Moving to France
Life in France
Exchange student, Stella Chavin, created this digital story about life in France and the differences between her school in France and City High School.
Moving to France
Thousands of Britons move abroad from the UK every year, and many of them choose France as their new home. While France is only a short distance away, literally just across the Channel, there is a world of difference between these two countries and lifestyles — enough of a difference to make thousands bid farewell to their native country and start a new life in “La Douce France”.
It is not only the weather which attracts ex-pats. If you choose the south of France to be your new home and buy a property there, you’ll find yourself in a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm summers. But many people also opt for other parts of the country, such as the south-west, which are less pricey and less crowded. Property for sale in south west France represents some of the best bargains available, and the region has much to commend it.
Many people who relocate to France want to trade in a life of drudgery in the grim, cold and unfriendly north for a relaxed and easy-going sunny French lifestyle. It is a surprise for many to find that it is possible to live a good life in France for much less than it would cost you to have a similar lifestyle in the UK.
Many things are said about the relationship between the British and the French, and a lot of it is based on historical issues. Often Britons and Frenchmen have a distaste for each other, but they do not know exactly why. This outdated attitude, based mostly on history should not influence you.
France is a wonderful country, and you will find that its inhabitants are among the friendliest people in Europe. Of course, true friendship grows with mutual understanding and you should do your share in building a good relationship, such as learning to speak French. Especially in more remote areas you will find that being able to speak the language, or even just knowing the most important words and phrases, will take you a long way and make life much easier.
Mingle with the locals, don’t isolate yourself. In other areas which are popular among British expats, such as the Costa Blanca in Spain, they’re known to form their own communities and very often have little or nothing to do with the local inhabitants. This is not a good situation and will certainly not help to integrate foreigners into the local community.
France truly is a country with many opportunities. In fact, it’s more like a few countries in one. If you are still at the stage of checking out which area of this vast country would suit you best, you would be well advised to check out our Visitor’s Favourites
Categories: Living in France Tags: Earth, Europe, France, French people, geography, Julia Child, Provence
Chin celebrates lemon and citrus
Dubbed “the city of lemons”, Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, celebrates annually the local product. The lemon feast is a unique event in the world, featuring giant patterns exclusively composed of citrus and floats decorated with oranges and lemons.
Since the 15th century, Chin is a major producer of lemons. Beginning of the 20th century, the Mediterranean town imposed as the leading producer on the continent. In 1929, a hotelier had the idea to organize an exhibition of flowers and citrus fruits. The success was such that the following year, party down streets with carts of shrubs planted oranges and lemons.
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Categories: Events Tags: Chin, Europe, Food and drink, French Riviera, Fruit preserves, Hospitality/Recreation, Menton, Orange, Political history, Structure, Tropical agriculture
The enchanting Christmas: East and North of the France festivities and markets
Magic, enchantment and wine starter in the cities of Eastern and Northern France, Christmas markets delight children and adults for centuries.
Since 1570, Strasbourg welcomes each year market of Christmas, the famous “Christkindelsmärik”, the oldest France Christmas market. Germanic tradition came from the bottom of the centuries, it allows to buy traditional handicrafts: fir trees, Christmas decorations, nurseries, santons, local handicrafts, confectionery and mulled wine accompanied by restoring objects. ”It is especially late in the afternoon, when the night falls, the magic installs: showcases shine, decorations embellish the facades and the smells of spices and cinnamon perfume streets”, explained the representatives of the Office de tourisme de Strasbourg. Kléber square, grand FIR was installed as early as mid-November.
German troops sent to France in symbolic defence of the euro
German troops have been stationed in France as a gesture of unity between the two countries.
German combat troops were stationed today in France for the first time since the Nazi occupation during the second world war.
The force stationed outside Strasbourg was agreed by Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel as a show of unity between the countries. The French defence minister, Alain Juppé, hailed the “highly symbolic” move as an end to “centuries of conflict”.
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Categories: News Tags: Alpine countries, Angela Merkel, Euro, Europe, European Union member states, France, G8 nations, geography, Germany, Government, Liberal democracies, Nicolas Sarkozy, Politics, Sports, War/Conflict, Western Europe
Toulouse d’été
Toulouse Summer Festival
15 July / 30 August 2010
Toulouse d’été is celebrating its seventh sumeer time fesitval and aims to be even more innovative. Created at the initiative of the municipality, the season of music continues to be a development of the regional scene in and around Toulouse, both in the field of classical and contemporary music.
Its goal, to be a real snapshot of musical vitality and reveal to the public the quality of new and exceptional artists, with emphasis on young talent, whether classical artists and musicians from various scenes – song, jazz, new folk music, rock, hip-hop, etc.
Tour de France 2010
The 2010 Tour will be launched from the south side of Rotterdam, for a prologue time-trial. The launching pad will actually be set up in Zuidplein, from where the riders will move north.
The choice of Rotterdam, a vast urban centre with one million two hundred thousand inhabitants, is directly in keeping with the special start of the Tour in London in 2007. The proposed project – “Rotterdam and the Tour, a new energy” – seduced us. It fits into an overall policy that aims to an even bigger place for the bicycle in the city’s heart, while leaning on the popularity of the biggest cycling race in the world, the Tour de France. From the banks of the Thames to the biggest port in Europe: the same desire, the same will.
Categories: Events, Sport Tags: Belgium, Crédit Agricole, cycling, energy, Europe, France, Germany, Hospitality/Recreation, Italy, journalist, London, Luxembourg, Netherlands, queen, Rhine, Rotterdam, Spain, Thames, Tour de France, Wassenaar
Biscuit Research in France
Kraft Foods, sells food in more than 125 countries around the world and is opening a facility in France that will research biscuits. The facility, called Biscuit Research & Development Centre, is to be built in a suburb of Paris at a cost of around $20 million.
Categories: News Tags: Biscuit Research & Development Centre, Business/Finance, Cheesemakers, delicious new products, Europe, food, France, Groupe Danone, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Kraft Foods, Kraft Foods Europe, Kraft Foods Inc., Nabisco, Northfield Illinois, Paris, Prince TUC and Mikado, TUC, USD
High Speed Living in France
The very first TGV (Train à grande vitesse) departed on its journey between Paris and Lyon in 1981, since when, living in France has sped ahead of the rest of Europe in the race to build a fully functioning high speed rail network.
Currently having almost 1,250 miles of specially built lines linking many of its major cities in service, France is looking for new ways to extend its lead.
Categories: France Travel, News Tags: EUR, Europe, Eurostar, France, French government, French national rail authority, Gare de Champagne-Ardenne TGV, Guillaume Pepy, high speed rail network, High-speed rail, High-speed trains, Jean-Marie Guillemot, LGV Est, Loire Valley, London, Lyon, Montpellier, Nicolas Sarkozy, Nîmes, Paris, president, rail infrastructure, Railteam, short-haul air travel, SNCF, Strasbourg, TGV
Holiday Cottage in France
A holiday cottage (or gîte) in France is an valuable starting point for an unforgettable holiday in one of the largest and most beautiful countries in Europe. French fashion, perfume, gastronomy and wine are famous throughout the world, but there is nothing more delightful than going there to see for yourself. No matter how often you visit this country, it always has the capacity to surprise and delight, from the magic of Paris to the appeal of its country-wide hamlets, booking a couple of weeks in a holiday cottage in France is the perfect getaway.
Categories: France Holiday, France Rentals Tags: Cannes, Cognac, Cottage, Europe, France, French coast, French wine, Gîte, Holiday cottage, Hospitality/Recreation, KELT COGNAC, Loire River, Loire Valley, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Sea, Normandy, Normandy Mining Ltd, Paris, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, wine
Cash Cow Investment
Known for their mistrust of banks, the French are not just stuffing money into mattresses in these anxious days of recession and minuscule interest rates, they are also putting their hard cash into cows.
For Pierre Marguerit, cows make a safe, secure investment, allowing for long-term growth from a renewable resource. Cow contracts are hardly new, but go back to Richard Cœur de Lion (Richard I). The French word for livestock, “cheptel,” is the root for “capital.”
These are not literally cash cows. However, Mr. Marguerit says his investment in Holsteins will bring a 4 to 5 percent return a year after taxes, based on natural growth, i.e. the sale of their offspring. That compares to the present interest rate of 0.75% on the basic French bank account.
Mr. Marguerit says that last year his business went up by 40 percent, and so far this year, it has practically doubled. He is the managing director of Élevage et Patrimoine, a cattle investment firm in eastern France, and president of Gestel, which works with farmers and investors.
Categories: Financial Tags: bank account, Élevage, EnVoiture Simone, EUR, Europe, food, France, Franche Comte Elevage SCA, French Association for Investment, Gestel, head, Jérémie Romand, Lyon, managing director, Marguerite, massage, Patrimoine, Patrimoine Participations, Pierre Marguerit, president, Richard Cœur de Lion, Richard Durand, Richard Lowkes