alittlebitfrench

Brilliant and very interesting responses so far. Thanks everyone for being so honest. I don’t regret moving to France one bit. The way I see it, I would never had have the kids that we do and of course all the experiences along the way discovering France. Which is to be fair is a fantastic country. I agree with everything Judith is saying. Do I belong here ? No….not really. Would my OH belong in the UK ? Probably, but she will always feel French living in the UK. Which is an uncomfortable feeling as we all know. Do I want to end up in an Ephad in old age watching TF1 lunchtime news and then dancing to Johney Halliday songs in the afternoon ? No.

Have you ever regretted to have moved to France ? I am 51 in three weeks time. I feel I have lived here all my life. Well it is half my life…but who is counting. I am starting to think…this was a bad mistake. Would I do it again…..no.

Try these in Tours http://valvedia-electronic.com/ Or these… Audiophil B électronique All. de Venise, 37200 Tours tel:0786984140 There are also two hifi / home cinema shops in Tours. If they don’t do fix these things themselves, they will certainly know someone who does. Google hi fi Tours.

I knew I was not dreaming. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/25/fivefold-rise-number-eu-citizens-refused-entry-uk-since-brexit I agree with those that have experienced the same. Border staff at UK ports/airports are getting a bit too big for their boots. Their attitude needs to be toned down a bit.

Not hijacking…just saying the rules work both ways. With examples of real life issues that French peeps face. This is a ‘French’ forum so we can talk about the issues that effect the French as well. No ?

What smartàss act ? Just telling you how life is outside your little Brit living in France Dordogne bubble. We have to go through all this and I we did not vote for anything. We want to be left alone when going on holiday. Not given the third degree.

The thing is, I travel on my British passport and so does my little one…..he just has a French identity card that does not work when going to the UK. Mum and the other two kids travel on their French passports. So it all gets a bit complicated for the border staff. When we went to the lakes a year or so back, we got quizzed for about five minutes at Portsémouth docks by some SWAT border staff police type thing. He really wanted to know where we where staying and when we were going back. Even started asking trick questions about the lakes. Of course being ALBF, I out smarted him because I know the lakes quite well. When he was satisfied he let us on our merry way. He was assured that we were not living in the UK and not trying to pull a fast one. When we pulled out of the dock I said to OH ‘what the **** was all that about’ ? Then a month back the same thing happened at Stansted. You can pass through passport Control as a family as we did. Same thing, questions questions questions. I reckon those pesky French are flouting the rules and they are trying to catch them. More French live in the UK. It works both ways. We are off again next month…..I bet we will get the third degree again.

How does it work the other way around? French owners of UK property? Is it the 90 day rule ? Everytime we go through Border force they quiz us like we are Colombian drug smugglers. Where are you staying…when are you going home ? umm…staying with my mum for a couple of days….mate. Is that alright with you ?

If you go on the Alpe du Huez (next to Deux Alpes) website and look at the webcams, the snow has already fallen. In terms of your trip, I would go the Vosges region. Gerardmer perhaps ? Loverly place for walking. Loverly place full stop. If the trip is before xmas drop down into Kaysersberg in Alsace. The drive from St Die des Vosges (over the mountains) to Kaysersberg is one of the best in France IMHO. Stunning….in all weather. And Kysersberg is stunning. The Vosges region is by far the prettiest mountain regions in France. There is much to do and visit. I vote the Vosges. Second would be Jura. Bit of ski de fond to enjoy the region. Or those snow shoe racket typy things if ski de fond is not your thing for walking across snowy landscapes.

Im not hijacking anything …I rarely frequent forums anymore. The OP has multi answers. I am sure they will make the right decision. And on that note I am going into hibernation.

We had ours last week. Covid and flu. I felt shît the day after until about late morning. But that is a good sign. Other than that nothing. OH still has a big bruise on her arm from the injection. But I could see that the needle was not going in straight. Serves her right. Lol. Top tip when getting your jabs done….don’t try and get the local gossip from the nurse/phramacist when they are injecting you. Do it after.

You have not offered any advice Norman….just two insulting posts. Given I have lived in France over half my life, have a French wife and three French kids and also a very large French extended family of all ages. Some in their nineties. I kinda know stuff. I have lived all over France from rough suburbs to quintessential villages. I have rented many flats and bought houses. I spend my time living to two very different areas of France. I think I am more than qualified to voice my opinions and concerns of French life. You….hmmmm…..not so much. I tell how it is. No bias.

Ooh Minty. We went to a little little cafe in Kyle lochalsh and ordered some sandwiches and a burger for the kids….a pickle toasty and other stuff. The price, the size of the portions was beyond anything I have seen in in France. And it was delicious. Even the side salad was meticulously made. It was art work. I could go on…. France portrays itself as the culinary centre of the universe and peeps fall for it. Its not by a long long way. Im not a foody person…so I will tell you like is.

Is France worse than the UK ? Dunno..have not lived in the UK for 25 years. France is politically and economically in a dire situation. It is also very dangerous place. It is also a very expensive country to live in. Through in climate change which makes life a very big challenge in the summer and other months. It far too hot here. I personally think the UK (for all its troubles) is a safer bet than France to be honest. A question I often ask myself is would I retire to France ? The answer is no. I would not. We will move eventually for all the reasons given above.

Go write a poem about winter idiot. Can I say that onna forum ?

It was fantastic. Depressingly fantastic. Two days in London and four days in Soctland with the Caladonian sleeper in between. The West highlands were marvelous as usual. But the best was Edinburgh. Never been before. What a truly beautiful and fantastic city. We loved it and OH and the frogey kids felt soo at home there. People were so nice, funny, happy (despite the rain….which I liked)and smiling and the food was far better than anything you would get in France. Bodes well with this thread, move to Edinburgh and go through all the hassle of visa’s for OH….or spend our dosh just on holidays to Scotland and live here being bored out of our minds. Five minutes of leaving Poitiers airport on our return we were nearly murdered by an arsõle in a car. The culture shock of coming back to France is becoming too much as I grow older. Somthing to think about when thinking about retirement.

Visa’s and permits are way above my pay grade. But please really think twice before retiring to France. I personally would not retire to France today. In the 1990’s ok….today……noooo. Save your dosh and spend it on holidays if France is your thing is my advice.

Not sure Brittany is good idea. It is far too touristy in the summer and taxes will be a nightmare. The area is far more interesting in the Autumn or early Spring. But not in the summer. You will go mad. Also, it is far too far to drive on a regular basis from where you live. Must be at least 7hrs to Rennes or Nantes. Our holiday home is 3.5-4 hrs away. And it is a chore to drive. I think that is the max to drive on a regular basis to make buying interesting. That said, the house/area was cooler than Tours this year and there was plenty of rain. So going North does not necessarily mean less cold in the summer. Our house is 1 hr North West of Lyon near Charolles. Needed a blanket to sleep at night even during the canicle.

Buy a LHD car in France. Take that one off the road. Go through the hoops of importing it. That will give your first real experience of France. Once done, you can sell it on Le Bon Coin at a higher price than in the UK. But listen, you have moved to the middle of nowhere with no public transport. You will need a back up car. And just bare in mind for the future….you will have to move again. For most folk, that is back to the UK. So keep it as a back up.

You just called yourself dept 71….that narrows it down to be fair. Where are you in dept 71 ? My favorite department in France BTW. Best place to live in France I reckon.

Wally my dearest fellow. Peeps are the same the world over. If people want to like you they will like you. France/French changes nothing. Country changes nothing. I have been with my French wife and her very large French family for 28 years. I can tell you they are as much of a pain in the arsé as any family worlwide. But on a serious note, the majority of French are the same as the British. They just like eating disgusting food. Unlike us. I think that is the only difference I have come up with so far.

What ? They are repairing all the bridges. Nothing has collapsed…I would here it. I live 30 seconds from the A10. You are safe my friends. Daughter spends most of her days with her friends in the city centre and says it is full of British peeps speaking British. And many EU friends from across the EU. Speaking English. Tours…best city in France. By far. Nantes…not so much. Lol. Anyone gone to a football match in Nantes recently? 😀

I think Wally is Ken’s mother in law.

Everything he does is about him. He comes first…France comes second. It is the way he was genetically made. He is there because there was no one else to vote for. But most did not vote for him. And quite rightly. But he is there. He is the same as Trump and Boris. Biden vs Trump…..2024…..lol. Who does America want ?…..ummmmm neither ? But on this point…and lets talk about UK politics. Would you vote for this utterly embarrassingly hopless UK conservative government or Keir Starmer and his sidekick Angela Rayner In the next election? I would go for the conservatives. And I hate the conservatives to the bone. We are doomed Mr Mainwaring…..we are doomed.

No Mint…he has done more bad than good. In fact he has done no good. So it is all just bad. That is coming from someone who encouraged everyone I know to vote for him…back in..whenever he turned up. That man is one dimensional. Like Trump…like…Boris. Its all about him. Everything else is secondary.