Are you happy in France?

[Later]

Nick

What is a troll?

(John)

[Cj]

I for one agree with Teamedup and am ready to leave. Infact I was ready to leave the day I arrived. I have never like France. I have given it a good 6 years but I am ready to go. Before you all jump on board and say why did you stay, it is just because that is the way things turned out. I lived in Paris and I did have a great time there (mostly thanks to English pubs, people and cinemas) but I just cannot do the French culture thing. Paris is far too grey for me.

I then moved to Normandy which is the other extreme. It is beautiful and green and I love my house, but I am about 30 years younger than the average person. No decent shops ( I buy all my clothes on websites in the UK) and nothing to do. The nearest decent bars and restaurants are 1 hour away.

As for travelling someone mentioned how easy it is to travel from France, well in my experience it is cheaper and easier to get anywhere from the UK depsite the water.

It has been a great experience living here and perhaps I will return when I hit 50 and can handle the deathly slow pace of life and the fact that France is very backward when it comes to virtually everything.(Apart from medical care but then you do pay through your ears for the service and the social secuirty is bankrupt so things will change)

Most of the young people I know that live here say they moved for a better quality of life, yet the commute to the UK to earn money or to have a decent weekend out. I would rather just live in the English countryside. Perhaps not everyone can afford that luxury though.

CJ

[SaligoBay]

Nick, whatever Later's intention may have been (and I think it's a he, because he has a wife), it's  been a very positive thread, with lots of interesting replies.

I think everyone's been quite honest in what they've said, without any ranting or fighting.

This is an achievement!    

 

[Later]

I live in the English countryside and it's not all it's cracked up to be, although it does have its good points. 

[Cj]

Later, I just had a look at your South African website. It made me so homesick. You can see why I am not overly keen on France when I come from such a beautiful country. And yes I will go back there one day.

CJ

[Later]

Cj How on earth did you find that?    www.southafrica123.org.uk   ... oh I see it's in my profile.

[Teamedup]

Cj, I'm now 51 and want more in my life. When one has kids there are restrictions that I found more than acceptable........but my, I need to get out now and do more now that the kids are no longer here.

 So no, an active 50 something does not wind down, if you feel like that now, then you need to be somewhere that will energise you at fifty too.

 

[Eskenazi]

I think Cj hit the nail on the head:

many people would love to live in the

English countryside but it is simply not

affordable to most, unless it's Northumbria

and having lived there for 4 years I can

tell you it's pretty bleak, if beautiful.

I hold in my head (or maybe that should

be my heart) an image of what life is

like for our English neighbours in France

(we are just weekenders) - they have a truly

fabulous house built in the style of the

next door chateau, and it cost them far less

than the redbrick grotblox they had in

Kent: their kids WALK the 100 steps to the

village school: everyone in the village is

polite and friendly, even to us (village

'elders' on our family - 'Tres, tres gentil,

et les enfants, tres, tres bien tenue')and

as for health care - if my daughter falls

ill out of hours we sit in drunk-riddled

Casualty...when theirs was ill, the

local doctor was on call. Yes, they pay,

but so do we. Their kids spend evenings

tooling about on bikes, walking their

dogs etc etc... impossible idyll? They

have managed it, of course at the

expense of husband working 3 days a week

in UK, but he seems to like it.

[Later]

[quote]We are quite happy to accept that you don't want to live here. We are all entitled to our opinions, but you do seem a little "anti", judging by your earlier postings.[/quote]

Nick

This beggars belief.  I don't think I've made any negative postings on this site (except for a couple of well deserved giving as good as you get posts).  Perhaps you could find one and show me.  I think you are getting hysterical about a perceived slight.

(John)

[Teejay]

[quote]I for one agree with Teamedup and am ready to leave. Infact I was ready to leave the day I arrived. I have never like France. I have given it a good 6 years but I am ready to go. Before you all jum...[/quote]

Most of the young people I know that live here say they moved for a better quality of life, yet the commute to the UK to earn money or to have a decent weekend out.

 

Goodness!  What an earth is wrong with that.  Some would call it being motivated and even more outrageous actually enjoying life and making the most of it.

 

 

[Nick Trollope]

[quote]Nick This beggars belief. I don't think I've made any negative postings on this site (except for a couple of well deserved giving as good as you get posts). Perhaps you could find one and show me. ...[/quote]

Ho hum.

Of course, I can't search for all of your earlier postings, because the forum software doesn't work, but this will do for a start;

Well why are you wasting my time with your bile. You don't have to repsond to every post on the site.

Besides which, I said "anti", not negative. Anti-France, I assume, but my point is that I am (and although I can't speak for them, others, are) bored of it.

I really am not interested in starting a slanging match with you, as neither of us can win and it detracts from the Forum. Get on with your life (outside France) and we will get on with ours.

[Battypuss]

Very happy, apart from minor niggles, but one gets those anywhere.

Have no wish to live anywhere else until (at least) the children have finished school, say another 10 years? Have been here 12 already, so have had our fair share of ups and downs. Then? God knows. I've lived loads of places, but you can rest assured I shall not be returning to England, come what may.

[Later]

Nick

I haven't made ANY anti France statements on this forum.  You are a twit.

(John) 

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Personally I love it here. Plenty of space, seldom a dull moment, kids very happy in school, etc. Mind you, I was very happy in the UK, except for the drunken violence characterising every Friday and Saturday night and really putting a crimp on my social life. Could just have been where I lived (North London) or the people I went out with, but I can't be sure. And the area we lived in was bad for drive-by shootings (something very sobering about a WH Smith with bullet holes in it), but I guess bits of Paris and M********e are just as bad.

I think I really only miss the sense of humour of the British (not the stuff on TV, but the day to day banter). Before that I lived in the Netherlands - I could never get used to the "shelf" toilets there - and frankly I couldn't ever imagine going back there. But here....I think we'll be making our application for naturalistion in due course.

[Later]

Banter in French: I'm sure you will get back into the swing of things as you become more confident in your French.

[Penny29]

Q. Are You Happy In France? 

A. Today, yes, I love it to bits, my house renovations are gathering pace and we can start to dream of the end result, the sun is shining, the countryside is beautiful and I've met some wonderfully helpful shopkeepers today & managed to get everything I went out for.

But ask me that question on another day when I am up to my eyes in filling in forms for planning permission for work that "doesn't need planning permission," when I'm having trouble remembering the most basic of French verbs and conjugations, and when I'm dodging 5 wet & muddy dogs within the close confines of a caravan whilst builders appear to have taken over my house for posterity and you could get a very different answer!

However, I've never been so content for so long in my whole life - no matter how bad the day there is always something wonderful to see in the changing landscape.

I don't know if we will stay here forever - that's nothing to do with France and more about the world being a big place and us getting itchy feet from time to time. But, for now France is home to me in a way that the UK never was, I suppose this country just touches my heart in a special way.

 

[Jacks]

I would be very very happy if I could just get there, it's been a nightmare trying to sell the house. Keeping my fingers crossed it might still happen this year.

Can I just mention for those, like myself, who are having problems with the forum it would be a great help if you could put your name at the end of your reply. I have no idea who is who, it is very frustrating and I don't know how long it will be before it is sorted.

Thanks, best regards

Jackie

 

[Weedon]

[quote]... or maybe you could bowl me over with your support for the place so that I would have to rethink ...[/quote]

With so many replies its almost not worth bothering to bung in my six penn'orth but I couldn't resist it.

If you need other people to persuade you to move or stay in any particular place you are not going to be happy anywhere.  So I'd buy a tent if I were you  and then you can upsticks as the fancy takes you or the next whim for that matter. 

If you moved here and regret it what actually are you searching for because as sure as night follows day eventually you are going to end up in a permanent resting place and your life has been spent worrying that other people are having a better time than you.

Me, I will second what the first replier said, I love it here. 

Weedon(53)

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote]Banter in French: I'm sure you will get back into the swing of things as you become more confident in your French.[/quote]

Ah - I think you misunderstand. I banter (with, indeed, confidence and, on occasion, wit) in French. I was merely pointing out that there are differences in the humour. Unless that was meant to be a barb on your part?

[Later]

Jond

I'm afraid I am barbless.  Or without barb, as you might say. 

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote]Jond I'm afraid I am barbless. Or without barb, as you might say.[/quote]

I am pleased about this. I don't agree with some of the things on your site, but I think you've done a good job adding some balance for people thinking of moving to France. It can work very well for some (it did for us), for others it can be an unmitigated disaster. Personally I think its important to approach a move here (or Spain, Italy - wherever) with the mindset of an immigrant rather than of an ex-pat. But then I spend my life in the middle of nowhere and a fair proportion of each day talking to ducks, so I wouldn't place too much store by what I say!

[Mpprh]

Hi

Well, I suppose I ought to put in my two penneth ..........

We left UK end 1990, and lived in Belgium & Sweden.

But me & French wife always intended moving to France (thought we were heading South, but somehow found ourselves in Sweden for 5 yrs).

We've been here for 5+ years now. Are we happy ? I guess so !

For the first time in 15 years we've planted trees ............ and that must mean something ?

We love the climate .......... much better than West, Central & Northern France. It is hard to re-establish a business here. We don't have the same income & lifestyle we enjoyed as globetrotting expats. But we enjoy the more relaxed lifestyle.

Having said that, we miss the pubs, chinese food in Soho, Indian restaurants, etc.

On balance, we prefer to be here

And my wife prefers here to the Loire valley where she grew up. Why ? 300+ days of sunshine !

It should be noted we had no great dreams & expectations. As our 4th country we have learned that everywhere has its +'s and -'s.

Peter

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

I'd just like to say that generally, the negative comments here could just as easily apply to England. What I mean is, if you are a city person - why live in the country in France - or vice versa. I lived within 3 miles of Nottingham City Centre for a year, and would never want to get that close to a city again. We live in a village, 3 miles from the nearest town, in England. That would suit me fine in France too, so if I were to move to France (I wish) that's the sort of thing I would look for. I can't believe there is anywhere in France so rural that you couldn't get to a decent town or city for clothes shopping. I live 12 miles from Nottingham and 8 miles from Derby - I very seldom go shopping to either place as I don't have the time nor the need to go there. I've visited many regions of France and there was always somewhere big enough within a couple of hours drive. At least in France, smaller towns do sell a good range of products in the little shops - compared to village shops in England, which are generally just useless and expensive.

Much as I love France though, I still hope that one day I can afford to live in both countries as there are things I love in both. Oh and Helen - my heart bleeds for you with the lack of decent beer - but some of the beers from Pas de Calais are really excellent. On the other hand, I'd like to offer my services to Wetherspoons to open the first Wetherspoons in France! Not that I know anything about beer cellars - but husband could learn!

[Later]

Perhaps a real ale pipeline could be laid across the channel ... although I would prefer one coming back the other way with wine 

[Deby]

This for me is an interesting thread as having lived here for nearly 5 years and generally been very happy, I am just hoping my French Blues are due to winter setting in and an absence of husband (his mum is ill)!

I must say that I am a supporter of Later's website - even the title as it surely entices people to click - which is what we all want to happen on our sites. 

It is very difficult to explain to someone who lives elsewhere what it is actually like and thoses minuses on Later's site give the planned mover some information that is not concisely available.

I actually began a thread myself "Life in France is NOt for everyone"  The couple which I have referred to are really finding it difficult to settle, their first bubbly reactions have since popped and this poor woman is very upset and is regretting their decisions already.  I do have sympathy for her and I do not want to 'blame' her at all.  I just feel that if she had more information then she could have made a better informed decision. 

John's site (Later) may upset a few, but I personally think it is useful information.

Deby

ps if people could sign their names too - it would help me see who is posting.