Gites South Brittany

It's amazing how quickly two weeks can go – back to school tomorrow already. Having started the break with flu and then flown over to Cyprus for a week (which involved 3 days of travelling in all), I spent 3 days lesson planning and there you have it!

Cyprus was a chance to catch up with Paul's parents in their holiday home out there. We haven't seen them for nearly a year and they, very generously, paid for us to fly over and it was great to see them. I am not a fan of flying and to have to take a total of 6 airplanes in one week was not my idea of fun. However, once there in one piece, I managed to put the return flight to the back of my mind and enjoy the break. We were fortunate with the weather – eating breakfast outside on all but one day and only having one day of rain. However, we were shocked to see the changes since our last trip 4 years ago. The place has become one big building site – villas going up everywhere (all crammed-in and over-looking each other!) and more estate agencies than ever – all adverts in English (even the prices!). Olive, lemon and orange groves are being carved up along with the mountainsides and gorges. To help people to get around they are building miles of roads just to add to the habitat destruction. I suppose it may be some people's cup of tea, but not mine. The local restaurants have even begun to serve roast dinner all day Sunday! We still managed to find some un-spoilt areas off-the-beaten-track, but the birds were harder to find – I wish I could say the same about the litter – bottles, cans and spent gun cartridges everywhere.

I may often moan about how complicated the planning-application process is here in France – we even need to get permission to put up a garden shed! But at least it means that the countryside I so cherish will be here for the good of people and birds for the future and you don't have to get on a plane to get here! Vive la France!

Well, after my moan last time about the broadband connection teething problems things have been markedly better. Although the line does go dead a few times a week it is usually a case of switching the box off and on again and job done - fingers crossed that things continue to improve because when it works it's great!

Not much has been happening here apart from me going down like a very heavy thing with bronchitis which meant that I finally had to admit that I couldn't keep on working and take to my sick bed (cue violins!) The problem with the French system (there's a problem ??? !!!!! shock !!!!) is that you do not get paid for the first 3 days illness - and, seeing as it is usually just those 3 days you need, people tend to try and work through - understandably. The knock-on effect being that everyone else catches the bug and on it goes! The schools have been half-empty (pessimistic view) for a couple of weeks now. The other big difference between the UK and France is that you are required to produce a doctor's certificate for even a half-day's absence (children included) - so the doctors' surgeries are full of people spreading germs too! Add to that the idea that everyone kisses everyone else at least once a day ......!

As for the health service system here - you have to cough-up (sorry for the pun!!) 21 € every time you visit the quack. He/she then gives you a form which you send in to the local health office. They then reimburse 70% of the fee (minus a mandatory contribution of 1€) directly into your bank account. The remaining 30% (minus - yes, you've guessed it!) is also reimbursed by your "Mutuel" or complementary health insurance. The same system applies for medicines on prescription, except that now most chemists will take your "Carte Vitale" (national health card - a green credit card with a chip) and you, therefore, do not need to part with any money (no mandatory contribution here ...... yet!). However, we have found the complementary health insurance to be rather costly if you wish to take this option. The first year we lived in France we took out the full Monty (if you'll excuse the phrase), but for the second year we made some enquiries and found that we could save over 200€ over the year by taking the "hospitalisation" option. As far as it appears - and has proved to work so far - all you lose out on is the 30% contribution towards docs visits and prescriptions, everything else (tests, hospital treatment etc) being covered.