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We are debating on a move to France. Any advice appreciated!


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I wonder Cat if you are implying that I do not speak French?
I have to say that you do not, necessarily need to speak to people in order to understand apsects about them and their life style!.Observation!

However I do talk to them.My neigbours are French and we spend time together over a meal or just coffee.

I love cats....by the way...there langauge is universal....but not one of them similar to the next.The original topic was not about learning French.....which of course is very important.

The original topic relates to a couple.....should they venture to France to live?

Yes my region is special.

Just finished making elerflower cordial and crystalised rose petals.Next some apricot and orange flower jam.Could not do all this in London....all the flowers were sprayed or scented with petrol.

 

 

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I have a few words to say to John...re    T V programme....you know most of them are set-ups....the terrible story of the drunken ski-operator who had a pregnant wife....who broke her leg have been doing very well apparently.

We declared that we were not prepared to offer disaster on a plate.

Negative publicity is not my cup of tea...as it happens I am not a tea drinker .....

I would love to know if any of you live here in France?
I imagine that most of you have two homes?

 

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[quote user="jon"]

 

I would love to know if any of you live here in France?
I imagine that most of you have two homes?

 

[/quote]

If people took the time to fill in their details you would be able to see at a glance where they have homes.[;-)]

Where do you live jon ?

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desperatedan

You are the only one that can answer the question that you have posed. Best make a list with positives on one side and negatives on the other. For each entry add a realistic score. Even then you will need to go with your gut instinct.

Your comments about life style are rather naïve. The life style is determined by the person’s character, their personal circumstance, and commitments. Rarely is the country of residence a factor.

 

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Thanks again for all the advice. Any decision will be purely down to what we want to do and not others influences. Its been 12 months of 'thinking about it' so we are certainly not rushing into anything. Of course I will accept full responsibility if it all goes wrong.

 

 

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[quote user="jon"]

I imagine that most of you have two homes?

 

[/quote]

Please tell me why owning two homes is wrong and one home is right? It is just such a vacuous statement used to somehow add credibility to you own point of view.

"sorry mate, you have two homes, so your point of view is out of touch with the real world and invalid. Go stand in the corner"

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[quote user="baypond"][quote user="jon"]


I imagine that most of you have two homes?

 

[/quote]

Please tell me why owning two homes is wrong and one home is right? It is just such a vacuous statement used to somehow add credibility to you own point of view.

"sorry mate, you have two homes, so your point of view is out of touch with the real world and invalid. Go stand in the corner"

[/quote]

Jon didnt make any reference to owning two homes being right, wrong or whatever. You have drawn and posted your own inference.

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"Jon didnt make any reference to owning two homes being right, wrong or whatever. You have drawn and posted your own inference."

Yep, spot on, I will draw my own inference, and given the context within which it was written, I don't think I am far wrong.

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For me language will always be the big difficulty here. I speak pretty good French but when there are a group of French people talkng together I often find that I am lost and unable to follow. It's worse for my wife whose French is not good despite her efforts to learn; she is very restricted by this as any social contact involves speaking to people. Imagine your conversation restricted to everyday clichés - "How are you?" "Hot today". "Would you like some salad?" It's either limited social involvement or contact with the English. That said we enjoy our life but we are on a pension and have no kids here.
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Baybound....It was, infact a question!But if you have a home in UK...your French property is a holiday home?Nothing wrong with that!However you have not left Uk !So the outlook and the circumstances will be a little different.I had property here for many years before we left Uk.Everything we do know is related to the French system and the French way of life.So my thoughts and planning are here in France.If I am to offer advise info to anyone who is concidering moving here I am aware of the full conviction and the fact that I am no longer part of the Uk regime.

Where do I live Entre-duex-mers....Gironde...1 hr from Bordeaux..35 mins from Bergerac.20 km from St Emilion.I do agree with posting which mentions a persons's character and circumstances.Exactly,of course!I had been planning my move for a long,long time!I was  looking for ther right moment...in some ways I found it!Eventually found the property,the architecht and  ways to seek clients.Not the best time to start a buisness but it is all going rather well.

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Bonjour Jon , nice to know where you are in France . But when I suggested fill in your details , I meant the top left of the screen (edit your details), it will then show up next to your name , no big deal if you do or don't ....its up to the individual. [:)] You can also click on peoples names and see what details there are about them.

Nice to know things are going well for you.

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I have the same dream, moving ....

 

There are some people who want to come in France and other people whith the hope  to leave it . I would prefer to live in America . I don't like France , I hate France . but I have no possibilities now to  leave  it .

 

 

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[quote user="carmelle"]

There are some people who want to come in France and other people whith the hope  to leave it . I would prefer to live in America . I don't like France , I hate France . but I have no possibilities now to  leave  it .

[/quote]

I too would love to live in the USA , but it is the cost of health care that stops me.

But I love France. [:D]

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Carmelle why do you Hate France?
I think, perhaps that you are not contented with your work,career or maybe you need to find new friendship and interests?
Maybe change your region...get involved in a project.,..if you are young ....you can do so much...if you put your mind to it....Where are you living?
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What draws you to US Crustv?So different to France!How many times have you visited America?Are you in need of adventure....perhaps?Wherever you live...you need to create your own adventure...sometimes with the help of others.
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I was in America last year  , and I must return to America in october but only for one month .

I dont find the french people friendly . Not open minded . No, I have really no friends here, and I am not too young enough to make friends  easely .

I am living in Dordogne . A very old and sad area .I don't like the architecture and  Perigueux is not a beautiful town .  I try to realize my dream : leaving this country but it's particularly difficult .  

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What draws me to the USA , don't know for sure , maybe the people , so friendly. I been there about ten times over the years.

As I said , I am happy to live out my days in France , but if I win the loto I will be posting from across the pond.[:P]

And getting back to the thread , its just a case of weighing things up. I know I can pay my way here in France with no worries so here I will stay. For people who have to work for a living you have to consider what you will do if the income stops for what ever reason , and consider it now , not when or if it happens.

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There was me looking forwards to visiting my house in France tomorrow for only the second time since we purchased it in February.  Garage packed with stuff to put in the car to take with us, restaurants booked, pool man visiting - and then I read this thread.

I think I will go and cut my wrists instead.

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No...Stan.You have the comfort of dear old Essex to return to....and the joy of a new home to get to know.

I think that often people ndo not try to make friends and new interests.They see a barrier perhaps.Since I came here no end of people have been spinning stories filled with negativity.But we are constantly making new friends/aquintances and learning about the people who live around us.They are not all French.....[although many are]

We are constantly finding new interests....looking at new ideas ...ways of working.We were like that in Uk so it will not change for us.Everyone makes different financial provisions.....and all I say is...as I said before it is not adviseable to leave your country of residence without funds/plans..

Are Americans really more friendly!!!!!!Or do they appear to be?How many American friends have you got?

 

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I live here full time.  If I was retired, could come and go as I pleased and didn't have to deal with the day to day reality of earning a living in France then I'd be very happy.  But it is the not being retired bit that weighs heavy.  Thus far we have managed but I would so much rather have a job than run my B & B.  I do this to the best of my ability because it is all I can do and it is a way of living.  My husband had a CDI but after several years was recently made redundant and is now trying to go it alone.  The constant bureaucracy and the constant worry about whether we'll make enough money really gets me down. 

I know that my neighbours make do on less than 1000 € a month.  I do know, because I am on the CCAS and deal with the constant stream of poor, unhappy people (mostly French) wanting help with their bills, free food vouchers etc.    You can know a bit about people by observing, but you can only really know anything much if you can actually speak to them on a deeper level than "would you like another cup of coffee".

I personally don't consider trying to get by on a small amount of money a 'better way of life'.  Some might, I suppose see it as a challenge, but when I meet people who have to wear their coats indoors in the winter because they can't afford the heating, who can't afford an occasional nice night out or a trip back to see their families, or who work in some horrible job that they'd never even have considered in their country of origin then I wonder what they are doing here.  I bet those things were never in their original plans.  People who arrived here with a house and a reasonable pension don't generally find themselves there because although things might be a little tighter they have an income.  Those who have to make a living, unless they were already wealthy on arrival can be in for a rude shock.

There are many, many things I like about France - but trying to earn a living here is not one of them and neither is the education system, which as someone else pointed out even the French government don't like.  In so far that any foreigner can be 'integrated' I would say I am.  Most of my friends here are French, I'm on the local council, both OH and I are in local associations and as I said this would be OK if we didn't have the daily battle to earn a crust.   My own fault I dare say for coming to a foreign country and needing to work rather than having sufficient resources to live on for the rest of my days.  But, hey it was an adventure, it has largely worked and when I move on - as I will - I'll be glad I did it.  However I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone with a young family because whilst I can do what I like with my own life, the responsibility for making your family happy and comfortable is a much greater one and I think it only fair to let people know the realities of the challenges which they may face.

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