Chatter Static

Welcome to the forum

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
There are a good few members in the Lyon area, so come back with any local questions as a "New Thread" in the forum below, and the rest of us can also advise on "national" questions, e.g. healthcare coverage, setting up a business, education, etc... Questions in this Introduction Thread tend to get swallowed up by the following posts...
Welcome once again!

Britjo67

Hello folks

I'm Jo, and although I was a member of the forum years ago when we contemplated moving to Canada, our movements changed and I'm back again with a new focus.

Next month, with my husband Alan, we will be completing a purchase of a townhouse in Hesdin in Nord Pas De Calais. Initially it will be a holiday home for us, but eventually I hope to be able to spend most, if not all of our time there. We can't really contemplate moving there full time due to various issues, including our kids, one of whom is in her first year at uni, and the other will be starting his university life this coming September. Until they are settled in whatever and wherever they choose, we're going to just use our French house as a weekend bolt-hole, close enough to Calais to nip across when we like (although we live in the Midlands so still have a three hour drive to the tunnel )

It seems like most people on the forum tend to move further south, presumably for the warm weather.

Anyway, I just thought I would say hi, and I look forward to getting to know you.

cjm

Hi Jo - welcome, again. There's more Brits up your way than you may imagine. There's lots of good info here via the Search facility and some excellent posters who know a lot more than I.
I'm still with the Forum although relocated back to UK last year. Although back in France staert of March for few weeks. Few miles south of Brum in Upton, but get to Brum for meet-ups with friends and former colleagues. PM me if you want to chat off-forum.

Oldmamma

Greetings from rainy Collioure. I am a mother of 2 young kids (5 months and 2.5 years old) and we are staying here until the end of March. We decided to try and avoid the horrible London winter of last year and spent 10 weeks in Barbados before Christmas, then Christmas and New Year in Suffolk reminding ourselves how miserable it is, and drove down to Collioure over 3 days in early January. So far, we are enjoying the quietness, the Catalan food, the lack of traffic...and the weather is generally better than London most days too. I would love to hear from other people who are in the area - we have never been to this part of France before and are open to all suggestions on places to go and things to do! So far, we have spent several afternoons in Perpignan having lunch, going to the Royal Kids play area, and swimming at Moulins au Vent. Although our French is very rudimentary, my husband Jon and I both try to communicate as well as we can but we both need to practice. We will also venture down to Barcelona sometime soon which is one of my favourite cities. RSVP! Helen

Chatter Static

Welcome to the Forum, Collioure and the surrounding area is very different in the summer the traffic can be a nightmare as it becomes one of France's busiest areas. A short trip in to Spain will get you to 3 Salvador Dali museum locations the museum in Figueres there is his house in Portlligat but you need to book in advance and switch your flash off and there is the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol any way they are a short trip from Collioure via the a9 direction Barcelona from Collioure you head towards Le Boulou to join it.

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
Your younger child will be a bit young to appreciate it, but the older one should enjoy a trip to the Sigean Zoological Park, just south of Narbonne. According to posters, it's open all year. Have fun!

Oldmamma

Thanks so much. I think our older boy would love Dali!

Oldmamma

Thanks for the Zoological suggestion - my husband also had just found it and we will definitely explore there!

Allia

Hi Everyone!
I have just landed (litterally!) in Marseille and am still feeling a little lost
Anyone else around this area? Any meetups here?
Thanks

Chatter Static

Welcome to the Forum

Sue

Hi Allia,

I'm not in France (I'm in the US) but I wanted to swing on by and welcome you to BE. I hope you enjoy being part of the community and if you get stuck on anything please give me a shout.

nextchapter2

Hi All,
New here today to make preliminary enquiries as to the pros and cons of moving to France with teenagers in toe..
My main concern, as for quite a few, is my kids. Twin boys that will be 16/17 by the time we are ready to move, summer 2015.
So my questions are:
Do they have to stay in education? (In UK it's 18 now)
What would be the French equivalent of college/A levels?
Can they study in English?
How do the French feel about employing Brits?

Hubby is early retirement, we don't intend to look for jobs. We will be speaking basic French. Dreaming of living in semi rural village/town, not to far from a city, area prefered would be Charente. Anyone with similar experience already made the jump?

Chatter Static

Welcome to the forum, How is the "Boys" French going to be? as if they came with little or no French they would probably go back a year at least anyway. My son is informing me he is stuck in college "Secondary School" until he is 18.

Fyi College in the UK is Lycée here and Collège here is secondary school in the UK.

nextchapter2

Thanks for the quick reply, Chatter Static,

That would really be a problem for my boys, not the academic variety! I think I will take this essential knowledge and may be rethink France when the boys are older.
As much as hub and I would adapt to French retirement, it's a different kettle of fish asking 16 yr olds to start their new life on the wrong foot!