Reasons to be cheerful
Contrary to what you might sometimes think from this blog I am very happy being an expat and living here in south-west France, and there is nowhere I’d rather be. I thought I’d turn the tables a bit today and remind myself (and anyone else) why I like it here:
Cycling
Apart from occasional weeks in winter I can go out cycling for much of the year. Yesterday I was out riding for about two hours – and saw one car, total. Where else is that possible?
Yesterday’s route included two castles, a herd of deer, and miles of lanes alongside a river and through ancient woodlands. The picture here is Chateau Biron, one of the two chateaux (this one about 14 km from our house) I passed.
Escaping the crisis
Well OK France hasn’t escaped the crisis, but they talk about it a lot less. They also escaped the supersonic borrowing levels that the UK achieved. Every time I catch a glimpse of the news from the UK I’m thrown into a depression for days and expect the apocalypse by tea-time. It doesn’t happen of course and I can confirm that not knowing what is in the news is a good thing.
Being blissfully unaware that another bank has been nationalised, or an extra 50 billion pounds has rolled off the printing presses, really does make you a happier person. Or at least less miserable.
Scenery
There is a remarkable amount of great scenery around us – head east and you can drive all the way to Provence, eight hours and almost all the way through beautiful countryside. Head north, and it’s a good two hours to reach the northern reaches of the Dordogne / Limousin. Move south through Gascony to the Pyrenees.
We are extremely privileged to be living in such a vast area of natural beauty.
The view shown here is a particular favourite, not because it’s exceptional but because it’s the view from our terrace. At the moment there are numerous rabbits hopping around in the field below, and if things get bad we’ll learn how to shoot them.
Health systems and schools
France have very good education and health systems, both of which we are very pleased to benefit from. I grumble (rather often) about the costs involved in running a business in France, but I am also appreciative of the benefits they provide even if I don’t mention it so often.
Weather
If you think the weather isn’t important you must spend too much time indoors. Being in the sunshine and fresh air makes you happy, whether its 10 times a year on your annual holiday or 300 times a year for us expats. This is undoubtedly why the French, especially those in the south, have a very long life expectancy. Just the perfect mix of weather, fresh food and local wine.
Enough reasons to be cheerful?
Hope that’s put the record straight. France is still among the best places I can think of to live, and if you are forced into ‘early retirement’ due to circumstances beyond everyone’s control you could still do a lot worse than up-sticks and move to the sunny south of France. If I was still in the UK right now I’d give some pretty serious thought to it myself!
I read your post with much interest. I am holidaying in France this year – nr to La Rochelle – and am toying with the idea of a semi-perm/permanent move across. Can I ask where you are based and the circumstances behind your move? It sounds like you have no regrets! I look forward to your response. Thanks. Gavin.
Gavin, we’re based in Lot-et-Garonne (just south of the Dordogne). We moved here about 8 years ago to escape the not-very-satisfying world of investment banking (see a bit of the story here). Also we wanted do our own thing, run our own business, see more sunshine, see a different culture, avoid the daily routine, all the reasons for moving to France that became ‘normal’, even if they sounded a bit odd 8 years ago.
Regrets, I have a few, but then again, too few to mention…most of them are mentioned in this blog somewhere or other. Especially now, it will be a slow-difficult year or two for me and lots of other expats in France, but probably would have been harder still if we’d stayed in the UK (big mortgage, private schools for the children, working in investment banking – not a great combination at the moment), so on balance very few regrets. France isn’t perfect, neither is Britain, or anywhere else I can think of. But for us France is still the best choice, and we’re very glad we came.
I don’t have quite as much nice weather as you do throughout the year, but it’s still wonderful living here in France.
I don’t think I could go back to the States and live there full time again.
And considering how difficult it was for the first year or so, that’s saying A LOT.
Great blog btw.