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 […]
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As a chicken keeper, I’m always amazed by the antics of my birds. I keep ducks, chickens and geese – they’re pets, not for the pot despite the urging of my French neighbours. I love them all but it’s the chickens who for me are the most fascinating. Ducks fight it out to establish a […]
At No. 18, Rue de Paridis, close to the Gare de L’Est is a house of horrors that’s popular with Parisians and visitors alike. Le Manoir de Paris is a theatrical show that’s very unusual. If you want a very different sort of Paris experience from the classic Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre type […]
A couple of years ago now, we went through a torrid time in what is now called “The Year of 52 ducklings”. It was all my fault. As a city slicker, moving to the countryside of northern France has been a bit of a learning curve to put it mildly. And when it comes to […]
Tarn-et-Garonne in south west France is one of the smallest departments in France but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty to fall in love with. Named for the two mighty rivers which flow through it – the Tarn and the Garonne, it’s an area of outstanding natural beauty, gorges and forests, fields and vineyards pepper […]
History is full of horrible monsters. The Cyclops terrified the ancient Greeks, the Abominable Snowman haunts the Himalayas, and Godzilla stomps on Tokyo from time to time. The French have their own terrible creature and—unlike the others—this one was real. The mysterious Beast of Gévaudan ravaged the French countryside in the 18th century, killing so many […]
One grey dismal day, I took a day trip to northern France to buy some cheap wine with my dad and my husband Mark. My mum had died two years before and my dad, broken-hearted and bereft, turned to whisky to drown his sorrows. I thought getting him to drink wine would be better for […]
The French Mediterranean village of Collioure is nothing short of enchanting. Travel guru Rick Steves refers to it as “paradise reclaimed” – it’s hard to disagree. These gorgeous photos of Collioure, basking in the sun, are sure to make you want to visit… Collioure is everything that describes an idyllic postcard-perfect retreat from modern stresses… […]
The day came recently when I realised that this year, the year of Coronavirus, I would have time to do the garden and it’s probably going to be a very good idea to make my vegetable bed as efficient as possible. But I am a chicken mum and some of my chickens are as much […]