French Life

In this section people that have moved to France share their experiences of living and working in France. Tell us your story by clicking here.

Gascony: The Story of a Truffiere

Truffle TreeDick Pyle tells us his intriguing story of moving to Gascony in the Midi-Pyrenees region of South west France and starting up his own unique Truffière business where you can adopt your own truffle tree and even come and harvest your very own truffles...

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Retiring to a Small Village in Western France

Bill and Elaine WilliamsBill Williams retired to a small village in western France just over five years ago with his wife. The Williams herald from a small village between Hereford and Abergavenny, and despite the region’s...

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Practicing Reiki in France

ReikiMary and her husband bought their home in France in 1993 initially just for holidays, but after their retirement they decided to become permanent residents and Mary has now established her own Reiki practice....

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Setting up a Wine Domaine

Family SnapshotOn the 11th September 2001 the attack on the World Trade Center in New York changed Jonathan and Rachel's lives for ever, the catastrophic events of that day made them change focus and opt for a new life in France...

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How to leave the Rat Race Behind

Minerve in LanguedocMichael now lives and works in the Languedoc region, he tells us what made him decide to leave the UK and move to the South of France...

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Moving to the Pyrenees

The ChaletJune 2006 and we visited our chosen area to move to Cerdagne and Capcir areas in the French Pyrenees. 12 months previously we lost an offer on a chalet due to the French not accepting chains. we were told to take out a bridging loan or loose out...

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Kennels in Normandy, France

When and where did it all start? Well, I think Angie and me (John) must have been drunk at the time. We where at our local pub celebrating the sale of a small farm we owned, we sold because we where denied planning permission for a project we wanted to undertake. I think it was Angie's fault, I seem to remember her saying...

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Doing British things in France

There are plenty of "British" things to do in France but you may have to be a little more imaginative as far as entertainment goes. A nice meal with a good bottle of wine is quite straightforward, but the stylish restaurant, even if there is one near you, may not necessarily be the best...

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To B&B or not to B&B

One lettre de motivation, two cheques, three photographs and four weeks later a small delegation from the above named august institution duly arrived at our modest pad Le Round du Biou, situated in the pine forests and hills to the north of Montpellier...

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Monsieur Le Mairie

Saint Ceneri le GereiIn the picturesque Normandy village of Saint Ceneri le Gerei meet MONSIEUR LE MAIRIE (otherwise known as Ken Tatham from Yorkshire - and Leeds United fan extraordinaire)...

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Mad car disease

We all know that the French take their grub seriously. So it should perhaps come as no surprise that the vocabulary of gastronomy should have crept into the language of the road. My crime was to have 'grille' (grilled) a Stop! sign - that is to say not to have come to a complete and utter halt. Pulled over by a couple of gendarmes...

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