince moving to France,” says Lulu. “Iwant to raise my children to speakEnglish fluently, which is not as easyas it appears once they start attendingFrench school and socialising withFrench-speaking friends.

“The group has provided my familywith a large social circle and supportnetwork, made up of families from allover the world.

“It is especially useful to newarrivals who haven’t yet mastered theFrench language, and it gives mem-bers the change to make friends andswap information about living inLanguedoc, including choice ofschools, family-friendly activities andplaces to visit.”

Joining costs €25 a year per family.For details of the Parent Infant

Group and contact information, go tohttp://piglanguedoc.blogspot.com/

OUT AND ABOUT: The Parent Infant Group holds regular get-togethers

Hérault Palavas-les-Flots ANIMALS

September 3-4 - Animal Folies - This show will exhibit around 500 puppies from 60 differentbreeds, more than 100 cats and kittens and more than 2,000 snakes, lizards, turtles, rodents,insects.There will be several activities and free face-painting for children.The puppies and thekittens will also be for sale. Open from 09.00 to 19.00 on both days. Prices: €6 for adults, €5for school children, €3.50 for under 12s, FREE for under 4s.Call 04 67 07 73 34 or visit www.animalfolies.fr

HéraultCastries

September 3,4, 7, 10,11,17,18 - Discover CastriesCastle and Park - A FREE guided tour of the park,the terraces and the main courtyard on Sunday 4

and 11 at 10.00 and Wednesday 7 at 10.00 and 17.00and throughout Saturday 17 and Sunday 18. On

Saturdays 3, 10, 17 at 17.30 you can enjoy a two-hourride in a horse-drawn carriage to explore Castriesand its heritage. Prices for the ride: €10 for adults, €6for under 16s and FREE for under 2s.Call 04 99 74 01 77 or visit www.ot-castries.fr

CULTURE

HéraultSeptember 2-4 - Ganges 1900 - Enjoy the historical reconstruction of Ganges as it was back atthe dawn of the last century.There will be a variety ofexhibitions, old trade demonstrations, shows, old sportsand games for children and adults, carousel, traditionaldances, ballroom dancing, music, events in the streets,old cars, a circus and much more. Many of the activitiesfor children and adults will be available on Saturday andSunday. It is an event not to be missed for all ages. Forthe programme and the timetable,Call 06 30 00 97 17 or 04 67 73 00 56email contact@ot-cevennes.com visit www.ganges1900.com

FAMILYGanges

Gard Lanuejols SHOW

September 25 at 11.00 - Spectacle de tri du bétail at the French bison ranch. Localcowboys stage a Western-style cattle drive, sorting and lassoing the animals then roundingthem up on the “prairie” and bringing them back to the enclosure, in front of the audience.The show will last an hour. Food is available. Prices €7 for adults and €4.50 for children.Call 04 67 82 73 74 or email contact@randals-bison.com

OUT ANDABOUT

GardAlès

September 17-18 - Visit the mine ofAlès and plunge into the impressive universe of the “gueules noires” (miners).There will be shows by actorsdressed in period costumes who will beperforming re-enactments from thepast. Price: €5.50 for adults and €3 forchildren 6-12.Visits between 09.30-12.30 and 14.00-18.00.Call 04 66 30 45 15 or visitwww.mine-temoin.fr

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September 2-3: Fête de la Bière, SèteSample authentic German gastrono-my with Bavarian specialities washeddown with finest German beer.Outside the Molière Theatre on PlaceStalingrad.To October 30: Brassaï en Amerique1957, MontpellierLong-lost technicolour masterpiecesof photography capturing the post-war era in the USA. PavillonPopulaire, Esplanade Charles DeGaulle. Open everyday exceptMonday. FREE admission.Call 04 67 66 13 46, www.montpelli-er.fr/506-les-expos-du-pavillon-popu-laire.htmTo October 9: Albert Oehlen, Nîmes,Carré d’Art:One of southern Europe’s finest con-

temporary art galleries houses thisexhibition of German artist AlbertOehlen, figurehead of the “BadPainting” school of the 1980s andabstract expressionism in the 1990s.www.nimes.fr/index.php?id=554September 1-11: Autour de Fauré etde Debussy, Espace Culturel Henryde Monfreid, Port-LeucateA 10-day festival of 19th-centurymusic from Debussy and Fauré, strad-dling the Romantic and Moderneras.Tickets: €5 or festival pass €25.Call 04 68 65 48 79.To October 16: Valtat, à l'aube dufauvisme, Musée de LodèveExhibition of the work of painterLouis Valtat. Closed Mondays.Call 04 67 88 86 10, www.lodevoiset-larzac.fr/musee-de-lodeve/blog

Celebrate beer, music and art

Local profile: Marjorie Mansfield advises expats newlyarriving in France about investment and inheritanceplanning, as the Regional Manager for the MidiPyrenées and Languedoc Roussillon area for financialand tax advice company Siddalls. She aims where possi-ble to help expats ensure their savings work harder forthem, while minimising the impact of French taxationand succession rules.

Tax advice for new arrivals

Promote your community event, send details to languedoc@connexionfrance.com

Meeting other families

What’s On 7Languedoc Pages September 2011

September, every Thursday - Place du Bosquet market - Thisseasonal market offers many local products, arts and crafts,fabrics, clothes and more.The market is open 09.00-12.30.Call 04 66 46 87 30email: ot@villefort-cevennes.com

SeptemberSeptember 17-18 - Les Médiévales de Gruissan - Enjoy ahost of various activities throughout the weekend, rangingfrom a medieval market, medieval games, dances, fire-eatersand jugglers, through historical re-enactments of someevents such as a dubbing ceremony to horse riding games,mini-farm, battles and more. Everything will be there toentertain the children and fill the adults with wonder.Saturday 09.30-12.00, Sunday 10.00-19.00.Call 04 68 49 09 00www.medievales-gruissan.comemail office.tourisme@gruissan-mediterranee.com

FAMILYAude Gruissan

September 18Come and listen to some

classical and contemporary music atRieux-Minervois castle from 17.00.The

cellist Lowri Blake will perform a range ofpieces from Jean-Sébastien Bach to GeorgeGershwin. Price for the concert: €15 for

adults, FREE for under 16s.Call 04 68 78 38 93 or visitwww.les-theophanies.com

CONCERTAude Rieux-Minervois

Lozère ARTVillefort-en-Cévennes

September 5-11 - Les 160 km de Florac, which began in1975, is an endurance riding competition recognised by

the Fédération Equestre Internationale.The ride lastsbetween 12 and 20 hours and involves some difficulties:uneven and broken terrain and extreme temperatures.

While enjoying this endurance ride, you can admire thewonderful landscape of the forests of Aigoual, the desert

plateau of Causse Méjean and in the gorges of Tarn.For the programme call 04 66 31 36 47

or visit www.160florac.com

SPORT

LozèreIspagnac

Pyrénées-OrientalesVernet-les-BainsMUSICSeptember 10 - Bratislava ChamberOrchestra - Concert at the Saint-Saturninchurch from 20.00.The orchestra willperform great music from different periodssuch as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Schumann’sDreaming. Price €21, tickets at the venue.Call 04 68 96 47 73email tourisme@ot-vernet-les-bains.frfor more information.

Formiguères

September 3-4 - Le Retour du Roi de Majorque - Formiguères goes backto the Middle Ages for a medieval fête On Saturday 3, enjoy a barbecue from 19.30 and a fire show. On Sunday 4, spend the whole dayin Formiguères from 09.00 and make the most of the shows in thestreets, medieval fights, fire-eaters, medieval games, market, activitiesfor children and costume hire.To book meals and costumes call 04 68 04 47 35www.formigueres.com

email animationformigueres@orange.fr.

Pyrénées-OrientalesFAMILY

September 10-11 - This festivalweekend features on Saturday a carrally from 15.00 and a barbecueevening (prices from €8) from 18.00.On Sunday from 09.00 to 18.00 youcan stroll around the lake and discov-er the local products from the Aude.Share in the different activities such astree-top adventure course, kayaking,riding, walking, cycling and more. Enjoylocal specialities with an assiette duterroir from €12 to €15.Call 04 68 60 15 21or 06 72 39 16 33.

FOOD/SPORT

AudeEscueillens

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For more information visit www.connexionfrance.comor order by calling (free from France) 0800 91 77 56

or from UK 0844 256 9881 (4p/min)

Our guides addressquestions about everyday life in Francethat we regularlyreceive. These includehow to fill out a Frenchincome tax form, local

taxes, residential carehomes in France,employing help athome such as a

gardener and lettingout your Frenchhome to tourists.

Got a query aboutlife in France?

Connexion, has a series of helpguides on the subjects that matter to you

FROM

€5PLUS P&P

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8 Self-build

MOST English-speakers looking tobuy a property in France do notconsider building their own houses.They are likely to be deterred by thelanguage barrier, the bureaucracy, orthe time and effort involved.

However, people who choose theself-build option say it is the idealopportunity to create a dream homeand, increasingly, a good way way tobreak into the market in areas such asBrittany, Languedoc, Normandy andthe Dordogne.

Building a house yourself is not anew idea, of course. English-bornpicture framer Martin Mackenzie andhis second wife, Denise, began build-ing their first house in the communeof Penne in the Tarn about 20 yearsago. “We wanted a complete changeof scene but we didn’t have muchmoney,” says Mr Mackenzie. “Weknew we couldn’t afford a lovelyready-made house in the mountains,but at the time you could buy a ruinfor almost nothing.”

The couple secured a small mort-gage for a rundown cottage and twostone barns and decided to buildtheir home from scratch. To save oncost, they moved into the propertyimmediately and undertook most ofthe work themselves.

“It’s not for everyone. You learn alot, but it takes time and you have tounderstand that the work is veryweather-dependent and that thereare setbacks,” says Mr Mackenzie.

The first step towards beginning aself-build project in France is tosecure a site and get permission forbuilding and development from thelocal commune.

Many sites can be purchased witha certificat d’urbanisme indicatingthe land has been set aside for resi-dential building. Once the certificathas been secured, the law states anarchitect must be hired to draw upplans for any building over 170m2.

Architect Sean Rawnsley, from theArchitecte Sud group in the Tarn inMidi-Pyrénées, has helped English-speakers to obtain planning permis-sion and while some have gone onto hire a local builder, many choseto do most of the work themselves.

“But these are not complete

novices,” said Mr Rawnsley. “Oftenthey have worked as builders backhome and know what they’re doing.It’s definitely possible to build yourown home and it can be a lot cheap-er. But, you have to be careful andyou have to do your homework.

“You’ll need to know about soilconditions and, having obtainedplanning permission, what to dowith the site, how to insulate andprotect your property, etc. You’realso likely to be confronted withnew techniques and new materialsand regulations. Of course, it’s mucheasier if the property takes up lessthan 170m2.”

It was for this reason that TheoNoordewier, part-owner of the holi-day home marketing websitewww.gites.eu, chose to limit the sizeof his property. Mr Noordewier,from the Netherlands, built a smallhouse, with a bedroom, bathroomand cellar and ordered a ready-to-assemble wooden frame fromLithuania for the second storey.

“We didn’t have the money toemploy an architect and didn’t feelwe needed one,” he said. Doing mostof the work with his wife and broth-er, he hired a mason for thestonework and an architect from thefactory in Lithuania to supervise theassembly of the frame over twoweeks.

“You have a sense that you are cre-ating something. When you look atthe house you really think, ‘I didthis.’ That’s a very different feelingfrom buying something.”

Mr Noordewier and his wifemoved into their home in 2009 andare now adding a 60m2 extension.

Another way of minimising costswhile delegating the project to aprofessional is to follow the exampleof most French people and sign acontrat de construction de maisonindividuelle (contract to build anindividual house, or CCMI) with abuilder. The contract allows you topick a standard design and set outthe exact cost and timeline for theproject beforehand.

That is by far the most secure wayof doing things, says YannickBilloux, director of the Bordeaux

branch of government housingagency, ADIL (AgenceDépartementale pour l’Informationsur le Logement).

The ADIL has offices in everydépartement and offers free adviceon buying or building. The Conseild’Architecture d’Urbanisme et del’Environnement (CAUE) also givesfree architectural and planningadvice and most mairies offer accessto an architectural adviser.

“If you are a foreigner buildingyour own house in France, you mustbe prepared and you must protectyour investment,” Mr Billoux said.“If you do the work yourself, thestandard of the work won’t be ashigh, you might run way over dead-line and you probably won’t save alot of money in the end. With a

CCMI, if anything happens or thecosts are miscalculated, the addi-tional costs will be covered by thecontractor.”

However, anyone looking to builda more individual property mightfind the CCMI too restrictive. Threeyears ago, David Mailer set up thecompany French Adventure to helpEnglish-speakers build their idealhomes. He specialises in projectsworth €200,000 and upwards andhas completed four houses in theCharente-Maritime.

He said: “People have very specificideas of what they want – a nicekitchen and bathroom, an open-plan living space. If you want thatkind of a property in the right loca-tion, you just won’t find it.”

Tarn home-builders Martin

Mackenzie and wife Denise agree. In2005 they sold their completedhouse and bought a building in needof complete renovation. The budgetwas €260,000 and they haven’tspent all of it yet, though they plan

Martin Mackenzie and Denise decided the best way to create theirdream house was to do it themselves (right), but that required thatthey get involved in some serious construction work

Finding the perfect property at the rightprice and in the right place can be difficult;so people are choosing to build their ownhouses, as Hélène Hofman reports

Live the dream – but you have t

THE authoritative guide to buying a home in France

Available in English from The Connexion, priced €7.50 or £7 (plus postage and packaging)

Written by the Notaires de France and published by Conseils des Notaires.

See our website www.connexionfrance.com

Languedoc Pages

Self-build 9

to install a swimming pool and esti-mate work will continue for a fur-ther three years. A similar housewould have cost about €450,000 onthe open market, they believe.

“You’d be very lucky to find your

ideal house ready-made,” says MrMackenzie. “When you do it your-self you can tweak it to make it justright for you and at the end of theday you have something you canreally be proud of.”

ARCHITECTEURS is a group of architect-builders. Theirwebsite lists more than 100 construction firms managed byarchitects, many of whom handle self-build housing projects.It can be searched by region.

Architecteurs, tel 01 55 37 17 00, www.architecteurs.com

Architecteurs members in Languedoc-Roussillon:Aude

Gilles Fages, 6 Allée du Jardin Public,11130 Sigean,tel 04 68 58 19 00, gilles-fages@architecteurs.com

You, ZAC Bonne Source, 108, Avenue de Gruissan, 11100Narbonne, tel 04 68 49 58 43, contact.you@architecteurs.com

Less Is More, 39, rue Pierre Germain, 11000 Carcassonne,tel 04 68 25 07 06, contact.less-is-more@architecteurs.com

HéraultJD Archi Construction, Hameau de Bardejean, 34240

Lamalou les Bains, tel. 04 67 95 23 74jdarchiconstruction@architecteurs.com

Ardomus, 909 Chemin de Moularès, 34070 Montpellier, tel 04 67 22 27 63 contact.ardomus@architecteurs.com

Espaceco, 7, rue de la Pinède, 34790 Grabels, tel 09 63 29 83 55, contact.espaceco@architecteurs.com

GardJosé Marcos, 67 rue du Commandant Mézergues, 30190

Saint Chaptes, tel 04 66 81 92 49,contact.marcos@architecteurs.com

Information and adviceTHE Agence Départementale pour l’Information sur leLogement offers free advice to the public regarding financial,legal and fiscal matters relating to accommodation, includingconstruction. ADIL offices in Languedoc-Roussillon depart-ments are:

ADIL Gard, 7, rue Nationale, 30000 Nîmes, tel 04 66 21 22 23, www.adil.org/30/

ADIL Montpellier, 4 bis, rue Rondelet, 34000 Montpellier,tel. 04 67 55 55 55, www.adil34.org/.

ADIL Béziers, 30, avenue Gambetta, 34500 Béziers,tel 04 67 55 55 32, www.adil34.org/

ADIL Sète, CA Agglomération Thau, 17, rue André Portes,34200 Sète, tel 04 67 55 55 32, www.adil34.org

ADIL Lozère, 12 bis, avenue du Maréchal Foch, 48000Mende, tel 04 66 49 36 65, www.adil48.org

to build it yourself

IF YOUR new-build rural home is unconnectedto the sewerage system you have two options fordealing with your waste water: a traditional septictank system or a “mini water-treatment plant”(micro-station d’épuration).

The traditional fosse septique uses a tank wherebacteria break down waste and the end liquid isspread under the garden through a piping system.

A micro-station does not require the pipes, so iswell-suited to properties without large, flat gar-dens, and is a more high-tech solution. However,they are now subject to specific quality rules, so ifyou have one put in, make sure it is agréée.

Mairies are obliged to ensure all individualwaste water systems meet safety and efficiencynorms before the end of 2012. House sellers areobliged to get a check, costing about €100, doneand show the certificate to the buyer. If it revealsproblems which may, for example, cause pollutionthese must be put right by either owner or buyer.

Country-dwellershave waste options

Where to findself-buildadvice locally

“Cool Design - Cool Prices”

GRAPHIC DESIGN, typesetting, advertising,brochures, logos, books, magazines

WEBSITES, solutions for all budgets

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September 2011

10 Food Languedoc Pages September 2011

INGREDIENTSMakes about 250g (9oz)

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped4 garlic cloves,

peeled and finelychopped

4 tbsp olive oil3 large ripe

tomatoes, coredand roughlychopped

1 tbsp tomatoconcentrate

2 tbsp balsam-ic vinegar

2 strips driedorange zest

Salt and fresh-ly ground blackpepper

METHODSweat the onion and garlic in the olive oil for5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Addthe tomatoes, tomato concentrate, balsamicvinegar and orange zest, and cook over amedium heat, stirring occasionally, for about10 minutes until most of the liquid has evap-orated. Season well and keep warm.

THE MASSES of bright red fruits hanging onyour tomato plants now might not contributeto the 540,000 tonnes of tomatoes France produces each year for the fresh market, butthey probably do represent something of aglut. So what do you do with them? Well, hereare some creative suggestions to please thetaste buds and give you a health kick.

There is strong evidence that tomatoes canhelp protect against cardiovascular diseaseand cancer and researchers want it to be oneof the five-a-day fruit and vegetable portions.

The scientists from Lycocard, a five-yearproject funded by the EU to study the potential health benefits of the red plant pigment lycopene, say tomatoes could make adifference and they are working with theFrench agricultural research institute, INRA,to assess how blood cells absorb lycopene.

So, eat healthily with some traditionalFrench cuisine that will make the best of yourpotager tomatoes.Two favourite tomato recipes of award-winningcook and food writer Alex Mackay – authorof Cooking in Provence (Ebury Press), whichwon the Gourmand World Cookbook Awardfor Best Book on French Cuisine in English –are his tarte fine aux tomates and compote detomates. The tart was inspired by one he cameacross in a bustling Saint-Tropez restaurantand you can eat it hot or cold, he says. Thecompote is perfect for fat, juicy, ripe tomatoesand can be kept in the fridge for three days orfrozen (see Alex’s recipes, right).

Another candidate for the glut pot is thecourgette. If you have a vegetable patch, it islikely many are resembling marrows by now,or green footballs. Courgettes can be used in anumber of ways: as ratatouille, in a curry, battered and deep fried, and they can be stir-fried, steamed, boiled, roasted and baked. Buthave you ever made marmalade out of them?

Susie Kelly, an author living in Poitou-Charentes, discovered the mouthwateringdelights of courgette marmalade last year.

Well known for her book Best Foot Forward,in which she painstakingly travels throughFrance on foot, she has just published TheValley of Heaven & Hell (available fromwww.amazon.co.uk), an account of cyclingaround France with her husband. Yet in spiteof her travels, Susie is a homebody at heartand has a passion for her vegetable patch, hervarious animals; and now, lemon courgettemarmalade.

Susie first decided to make the marmalade(see the recipe right) after finding in herpotager a round courgette that weighed noless than 5kg.

“We had grown a lot of massive round cour-gettes and I found them really unmanageablebecause you can’t cut them in slices,” saidSusie.

“Being frugal by nature, I didn’t want towaste it, but what do you do with a creaturethis big?”

She sought help via the internet and, havingfound a recipe, adapted it to her own tastes.

She wanted a strong lemon flavour with “a small quantity of ginger to give it a slight zing”, and lemon courgette marmaladewas born.

She says: “This year I’m going to leave someof my courgettes deliberately to become enormous so I can make as much marmaladeas possible. Everybody loves it and it will benice as Christmas presents, plus it keeps well– we still have some from last year.”

METHODSlay and eviscerate the courgette, then addthe flesh to a heavy pan and pour over a littlecold water. Bring to the boil and simmer forabout 20 minutes until tender. Drain well andthoroughly mash the flesh.

Meanwhile, chop the lemons in half,squeeze the juice and flesh into a bowl, thencarefully cut away the pith from the peel andslice the peel very finely.

Add the rind, flesh and juice of the lemons, and the ginger, to the drained,mashed courgette.

Bring to the boil and then remove the panfrom the heat. Add the sugar, stirring untildissolved, and then boil again till the jam isthick, about 20 minutes. Pour into warmedsterilised jam jars.

The result is an amber-coloured jam, fra-grant with lemon, the courgette merely pro-viding bulk without imparting any flavour.

INGREDIENTS6lb (2.7kg) courgette flesh4 lemonsJuice of 1 lemon1 teaspoon ground ginger 6lb (2.7kg) normal sugar

Compote de Tomates

Lemon courgette marmalade

Tarte Fine aux Tomates

Do not worry if after half an hour the tomato tart looks an absolute mess: it’ll all dryout, says Alex Mackay in his book Cooking in Provence

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Transform your garden gluts into taste sensations

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INGREDIENTS

Serves six 350g (12oz) puff pastry 1.5kg (3lb 5oz) tomatoes, all around

the same size 150g (5.5oz) mascarpone cheese 50g (1.75oz) Parmesan, finely grated 1 biggish bunch fresh basil, leaves

picked from the stalks, sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

METHODPreheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Rollpuff pastry to a circle slightly larger than30cm (12 in) in diameter. (If you don’t havea ring this size, use a plate.) Put pastry cir-cle on a tray and let it rest in the fridge for20 minutes or so while you prepare thetomatoes. Remove cores from tomatoes andslice about 5mm thick. Keep all the slicestogether and put the ends in a separate pile.

Mix the mascarpone cheese with theParmesan and basil and season well. Spreadthe mascarpone across the centre of the

pastry circle, leavingabout 10cm (4 in) atthe edges. Layer thesliced tomatoes roundthe outside of thecheese, making a fullcircle. Continuetowards the centre inever-decreasing circles,overlapping the earliercircle each time. Tuck

the tomato ends under each layer to pre-vent them from caving in, then continuetowards the centre. Put the last slice right inthe middle and drizzle with the olive oil.

Bake the tart in the preheated oven for30 minutes, then turn the oven down to150ºC/300ºF/Gas 2 and bake for a further45 minutes. When cooked there should bealmost no liquid left in the tomatoes andthe pastry base will be crisp.

Signed copies of Cooking In Provenceare available from Alex Mackay's website: www.alexmackay.com.

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Why not give Susie Kelly’s lemon courgette marmalade a try?

Caline Montfort of Julien de Savignac wine merchants (www.julien-de-savignac.com) says:I chose for this dish Chateau la Colline 2009. Bergerac rouge. €7.40. This wine ischarming, elegant and fruity and will go perfectly with this summer dish. The ageingin oak brought a nice vanilla touch and a new world style.

Which wine should I drink with this?

Restaurants in Languedoc

Advertising Feature

To advertise your restaurant with us call 0800 91 77 56

Prices startfrom just €35 HT

per month

Business 11Languedoc Pages September 2011

FINANCE

Local tax help

YOU do not mention your family situation and so we haveassumed that you do not have any dependants living withyou. If your Lodève property is your principal residence,you will not be entitled to any exemptions or reductions foryour Agde property, unless you let this property to others.In this instance, you may be exempt from paying taxed'habitation in certain circumstances.

For your principal residence, however, you may be enti-tled to some reductions or exonerations, as shown below.

Taxe d'habitation: A reduction in the amount of taxpayable, or complete exoneration, is available to certaingroups of people, provided you have annual income lowerthan the eligible thresholds and you are not liable forwealth tax. There is no test of resources required howeverfor those in receipt of ASPA, ASI or RSA.Complete exemption is granted to:1. People over 60 years of age2. Widowed people irrespective of age3. Disabled or infirm people receiving or eligible for theallocation de solidarité aux personnes âgées (ASPA), alloca-tion aux adultes handicapés (AAH), or allocation supplé-mentaire d'invalidité (ASI)4. People with low income receiving Revenu de solidaritéactive (RSA) - montant de base (minimum amount)

For 2011, the income thresholds based on household sizeare:1 part - €10,0242 parts - €15,376

If you are not entitled to complete exemption, but yourincome is below a certain level, you will be entitled to areduction in the taxe d'habitation on your principal resi-dence. The amount of the reduction depends on yourincome situation. Broadly, if your revenu fiscal de référencefor 2010 was less than €23,572 for a single person or€34,586 for a couple, then you will be entitled to a reduc-tion in the amount of tax that you are liable to pay.

Normally the above reductions and exemptions are grant-ed automatically by the tax authority on the basis of theinformation obtained from your annual income tax return.Taxe foncière:The following groups are granted exemption from the tax:1. People over 75 years of age on January 1, provided theymeet the income criteria (as indicated above for taxed'habitation)2. Registered disabled people irrespective of age, and inreceipt of AAH3. People receiving ASPA or ASI4. People over 65 years of age on January 1, and under 75years, are entitled to a reduction of (at least) €100 in theamount payable, provided they meet the means test.

The exoneration does not apply to the part of the taxrelated to rubbish collection.

I am a pensioner currently living in Lodève. I haverecently bought a property near Agde. I would like toknow whether there are any reductions or exonera-tions available for local property tax?

Photo: © AlcelVision - Fotolia.com

Answered by

ANNETTE MORRIS has lived in Languedoc for almost four years.She works as a freelance internet marketing consultant andwebsite developer helping businesses optimise their onlinepresence. Annette co-runs www.LaFranglaise.com and theLanguedoc group of the Survive France network. Earlier this yearshe started Languedoc Jelly, designed to promote the co-workingconcept to expats and English-speakers in France. In this regularcolumn she shares her tips for the business community and wouldwelcome readers’ questions and feedback.

To contact Annette Morris, call 07 86 14 16 39 or email Solutions@LaFranglaise.com

Learning from experience of others is vital for success

THERE are many categories of self-employment in France so if you choosethis course you should seek expertadvice to find the most appropriateregistration for you.

One helpful place to start is the freebusiness-to-business online resourceLocations4Business.com.

Editor Gemma Driver says: “Whetheryou are establishing large business oper-ations or setting up as an artisan or soletrader, there is plenty of business supportin the region. It’s just a matter of askingthe right organisations for help.”

For individuals, Ms Driver recom-mends Pôle Emploi as the first port ofcall. “The local councils are pleased tohear from anyone interested in settingup their own business in the locality orelse relocating or expanding a businessthere. They will also redirect people tothe right secondary organisations.”

So business owners should take heart.The advice and answers you need are outthere. The most likely places to start areyour nearest Chambre de Commerce etd’Industrie or Chambre de Métiers.

Béziers Chamber of Commerce offersfree advisory sessions every otherThursday afternoon from September 1.You need to book early, so telephone04 67 80 98 36 for details. The CCI forLanguedoc-Roussillon in Montpellieralso welcomes expat entrepreneursand can provide a translator to helpEnglish-speakers.

A learning curveA COMMON pitfall of self-employmentis that it is easy to overlook your own

personal development. The “individualright to training” law in France statesthat employees with more than a year’sservice to a company benefit from train-ing credits every year. However, entre-preneurs and small business owners mayneed to find their own sources of sup-port. Life coach John Falchetto

(www.expatlifecoach.com) helps expatentrepreneurs in France and contactsmost people in his own communitythrough the internet. John explains:“When we look at starting a life or abusiness abroad, the people we surroundourselves with matter, a lot. I look at my(online) community and see that I wouldnever have been capable of achievingwhat I did without their help.” If you are using online networking tools,

take note of who is influencing you andexplore how they could help you developyour skills or your business.

Motivational thoughtsA FORMER senior operations officerwith Thames Valley police, BrianLangston relocated to Lodève, and nowspecialises in helping individualsthrough personal development courses.Brian understands the challenges facingnew arrivals in Languedoc and theimpact of losing trusted networks: “It’snot uncommon for people to arrive inLanguedoc without any support networkaround them. That was certainly the sit-uation with me. It is a case of learning awhole new way of life and not just a newlanguage.” He believes it is essential touse different tactics in your strategy andis a strong advocate of websites such asLinkedIn. His own website is www.thephenomenalleadershipcompany.com

Use your Anglo connectionsNETWORKING plays an important rolefor any small business owner and askingothers about their experiences is key togetting your business off to a flying start.

Joining an online business forum mayallow you to connect with other mem-bers who are happy to share their adviceand experience. For face-to-face net-working, regional groups include AGLRand BritsNîmes. As well as many socialevents, AGLR are planning monthlybusiness seminars where members canshare experiences or receive advice fromEnglish-speakers.

www.pole-emploi.fr www.info-entrepriseslr.fr www.languedoc-roussillon.afpa.fr www.lautoentrepreneur.fr www.languedoc-roussillon.cci.fr www.anglophone-group-

languedoc-roussillon.com www.britsnimes.com

Useful Websites

John Falchetto: Networks are crucial

Brian Langston: It’s a new way of life

Setting up in the unfamiliarsurroundings of a new countryis a very challenging prospectand it is important to know howto take advantage of theexperiences of others before you

Please be aware that information givenby private website-users should beverified by experts to make sure itapplies to your individual situation.

Find registered tradespeoplequickly and easily

DirectoryPagesPAGES 12 & 13

Looking to buy a

house?See page 15 for a wide

range of properties

12 Directory Languedoc Pages September 2011

ARCHITECTS

BUILDERS & RENOVATION

EDUCATION & LANGUAGES ELECTRICIANS

PROPERTY SERVICES

RETAIL

ALPACA WOOLand KNITWEAR

Knitting Yarns, Accessories,Fleeces For Spinning

www.polfagesalpacas.comemail: jane@polfagesalpacas.com

Siret 529 235 053

PPeerrffeecctt PPrrooppeerrttyy MMaannaaggeemmeennttQuality House & Swimming Pool Management in the

LanguedocTTeell:: ++3333 ((00)) 44 9999 5577 0055 8899

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EEmmaaiill:: ttrruuddii@@ppppmm3344..ffrrSiret: 51215779300013

KeysittingProperty Services

We look after your home in your absenceProviding an extensive range of services

for your complete peace of mind

Project Managementof any works, repairs, renovations,

extensions

www.keysitting.frcontact@keysitting.fr

00 33 (0) 6 78 47 37 58

LANGUEDOCELECTRICIANGraham Fox – Fully Qualified

25+ Years ExperienceFriendly, Informative ReliableHigh Professional Standard

E-mail: graham.fox515@orange.frTel/Fax: 04 68 45 46 28

Depts: 11, 34 - Siret: 49443828600010

LEARN FRENCHNear Carcassonne

South of France

A friendly andprofessionally run school

Dynamic and varied courses invery small groups throughout the

year whatever your ageand French level

www.ludoexpression.comcontact@ludoexpression.com

HHOOWWFFRREENNCCHH..CCOOMMPPEERRPPIIGGNNAANN

Translating, interpreting, hand-holdingDistance tuition by MSN/Skype

Homestay language coursesWorkshops

ccoonnnneexxiioonn@@hhoowwffrreenncchh..ccoomm++3333 ((00))44 6688 3388 9911 6699

Need some help?HHiigghh--qquuaalliittyy ttrraannssllaattiinngg,, llaanngguuaaggee aanndd

iinntteerrccuullttuurraall ttrraaiinniinngg aatt rreeaassoonnaabbllee pprriicceessConnecting Cultures

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P.O.INTERIORSRENOVATION - KITCHENS, BATHROOMS,

TOTAL RENOVATION AND CARPENTRY,DECKING, TERRACES AND MUCH MORE

Tel. 06 72 42 07 04 - 04 68 37 97 83DEPT 66

interiors66po@aol.comSiret: 494 683 931 00021

AArrttiissaann DDeevveellooppmmeennttssFully project managed property renovations.

Comprehensive building, planning & design services.

Tel: 04 67 25 29 38 Mob: 06 73 17 02 73

Email: boltholefrance@mail.com

Ward BuildingServices

Renovation to DecorationExtensions, Kitchens,

Bathrooms, tiling, stonework,Patios, terraces. Free estimates

Tel: Mike 04 68 24 45 05 / 06 33 28 48 72Email: frbuilder@yahoo.com

Siret: 50400085200013

ARCHITECTUK Architect, Design, Dossiers for Planning

Applications and Project Management.Based in the Aude and Herault.

Tel 04 67 89 57 64gregoryjacquie@googlemail.com

ARCHITECTE SUDBi-lingual architect SW France:

feasibility studies, ecological design,renovation, planning, project management.

Tel: 05 63 56 39 11 Email: info@architectesud.frWeb: www.architectesud.fr

SIRET N°: 41976643100011

Find registered tradespeople quickly and easily

English-speaking firms near you

LANGUEDOCPAGES

For your security, we check that the French businesses in this section are officially registered with the authorities

LANGUEDOC DIRECTORY

To advertisehere call

freephone in France

0800 91 77 56 / from

UK 0844 256 9881

(4p/min) or email

directory@connexionfrance.com

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Advertise here ALL YEAR from just €€165HT

Call free on 0800 91 77 56

or email:directory@connexionfrance.com

A CONTRACT with KeySitting cangive peace of mind regarding yourproperty, as it offers a basic serviceof thorough twice-monthly checks,plus extra checks during stormyperiods, and an à la carte range ofservices from gardening and house-work to swimming pool mainte-nance. More regular visits can alsobe arranged if customers prefer.

Owners Florence and Jean-PaulPerez have been in business for 25years and have built up a wide net-work of local contacts to cope withany problems. Mr Perez, an experi-enced builder, is also able to takecharge of work from minor repairsto extensions or new-builds on cus-tomers’ land. The couple work forowners with properties in Uzès,Gard and the surrounding area.

“We check on properties all yearround. If homes are left uninhabited

most of the time and not checkedthey can suffer problems with dampor leaks and pipes might get iced upin the winter if heating is not turnedon,” said Florence. “Also, in ourregion there are violent storms fromtime to time and when that happenswe check there has not been anydamage to the house or garden.”

KeySitting also collects mail andopens letters from official bodies tomake sure that urgent action is notrequired. “We look after any admin-istrative problems, for example, anelectricity subscription or a meterreading or local property tax,” saidFlorence. “We recently had two cus-tomers who were burgled, so wedeclared it to the gendarmerie. Wemade the house safe by boarding upthe windows where shutters hadbeen broken by the thieves and gota quote for repair. We always seek

quotes for extra workand give them to thecustomer, often byemail, and do not to anything with-out consent.”

Every two weeks the firm sendscustomers a report of the inspection

and any problemsthat were flagged up.“When it comes torenovations andbuilding, we workwith an enormousnumber of firms,”added Florence. “We

have landscape gardeners, archi-tects, decorators and swimmingpool engineers who can replace lin-ers and pumps.”

As for building work, the companyis specialised in working with localstone and in installing insulationusing modern, natural materials.“The inspection contract is the basicservice and then after that cus-tomers are free to add whatever theychoose,” said Florence.

Three-quarters of the company’sclients are English-speaking andFlorence and Jean-Paul are used tospeaking English with them. One oftheir customers, Monica Stone, said:“I feel so much at ease now I know Ihave someone I can rely on. We hadsuch a nightmarish experience foursummers ago when we came backand found the kitchen ceiling hadbeen leaking all winter long. Therewas mould everywhere and we hadto redo the whole kitchen. It’s goodto know that won’t happen again.”

06 78 47 37 58contact@keysitting.frwww.keysitting.fr

Keep a year-round eye on your holiday home

KeySitting ensuresproperties are ingood shape, bothinside and out

A holiday home left empty for the year can be a worry ifyou are far away and unable to make checks - that iswhere the services of a firm like KeySitting come in

Phot

o:©

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Directory 13Languedoc Pages September 2011

ADVERTISING FEATURES

WHEN families relocateto France they often findit more challenging thanexpected says VictoriaOrange-Sibra. A differentlanguage, school systemand culture can lead toisolation, confusion andsometimes can result in areturn home or continualflitting between twocountries.

However, ConnectingCulture’s interculturaltraining can help peopleto understand Francebetter and settle in morequickly. “There are peo-ple of all nationalitiescoming to France andthey need to know how

to live here on a personal and sociallevel, in a work environment or aspart of an international team,” saidVictoria, who says the family is justas important as the person workingeven though this is often over-looked.

“If the partner, who is sometimescalled the ‘trailing spouse’, is nothappy then more often than not theexpat mission fails. ConnectingCultures can help people in manydifferent ways, from finding schoolsto establishing a network of Englishspeakers and teaching French,”added Victoria.

In terms of the company’s businessfocus, Victoria has found that herservices are being required moreand more locally. Up until the lasttwo to three years she was travelling

around the world providing inter-cultural training, but has found thatas globalisation increases she canbase herself in Montpellier most ofthe time where she lives.

The company’s expertise in cross-cultural team building has meantthat many international companiesnow use Victoria’s skills to optimiseresults. “If you are working for aninternational company and the teamis made up of, say, German,Spanish, American and Chineseemployees it can be very enrichingor a complete disaster - and often itends up in a disaster if they haven’tbeen trained on how to communi-cate and understand cultural differ-ences,” said Victoria.

“This training would help raiseawareness of differences, highlight

similarities and set up a way ofworking that will mean the teamwill be successful.”

Over the last ten years the compa-ny has gone from strength tostrength, so much so that Victoriaworks with a team of partners soshe can cover a broad range ofcountries and cultures. Victoria isaware that at first some people areunsure about whether to committhe time or money to such a ven-ture, but says that customers alwaystell her they feel the sessions weremore than worthwhile.

“It is beneficial to invest a little bitof time to make living and workinghere easier and happier. In terms offamilies, if a businessman realiseshis wife is contented and makingfriends, usually it means the familyis happier and a successful reloca-tion results.”

04 67 82 36 62www.connectingcultures.fr

As a professional interpreter and translator, Victoria Orange-Sibra came to realise that intercultural understandingwas vital to getting the right message across in a different language. Her company, Connecting Cultures, now inits tenth year, provides a wide range of personal- and business-orientated services from helping families settlesmoothly into a new life in France to advising multi-cultural business teams on how to best communicate

Optimise your French connection

Victoria Orange-Sibra offers translation, interpreting and intercultural services through her company Connecting Cultures

MANY people think an architect isonly necessary for a new build orcomplicated renovation, but usuallyit is during seemingly straightfor-ward projects that people comeunstuck. Often problems encoun-tered during a construction projectcould have been avoided if an archi-tect had been brought in from thestart.

Architecte Sud practises all oversouth-west France and owner andarchitect Sean Rawnsley is aChartered Member of the RIBA aswell as a member of the FrenchOrdre des Architectes. His architec-tural design focus is on employingnatural materials to create unusualdynamics of space and light in abuilding. Sustainable materials andenergy-saving techniques are anessential factor.

Clients also appreciate Sean’s wide

knowledge of different Frenchbuilding techniques and materials,complex French planning laws andhow the different building tradesoperate in France.

“We often find that we instinctive-ly ‘click’ with British clients at thedesign stage, as far as taste andlifestyle goes, in a way that perhapsisn’t possible with a French archi-tect,” said Sean.

Many people waste time andmoney at the start of a projectthinking they can submit their ownplanning application and do all theproject management themselves.

“In certain cases this is possible,but we have met so many peoplewho have come unstuck: havingapplications refused, employing thewrong tradesmen, losing moneyhand over fist and wasting precioustime,” said Sean.

If an architect takes on a wholeproject from design through plan-ning to project management, hisfees are usually based on a percent-age of the overall construction cost.However, this in no way shouldmake you suspect the architect maybe “in cahoots” with local buildersto bump up the prices.

“This is totally against our profes-sional code of conduct,” said Sean.“In fact we do the opposite. Bydrawing up detailed specificationsin French for quotations, meticu-lously checking through your billsand drawing up watertight contractswith the builders, we make sure youare getting the best deal possiblewith no unpleasant surprises lateron.

“We actually saved one client€50,000 by advising him not to usethe most obvious builder for a job.

In another case we obtained a stategrant of 10% towards the restorationcosts on a listed building.”

Sean’s wife Anne, who worksalongside him, takes care of all thepaperwork and budgets and guidesclients through the baffling web ofFrench bureaucracy. Both speakexcellent French. “By offering abilingual service we take the anxietyof out of a project,” added Anne.

“Local tax forms, builders’ insur-ance, regionalaccents, meet-ings withstuffy bureau-crats and dif-ferent TVArates, nothingphases me anylonger.”

Currentprojectsinclude therestoration ofa medievalmonastery in

Roussillon, a new-build on a steepslope near Toulouse, a wood-cladextension in the Tarn and the totaltransformation of a ruined farmcomplex in the Aveyron into a spa-cious home, using the latest high-tech electronics and ecological ener-gy-saving techniques.

05 63 56 39 11info@architectesud.frwww.architectesud.fr

Architects save money on property projects

Architecte Sud recently saved one client €50,000 as aresult of advice given during the planning process

Deciding to use an architect to help you with a renovation or extension may seemto be an expensive option, but, as Sean Rawnsley of Architecte Sud explains, it cansave you significant amounts of money and time, not to mention stress

ARTISAN Developments is anEnglish and French speaking com-pany based in Languedoc specialis-ing in property design and renova-tion. Turnkey management for holi-day homes and rental properties isalso offered whichensures a warm wel-come for every guest.

Jess and JulesWhitaker have lived inFrance for four yearsafter returning to thecountry where Juleswas raised. With morethan 20 years’ experi-ence of living andworking in the country,Jules speaks French likea native. “We are really passion-ate about the life wehave here and startedthe business to help

others realise their own dream of ahome in France,” said Jules. “Fromfinding the right property throughto completion, ArtisanDevelopments has a full range ofservices and project management to

meet everyone’s needs.”Project planning is an

important aspect of theworks process and thecompany’s design pack-ages can help you makethe most of your proper-ty. From planning, build-ing consent, kitchen andbathroom design,through to colour con-sultations, all the ingre-dients are available tocreate inspiring spacesthat will suit individualneeds and budgets.

The practicalities ofrenovation works can be

difficult to grasp, especiallywhen there is a language barrierto overcome. Project manage-ment from a fluent Frenchspeaker eliminates misunder-standings and with a comprehensiverange of design and building servic-es available, the process of renovat-ing your own property in Francecan be hassle free.

“Regular updates by email orphone keep clients informed ofprogress, so they are fully involvedat every stage of the development,”said Jules.

“We work with qualified localtradesmen and specialist craftsmento ensure a quality finish through-out. Reclaimed and restored materi-als are used where possible toensure a sympathetic renovationwhich meets the demands of mod-ern life,” added Jess.

The company’s range of services

include: property finding, planning,design consultancy, project manage-ment consultancy and fully-man-aged building, renovation and asso-ciated works, such as roofing, car-pentry, bespoke and fitted kitchens,bathrooms, plumbing, electrics,tiling, plastering, decoration, land-scaping, pool construction and fur-niture sourcing.

Where the property is intended forrental, Artisan Developments canadvise on the requirements to com-ply with the rental agencies and pro-vide maintenance contracts andchangeovers for the property.

Personalised welcome packagesalso ensure that the holiday canstart as soon you or your rental

clientele arrive. Turnkey packages include: airing

the property for new arrivals; basicprovision supply; key holding andhandover; pre-heat turn on in win-ter months; guest check-out andinspection; maintenance to proper-ty, furniture, garden and pool; and aproperty styling and photo pack foradvertising.

“We want clients to enjoy thewhole process of creating theirhome here and, with the services weoffer, make owning and renovatingproperty in France stress free.”

04 67 25 29 3806 73 17 02 73boltholefrance@mail.com

A stylish renovation with elegant decor

Jess and Jules run Aristan Developments

Finding a property, renovating it and keeping it beautifully maintained to enjoy duringholidays or rent out are all daunting tasks, but the range of property management services from Artisan Developments can help you to manage each aspect and more

The key to strees-free properties

14 Property Languedoc Pages September 2011

DIY tips

WHY NOT SPONSOR & ADVERTISEYOUR BUSINESS HERE?

SPONSOR & ADVERTISEYOUR BUSINESS HEREFOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL0800 91 77 56 (FREE FROM FRANCE)

DID you know that huntershave the right to hunt acrossyour private land?

As the main hunting seasongets under way again thismonth, you be aware that thisrule applies unless youexplicitly oppose it.

However, how simple a taskthat is depends on where inFrance you live.

Hunting rights depend onwhether the hunters in yourarea belong to an associationcommunale de chasse agréée(certified communal huntingsociety – ACCA) or a simpleassociation de chasse (huntingsociety). Between them thereare about 70,000 hunt soc-ieties in France.

In the ACCA areas you ownthe hunting rights on yourland but are deemed to havegiven tacit permission forothers to hunt on it unlessyou explicitly oppose it.

“The courts take the viewthat ‘he who doesn’t speakup, consents’”, says Frenchwild animal charity Aspas.

If you do not ban huntingthen hunters can come asclose to your home as they

like, says Aspas. The groupadds that, contrary to what isoften thought, in associationde chasse areas there is no set

150m perimeter aroundhomes where hunting cannottake place, merely a certaindistance, set by the local pre-

fect, inside which hunterscannot shoot towards homes.

In the ACCA areas, often inthe south, you have to apply

Say No if you don’t wantthe hunt calling in on you

Boar are one of the most commonly-huntedlarge game (inset – a refuge sign)

to the prefect to have huntingbanned on your land, thougha 150m zone around homesdoes apply, Aspas says.

Your mairie should be ableto tell you which is the casein your area.

Either way, a simple way toalert hunters of your choice,or be helped through the pro-cedures for a ban, is to signan agreement with Aspas todesignate your land as anAspas refuge.

If you are in a société dechasse area they will send you“no-hunting signs” to put upstraight away. They will alsoadvise on how to make sureyour land is an ideal environ-ment for wildlife.

In ACCA areas, Aspas willhelp you with the admin in-volved. Also, the fact you arebacked by the charity will addweight to your application.

Aspas director MadlineReynaud said: “To please thehunters the law has beenmade far from simple when itcomes to withdrawing yourland from the hunting areas.

“You can really only do itonce every five years, on theanniversary of the creation ofthe ACCA in your commune.

“In the end, to protect na-ture, individual initiative hasto take the place of the fail-ings of the authorities.”

Ms Reynaud added: “If youare an owner or tenant, andnot a hunter, you can haveyour right to have no hunting recognised and livein complete safety and tran-quillity. Thanks to creating arefuge, your land will be ahaven of peace for fauna and flora and the naturalhabitats.”

For more about Aspas, theAssociation pour la Protec-tion des Animaux Sauvage,see www.aspas-nature.org

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Fitting a smokealarm is a must

ALL homes in France must have at least one smoke detectorfitted by law and whether you are the owner or tenant of aproperty it is up to you to make sure that one is installed andregularly tested.

It has been obligatory since February 2009 when the loiMorange et Meslot came into force and it applies to holidayaccommodation and furnished apartments.

The simplest alarm to install is a battery powered one, itcan be fixed anywhere – although it is best on the ceiling –and is available in all DIY stores. If you choose to have ahard-wired system then it is best to get an electrician to visitand fit it properly.

The first step is to choose where you need to install thealarm. It is advisable to install a detector on each floor butavoid mounting them near windows or doors as smoke canescape before reaching the detectors.

Kitchens, living rooms and dining rooms should also beavoided as steam from kettles or cooking, candles or fire-places can cause the alarms to go off.

The detector should be ideally mounted on the ceiling andat least 30cm away from walls. If you have an uneven ceilingplace it at the highest point as smoke rises. Place the casingin the chosen spot and, with a pencil, mark out the fixingpoints. See packaging for the size of holes to be drilled forthe wall plugs and screws provided.

Screw the casing in place and then put in the battery andfix on the cover. Once assembled it is very important tocheck the alarm is working by pressing the test button.

It is recommended that smoke alarms be tested once aweek. Again do this by pressing the test button which shouldset the alarm off. You can also do test it by blowing out acandle below the alarm, the smoke created should set off thealarm.

At least once a month remove any dust from the alarm bygently vacuuming it and dusting down the case. Never usewater or any cleaning products.

The batteries on battery-powered detectors must bechanged regularly and it is recommended to change themevery year even if low battery signal has not been triggered.

Smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years.

Once the smoke detector is fitted it is important to doregular tests on its operation and battery

Photo: Serenethos - Fotolia.com

Find us in Frenchnewsagents

or Freephone 0800 91 77 56

(France) or 0844 256 9881

(UK calls cost4p/minute)

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Property 15Languedoc Pages September 2011

LegalNotesAnswered by

The adverts above cost from just €179TTC for a whole year of web advertisingand one edition of advertising in the Languedoc Pages.

Let our distribution get you a sale.Contact our sales team on 0800 91 77 56 (freephone in France) or email sales@connexionfrance.com

PROPERTIES AROUND FRANCE

PROPERTIES IN LANGUEDOC

Buying or selling a property in oraround Languedoc? We can help.

Our website www.connexionfrance.comcarries details of more than 14,000homes for sale across France.

We also feature properties for sale in thisdedicated section of the paper eachmonth. To find out more about any par-ticular property, go to www.connexion-france.com and enter the ref: codeshown under the property.

For sellers, the adverts are also displayedacross a range of popular English-speak-ing websites and are seen by thousandsof potential buyers EVERY day. Our

3+3 package costs just €200TTC andgives you three months online advertis-ing as well as a print advert in three edi-tions of The Languedoc Pages. Our 6+6package is best value at €330TTC andprovides the same, but for six months viaeach channel.

Contact us on 0800 91 77 56 (freephonein France) or email sales@connexionfrance.com

More details on all these properties - and how to contact the seller directly - can be found in the property for sale section of

www.connexionfrance.comSimply enter the code under each home to find out more

REF: 31534

€€150,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Mèze, HéraultThe secure residence offers 1 to2 bedroom apartments with generous terraces or loggias,beautiful white facades and traditional tiled roofs- combingtradition and modernity.

REF: au0093

€€192,500

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Lézignan-Corbières, AudeEntrance by wooden door intothe hallway with access to twobedrooms, a shower room withWC and open access to the livingspace.

REF: J659

€€220,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Anduze, Gard4 bedroom house with greatview, 250m² with a garden of2295m² in the AnduzeIn thehills of Anduze, surrounded bytrees, you will find this oasis ofcalm.

REF: SV187

€€240,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Torreilles, Pyrénées-OrientalesOffers 3 double bedrooms, aspacious and bright living diningarea with open plan fittedkitchen, a garage of 18m2, gardens of 500m2 up to 690m2

and a 19m2 ground floor terrace.REF: MLP256

€€345,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Pézenas, HéraultThe villa has a large living roomwith an open plan kitchen.Three bedrooms, a bathroomwith a walk-in shower and aseparate WC. Integrated garagewith a utility room and an office.

REF: 10765-TNTHER240000E

€€207,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Near BéziersThis villa has more than 140 m2

of living space, 4 bedrooms, living room, 2 terraces, garage,plot of 2000m2 with open views.Some inside work to be done.

New Consumption and Emission Chart- e.g. Energy rating C & F refers to C for Consumption and F for Emissions

Make cash from your unwanted items. Classified advertsare FREE for private sales of items under €€250. Place your

advert via our website sales@connexionfrance.comCLASSIFIEDS

REF: IFPC21385

€€180,000 St Jean de Maurienne, Savoie4 bedrooms, end of substantialvillage house at 1410m lookingup to the Grand Coin and acrossthe Valley. Cross Country skiingon site. Wonderful walking. Laidout as two apartments.

REF: IFPC21284

€€620,000Naucelle, AveyronAuthentically restored 4 bedroomcountry house with 11 hectares ofestablished gardens close to thevillage of Naucelle. Includes 2storey stone barn with considerable potential.

ENERGY RATING = D & A

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Saintes, Charente-MaritimeLarge sitting/dining room,kitchen, entrance hall, pantry, 3bedrooms/study, bathroom,recreation room(formerly anoffice and now a music room),garage. Large cellar.REF: IFPC21202

€€186,500

ENERGY RATING = D & E

Saint-Gaudens, Haute-GaronneA large, elegant house built in1817. Three bedrooms, threebathrooms, large kitchen dinerand large living/dining room.Internal garage.Recent 10m x 5mheated swimming pool.REF: IFPC21392

€€410,000

ENERGY RATING = D & E

REF: 100360

€€216,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Le Bugue, DordogneThis house, within walking distance of a market town in theDordogne, can be used in halfaswell in a whole. It has anapartment and a converted barnwith a passage between.

REF: 12241

€€355,100

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Allemans, DordogneThis house comprises of 4 goodsized bedrooms, 2 fullyequipped and modern kitchens,large lounge with fireplace, patiodoor, dining room, office andtower.

USUALLY when you buy a house, you sign a mortgage tofinance the purchase. In such a case, the use of the mortgage is recorded in the

deed which is recorded in the Land Register, and becomes awrit of execution (this detail is to be remembered for the restof the procedure implemented by the bank). All mortgage contracts state that, in case a term remains

unpaid, the bank can decide to terminate the contract andpronounce the foreclosure of the term. When the foreclosureof a mortgage term is pronounced, the bank terminates themortgage contract, and considers that payments of arrearsare due, as well as the remainder of the capital sums lent.

The foreclosure of the mortgage contract is notifiedthrough a formal registered letter.

Effects of the foreclosure of the mortgage termWhen the bank pronounces the foreclosure of the mortgageterm, payment of the unpaid capital, unpaid interests and anindemnity for anticipated foreclosure are requested to thedebtor. These sums are due since the day of the foreclosurenotice, and start to produce interest. As such sums representa considerable amount, the bank can, and usually does startseizing your assets. At this stage of the conflict, it is stillpossible to obtain negotiated instalments.

However, such delays can only be obtained by followingthe French Consumer Code, and will not exceed two yearsfollowing foreclosure of the mortgage contractual term.

Enforcement title and risk of forced executionAs the mortgage is registered in the deed, the bank holds awrit of execution which constitutes an enforcement orderagainst you, to recover your debt towards it.With such an executory title, the bank basically has the rightto seize any of the assets you possess in France. Furthermore,it is very easy for it to obtain seizure of your properties, bothin France through the procedure of saisie immobilière thatcould take between six months and two years, and of yourproperties in Great Britain as soon as it obtains a EuropeanEnforcement Order. The creditors can demand for a title toseize estates in anotherEuropean Union member statethrough a simplistic European procedure.

Conclusion The only way to avoid foreclosure of your mortgage con-tractual term is to keep paying your mortgage. If you havefinancial difficulties, talk to your bank before you stop pay-ing annuities to obtain a new amount for your terms. This isimportant as if it succeeds, the bank will not pronounceforeclosure. If it fails, you can prove your good faith in Court

Risks when you stoppaying your Frenchmortgage

Advice: Talk to your bank if you have money worries

Photo: © Andy D

ean - Fotolia.com

Houses for sale in and around Languedoc

16 Profile Languedoc Pages September 2011

Inheritance SolutionsFrench inheritance rules may mean that your worldwide estate will not be distributed according to your wishes.

Look after those that matter.Marjorie Mansfield, Regional ManagerTel French Head Office: 05 56 34 75 51Email: bordeaux.office@siddalls.net

www.siddalls.frFrench finance in plain EnglishSiddalls France SASU, Parc Innolin, 3 Rue du Golf, 33700 Mérignac - RCS BX 498 800 465. C.I.F. No E001669 auprès de ANACOFI-CIF association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers et Courtier d’Assurances, Catégorie B - ORIAS 07 027 475. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et Financier et L 512-6 et 512-7 du Code des Assurances.

THE FACT that this year’s Tour deFrance was coming through hishome town of Montpellier was par-ticularly good news for Fabien Vie.The 41-year-old chef quicklybecame a local celebrity when hewas chosen to create a selection ofgourmet nibbles for VIPs at racestopovers.

Preparing mouth-watering foodfor some 2,000 corporate hospitalityguests in 11 cities is no mean feat,but Fabien was unfazed by the chal-lenge: “I've been cooking daily sinceI was 12 and professionally since2008,” he explained.

Montpellier is very much inFabien’s blood. His family’s connec-tions with the city date back to 1568.Those old links are very much partof his cooking, too. Fabien has a

particular fondness for the tradi-tional dishes passed on to him byhis grandmother.

“As a child, I spent a lot of timewith Mamie Titi,” he says. “Iwatched her preparing, seasoningand tasting, and I soon picked upher favourite recipes. She taught meher tips, and in my early teens Istarted making family meals basedon the classic dishes she had shownme. After that, I quickly startedcreating my own recipes too.”

Throughout the school holidays,Fabien would spend time with hisgrandfather Francis: “We’d go to thevegetable patch, or go fishingtogether, or take a walk in the coun-try and pick wild herbs and plantsto bring back home. My grandpar-ents taught me to recognise and

name many different fruits and veg-etables, and to pick out the best onesusing my eyes and nose. This is askill that I’ve honed over the years.”

During the early years of the newmillennium Fabien started cooking

for friends on special occasions,selecting the produce, setting up his“kitchen” in their homes and servingup to 50 guests at a time. Being achef à domicile became his full-timeoccupation in 2008 and he now

cooks for individuals and compa-nies, and for major events inLanguedoc-Roussillon, as well as inother parts of France and overseas.

He has a regular slot as a culinarycommentator on local radio stationFrance Bleu Hérault, faithful fansand followers on Facebook andTwitter (social media is a passion ofhis) and he uses his Saveurs deMontpellier blog to promoteregional wine and gastronomy witha terroir-focused twist.

What drives him? “There’s a riskthat Montpellier’s gastronomic her-itage will disappear unless someonekeeps the tradition alive. The dishesI cook – like turbot à la cambacérès,or tarte tatin de foie gras – are notfound in local restaurants any more.

“Some chefs use frozen produce orbuy from large suppliers, but that isnot how I want to operate. I’vechosen to use only fresh, organicproduce, which I purchase andprepare the same day.

“I don’t have my own bricks-and-mortar restaurant, but I have thefreedom to work with what’s avail-able, day-to-day.”Fabien Vie’s blog can be found athttp://saveurs-de-montpellier.jimdo.com/

Capturingthe tastes of a city Chef Fabien Vie uses ultra-fresh, organic produce to createdelicious dishes based on traditional Montpellier recipes.LOUISE HURREN meets the man who has beencooking up a storm across the country, preparing culinarydelights for guests during this year’s Tour de France

Our gastronomictraditions willdisappear unlessthey’re kept alive Chef, Fabien Vie

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