Why France?

[piskieinboots]

There are so many grapes living either part-time or full-time out there. What's the main attraction?

[veg4681]

There are so many grapes living either part-time or full-time out there. What's the main attraction?

Hmmm...for me the mere possiblity of owning a bigger/nicer house with bigger garden (& still be substantially cheaper than UK property price) to grow all the fruits and vegetable to lead a semi self-sufficient lifestyle and raise a few animals too.

Eating out in restaurants would be more frequent and the vinos are so much cheaper there (a £3 wine in France would be a very good quality wine) and the weather sunnier to make you feel like in holiday mood. YET we're still in the EU for basic medical care etc and France is one of the more developed European countries than newly joined EU countries and still be near to home for relatives & friends (unlike people who move to Oz & NZ). For work reason, we have to be based in UK so just can't pack up and head for France or the option of leaving an empty French property is not an option.

Is that a better quality of life? I don't know but the grass is always greener on the other side .

[smallblueplanet]

We'd like to live there....

Hmmm...for me the mere possiblity of owning a bigger/nicer house with bigger garden (& still be substantially cheaper than UK property price) to grow all the fruits and vegetable to lead a semi self-sufficient lifestyle and raise a few animals too.

Eating out in restaurants would be more frequent and the vinos are so much cheaper there (a £3 wine in France would be a very good quality wine) and the weather sunnier to make you feel like in holiday mood. YET we're still in the EU for basic medical care etc and France is one of the more developed European countries than newly joined EU countries and still be near to home for relatives & friends....

I'll go along with that and add, the French people, I like them we're very similar I think.

[Alice]

Not sure Piskie. There is much to love about France, and a lot of problems too. I think the main attraction is probably the difference in property prices.

[pigletwillie]

Cities aside, in France,

Lots more room,
Bigger houses for less money,
Most people are indigenous,
Less jumping to the next EU directive,
Better roads,
Less traffic
Better, much cheaper eateries,
Much cheaper wine,
Cheaper council tax with better refuse collection etc,
You know our neighbours, if you bother to talk to them, and shame on you if you dont.
Parking in many areas is free at lunchtime,
Less crowded by a country mile,
Markets sell fresh regionally grown stuff, not all the same crap bought from a wholesale market and sold on,
Their flag is flown from EVERY government building,
So are their regional flags,
Its not an offence to be proud to be French,
If you dont like living there tough, bend to them as they wont bend to you,
Boudin noir,
A Cafe culture which means you may see an old man drinking pastis at 8am on a Sunday morning but you wont see the streets full of pissheads,
They dont dance to Americas tune,
They hate the Germans,
Top quality rugby teams such as Toulouse, Stade Francais,
Stade Francais are not afraid to wear pink shirts,
Lots of heirloom and regional seeds available,
HSL, why?? (see above)
You can buy preserving stuff in every supermarket as they still know how too,
Most towns are different, a few big shopping chains exist but many are regional and every town is stuffed with independents,
Shops actually close for lunch and for part of the weekend,
Its not the end of the world if there is no fresh milk, most is uht,


I will stop there but can go on and on.

[smallblueplanet]

....Its not the end of the world if there is no fresh milk, most is uht...

But there is some. I converted our French friends to the pleasure that is tea with fresh milk - finally they understood!

[sewer rat]

Cities aside, in France,

Lots more room,
Bigger houses for less money,
Most people are indigenous,
Less traffic
You know our neighbours, if you bother to talk to them, and shame on you if you dont.
Parking in many areas is free at lunchtime,
Less crowded by a country mile,
Its not an offence to be proud to be Scottish
If you dont like living there tough, bend to them as they wont bend to you,
Shops actually close for lunch and for part of the weekend,

I will stop there but can go on and on.

The above apply up here. I'd still live up here given the choice, but if I couldn't live north of Perth, I'd be in La Belle France aussi.

[pigletwillie]

I hate uht, but if a French supermarket ran out, so what, over here it would be on news at 10. In France, generally only children drink milk.

[scarey55]

Spot on

Hmmm...for me the mere possiblity of owning a bigger/nicer house with bigger garden (& still be substantially cheaper than UK property price) to grow all the fruits and vegetable to lead a semi self-sufficient lifestyle and raise a few animals too.

Eating out in restaurants would be more frequent and the vinos are so much cheaper there (a £3 wine in France would be a very good quality wine) and the weather sunnier to make you feel like in holiday mood. YET we're still in the EU for basic medical care etc and France is one of the more developed European countries than newly joined EU countries and still be near to home for relatives & friends (unlike people who move to Oz & NZ). For work reason, we have to be based in UK so just can't pack up and head for France or the option of leaving an empty French property is not an option.

Is that a better quality of life? I don't know but the grass is always greener on the other side .

Spot on Veg4681, we moved here for all those reasons and a few more besides.

We had always planned to live in France when we retired but then we (well, KK to be precise) was made redundant at the end of 2005 and everything came to a head, so we bit the bullet and decided to buy a house here.
We sold a heavily mortgaged house in UK and bought a house here, sans mortgage ready to move into for about half the price of the one we sold.

We have about an acre of garden which we have made into veg plots, a small orchard and a wild area. We may have chickens later but I'm afraid I couldn't keep anything I have to kill for food.

I think for us, the main thing is that we have always loved France and have always felt at home here when we were here on holiday. I understand that a lot of people don't like the French but we have found them to be lovely, generous people who will try and help wherever possible.

We have our problems, I'm not pretending that we don't (language, for me being most of them) but, on balance I think we did the right thing. The grass isn't always greener but it is different and, as you said, the wine is cheaper The weather on the other hand is a different matter atm but we, being in the Massif Central do have well defined seaons.

[veg4681]

I think the main attraction is probably the difference in property prices.

You've nailed it Alice! Probably the single biggest factor for mass emigration. Huh, talking about property prices coming down, they were uber uber overpriced to begin with anyway!

And I agree with Pigletwillie on a very extensive list...so very passionately put that for a moment I thought you were a proud Frenchie .

[Jardiniere]

I almost missed this thread!
quoting from piglet willie

Lots more room YES
Bigger houses for less money WE BOUGHT A SMALL ONE - HAD NO MONEY
Most people are indigenous - IN OUR VILLAGE MOST OF OUR FRENCH FRIENDS ARE FROM OTHER PARTS OF FRANCE
Less jumping to the next EU directive - NOT NECESSARILY A PLUS
Better roads YES
Less traffic YES
Better, much cheaper eateries YES
Much cheaper wine YES
Cheaper council tax with better refuse collection etc YES
You know our neighbours, if you bother to talk to them, and shame on you if you dont.YES
Parking in many areas is free at lunchtime CAN FIND FREE ALL THE TIME IN CAHORS
Less crowded by a country mileYES
Markets sell fresh regionally grown stuff, not all the same crap bought from a wholesale market and sold on YES BUT GROW OWN VEG!
Their flag is flown from EVERY government building YES
So are their regional flags SOMETIMES
Its not an offence to be proud to be French YES
If you dont like living there tough, bend to them as they wont bend to you ABSOLUTELY JE SUIS LOTOISE
Boudin noir YUM YUM
A Cafe culture which means you may see an old man drinking pastis at 8am on a Sunday morning but you wont see the streets full of pissheads,NEVER UP AT 8AM ON SUNDAY DO OCCASIONALLY SEE THE ODD STREET DRINKER
They dont dance to Americas tune THANK THE LORD
They hate the Germans I DONT MIND THE GERMANS
Top quality rugby teams such as Toulouse, Stade Francais,PREFER FOOTBALL BUT WHAT THE HELL
Stade Francais are not afraid to wear pink shirts,NEITHER IS MY OH
Lots of heirloom and regional seeds available,HAVENT FOUND MANY YET - WHITE AUBERGINE LAST YEAR WHICH WAS INTERESTING....
HSL, why?? (see above)HSL????? ?
You can buy preserving stuff in every supermarket as they still know how too,PRESERVING STUFF? LIKE JARS???
Most towns are different, a few big shopping chains exist but many are regional and every town is stuffed with independents,VERY DIFFERENT - DOWNSIDE IS THAT THE NICE CLOTHES SHOPS DON'T DO SIZE 16.AND THERE IS NO M & S WHICH I DO MISS FOR BRAS AND KNICKERS SO IS STILL HAVE TO SHOP FOR CLOTHES IN UK
Shops actually close for lunch and for part of the weekend,WHICH TAKES A BIT OF GETTING USED TO
Its not the end of the world if there is no fresh milk, most is uht,LOADS OF FRESH MILK IN CARREFOUR/LECLERC ETC - WE GO ONCE A WEEK- CANT GET MINI SHREDDED WHEAT TO GO WITH IT. THO

[Nicos]

Will let you know when we get back...

We think 50/50 is the option now....but we are lucky to have the choice...


20 yrs ago ...no choice....now things are changing....

[smallblueplanet]

I'm sure I've asked you before which town do you live in/near Jardiniere? I then look it up, spend an amount of time being insanely jealous, then put it from my mind before it explodes!!!

The OH is keen on Quercy/Aveyron area and limestone, I'm keen on heat and seasons that are differentiated.

[Jardiniere]

We are in Quercy - Quercy Rouergue=- east of Cahors right on the Lot Valley - we do have differentaited seasons - sorry this computer doesnt know how to spell -we live in tiny little house that we bought for holidays originally and its right on the road on the edge of a large village with doctor, shop, boulangerie, brocante, post office and restaurant.but it still manges to be france profond. we like it cos its possible to gow old here they are building a maison de retraite at the other end of the village ......

[Snadger]

I almost missed this thread!
quoting from piglet willie

Lots more room YES
Bigger houses for less money WE BOUGHT A SMALL ONE - HAD NO MONEY
Most people are indigenous - IN OUR VILLAGE MOST OF OUR FRENCH FRIENDS ARE FROM OTHER PARTS OF FRANCE
Less jumping to the next EU directive - NOT NECESSARILY A PLUS
Better roads YES
Less traffic YES
Better, much cheaper eateries YES
Much cheaper wine YES
Cheaper council tax with better refuse collection etc YES
You know our neighbours, if you bother to talk to them, and shame on you if you dont.YES
Parking in many areas is free at lunchtime CAN FIND FREE ALL THE TIME IN CAHORS
Less crowded by a country mileYES
Markets sell fresh regionally grown stuff, not all the same crap bought from a wholesale market and sold on YES BUT GROW OWN VEG!
Their flag is flown from EVERY government building YES
So are their regional flags SOMETIMES
Its not an offence to be proud to be French YES
If you dont like living there tough, bend to them as they wont bend to you ABSOLUTELY JE SUIS LOTOISE
Boudin noir YUM YUM
A Cafe culture which means you may see an old man drinking pastis at 8am on a Sunday morning but you wont see the streets full of pissheads,NEVER UP AT 8AM ON SUNDAY DO OCCASIONALLY SEE THE ODD STREET DRINKER
They dont dance to Americas tune THANK THE LORD
They hate the Germans I DONT MIND THE GERMANS
Top quality rugby teams such as Toulouse, Stade Francais,PREFER FOOTBALL BUT WHAT THE HELL
Stade Francais are not afraid to wear pink shirts,NEITHER IS MY OH
Lots of heirloom and regional seeds available,HAVENT FOUND MANY YET - WHITE AUBERGINE LAST YEAR WHICH WAS INTERESTING....
HSL, why?? (see above)HSL????? ?
You can buy preserving stuff in every supermarket as they still know how too,PRESERVING STUFF? LIKE JARS???
Most towns are different, a few big shopping chains exist but many are regional and every town is stuffed with independents,VERY DIFFERENT - DOWNSIDE IS THAT THE NICE CLOTHES SHOPS DON'T DO SIZE 16.AND THERE IS NO M & S WHICH I DO MISS FOR BRAS AND KNICKERS SO IS STILL HAVE TO SHOP FOR CLOTHES IN UK
Shops actually close for lunch and for part of the weekend,WHICH TAKES A BIT OF GETTING USED TO
Its not the end of the world if there is no fresh milk, most is uht,LOADS OF FRESH MILK IN CARREFOUR/LECLERC ETC - WE GO ONCE A WEEK- CANT GET MINI SHREDDED WHEAT TO GO WITH IT. THO

Yeah, but apart from that, whats the attraction!