France

[NOG]

I heard today that you cant get grow bags in france, or bird seed and now have read a thread that you cant get cream....

I think I will open an Ex-pats shop.

[bobleponge]

You most certainly can get cream here Nog, I didnt get to this size just with the help of beer and red wine (although they have contributed).
Bird seed I have definitely seen as well, although will confess to never having tried to buy grow bags, so cant comment.

[Jardiniere]

i've never ever found real cream here ...only the soured stuff or UHT liquidy stuff.........can buy bird seed no problem but have never ever seen a grow bag.....(but who needs them?).there was an ex pat shop (van) down here i've been told but it went out of business.
The only thing i really miss is Assam Tea ...i can buy ceylon or earl grey but not assam , so the suitcase gets filled with that whenever we come back from engerland

[NOG]

I was at lunch with a friend at a GC and she was buying growbags and a massive bag of nuts...saying that her sister is in france and cant get them so she has to drive them over.

[Mikey]

But think of all the nice things they have that we don't.........

raw beef & egg,
frogs legs,



No, sorry couldn't think of any someone help me out please.

[pigletwillie]

Only 3 weeks till we go, hopefully one day will be spent terrorising Bobspongle and seeing his local garden centre.

We have never seen grow bags over there but you can buy cream and indeed bird seed.

[bubblewrap]

You can't get Marmite or suet in Crete.

[scarey55]

We can certainly get bird food here but not peanuts for birds. I am with Jardiniere - never found real cream here. There is indeed thin UHT stuff and creme fraiche but none of the double extra thick cream you get in UK. A couple of friends and I are going to try and clot cream so I will let you know how we get on.

There are many things though that I would miss if we ever had to go back to UK to live. I guess what I'm trying to say is "Vive la diference"

[lynda66]

and bacon ....

[TonyF]

Champion sell real cream in their more expensive range and so do Carrefour, their parent company.

Bird seed, how much do you want, including peanuts, just go to one of the Co-op Agricole depots and lots of supermarche sell them.

As for grow bags, as Jardiniere says, who needs them? If you need anything like that, buy a bag of terreau horticole and just split it open.

Jardiniere, you want Assam Tea, not a problem, have a great tea shop that I use in Sarlat (does all sorts of green and black teas) that sells it, I buy it there.

And as for Brit stuff shops, have market stalls, shops etc scattered all round here and if you go down to the real UK enclaves round Eymet, they have all sorts of shops - not my sort of place tho don't you know, we're far too common to live in their august communities!

[bobleponge]

Vive la difference indeed. 4 years I've been here now and tbh very little that I miss (family not included obviously).
When I do go back to UK though, I ALWAYS have a "proper" English fry up breakfast, as they just dont do them here. Proper bacon, English sausages etc.

There are a few places round here that do sell English stuff, and there is a woman who has a stall at the local markets selling English produce. Tend not to myself, and accept the differences.

PW I still havent had a date for going back to work so may well be seeing you, will keep you informed.

[Solitaire]

I've seen Marmite, my Le Clerc used to have an English food section but it was 3 times the price and not many people used it.

I get hubby to bring over proper tea bags and biscuits

[Jardiniere]

but when i am in engerland I really miss
my boulanger's bread
goats cheese (rocamadour cabacou)
the local wine
full fat fromage frais
decently priced armagnac
my chickens and their eggs
the garden
the river
my village
my neighbours
the weather

and to be honest if my children and granddaughter didnt live in england i probably would never go back even for the cream, tea, bras and pants from marks and spencer and cheap clothes from primark.

[valmarg]

I know envy is one of the seven deadly sins, but you really do turn me green.

valmarg

[Solitaire]

I've not been back to the UK since I moved here in 2005