Sunshine at last!

Heavy rain has claimed 2 lives in the Pyrenees Orientales.

After 6 days of continuous rain, the sun came out today, the temperature has been up as high as 20 degrees and spring is in the air. Over the last dank days, rivers have been swollen,  Fords impassable, river banks collapsing and sadly two people lost their lives in separate incidents when their cars were swept away on a river ford.


Now that the swimming pool that appeared in my garden has begun to disappear, I have been able to see everything suddenly spring to life as Printemps (I hope) has finally arrived.

Catalonian Government reduces speed limit.

In an attempt to save the tax payer money, the government of Catalonia has decreed that the national speed limit on the Motorways in northern Spain will be reduced from 120kph to 110kph.

They forgot to take one tiny detail into account....There are so many road works between the French boarder and Girona that it is virtually impossible to go above the speed of 80kph.

Could this be the start of a good year?

Mortgage taps are turned on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINANCE should no longer be a problem for anyone looking to buy a new property, providing they have all their details in order.

Mortgages are becoming more freely available, despite low interest rates. Finance brokers Empruntis say it is possible to get a fixed 3.4 per cent mortgage rate over 15 years and 3.55 per cent over 20 years “with a beau dossier”.
The changes have come as the banks have started to free up credit with the easing of the financial crisis and is a welcome boost for people who had plans disrupted by the restrictions.

Empruntis spokeswoman Mael Bernier said that there was even competition between the banks again and it was possible to get a loan with just a 10 per cent deposit, or even no deposit at all, as long as their financial situation was otherwise solid.

Borrowers were also now looking to renegotiate their credit, said Cafpi finance network chief Philippe Taboré and, if they could not get what they wanted, were confident enough to take their business elsewhere.

Empruntis said 45 per cent of the demand for credit was from people looking to refinance away from high-cost loans and said anyone with a mortgage dating from 2007-09 should take financial advice.
 
Looking for property in the South of France

Ceret in the news again

Due to the fact that local people could not believe such constructions were built by human hands, many bridges built in medieval Europe were given the name "the Devil's Bridge". This is the Devil's Bridge at Céret, Pyrénées-Orientales, France, a 14th-century bridge with a 46-metre span.

Come to Ceret

If you are coming down to Ceret this Christmas, then have a lovely time. Take a moment to walk through the Medieval streets at night and take in the lovely simple Christmas lights.

Looking for something to do with the kids? The ice skating rink is back in town so hurry along and make a fool of yourself. go on you know you want to.

I wonder whether we will join the first swim of the year at Argeles sur Mer, when all commers are welcome to go for a swim in the sea.

Maybe you can go for a day out at Les Angles, I hear that the snow is already fantastic this year.

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas

Snow in the Uk

I have just been back to the UK do some work and have had to travel around to different clients. I seem to have spent more time sitting in the car than sitting in meetings and then at the end of the day I have to decide whether to stay in an hotel or trudge back home. With the weather the way it has been , you might suspect that the hotel was a no brainer but unlike our neighbours in France, the only way to stay in a decent hotel is to chop off your arm and your leg....So still spending far too much time in the car.



Here in the Roussillon, we know where to keep our snow. Flying back tomorrow and can't wait.



Speeding fines to cross EU borders

DRIVERS of foreign cars will no longer be immune from the flash of speed cameras or other motoring offences.


Transport ministers from EU countries have agreed to share the details of motorists whose vehicles are caught breaking foreign driving laws.

Seven offences will be covered by the new rules; speeding, jumping red lights, drink driving, not wearing a seat belt, using a mobile phone while driving, misusing the emergency lane or hard shoulder, and driving under the influence of drugs.
The new rules will come into force before the end of 2013.

Ministers have agreed in principle to release the names and addresses of the registered vehicle owners to the police authorities of EU states where an offence was committed.

Further details on how police forces will use this information in terms of prosecution and how registered owners (who may not be the person who committed the offence) can respond , will need to be finalised.

French transport minister Thierry Mariani said France, as a major centre of tourism and a nation that borders eight other countries, would benefit from the measures.

Mr Mariani said that, on average, 25 per cent of driving offences were committed by motorists with foreign plates, a figure that rose as high as 50 per cent during the summer and 75 per cent in border areas.

EU figures reveal that, although foreign vehicles represent just five per cent of traffic across the union, they account for 15 per cent of offences