ashlingb123

Hello there

My family and I are moving to the pyrennees atlantique area this autumn. We are very excited and nervous about the move and welcome any advice offered! I speak French fairly proficiently and am teaching the children. We aim to rent and explore the area, looking at schools and houses/villages etc, whilst home educating our children for the remainder of this school year, before settling and starting them in school in September. We're looking in the Orthez and Bearn areas initially. My husband has chronic arthritis, hence to move to a gentler climate. I would love to chat with other mums and get any tips offered.

A bientót!

Etoile de Berger

Hello and welcome to the best part of France there is!!

I live in Salies de Bearn and still hoard a few Yorkshire Teabags for special visitors so if you want to get in touch privately, give me your email etc and we can chat without boring the pants off the rest in here.

I have lived in France for about ten years and I can put you in touch with some good estate agents, know the area fairly well and can introduce you to some people who know it even better.

I am not a mum but do know some other mums if you HAVE to speak only with other mothers. OTOH if you need a good English teacher I did that all my working life.

If you want to pursue this, send me a PM and I'll get back to you.

ashlingb123

Hiya!

It's great to hear from you. And thanks a million for your message. I can't pm yet as I need to have 3 posts on the forum before it allows me to (?).
First of all though I wanted to say thanks for such a nice msg, and no, my request isn't exclusive to mums only!
I don't know if you can pm me? Give it try and let me know. Otherwise I'll just keep posting here til it let's me in!

Looking forward to meeting you

Ash.

Etoile de Berger

Message sent to your PM.

ashlingb123

Grrrrr it still won't let me in!! I'm hoping now I've posted this third thing it will. Fingers crossed...

Peabrain

Reassuring, after all the negative posts here about bone-idle, utterly useless French estate agents that are just a waste of time and space. That hasn't exactly been my experience, so it's encouraging to see someone else actually come out and say so.
Thanks
PB

Etoile de Berger

What can I say?? He is a rugby fan and likes dogs!!

cyrian

Hope you have checked out the healthcare requirements.
It has been well covered in the forum - you can do a search if you need to.

ashlingb123

Yes, I have. Thanks for the head up. In ireland, where we are now healthcare is an expensive luxury. Oh hOw we miss the NHS since we moved here! In France, whilst it is a more complicated process, it's definitely more affordable, and superior. Last time my husband was very I'll he spent 2 days on a trolley before being sent home, on a drip, with a nurse coming to the house every few hours to treat him as there were no hospital beds!

I'd love some advice/ recommendations on schools if anyone can help? Thanks.

loy loy

We're in 47170 and it's lovely.

The children started school in Sept and it's better than we thought it would be but not plain sailing. Some days our eldest (7) has tears, but all the children come up to her and take her hand and drag her off. She's a bit shy so isn't exactly forth coming but the other children don't mind. Once she's there I think she's ok. She doesn't really understand it all of course but I think she's taking it all in. They are giving her extra French lessons.

Our little one (4) really struggled at first but has now made a best friend. She's ok as long as my wife hands her over to her teacher in the morning for cuddle. Which the teacher doesn't mind at all, she says Tessa is doing well.

They both don't speak at school much, but we have overheard them saying French words to each other at home so they are soaking it all up. Our little one was singing a French nursery rhyme at breakfast until she realised we were all in the same room.

It's only their 3rd week. I think they'll be fine. When we move and stop paying rent we will all have extra lessons.

It's the local school.

ashlingb123

I'm delighted your children are coping well. My children are 12,9 and a baby. Hopefully they'll cope fine. I'm more concerned with their adjustment to the longer days and discipline!

Are there any other British children in Your school?
How are you finding the climate where you are?

loy loy

The weather has been fanastic, still using the outdoor piscine next to the school. We had some sticky nights in August which was very hot, and also some amazing thunder storms. That come and go quite quickly.

They are the only English in the schools as far as we know but I get the feeling they have had English before.

The school day is quite long, but they get Wednesday off for sport. Certainly they haven't complained about the length of the day.