Last week's Wednesday trip (aw, I'm going to miss this Family Tradition!) could have happened any day now that Bertie is off work, but funnily enough it was still Wednesday.
I had been looking forward to going to the Maison de la Banane for ages, but the last time we tried it was closed. Finally success, but at a price - it is a costly €8/€6 for entry, which is more than anywhere else. Would it live up to our expectations, and be worth the euros....?
We were welcomed with a banana each (naturally!) and we also got to try a red one, which was very nice tasting if odd looking. Then we were showed the plantation and giving some fun facts (some of which I knew from all my earlier research!):
*bananas grown on hillsides are sweeter (but all that extra work!)
*they take 9-12 months to grow
*they grow between 5 and 15 metres
*there are nearly 1500 types but only some can be eaten and we only seem to get one type imported to us in the West, which is Cavendish
*each regime of bananas can weigh from 25 to 50 kilos
*bananas for exportation get their maturing slowed down by being kept at 13 degrees - their taste and colour is very different from ones allowed to riped naturally
*they get put in blue plastic bags as they grow as otherwise a little bug gets inside with little or no sign on the skin that it is there
We were sent off to enjoy the garden, which was very beautiful, and all sorts of different banana trees. The girls (with their cousin) were most taken with a little kitten who followed us everywhere and was promptly named Bannie. Happily there were few other visitors there subjected to their cries and shrieks of Bannie around the place!
After the garden was the information room then a Maison Creole full of rooms and things from antan lantan (the olden days, but it only really applies to the late 1800s and early 1900s!).
All very interesting, especially all the products made from banana leaves, but I was disappointed that we didnt get to see the plantation packing line in action (though we were highly tempted to swing on the line carrying bananas to the packing room!). I also thought we would get more of a tasting session but it was not to be.
Afterwards we headed inwards and upwards to the Grand Etang which is a lake on the way up to the Chute de Carbet. So peaceful and tranquil. And then we arrived! Oh the noise those children made! I am not sure if it was due to us that the six families who visited whilst we sat there picknicking all left within five minutes!
The girls paddled in the water, JoJo paddled in the mud, and they had fun on and under a bridge but sadly no walk around the lake as Mr Driver had forgotten his trainers. We previously visited in 2000 and didn't manage the walk then so it looks like it will have to wait a few more years...
Showing posts with label Green Gwada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Gwada. Show all posts
Monday, 20 July 2009
Thursday, 8 January 2009
A Shameless Plug
You have heard of going gwada, well now there is a new blog on the scene and I would heartily recommend that you check it out! It's called growing in gwada and can be found here...
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
What Price Life In The West Indies?
Something that I continually wonder about is how people cope here with the high price of life (apart from the civil servants with their 40% salary increase to cover that!). The cost seems so surprising, as I would have presumed that life away from the UK would have been cheaper. Furthermore, as the pound drops against the euro to pretty much parity, things become even more expensive in my view! When I considered something that was €5 to be £4, that was one thing, but to think it is £5 makes me reconsider my purchase! And given that salaries here are much lower (not to mention jobs much rarer), it is not surprising that I hear often that the population survives on credit and debt.
In addition to food (even locally produced), petrol (still towering at €1.19!), all goods, mobile phones and internet access, rent, eating out and visits to museums/parks etc (tend to range from €5-€12), we discovered another very expensive commodity today: water!
The water bill came through and we were pretty shocked to find that it will be about €300-€400...for the quarter! Water is in high use here, with 7 of us in the house having 2 or 3 showers a day, not to mention all the washing, washing up, cleaning, drinking etc. We will definitely be more frugal with it now we realise what a luxury it is!
So what is cheaper here, I asked myself, and came up with the following...
Going green can be a lot more fruitful than back home. For example, there is a great solution to the water issue, and that is - rain! It is rather frustrating to see all the masses and masses of rain that falls and goes to 'waste' in the sewers, when it could be collected and used for most the household needs. A friend of ours has three huge tanks holding up to 2 thousands litres of water, and if we were here longer it would definitely be worth investing it. Unfortunately the in-laws aren't particularly interested in this solution, pity!
In the same way, solar energy is a wonderful resource here which could be harnassed a lot more with great savings.
The heat definitely saves money, as there are no heating bills (although this is replaced with electricity for fans and air con), and fewer clothes and shoes needed.
Whilst toys and trips out don't come cheap, we do of course have the most delightful free entertainment, available the whole year round: the beach!
Being small means there is less cost in travelling round the island (I am sorry to note that train fares are zooming up yet again back home). Also, as every visit can be made in a day, or in an hour even, people don't go away for the weekend as much. That's a saving! But if you did fancy a trip to a hotel, be warned it is very pricey, especially now we are in the midst of peak season!
So with all that being the case, does it balance out the cost of living here? Hmm, as long as food bills remain high I fear not.
On the theme of money, we got CassCass' Child Trust Fund summary through this week and the credit crunch hit home - her fund has gone from £258 last Jan to £176 this year! Amazingly, they are still telling us to put our own money in the account - what, so we can lose a few hundred more?!
And having spent hours on my budget yesterday for the next six months, I would like to take the opportunity to say how much I admire all those who are self-employed. It is no easy task! Life (and budgeting) was so much easier when we had a fixed sum coming in on the same day each month, tax already taken out of course. My main challenges here are that people pay by 12 hours rather than the month and holidays mean a huge drop in income, so I have to work out how to make sure the money is still there at the right time! However, our clients are all very reliable payers which is a blessing. It is also a bother having to go to the Post Office to cash cheques, as it is such a lengthy tiresome process. (The queues I mean!) Additionally, I tried to put cash in our account recently and was told I would be charged because I had no proof on me that I was the account holder....ridiculous!
As for tax etc, we still have no idea how all that will work out. From my investigation, we won't be liable for general tax as it is based on salary and how many children you have (I think we would need to be earning €22 k a year to pay it). But there is the securite sociale which is a lot more expensive and also local tax I think. It appears that self-employed (professionals liberals) are taxed very hard in these areas, but we won't find out until at least March when the forms get sent out.
I would like to highlight I don't particularly worry about all these issues, as our lesson for the year is that God provides, but I find it interesting to think about them!
In addition to food (even locally produced), petrol (still towering at €1.19!), all goods, mobile phones and internet access, rent, eating out and visits to museums/parks etc (tend to range from €5-€12), we discovered another very expensive commodity today: water!
The water bill came through and we were pretty shocked to find that it will be about €300-€400...for the quarter! Water is in high use here, with 7 of us in the house having 2 or 3 showers a day, not to mention all the washing, washing up, cleaning, drinking etc. We will definitely be more frugal with it now we realise what a luxury it is!
So what is cheaper here, I asked myself, and came up with the following...
Going green can be a lot more fruitful than back home. For example, there is a great solution to the water issue, and that is - rain! It is rather frustrating to see all the masses and masses of rain that falls and goes to 'waste' in the sewers, when it could be collected and used for most the household needs. A friend of ours has three huge tanks holding up to 2 thousands litres of water, and if we were here longer it would definitely be worth investing it. Unfortunately the in-laws aren't particularly interested in this solution, pity!
In the same way, solar energy is a wonderful resource here which could be harnassed a lot more with great savings.
The heat definitely saves money, as there are no heating bills (although this is replaced with electricity for fans and air con), and fewer clothes and shoes needed.
Whilst toys and trips out don't come cheap, we do of course have the most delightful free entertainment, available the whole year round: the beach!
Being small means there is less cost in travelling round the island (I am sorry to note that train fares are zooming up yet again back home). Also, as every visit can be made in a day, or in an hour even, people don't go away for the weekend as much. That's a saving! But if you did fancy a trip to a hotel, be warned it is very pricey, especially now we are in the midst of peak season!
So with all that being the case, does it balance out the cost of living here? Hmm, as long as food bills remain high I fear not.
On the theme of money, we got CassCass' Child Trust Fund summary through this week and the credit crunch hit home - her fund has gone from £258 last Jan to £176 this year! Amazingly, they are still telling us to put our own money in the account - what, so we can lose a few hundred more?!
And having spent hours on my budget yesterday for the next six months, I would like to take the opportunity to say how much I admire all those who are self-employed. It is no easy task! Life (and budgeting) was so much easier when we had a fixed sum coming in on the same day each month, tax already taken out of course. My main challenges here are that people pay by 12 hours rather than the month and holidays mean a huge drop in income, so I have to work out how to make sure the money is still there at the right time! However, our clients are all very reliable payers which is a blessing. It is also a bother having to go to the Post Office to cash cheques, as it is such a lengthy tiresome process. (The queues I mean!) Additionally, I tried to put cash in our account recently and was told I would be charged because I had no proof on me that I was the account holder....ridiculous!
As for tax etc, we still have no idea how all that will work out. From my investigation, we won't be liable for general tax as it is based on salary and how many children you have (I think we would need to be earning €22 k a year to pay it). But there is the securite sociale which is a lot more expensive and also local tax I think. It appears that self-employed (professionals liberals) are taxed very hard in these areas, but we won't find out until at least March when the forms get sent out.
I would like to highlight I don't particularly worry about all these issues, as our lesson for the year is that God provides, but I find it interesting to think about them!
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Deshaies
Another long trip had been planned for today (for long, read half an hour in the car!) as we went to a jardin arborifique in Deshaies, Basse-Terre, with a group from our church. We set off in a convoy as apparently the place was not straightforward to find, and boy was that an understatement! There is a jardin botanique in Deshaies, but we weren't going there. Ours was an invisible place up a steep road that you had to know was there to be able to take! The words Basse-Terre always strike fear into my heart and it means hills hills and more hills, and I am never quite sure if our car is going to make it!When we finally found the place and parked (on a hill, of course) we received a warm welcome from the owner and shown around the place, all set on a very steep hill! The view above is pretty much like the view from the land, but we were further away. A beautiful sight, as we watched the tiny white sailing boats dotted around and I taught LissaLou the word 'horizon'.
The tour was very much based on the nutritional values of the different trees and fascinating stuff indeed. It seemed that practically every tree's leaves can be made into a tisane, and pretty much all of them can be used to cure colds and flu. Really, there is no excuse for anyone here to have a cold! The basic facts to remember are that you use 3 young leaves or the equivalent to 30 grams each time, and they have to be picked before the sunset. Some examples:
- The corossol leaves can be put in a bath to calm hyper children or stressed adults.
- Coconut water is excellent for your health, especially when convalescing, and is also antiseptic when it comes straight out of the coconut.
- The liquid that comes out of the banana tree trunk can be used to heal wounds.
- The aloe vera plant is very toxic so to be used with moderation (3 drops at most). It can be used for a purge every month when mixed with water, or for eye problems.
There was so much information that I have unfortunately forgotten, for example one tree is good for migraines and another is good for regulating your periods. Oh, and for those seeking a bit of vitamin C, one kilo of cerises pays is the equivalent of 40 kilos of oranges! But be warned, caramboles (starfruit) are bad for those with kidney problems.
The owner explained that they also plant according to the moon, either three days before or three days after the full or new moon, but not on the day itself, or the plant will be thin and spindly. I chatted to her about Papy's Gwada myths and she agreed that you should certainly not let anyone else pick your fruit (during their period or not), as it can affect the fruit, due to the capricious nature of the trees! One of my favourite anecdotes was that some trees can be lazy and not bear any fruit, as they can't bear the weight! So to help them, you can hang some stones on to the branch with string and you can be sure that it will bear fruit the following year!
The land belonged to her grandparents and given the relatively small size of the trees, she has not been running it for that long, so it would be interesting to return in a few years time and see how it had changed. One tree, the jacquier, bears fruit will grow to 50 kilos, which would be interesting to see! They are too heavy for the branch so they grow on the trunk like a papaya.
We picknicked together (another lovely phrase - here they take un repas tire du sac!) and then it was time to set off. Unfortunately, the exit was so steep and angled, that three cars in a row got their front bumper wedged onto the road, of which we were the third. The first two eventually had to empty the car of passengers, and for ours all these passengers then lifted the car. Thankfully we got back on the main road with no damage to the cars, but it didn't inspire me to return there again! The rest of the group went to the beach for some more fun but we decided to return home and rest, which was apparently well-needed for us parents but not so much for the girls!
The visit today is one of various ways we have seen recently of making the most of what Guadeloupe has to offer (although ironically, none of the flora and fauna here is local, it has all been imported over the years from Polynesia!). It has also given me interest in seeing what we have to offer in our own dear land - what Blighty Myths are there?!
There is a campaign at the moment to eat more local products, with brochures showing the nutritional qualities of various fruit and veg. This has the advantage of addressing the increasing obesity problem here (diabetes is a major issue), and improving life for local producers and the economy. Although as ever, it doesn't go far enough in my opinion, as many people are not going to buy local tomatoes for €5 a kilo when there are imported tomatoes for €2 or €3. Bertie has also been approached by a lady from the church who is starting a radio station about environmental issues, with a view to him doing a summary of news items in English and LissaLou and I given English conversational lessons! If it can bring to the forefront even small steps like recycling than that will be a very good thing, and people like myself would benefit from recipes on how to cook these local delicacies.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Making A Menu (At Last!)
If you are looking for a bit of greeness in your life, one marvellous way to do so is to make a menu for the week (or two, or three, or even the month if you are that organised!) Not only do you get to save money shopping, as you know exactly what you need and buy that and that only, you also save time and shopping trips (and petrol if you drive to the shops!) because you have a list and can get everything on it, and you waste less, as you don't end up throwing away things you forgot to use etc.
Ok, I know all this off by heart and backwards, so why do I still not manage to achieve such a simple thing each week? Anyway, rather than rueing the past I am celebrating the fact that this week we actually have a menu! At present it is scruffily written on the back of an old envelope (more greeness!) but at least it is made.
One of my aims here has been to cook with local foods, and bit by bit I am trying. However, my other aim is to cook healthily and organically where possible. The two don't always go together... Then there is my desire to buy more local produce. But aside from some veg (and not all that much it would seem), the main thing the island produces is...sugar! Sugar, sugar and more sugar! I would actually like to try healthier alternatives to sugar, such as Sucanat, but then I feel bad at not buying the one local produce here! Oh, shopping is always such a mindfield! In fact, shopping locally here, seems to refer to buying produce from France!
I won't go into the further dilemma of trying to buy frugally - however, I have started lists of what costs what where and I will try and keep my shopping down to a trip to Carrefour every other Monday and then a trip to Leader Price on the other one and a trip to the market in the week, with a trip to the Biocoop (organic shop) thrown in every now and then.
Back to the menu. Well, before that, I chuckled when Mum was over as she apparently told her vicar's wife that she would be eating pasta and tomato sauce and broccoli over here, as that is what I mostly cook - and lo and behold that is what I had planned for that day! How well she knows me... So another aim (and use of menu) is to cook with just a little bit more variety (though you must remember I have two rather fussy under 4s!). Oh, and another advantage is it allows you to soak and defrost things in time. If you remember to consult it!
Menu (and things to do)
Monday - colombo au poulet (defrost meat Sunday - I used a whole chicken as it is tastier, and cut off the breast meat for to make some meals for Baby JoJo. It made enough for another meal)
Tuesday - pasta carbonara - as I am out all morning it is my pasta day - quick and easy! The family loves it with croutons. If there is any leftover, my nephew always joins us, but unfortunately he was out of luck today!
Wednesday - sandwiches for lunch as we will be off to the beach.
Thursday - Chick pea curry and brown rice (soak the chick peas and the rice the day before. I've not made this before but am basing it on this recipe)
Friday - Minestrone soup (this is a recipe from my Gina Ford weaning book - need to soak beans)
Saturday - Bertie is out all morning so I keep it simple and make leftovers - I think we shall have tuna and potato pie that is in the freezer
Sunday - we eat with Mamie! saves cooking after church. She usually makes beef with rice and peas which is a traditional Sunday dish here
As Mum discovered, evenings are a lot more stressful, as Bertie is not back from teaching till 7pm or later, and I often have lots of tired, fractious or hyper children (not all mine!) running around the place! So it needs to be simple...It tends to be one of the following, but still needs a bit of work:
Salad and baguette
Omlette/scrambled egg (each time I hope the girls will start liking it, but they still don't!)
Pancakes (made with wholemeal flour and eggs from Mamie's hens!)
Soup
Oh, and breakfast is a choice of...
Bread and local jam (we are waiting for a new batch from Mamie!)
Porridge with cinammon and banana
Granola - this is my new discovery, based on this recipe here and with lots of grated coconut from Pika. It is most delicious and a big hit with Bertie!
If anyone has menu tips or suggestions for healthy meals with Caribbean ingredients I am all ears to hear!
Ok, I know all this off by heart and backwards, so why do I still not manage to achieve such a simple thing each week? Anyway, rather than rueing the past I am celebrating the fact that this week we actually have a menu! At present it is scruffily written on the back of an old envelope (more greeness!) but at least it is made.
One of my aims here has been to cook with local foods, and bit by bit I am trying. However, my other aim is to cook healthily and organically where possible. The two don't always go together... Then there is my desire to buy more local produce. But aside from some veg (and not all that much it would seem), the main thing the island produces is...sugar! Sugar, sugar and more sugar! I would actually like to try healthier alternatives to sugar, such as Sucanat, but then I feel bad at not buying the one local produce here! Oh, shopping is always such a mindfield! In fact, shopping locally here, seems to refer to buying produce from France!
I won't go into the further dilemma of trying to buy frugally - however, I have started lists of what costs what where and I will try and keep my shopping down to a trip to Carrefour every other Monday and then a trip to Leader Price on the other one and a trip to the market in the week, with a trip to the Biocoop (organic shop) thrown in every now and then.
I will be trying to cook extra each week, but my freezer is tiny and is already full of ice (I miss our no frost one!) and baby food for Baby JoJo, and unfortunately the big freezer has gone kaput downstairs, so it is not as easy to freeze things as I would like.
Back to the menu. Well, before that, I chuckled when Mum was over as she apparently told her vicar's wife that she would be eating pasta and tomato sauce and broccoli over here, as that is what I mostly cook - and lo and behold that is what I had planned for that day! How well she knows me... So another aim (and use of menu) is to cook with just a little bit more variety (though you must remember I have two rather fussy under 4s!). Oh, and another advantage is it allows you to soak and defrost things in time. If you remember to consult it!
Menu (and things to do)
Monday - colombo au poulet (defrost meat Sunday - I used a whole chicken as it is tastier, and cut off the breast meat for to make some meals for Baby JoJo. It made enough for another meal)
Tuesday - pasta carbonara - as I am out all morning it is my pasta day - quick and easy! The family loves it with croutons. If there is any leftover, my nephew always joins us, but unfortunately he was out of luck today!
Wednesday - sandwiches for lunch as we will be off to the beach.
Thursday - Chick pea curry and brown rice (soak the chick peas and the rice the day before. I've not made this before but am basing it on this recipe)
Friday - Minestrone soup (this is a recipe from my Gina Ford weaning book - need to soak beans)
Saturday - Bertie is out all morning so I keep it simple and make leftovers - I think we shall have tuna and potato pie that is in the freezer
Sunday - we eat with Mamie! saves cooking after church. She usually makes beef with rice and peas which is a traditional Sunday dish here
As Mum discovered, evenings are a lot more stressful, as Bertie is not back from teaching till 7pm or later, and I often have lots of tired, fractious or hyper children (not all mine!) running around the place! So it needs to be simple...It tends to be one of the following, but still needs a bit of work:
Salad and baguette
Omlette/scrambled egg (each time I hope the girls will start liking it, but they still don't!)
Pancakes (made with wholemeal flour and eggs from Mamie's hens!)
Soup
Oh, and breakfast is a choice of...
Bread and local jam (we are waiting for a new batch from Mamie!)
Porridge with cinammon and banana
Granola - this is my new discovery, based on this recipe here and with lots of grated coconut from Pika. It is most delicious and a big hit with Bertie!
If anyone has menu tips or suggestions for healthy meals with Caribbean ingredients I am all ears to hear!
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Going Green
It has been quite challenging applying my green principles here in Guadeloupe. For a start, they don't appear to have got into recycling yet. The main (and only?) recycling place is near Pointe a Pitre and we haven't yet visited. We saw a few booths outside the post office but it turns out they are just for glass and plastic bottles. In the meantime I have been throwing away all my paper and feeling terribly naughty every time!
Recycling food is not an issue, as it all goes to the pig. It is very satisfying knowing that all our peelings and leftovers are going to such good use!
Speaking of the post office, when we were there for Environment Day recently, I was very frustrated that along with the croissants and cafe, they were giving us plastic plates and cups! These are so frequently used here, and it was very ironic to seeing them piling up in the rubbish bin next to the posters telling us how long items take to degrade!
Items get recycled quite well. Did I mention my BIL collects the glass doors from washing machines on the side of the road and makes them into pyrex dishes for his wife? And there are 101 uses for the front part of the ventilator (the girls love playing with them to serve food or store dolls) which is a good thing as they break so very easily and quickly there are plenty around.
I visited an organic shop this week called Biocoop and was delighted to find the Ecover range, as my stain remover had run out. I also found eco friendly washing up liquid, powder and toilet cleaner in Carrefour. Plus I found recycled toilet paper. Did you know one of my biggest hates in this world is pink toilet paper? It is rife in France, but I am delighted to tell you that this paper is white (with pretty pictures on it and very soft, a big bonus for the girls!).
Carrefour has a whole aisle dedicated to organic food, though I don't see many people in that aisle! Other shops have a few products here and there. And there are a few of the organic shops around. I haven't really found anywhere that sells fruit and vegetables though. The Biocoop sells seeds so perhaps Bertie will plant these when he has finished preparing his land at Pika.
With all the sun and rain, there is such scope for solar power and reusing rainwater, but I am not sure how many people have taken advantage of it. When we visited the future in-laws of the family last Sunday, they showed us two wind turbines on the hill opposite their house. The people there are so remote that they don't have electricity yet, so have to rely on these, which is not a bad idea.
As for the simple things such as turning off the plug, well the annoying thing with french plugs is you can't turn them on and off, you have to pull them out. Plus they are a bit stiffer than UK ones, so they are usually left in, even in our flat I am sorry to say. It is quite funny to watch Bertie's Dad, who has a real thing about the light on our stairs being off, so he is constantly turning it off after us. But then he leaves the tv on as well as the light in his room!
One of the least green things here is the reliance on the car. Bertie's sister will drive to work...which is opposite LissaLou's school and therefore 5 minutes or less from our house! And she is not alone. The number of cars outside the school gates is horrendous, and a sight repeated all over the island. Do not try to drive here between 7.30-9.30 and 3.30-6pm. LissaLou often asks why we don't go to school in the car!
All the electrical goods (and some others) sold come with an eco tax included. This is quite helpful for seeing how much your purchase will affect the environment. So for example the tax on fridges is €10 but on washing machines is about €4. Funnily enough they do sell tumble driers here but they are not really a necessity, although the rain does mean drying time is longer.
Recycling food is not an issue, as it all goes to the pig. It is very satisfying knowing that all our peelings and leftovers are going to such good use!
Speaking of the post office, when we were there for Environment Day recently, I was very frustrated that along with the croissants and cafe, they were giving us plastic plates and cups! These are so frequently used here, and it was very ironic to seeing them piling up in the rubbish bin next to the posters telling us how long items take to degrade!
Items get recycled quite well. Did I mention my BIL collects the glass doors from washing machines on the side of the road and makes them into pyrex dishes for his wife? And there are 101 uses for the front part of the ventilator (the girls love playing with them to serve food or store dolls) which is a good thing as they break so very easily and quickly there are plenty around.
I visited an organic shop this week called Biocoop and was delighted to find the Ecover range, as my stain remover had run out. I also found eco friendly washing up liquid, powder and toilet cleaner in Carrefour. Plus I found recycled toilet paper. Did you know one of my biggest hates in this world is pink toilet paper? It is rife in France, but I am delighted to tell you that this paper is white (with pretty pictures on it and very soft, a big bonus for the girls!).
Carrefour has a whole aisle dedicated to organic food, though I don't see many people in that aisle! Other shops have a few products here and there. And there are a few of the organic shops around. I haven't really found anywhere that sells fruit and vegetables though. The Biocoop sells seeds so perhaps Bertie will plant these when he has finished preparing his land at Pika.
With all the sun and rain, there is such scope for solar power and reusing rainwater, but I am not sure how many people have taken advantage of it. When we visited the future in-laws of the family last Sunday, they showed us two wind turbines on the hill opposite their house. The people there are so remote that they don't have electricity yet, so have to rely on these, which is not a bad idea.
As for the simple things such as turning off the plug, well the annoying thing with french plugs is you can't turn them on and off, you have to pull them out. Plus they are a bit stiffer than UK ones, so they are usually left in, even in our flat I am sorry to say. It is quite funny to watch Bertie's Dad, who has a real thing about the light on our stairs being off, so he is constantly turning it off after us. But then he leaves the tv on as well as the light in his room!
One of the least green things here is the reliance on the car. Bertie's sister will drive to work...which is opposite LissaLou's school and therefore 5 minutes or less from our house! And she is not alone. The number of cars outside the school gates is horrendous, and a sight repeated all over the island. Do not try to drive here between 7.30-9.30 and 3.30-6pm. LissaLou often asks why we don't go to school in the car!
All the electrical goods (and some others) sold come with an eco tax included. This is quite helpful for seeing how much your purchase will affect the environment. So for example the tax on fridges is €10 but on washing machines is about €4. Funnily enough they do sell tumble driers here but they are not really a necessity, although the rain does mean drying time is longer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)