Did you know…?

A whole host of useful information about the region for your reading pleasure, general knowledge or potentially a local quiz. So, did you know…

Chupa chups and Dali 

Have you tried Chupa Chups lollipops? Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you can’t really miss these brightly coloured teeth-rotters at the tills in most French shops and supermarkets – but did you know that their logo was designed in 1969 by Salvador Dali?

Moooove over Mozzies 

Mosquitos driving you crazy? Want to fight back? 

BUY A COW! 

Cows give off the chemical signature that mosquitoes crave. Put it at the bottom of your garden and BBQ (no beef please) in peace at the other end. And if that doesn’t do the trick, drink and bathe in gin and tonic. The quinine in tonic keeps the blighters at bay and the gin will stop you from noticing any bites until the next morning!! 

More than you bargained for?

The English term ‘flea market’ comes from the French ‘marché aux puces’ – so named from the first flea markets which were in Paris and would often be the type of items that might be infested with fleas.  

It’s dynamite

When Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833 – 1896) invented dynamite, he set up factories throughout Europe, including one at Paulilles, on the road between Port Vendres and Banyuls in 1871. The site is now a small museum, workshop and exhibition centre, and well worth a visit. 

Contact French health insurance

Need info about your social security insurance, benefits or healthcare rights in France? Pas de problème!

Call 09 74 75 36 46 (from France) or 0033 974 75 36 46 (from other countries) and CPAM English speaking operators will answer your query of get back to you within 48 hours, if the answer requires research.

Lines open Monday – Friday, from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

You can also use the new Ameli mobile app service (Apple / Android) or the website to arrange a telephone appointment.

Maison secondaire

Own a second home here in the P-O? No more tax d’habitation… yipee! But if your house or holiday home is not your main residence, some communes are still going to tax you anything from 20% to 60%, starting in 2024… oops! Watch this space to find out more or read the article here.

Resident in France

The French social security site recommends that all French residents take a Carte européenne d’assurance maladie (CEAM) with them when travelling to other EU countries or Switzerland.

This card will ensure free or subsidised medical treatment (depending on the country visited of course) and is easy to obtain, assuming that you’re already part of the great machine that is the French medical system.

Don’t forget to update your contrôle technique

Obligatory in France since 1992, any vehicle without the CT (MOT) risks fines of up to 750€, according to how long the vehicle has been on the road without it.

For example, the fine is 135€ if recently expired, going down to 90€ if the fine is paid within 3 days. Beware if you’re a slow payer or just don’t have the dosh. It increases to 375€ after 45 days, and if still unpaid, can go to court where it can reach its maximum amount of 750€.

Failure to respond at all to a fine, could lead to immobilisation of the vehicle, impoundment, confiscation of the carte grise (log book) or even towing away of car.

That’s the ticket

The government’s latest anti-waste initiative brings an end to receiving a printed receipt in shops unless you specifically ask.

Not only are these little strips printed 30 billion times a year – that’s a lot of paper – but they also contain toxic substances.

Originally set for 1st April, the date has been pushed back to 1st August, but many shops are already asking ‘Voulez-vous le ticket?’

Find out more here.

Fake parking ticket scam

The latest scam doing the rounds across the whole country is the placing of fake parking tickets on windscreens.

If you receive a parking ticket, double check that the QR code is taking you to http://antai.gouv.fr, or better still, don’t scan anything and try to manually input the reference number into the government’s official fine-paying website: http://amendes.gouv.fr

Find out more here.