The other day I interviewed an expat British couple in France. They had moved here seven years ago, took early retirement, bought a beautiful country house with a lovely garden in a pretty village in SW France. We talked about how they find life in France and it started off well. They love the food, […]
How would it be if you could go to France – anywhere in France – and live the life of a local? Go to the bars where the inhabitants go, find out what restaurants are favoured by the locals, see off the beaten track places that only those who live there know about. You can […]
These days most businesses, including international ones, are looking for ways to cut back on their costs while increasing their efficiency. Companies can easily achieve both goals by outsourcing. Outsourcing involves delegating some of a company’s duties and functions to specific service providers. These providers could either be individuals or separate organizations. With the recent […]
Fée Rêvée is a French au pair association which has been pairing students from overseas with host families for the past 9 years. The name Fée Rêvée means “dream fairy” and the association’s goal is to help au pairs to find their dream family. Based in Paris, they are a non-profit organisation which aims to […]
One way to have a free holiday almost anywhere in France… James Cave, an Irishman living in Scotland, decided that he’d like to live in France. The problem was, at that time he didn’t have the budget to give up work, to buy a house or even rent a house in France and as for […]
Janine Marsh discovers a way to have a holiday in France for free…house sitting in France It is a dilemma that many of us expats in France face – how to go on holiday when you have beloved pets that can’t come with you. For some animals there are kennels, sometimes neighbours can help but […]
If you’re looking for a chance to visit France on a limited budget and you don’t mind mucking in, then becoming a volunteer in France through Workaway may be just what you’re looking for. Workaway brings hosts together with volunteers in an extensive range of different countries and is the brain child of David Milward. […]
Seasonal work in France is a popular option for those who want to spend time in France, for adventure and cultural exchange and to earn some money at the same time. If you are an EU citizen, you are automatically entitled to work in France. If you are from outside the EU you may need […]
In challenging economic times, more and more people are looking overseas in search of lucrative or rewarding employment opportunities. In the past, securing employment would be one of the first steps on the emigration checklist and few people would move overseas without knowing they had a job waiting for them, or at least some promising […]
Even for the most qualified applicants, finding a job in France for an expat has never been harder than in these days of recession hit Europe. One American expat we know told told us that she had sent her CV out to more than 250 companies – she did not hear back from a single […]
Mike Collins from the UK went to France as a young man to study languages. He got a job with a large company and in his job he travelled a lot around France. He loved discovering new places and new tastes and developed a penchant for snails, the very French foodie favourite. On a whim, […]
Sometimes I get France. And sometimes I don’t. Take the law for instance. In my local café in which the locals gather to gossip, a recent topic of debate was about the misfortunes of a baker who owns a boulangerie near Troyes in the Champagne region. He decided to open his boulangerie 7 days a […]
I first visited the Aude department in 2006 and found a rural area rich in history with great food, fabulous markets and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. My hosts brought me to the river at Rennes Les Bains where hot water from deep under the ground pours out through a pipe in the wall. In the […]
We talk to American expat and tour guide Sue Aran who tells how her heart was won by a house in Gascony despite many trials and tribulations… My husband and I first travelled from Seattle, Washington to Gascony in May 2006 with a couple of friends, looking for a house to purchase together. All of […]
With its medieval towns and villages, wild impressive coastline and abundant forests, picturesque Brittany offers its visitors so much more than just homemade cider and galettes dripping in ham and cheese. Whole days can be devoted to meandering the narrow cobblestone streets and charming squares lined with crooked half-timbered houses. But, as night falls be […]
Saint Omer cathedral in northern France has grace and beauty. It doesn’t have the conventional architectural detail of sculpture encrusted entrance doors. But, it does contain priceless art works so typical of the great cathedrals of France. Here those artworks hang in dark, dusty corners without pomp and formality. Saint Omer cathedral has it’s own […]
The chances are that if you visit Provence from mid-June to mid-August – you have lavender on your mind and in your sights. Though Provence is well known for the fragrant purple blooms, it is not grown in abundance throughout the whole of Provence, though you will find fields of the purple blooms during your […]
You could say that my love affair with France and passion for the French language began in earnest, when, at age eleven, I heard French spoken, loving the soft, musical and even sensual sounds that floated into my ears. But the truth is that the story began before I was born, when my father landed […]