Beautiful 2 storey house and luxury ground floor apartment to rent.

Cognac 10 mins: Jarnac 5 mins: Angouleme 30 mins: Bordeaux, Limoges and La Rochelle about 1 hour.

Visit www.lesvieuxchais.com for full details.

In France un jour férié is the equivalent of a bank holiday/legal holiday/public holiday. 

However, when a public holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, it is common practice to also take off the Friday or Monday thus making a very long weekend.  The French call this faire le pont (make the bridge).  When this occurs many businesses will close for the full period or if they open on one of the ‘bridge days’ they may only have a skeleton staff on hand.

National Public Holidays in France 2009

• Thursday 1 January – New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An).
• Sunday 12 April – Easter (Pâques).
• Monday 13 April – Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques).
• Friday 1 May – Labour Day (Fête du Travail).
• Friday 8 May – VE Day – WWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945).
• Thursday 21 May – Ascension Day (Ascension catholique).
• Sunday 31 May – Whit Sunday (Pentecôte).
• Monday 1 June – Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte).
• Tuesday 14 July – Bastille Day (Fête nationale).
• Saturday 15 August – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption).
• Sunday 1 November – All Saints’ Day (Toussaint).
• Wednesday 11 November – Armistice Day (Armistice 1918).
• Friday 25 December – Christmas Day (Noël).

 

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Alsace and Moselle only

• 21 March Good Friday – Vendredi Saint
• 26 December Boxing Day/St Stephen’s Day

An article in the French News (March 2008) has announced that Barclays Bank has opened a new branch in Saintes.  Serving the Poitou-Charente region it is located at 7 rue Saint Pierre, Saint - opposite the Cathedral of Saint Pierre.

All the staff are fluent in English and the branch manager, Pierre Pereira states, “We think we can offer our British clients a very special, extremely professional service.  We’re mddern, up-to-date and accessible.”

The branch is offering a full range of traditional services and free cash transfers to and from the UK for account holders.

Opening days are Tuesday to Friday and on Saturday mornings.  Closed on Mondays. 

Tel: +33 (0)5 46 97 56 20

 

Built for Hennessy Cognac in the 1840s, Les Vieux Chais is a newly restored private estate offering luxury accommodation. It is set in 4 acres on the banks of the Charente River, southwest France and is opposite a magnificent chateau owned by the family who make Grand Marnier.

To view further details about the accommodation please go directly to the following website:

http://www.lesvieuxchais.com