English expat Debs is experiencing a fulfilling sense of community in the Dordogne in France, where she's been living for the past three years. Look at French rural life from her point of view and read about the activities she and her husband love doing in France, as well as her tips for adjusting to expat life there.	Debs Lehner

-Where were you born?

Liverpool, England

-In which country and city are you living now?

France, Department 24, The Dordogne

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live with my Husband and our menagerie.

-How long have you been living in France?

Three years

 -What is your age?

43

-When did you come up with the idea of living in France?

My Husband had always wanted to move to Spain, but after experiencing a horse riding holiday in The Dordogne in 2002 we both decided this area and country was better suited to horses and riding.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?

Neither of us work in France.  My Husband commutes back to England to work on a regular basis.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

We have a top up medical insurance, but because my Husband still pays National Insurance in the UK, we are covered by the E106

-Do you speak French and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

I didn't speak any French when we first came out here.  I relied on my Husband to do the talking, however within five weeks of being here he returned to the UK to work.  He had decided early retirement was not for him.  As I was here alone I was dropped in at the deep end, not wanting to appear rude or aloof I had no option but to talk and get along with the locals.  I have learnt French very quickly by ear rather than the more conventional methods of books and C.D's.  I have made many a "faux pas," but these have all been greatly received and endeared me even more to the locals.  They laugh with me, not at me. 

I feel it is very important for ex-pats to respect the people of the country they are in and also its traditions.  The local French here believe the English to think themselves "superior" as they do not mix with the locals.  At first they think I am Dutch or Belgian because I make the effort to talk the language.  This I feel is a sad reflection on the Brits that live out here in their little "ex-pat bubble."

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

France is home for the moment and England is only an hour and a half away by plane.  Whatever I did in England I can do here too.  We enjoy riding out on our horses.  The commune has recently cleared and marked lots of new tracks, which we ride on.  We also enjoy discovering new routes with our dog.  In the Spring and Autumn canoe trips on the Dordogne are great fun.  There are also many local fetes to visit in the Summer.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

We would like to visit New Zealand.  We will go back to the UK to live at some stage, when I don't know.  I am making the most of every day of this adventure and so loving learning the language.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We have bought our house here, however it isn't a house that many people would be looking for.  It is a house for the equestrian enthusiast.  You can buy a three bedroomed house with pool and gite out here for about €300,000.

-What is the cost of living in France?

The cost of living has increased since we first arrived.  Obviously diesel has increased by forty percent.  Electricity however has only gone up one percent per unit.  The cost of fresh fish and of course wine here is much less than in the UK.  We also make our own bread and grow vegetables, which reduces our costs.

-What do you think about the French?

The "locals" are our neighbours.  It doesn't matter to me what nationality we are.  We are all friendly, helpful and neighbourly.  Everyone shares the pickings from their vegetable patches when they have too much and very often we come home to bags of "blessings" left on our doorstep.  We too leave bags of "blessings" on other neighbours' doorsteps.  It reminds me of how things were in Liverpool when I was little.  Our French neighbours and Artisans have shown us the utmost respect, we do however always use local French tradesmen and they in turn tell other people that we are "Tres Gentils."  The local people know that newcomers bring money and work to the area and everyone gets along very well.  

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in France?

I enjoy the space here in rural France.  I love the fact that nobody cares what car you drive or how old it is.  There is not a new car culture here that you have in the UK.  People in Rural France make do and mend, it really does make life in the UK seem very wasteful.  The only negative aspects I can think of is that I still find using the telephone difficult and it can be frustrating having a limited vocabulary.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in France?

Learn the language before you come out here.  Although I have made a success of it, it would have been easier if I had had a little knowledge beforehand.  The more rural you are the less likely the locals are to speak English. 

Mix with the locals and don't get sucked into the "ex-pat" groups only. 

Try before you buy, live out here for six months or so before selling up in the UK.  If at all possible keep a small house in the UK.  Not everyone who comes out here to live stays out here.

I have listed three blogs below, each one is very different from the other.

http://lehnersinfrance.blogspot.com. It is an upbeat diary of our life in rural France.  My adventures and mishaps with the language and our relationships with the local people.

http://whatfrenchdream.blogspot.com. A blog of a part time single Mum living in rural France.  Her husband returns to the UK to work while she copes with day to day life in a foreign country.  This is a warts and all blog.

http://dalnd.blogspot.com. A diary of an English lady who has bought a small holding in Rural France.  Her trials and tribulations of daily life and dealing with the French system.