Englishwoman Kristina moved across the Channel to live in France with her French fiance, and it's a place she has come to think as home for the past two years. Take a look at her expat life in Calais, the steps she took to settle in, and her advice for British would-be expats who are planning on moving to France.	Kristina Howells

-Where were you born?

Dunstable Beds in the UK

-In which country and city are you living now?

Calais, France

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I am living with my fiance who is a Frenchman from the town of Calais.

-How long have you been living in France?

2 years

-What is your age?

35 years old

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

I have always loved France and especially nothern France with its beautiful countryside and the fact that it is close to both the UK and Belgium. The decision to move here permanently was about 2 years ago after being with my fiance for several years just crossing the channel at weekends and holidays. We decided to make my move permanently here in December 2005.

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

Not really as I already have a European passport, as the UK is part of the European Union so it isn't really necessary now to have visas or work permits.

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

To get medical insurance was a nightmare, I had to go to the Social Security then fill out lots of forms. Then write to the UK Department for Social Health, etc., based in Newcastle to get the E110 form which I then had to fill out and then return for the necessary documents to be given to the French health authorities. But now I am working here in France as an English teacher, so everything has got easier.

-How do you make your living in France? Do you have any type of income generated?

I am an English teacher working about 30 hours a month on average at the moment, and I play my violin in local cafes with my group called Les Emeralds; we play just Irish traditional music. I got the English teaching job by applying for it through the local job centre advert. You can find jobs on the websites www.anpe.fr and http://www.pleinemploi.com/index.php

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

Yes, I speak French and I feel it is important to speak the local language otherwise you can't understand whether or not they are speaking about you.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

I did at first but now I'm used to being away from home. I enjoy making cards and painting. I like going to the beach and swimming and meeting friends.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

My fiance and I would like to travel to Malaysia, Japan and Australia. I have plans to publish my photographs on this region and spoken to key people here in the town council regarding this. I have however published several books which can be found at http://stores.lulu.com/violin21

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

We have bought a two-bedroom apartment. The F3 type apartments in this area are now going for around €200,000 but you can still buy property relatively cheaply for around €75,000 upwards.

-What is the cost of living in France?

The cost of living has now gone up, it used to be cheap over here. Like the rest of the world everything has gone up.

-What do you think about the French?

The locals are really nice, they are friendly and helpful. I have had only a good experience of the locals and they treat us foreigners really well.

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

Positive aspects:

It has good food and the quality of the food is really good. The people are friendly and the wine is really cheap.

The negative aspects:

The crime has increased in the town like all areas of Europe, finding a job can be difficult and getting health insurance, etc., has been really hard as well.

It has taken me two years to feel settled in France and it has now become my home.

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

Always research the town where you want to live in and try to find jobs before leaving to come to France to live. If you know you will be leaving the UK always demand the E110 form prior to leaving; this will be a great help. And also another great help would be to learn some key phrases so you can talk to the locals. My French was rubbish when I came here but I soon learnt it, so I can converse with the locals on any subject.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about France?

This is a useful website: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr

It will help to provide all the necessary information related on living and the affairs of foreigners who want to live in France. They even have it in English, Spanish, and German.