Calling any OSers living in France

Norman_Bean

Thanks Morgan .... showing my OS ignorance I guess but what or who is remoska!?
Eating out at lunch time is good value - our restaurant in the village does a 4 course meal with coffee including red wine and cider €10.
I've heard quite a few swine flu comments recently and at H's work they're not allowed to shake hands anymore :rotfl:

mioliere

Hi all.

Morganlefay - my grandchildren were the reason we didn't move here four years ago, when we first bought the house, but the recession meant that my DH's work (in the construction industry) really slowed down, almost to a stop, and it seemed such a waste of money to keep two houses going. The house in France is mortgage-free so, after much heart-wrenching, I agreed to move. We bought the house with the intention of moving straight in to it, but I got really cold feet about leaving the family and stalled for four years. I really miss the whole family, but especially the grandchildren, and I was heartbroken at having to leave them all behind. Skype has made such a difference in helping us keep in touch, but it's not the same as the real thing. I don't know whether we'll stay here or not - we've left that open-ended and will decide again when the house is finished.

Norman - I've had to deal with so many challenges out here that my French is really coming on but, like you, I would love to become really fluent. Having all French neighbours helps! Although after a few glasses, it's amazing how you can communicate!

By the way - this is a Remoska http://www.lakeland.co.uk/standard-remoska!REG-electric-cooker/F/product/2511 I bought one last year and wouldn't be without it! They're not cheap but really save on electricity (and cleaning the main oven!).

ChapelGirl

Bonsoir!

We're in Haute Saône, and have been here since the end of July. We're renting at the moment, but will buy somewhere once the house in the UK is sold. We're too far from Calais to pop back for the groceries! Having said that, we've just been to Germany to buy a second-hand car, because it was cheaper there.

My OH is late 50s and I am late 40s :whistle:

We have given up work and are hoping that our savings will keep pace with the Euro. It was a scary decision to quit work, knowing that we probably wouldn't get back in again if it doesn't work out. But at the moment anyway we are not regretting the move.

The OH is a really good cook and we always have a proper cooked dinner at night. Lunch is usually a bit of bread and cheese, and breakfast boiled eggs, homemade yoghurt, bread, juice (at the moment home-pressed apple from our tree) and freshly ground coffee.

Yes, the prices are high here for a lot of groceries because of the Euro exchange rate, but the local Casino supermarket often has very good short-dated meat bargains. Our other supermarket is Colruyt, a Belgian chain, which looks like a cash-and-carry inside but it has decent veg. and a butchery, cheese and cooked meat counter and it is quite good value for money. We can also get fruit and veg. from the local farmers or from village markets.

We got here too late this year to get a veg. patch going, though we do have the space for one.

I used to be a charity-shop hound, but they don't have them here. We have been to all the local depôts-ventes looking for book shelves and there aren't many bargains to be had there! I have also been to a vide-grenier (a street jumble-sale) and was astonished at what some people were trying to sell.

We're also Skype fans, and Remoska fans too!

champys

Hi everyone - I live in France as well, up North in the Ardennes. We moved here 5 years ago. I don't find the cost of living very high here, but I guess that is mostly because the company I work for started paying me in Euros instead of GBP once I moved. Furthermore this is a cheap area of France, and we grow a lot of our own food. We have Aldi and Lidl too, so really my outgoings on food are less than they used to be in the UK, and especially what we spend on wine! Council tax is wonderfully low, as is our water bill. I could go on and on. No road tax in France - this is because people pay for the toll roads, but there aren't any where we are......
It is nice to hear from others and how they have settled in. Did you know my (French) neighbours are now Remoska fans; we have already brought two Remoskas over for them and they have just asked for another two - for their kids in university! We ought to start a dealership!

Norman_Bean

Thanks for the link Mioliere - looks fab - I want a Remoska too!!!!:cool:

I did write a really long reply but it got lost - I will try again tomorrow.

:hello: ChapelGirl and Champys! Nice to 'meet' you - I think we're getting a little FOS gang together here!?

Off to bed now after another traumatic Wedsnesday (worst day of the week)

I'll rewrite my lengthy post tomorrow.
Night Norman x

morganlefay

I noticed something this summer - a Grand Frais shop opened in Bergerac and all our expat friends were absolutely ecstatic. It is huge and stuffed with a huge range of out-of-season fruit, veg, herbs etc etc and 'ordinary' groceries too. But it was howlingly expensive - all that out-of-season stuff costs a lot. And I realised that if I go into waitrose here I can buy rambutans (?sp) and strawberries imported from the USA and all manner of stuff which I don't buy as I try only to buy stuff that's in season here (and thus cheaper) and that's one of the things I so love about France: that there isn't an expectation that we'll all be able to eat raspberries in december or asparagus in August. I really like that thing of eating what's in season, so that the eating year has some shape to it and there are things to look forward to. Bonne journee to you all !

mioliere

Chapel Girl - like you, I miss the charity shops but have found my local Emmaus, a shop that collects unwanted items from the local community, sells them - at very good prices - and the money raised goes to help the poor of the area. My local one is very good, clean and well-organised, and sells clothes, furniture, appliances and bric-a-brac. I found it by looking through the telephone directory. There may be one near you.

[Deleted User]

Hi Moiliere my brother lives just outside Villefagnan about 9 miles from Chef Butonne he has been there since 2004, although he bought his wreck,(hadn't been lived in since 1948 and had a tree growing up through the middle of the roof) and rebuilt it from 1995 onwards.he used to say how cheap the cost of living was in comparison to England , but now is always saying how expensive it has become He does get a cord of logs every winter from the local village as he is a retired pensioner, but as the exchange rate isn't good at the moment I think he is finding things a bit tough.he does say that the health care is superb though even though you pay up front for treatment then claim it back afterwards. he loves living there and I don't think he will ever come back to England to live. Chef Buttone used to have a brilliant market at one time on a Saturday morning where the veggies were so fresh they had been picked that morning .I think he now and again goies to Ruffec but not often as he is quite happy in his back of beyond spot in France .Last time I was there we went to Venice Vert just outside Coulon, and it was amazing I loved it .It was so beautiful and peaceful. I suppose you have to weigh up the pros and cons when you make a major move to another country. I admire your spirit I couldn't do it as I'd my my DGC too much

champys

mioliere wrote: »

Chapel Girl - like you, I miss the charity shops but have found my local Emmaus, a shop that collects unwanted items from the local community, sells them - at very good prices - and the money raised goes to help the poor of the area. My local one is very good, clean and well-organised, and sells clothes, furniture, appliances and bric-a-brac. I found it by looking through the telephone directory. There may be one near you.

Yes you are right, Emmaus really are the only alternative to a charity shop to donate things - and they are all over France. My nearest Emmaus is almost an hour's drive away, so I don't get there as often as I would like to. We have lots of brocantes and vide-greniers as well during the summer, but have never been organized enough to put a stall up in our village one. It's much easier to give things away......

Norman_Bean

Morning FOSers!
Oh I do miss charity shops and have a big spend up on books for the kids when I'm in the UK.
I also love a good vide ... we had our first stall this year and it was fab - we made €125!! So pleased. We don't have an Emmaus near us but there is one in my mother-in-law's town so I go to that one when we visit (she's 9 hours away though so don't go that often!)
I got my bread machine (€18) and ice-cream maker (€4) at the Emmaus.