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 Arnold |
-Where were you born?
Northern Ireland
-In which country and city are you living now?
France
-Are you living alone or with your family?
With my family.
-How long have you been living in France?
Just over three years.
-What is your age?
46
-When did you come up with the idea of living in France?
I’m sure that it sounds silly, but I thought that it would feel like I was always on holiday and, most of the time, it actually does!
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
I don’t need one.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
No, as a European citizen, I could go straight into the French healthcare system. Well, in theory, anyway. We did have an "interesting" first six months or so as Wendy was about 3 months pregnant and, on paper, our health insurance started after she became pregnant.
-How do you make your living in France? Do you have any type of income generated?
We bought a small hotel, so it’s house & business combined.
-Do you speak French and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
In some areas of France, you can get away without knowing French but not in this area. I was finishing off the French segment of my modern languages degree when we came (you don’t need quite as much French as that though!).
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Sometimes, though I usually get to travel “home” about 2 or 3 times a year.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
We’re hoping to downsize a little in the next couple of years. All being well, the growth of our Internet income will make up for the fall in "real world" income.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
With the hotel, we have a home included “free” so to speak.
-What is the cost of living in France?
Quite high on the whole. The thing that increases it considerably for us is that we live in the country so the driving distances are much further than we had been used to.
-What do you think about the French people?
They are friendly although some are quite anti-foreigner, or rather, anti-English.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in France?
The lovely scenery, more laid-back life style, we’ve more control of our own time and get lots more time with the kids. The big downside has to be the administration, which is unbelievable.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in France?
Learn French! Read up on the admin and investigate education opportunities for your kids in advance.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about France?
http://www.foreignperspectives.com tells of our ongoing progress with life here.
http://www.pyreneesthemes.com is our growing guide to the area.
http://www.northernirelandthemes.com is there for us to feel homesick over :)
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog isn’t specifically about France but a very useful site about things going on around Europe.
http://www.mascamps.com is our inn's website.
