Living in France

Andyk

Andyk

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I wish I had the guts to do what you have Phil. Great adventure you have been on and long may it continue. Once the boys have flown the nest and retirement is looming hope to move abroad.
 
rivarama

rivarama

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Hi Phil, what part of France did you end up settling in? (Sorry if I missed that in one of your previous threads)
 
S

swiftmotorsport

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Philw696 has know me for more years than I can remember and only known me in the Fire & Rescue Service, but my actual "trade" is Plumbing which I have a City & Guilds Craft Certificate, 3 years of night school and working on the tools during the day.
Unfortunately I was medically retired from the F&RS 3 years ago, thankfully because of my Trade I'm now back on the tools after a 35 year break, and I have to admit some of the work I've encountered that has been done by other "professional" Plumbers is abysmal!
Seems to be a Bodge it and Leg it culture now.
 
philw696

philw696

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Back from our jaunt around Normandy and opening the post I have my Carte Vitale so along with my Siret number for my self employment I'm in the system.
I pay my taxes and I have my health care.
Happy Days and all done since getting here at the end of October 2018.
 
Felonious Crud

Felonious Crud

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W
philw696 said:
Back from our jaunt around Normandy and opening the post I have my Carte Vitale so along with my Siret number for my self employment I'm in the system.
I pay my taxes and I have my health care.
Happy Days and all done since getting here at the end of October 2018.
Click to expand...

Well done, Phil, happy daze days, mate.
 
UlstermanAbroad

UlstermanAbroad

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Congrats Phil.
I lived in Provence for a year, a few years back and loved it.
The first time I witnessed the locals turning up at the local farmer's co-op with empty five, ten litre and bigger, empty plastic containers, to have them filled with very drinkable local reds at two euros a litre, I knew I was in the right place. Containers were filled at a small petrol pump / syphon type affair. And the food!
One of the many things I witnessed was the necessity of becoming fluent in French. Those expats who never bothered, missed out on huge amounts of the local social life and never seemed to settle.
For anyone with the least inclination to relocate. I'd say don't hesitate. So long as the financial side of things stack up. Maybe house sit or similar first, in a few different places.
 
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Wanderer

Wanderer

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UlstermanAbroad said:
Congrats Phil.
I lived in Provence for a year, a few years back and loved it.
The first time I witnessed the locals turning up at the local farmer's co-op with empty five, ten and bigger, empty plastic containers, to have them filled with very drinkable local reds at two euros a litre, I knew I was in the right place. Containers were filled at a small petrol pump / syphon type affair. And the food!
One of the many things I witnessed was the necessity of becoming fluent in French. Those expats who never bothered, missed out on huge amounts of the local social life and never seemed to settle.
For anyone with the least inclination to relocate. I'd say don't hesitate. So long as the financial side of things stack up. Maybe house sit or similar first, in a few different places.
Click to expand...
I was in Normandie last month, and my schoolboy French worked very well, I remember at school hating French lessons but it must have sunk in. We did German too later, that's a much harder language. After school I became a proper communist, indeed joined CPGB and loved the Soviet Union. Did Russian at uni as a side-subject and that is a really really difficult language. Inflected nouns and adjectives, verbal aspects, shades of meaning in word order (desyat' minut vs minut decyat') - one means 'ten minutes proper' the other 'ten minutes but not really ten minutes longer just so you know.

After that, German was easy, and French even easier....
 
UlstermanAbroad

UlstermanAbroad

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Wanderer said:
I was in Normandie last month, and my schoolboy French worked very well, I remember at school hating French lessons but it must have sunk in. We did German too later, that's a much harder language. After school I became a proper communist, indeed joined CPGB and loved the Soviet Union. Did Russian at uni as a side-subject and that is a really really difficult language. Inflected nouns and adjectives, verbal aspects, shades of meaning in word order (desyat' minut vs minut decyat') - one means 'ten minutes proper' the other 'ten minutes but not really ten minutes longer just so you know.

After that, German was easy, and French even easier....
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Haven't been to Normandy yet and really must go. A great uncle was amongst the first ashore at Sword beach and I really want to see first hand what the landscape looks like.
Was going to joke that it's surprising GCHQ or MI6 didn't try to recruit you. But membership of the CPGB might've nixed that! ;)
Each time I go back to France, I have to start at Franglais level and slowly work my way up again. You're right though. Patchy French will get you a fair way, until you need to do something bureaucratic or technical and then you can be sunk.
The total self consciousness of the French towards speaking English never ceases to surprise me. Especially as their English is usually far better than my awful attempts at French.
 
philw696

philw696

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I have to say the lifestyle suits me and my Ms French although I'm currently working in Spain but that's because I'm truly a European.
Some of the Best food I have ever had has been in Normandy.
As for the Wines wow the BIO ones sulphate free are truly amazing.
Some Good BIO Beers too.
 
Wanderer

Wanderer

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philw696 said:
I have to say the lifestyle suits me and my Ms French although I'm currently working in Spain but that's because I'm truly a European.
Some of the Best food I have ever had has been in Normandy.
As for the Wines wow the BIO ones sulphate free are truly amazing.
Some Good BIO Beers too.
Click to expand...
When I was in Normandy I found the food quite ordinary. Same when I was working in Copenhagen. Oddly enough the food is lovely here in Ireland, much better than UK. Apart from the Chipper (Irish for Chip Shop), they're awful. Macari's in Raheny got my fish out of the freezer (replete with Supervalu packaging), microwaved it and chicken it in the fryer for a few minutes.

And can you guess what I did? Nothing, said thanks and paid. The English thing.....
 
Wanderer

Wanderer

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UlstermanAbroad said:
Haven't been to Normandy yet and really must go. A great uncle was amongst the first ashore at Sword beach and I really want to see first hand what the landscape looks like.
Was going to joke that it's surprising GCHQ or MI6 didn't try to recruit you. But membership of the CPGB might've nixed that! ;)
Each time I go back to France, I have to start at Franglais level and slowly work my way up again. You're right though. Patchy French will get you a fair way, until you need to do something bureaucratic or technical and then you can be sunk.
The total self consciousness of the French towards speaking English never ceases to surprise me. Especially as their English is usually far better than my awful attempts at French.
Click to expand...

Stangely, CPGB membership and also my CND membership was either missed or ignored when I was DV'd for working on nuclear power stations. I may have been in Greenpeace too, right hippy I was. Missed out on CAMRA cos I didn't have the nine quid on me at Bolton Beer Festival 1982, only too many beer tokens which I spent on a black lager called Faust-something, lovely it was. Lager back then was just warm fizzy shiite, in fact it took me years to realise the local brewery's lager was called Grünhalle cos it was German for Greenalls. And Greenalls was rank generally.

God beer/lager was rubbish back then anyone remember any long gone ones?

Greenalls
Hemerling
Harp
Hofmeister
 
Wanderer

Wanderer

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5,791
Wilsons in the North West
Bass

Best pub in Bolton back then was 'The Mop' - aka 'T'frizzen Mop (The Frozen Mop) actually called the Weavers. It was a Freehouse, only one I can remember. I got arseholed in there the night before my driving test, and passed!

Had Newcastle Federation Ale on tap, and a DJ who had every record ever pressed it seemed. My mate asked for 'Easy Livin' by Uriah Heep and he had it. Bikers pub is was/is.

Shithole though.
 
zagatoes30

zagatoes30

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Wanderer said:
When I was in Normandy I found the food quite ordinary. Same when I was working in Copenhagen. Oddly enough the food is lovely here in Ireland, much better than UK. Apart from the Chipper (Irish for Chip Shop), they're awful. Macari's in Raheny got my fish out of the freezer (replete with Supervalu packaging), microwaved it and chicken it in the fryer for a few minutes.

And can you guess what I did? Nothing, said thanks and paid. The English thing.....
Click to expand...

Agree generally Irish food is better than in the UK, even the sports bars do great steaks and burgers unlike the UK, You are right about chippers though, there must be a good one but I haven't found it yet - might make that the first challenge when we move.

Flights and ferry booked for Sunday 4th, so that will be bye bye UK for a while
 
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