Trufflette

Hi all
I have lived in Nice for 11 years now and am planning to move into the mountains in the ' l'arrière pays' this year or the next depending on how fast my apartment sells. I haven't yet decided on which little village as a lot depends on where the properties are available but have been narrowing it down with each one that I visit and research with regards to general feeling as well as amenities and ease of access by road. They are generally very quiet places with mainly French people, a lot of elderly, and from what I have gathered so far a number of people who have lived there all their lives. I have had great reception on visits especially whilst trying to get chatting to locals to see how things vary from summer to winter, but of course things can be very different when actually living in a place as we all know.

So I was just wanting people's thoughts, advice, cautions with anything I may be surprised by going from city to mountain village life. My neighbourhood at the moment is very friendly (despite not having a great reputation), everyone says hello and stops for a chat, they know me as L'anglaise and I have never felt unwelcome here.

The main thing I am looking forward to is the snow in winter, maybe that is the effect of being spoilt by too much sun over the years

InVinoVeritas

Hi Truflette,

The question you pose is interesting and could generate a lot of different opinions. I think it would be helpful to share some information about yourself - age, health, physical fitness, hobbies and interests as well as whether this is something you plan to do on your own.

I can understand the desire for a new experience after 11 years in the same place, but if you've never lived in a village before it could be quite a culture shock.

The biggest difference in a village is the sense of community, but community is all about pooled resources and shared knowledge - the downside is loss of privacy. Everyone will know everything about you in no time at all and what they don't know someone will make a guess at which will become part of your "provenance".

As you know the villages behind Nice lie in a very mountainous area (or to use the French word for it, which is much more descriptive "très accidenté") so pretty much all the infrastructure you take for granted in Nice will be much more limited or maybe even non-existent.

Anyhow, I'm sure none of this is news to you and it will be interesting to get some other views.

Salut IVV

Trufflette

Hi IVV
Thank you for your reply. When I moved to Nice I was 26 and loved the beach and hot weather as do most Brits who long for a break from the rain I also enjoyed going to bars and restaurants each week. But as I have got older, am 37 now, I have changed a lot, never go to the beach as I prefer to stay lily white, never go out in an evening unless the occasional meal out or visit to friends. The 30 degree plus in the summer, even all night, is just uncomfortable and I tend to long for a break from it or just a bit lower which it seems to be in the mountains.

I have become a real homebody. The problem here is over the years I have become increasingly annoyed when I do want to go somewhere alone, for a walk or just to the shops, I have to put up with unwanted attention from men (not a problem if with a friend but a huge problem for females here of any age when alone) so I would really enjoy being able to go out and not get hassled. I am naturally very chatty and friendly and like to make conversation with people at the shops or if I overhear something I can help with I am the type to offer my help. My elderly neighbours sometimes ask me to do odd jobs for them and always like to see how I am. When I first moved here I didn't get a great reception and people were suspicious but it wasn't long before that changed and I now know that is just the French way.

I am in great health and love the mountain air for walks and I really love snow. I think I would quickly get the reputation of being a crazy cat lady who dresses like a Victorian doll!

The only experience I had of village life was the first 3 months in France where I stayed at my parents new home in a little village in the Lot whilst looking for an apartment in Nice. My French was quite basic then so I got a bit nervous whenever a local approached to talk but most seemed friendly with us. I loved the peace and clean air and being able to walk around in an evening. In winter I won't really need to get anywhere other than locally so it is fine if I get a bit cut off with snow, although the places I have been looking at seem to keep the roads clear as they are the main routes to the ski stations nearby. Landslides have been a problem over the last few weeks which is a bit scary!

cyrian

Hi Trufflette,
I am sure that there are always things to do and places to go in Nice but as you will know the rest of France tends to shut down on Sundays.
As long as you plan how you pass your Sundays then you would be ok.
There is a recent post by Grannybunz regarding semi-feral cats in her village that cause problems in neighbours houses and also with well-managed cats.
You could ask the Maire in any villages that interest you and find out if there are any clubs or activities.
You could also try to find out the average age in the village.
Good luck

InVinoVeritas

As I suspected, Trufflette, you're a bit younger than many on this forum, including me and you will also be quite a lot younger than most folk in your average arrière-pays village!

From your description of yourself I would hazard a guess that this could be a good move for you and an even better one for the village - I can see you becoming very popular among the old folk!

On the subject of landslides, there are worse places to be:-

http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/201...ough-vineyard/

Cheers - IVV

Trufflette

Thank you that is good advice too. I love the fact things close on Sundays, it drove me mad when I first moved here but then, after getting used to it, I forget that it wasn't like that in England. I like that there is a day where everything is quieter, nobody is rushing around.

I like the idea of finding clubs. One of the villages I love is near to a wolf preservation park where I found out you can volunteer to help look after them, I love the idea of that.

It made me chuckle that you mentioned the feral cats, I had read a bit about them before. I am one of those people who can't pass a cat (or dog) without saying hello and I just want to take them all home! I would have to be very strong but I would no doubt end up befriending a few and giving them all names! There is an American lady who set up a cat refuge in the mountains including little cabins for food and shelter where the feral cats and cats who can't be rehomed can come and go as they please, I adopted 4 of mine from her rescue organisation. She does a trap, sterilise and release programme to help with the feral population here. I had thought about seeing if I can help out there too but again I will need a lot of willpower or I will end up with hundreds of them

Most of the outdoor things I enjoy are the free things like walking and admiring views and watching the world go by.

cyrian

I think the post referred to non-sterile cats that were allowed to roam free by their owners. These cats entered properties and "put themselves about" a bit

Trufflette

IVV I had only watched the video of that landslide last night, it is amazing. This was the one just up the road from me last week:

http://www.nicematin.com/derniere-mi...e.1590801.html

Land has been slipping all over the place around the region, people being evacuated as their gardens have slipped away or the roads have become totally blocked. One chap felt the road give way beneath his car, jumped out and was lucky to escape as the car slipped away. It is a miracle nobody was killed.

I definitely agree that I will be one of the few younger folk in any of the villages, I like that idea as it makes me feel safe. I don't mind there being few people my age as that means there are less children ( I am not a fan of the noise) and I would always be happy to help someone out if I was capable. I also think I am a bit of an old lady most of the time! I like the idea that I could be helpful to people there as fitting in to such a little community is my main concern. I know that I am nice and friendly I just need them to give me the chance to show them that as I do understand a certain mistrust of strangers and foreigners by some.

Trufflette

Hehe oh I see! Well mine are indoor kitties so they won't be any problem to anyone. They all have sad little stories of being abandoned, abused, dog attacks (one lost an eye and has broken jaw), attacked by children with sticks and as a result most of them are nervous of other people so they would be too scared to go out. The only one who might enjoy it is elderly and totally mental with no concern for her own safety when flying around so safer to keep her in too.

Trufflette

Just to clarify....these horrid things all happened before I adopted them! They are all very much loved and pampered kitties now

Jehanne

It is a great initiative; however you'll just have to keep in touch with neighborhood and everything will be okay I think.