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Everything you always wanted to know about France |
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France Voila - Newsletter #72
Pezenas - France December 11, 2002 1. Elephants trampling over my head. 2. Tips on Traveling with a Pet 3. Jackie is Back in Paris, Wooing the Crowds Once Again 4. Web-hosting for French services and accommodations 5. Random chickens 6. The How to Book 7. Pricing and Coupons 8. The Wine Festival at Adissan 9. Nizas - Jacks Birthday Plus answers to some of your questions and a new regular series of Restaurant reviews starts at... http://francevoila.com/ The archives with over 650 features and articles are at... http://francevoila.com/archives/ Sent from France by... http://francevoila.com/ ===== Back to Top All you need to know to visit - or live - in France. Write to me at... mailto:tony@nizas.com I really do try to answer all letters - if you don't hear from me in a few days - write louder. Tony ===== Back to Top Accommodation in France From one day - to a Lifetime http://rentalsfrance.com/ ===== Back to Top 1. Elephants Trampling over my Head It all starts with my fascination with elephants. I have always loved them, the big, stinky creatures. During college I studied African government and literature and by coincidence did case study work on the politics of elephants! (Really useful, I know.) Over the years, I indulged myself and started collecting- everything from a huge stuffed versions to lay on, to delicate porcelain and 24K gold elephant boxes, to a large bronze found in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Upon moving to France, I gave in completely (though most of my collection remains in the States). My bedroom/office walls are adorned with images of my African friends, and my bed is covered with an indigo spread featuring their Indian cousins. The piece de resistance is an antique Indian textile painting featuring a small caravan of Elephants with riders and handlers hung directly over my bed on the stone wall. Well, little did I realize! An English neighbor and Feng Shui master came to use my computer the other day Are you feeling a bit trampled? he asked.Well, kind of, just not exactly free to do as I please. (I assumed it was a cash shortage causing the problem). He continued surveying the room and I nervously did too, hoping there wasn’t any stray personal items lying about instead of being in the dirty clothes hamper! Hmm didn’t you say you were looking for a relationship? Well, yes perpetually it seems. But, you only have images of matriarchs or females with children in your house. He said. (I had never realized that before!) You need pictures of couples and pairs. Complete enlightenment! I’ve never before considered this. I’m not sure I can put absolute stock in the discipline, but I do know (and so do the advertising giants) that images play a big role in decision-making. I haven’t given in and removed or altered my favorite room in my apartment, but as it is approaching the holiday season and I need a date for New Year’s Eve, I’m considering it! -Dawn Eleanor Ramsay ===== Back to Top Moving to France We are considering moving to the south of France to live. But where do we start? We would be looking for a place to rent, work and we have a 10 year old son. Any suggestions???? David == Hello David A big question and one we get hundreds of times a month. You ask three main points - education - work and accommodation. Your son will need to speak fluent French to be able to attend a local school - the alternative is to find an International private school in a major city like Nice, Montpellier or Perpignan. He will find it very difficult at 10 to catch up with the French curriculum and is likely to be in a class 2 years under his age. The standards of education are very high. Work is scarce, unemployment is high and priority is given to French nationals (no matter what the official line is). English language skills are not an advantage and fluent French is essential. Rental housing other than vacation accommodation can be found, you will need proof of independent income to be able to obtain a lease, usually 3 years - tenants are well protected by the laws and must prove their status before a landlord will accept them. Getting into the French system is difficult and you need time and money to go through all the procedures. Anything is possible and the quality of life is very good - to start you need to visit for at least a month and discover where you want to live and then start meeting people and asking questions. There are tens of thousands of English and English speaking people in the south of France so there are plenty of people to ask. You are welcome to come and have a glass or two of wine on our terrace as a start. Best wishes Tony ===== Back to Top Tony, For people interested in maintaining their kids English they may want to be near one of the schools offering the OIB. My younger daughter is in her final year at the Lycée International at St Germain en Laye & I understand there are other schools in France which offer it. The pupils do GCSE in History, English & Maths, an O Level in French. They can do the Cambridge Certificate in English should they want to study in the UK. There is a website Keep up the good work Suzanne ===== Back to Top Options for Language learning En Famille Overseas is an agency, established for over fifty years, which specialises in sending people of all ages to France, Spain and Italy to stay with specially chosen families, so that they can use and improve their language skills, and also experience the life style of the country first hand. An important feature of En Famille holidays is the totally inclusive family environment. Guests are made to feel part of the family, and are looked after and included in everything that happens. Every care is taken to match traveller and host family as closely as possible. The cost of these holidays ranges from about £240 a week full board. This kind of total immersion holiday results not only in a rapid improvement in language skills, but also in the forging of some long term friendships and understanding between our countries. Life from the inside! For further details on these holidays, and also for details of how to come to England to learn English, or just for advice on language learning, au pairing or work experience with language learning contact Mary-Lou Toms on marylou_toms@btinternet.com or visit the website http://www.enfamilleoverseas.co.uk ===== Back to Top 2. TIPS ON TRAVELING WITH YOUR PET provided by http://www.pettravel.com Traveling with your pet can be stressful, not only to you, but also to that four-legged member of your family. Careful planning can take a bite out of the stress and make it more comfortable and fun to travel with your pets. One key bit of advice-- plan ahead, particularly if you are traveling internationally. In some cases, you need to plan a six months to a year ahead to ensure that you and your pet will enjoy the adventure. Some preliminary travel tips: 1. Make sure your pet is physically able to travel. If the pet is older, if it is very young and not well trained or if it has been sick or at the vet a lot, reconsider your decision. Your dog or cat may be better off in familiar surroundings with a loving pet sitter than on unfamiliar turf at this time. 2. If you are planning to travel abroad, particularly if you are planning to travel from North America to United Kingdom countries, be aware that there are serious restrictions on travel. 3. Visit your veterinarian. In the case of traveling abroad, make sure you and your vet know what documents are necessary for ease of entry into another country. Make sure that your pet has his vaccination and rabies records up to date, the information is not more than 10 days old and that you have two or three copies of this record with you. Also, if your dog or cat isn't micro chipped, have your vet do this. (For traveling in the UK under the new Pet Travel Scheme [PETS], a different microchip is needed. Get more information on pet travel at: http://www.pettravel.com/passports.cfm ===== Back to Top PET TRAVEL INFO Hello, I am planning a trip to France with my mother and dog, from Canada. My dog Eros is an 8 month old Springer Spaniel that is full vaccinated, we were wondering if you could give us some information on how we would bring Eros with us on our vacation. If you can help get Pet Travel Scheme documentation, we would really appreciate it. How long would Eros have to be in quarantine? How long would all the paper takes to acquire? Angelique == Hello Angelique There is a UK-based company which should be able to assist you with your pet: http://www.dogsaway.co.uk Have a great trip. Tony ===== Back to Top THE CANAL DU MIDI Boats are booking up quickly for Spring and Summer cruising... Enjoy wine tasting, bike rides through nearby villages, sun bathing on deck or just plain fun with your companions! Retire to the cool shade of your private cabin for a tranquil nap, or lay back and watch the countryside flow by. Prepare your own meals in your fully-equipped kitchen or try out some nearby restaurants. Luxury boats are still available! You can choose boats to accommodate up to 12. http://frenchcanalvacations.com/ ===== Back to top THE EXPENSE OF IT ALL Here is a mail typical of many asking how prices are set by owners.... I am distressed at the asking prices (I doubt the owners actually get this) for most of the summer rentals listed on many of the hundreds of web sites including yours) for rental properties in the provinces of France. I am a long time traveler, have rented in Paris, Deauville; my sister owns two rural properties in other parts of France, for which she gets-if she rents at all- a very modest monthly rent for quite comfortable and attractive properties. Now I want to rent a rural villa in the south for the month of July 2003, 3 bedrooms, pool unnecessary, but a quiet, private garden, within one hour of the Nice or Marseilles airports. I wish to pay up to 1500 euro. No children, pets, smokers (we are American, after all!) I am an artist/art and antiques appraiser with excellent references 1500 euro seems to be the average asking price per week, often for ill-furnished, small, ordinary cottages, poorly landscaped. Anything really nice seems to be more expensive than the costliest house in the top resorts of the US, where the incomes are so very much higher.... Why the disconnect here? They state sleeps 6/8, with two small bedrooms and a total sq. footage of 1150 sf (a typical example)...Do groupies rent these, clubbing together for a week's holiday in France, caring only about the sunny weather they don't get in the UK, and the local discos? At first I thought it was the agents or middlemen making 100% commission, but owners seem to ask the same prices. Does anyone ever actually rent these? If so, for what percentage of the asking price? I travel frequently to Europe, and I know that the hotel/restaurant/shops are far cheaper than in US cities. What is going on in these rural towns with the rental housing? == This was my response.... We offer accommodation from $50 a night to $1000 a night. The prices you are seeing are the result of supply and demand - owners are able to achieve the prices asked and agencies work on very tight margins to give the services and insurances they provide. With 73 million visitors to France each year and a growing demand for private accommodation, we are easily able to achieve the sort of prices shown on most catalogues and websites for 8 to 12 weeks of the year. For the off season periods there is a strong demand for good properties in interesting areas if the prices are reduced by 50%. Thank you for your interest Tony I will add to this reply that we are very careful to only show proerties where we consider the value given is good and that ther price asked is a fair indication of the level of comfort and quality. ===== Back to Top Accommodation in France From one day - to a Lifetime http://rentalsfrance.com/ ===== 3. Jackie is Back in Paris, Wooing the Crowds Once Again Jacqueline Kennedy at the Musee de la Mode et du Textile until March 16 The Jackie show has already packed houses in Washington, New York and Boston, but there is something special about seeing it in Paris. Perhaps because here it serves as a particularly welcome reminder that even Parisians can sometimes utter the words American and sophisticated glamour in the same sentence. (We were at the opening, and we swear we saw the Paris fashionist as drooling over the 70 outfits on display). The installation pairs the actual dresses and accessories with great photographs of Jacqueline Kennedy looking radiant in all of them. Our favorite shows her effortlessly disarming a bashful and boyish-looking Kruschev at a state dinner. Clearly, she was her husband's secret weapon. The Paris version of the show pays more attention to her time on the Continent than the American exhibitions. Look for a charming series of aquarelle drawings by the French artist Jacqueline Duhême documenting the First Couple's 1961 European tour, as well as a television clip of an interview featuring Mrs. Kennedy confidently chatting with a journalist in his native French. The show is much more than just fantastic threads. There is also an interesting section devoted to her efforts at the historically accurate restoration of the White House. As founder of its Fine Arts Committee, Jacqueline Kennedy was one of the first to recognize that even a nation as young as the United States had a culturally-rich "patrimoine" worth researching, preserving and showing to the world. And while you are at the museum, save time to check out the exhibition of 1960s fashion upstairs. "Les Sixties: Mode d'emploi" includes some wacky and marvelous things by Emmanuel Ungaro and Andre Courréges. The Musée de la Publicité (currently showing Chinese posters until January 12) is also at the same premises. They are all members of a group of museums run by the privately funded Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs. If you have never visited the UCAD wing of the Louvre, this show provides an excellent incentive to check it out. Musee de la Mode et du Textile 107, rue de Rivoli, 1st. Daily from 11am-6pm M: Tuileries, Palais Royal. http://www.ucad.fr/ == Many of you are commenting on the interesting news from ParisMuse.com . We hope to continue to add their expert insight on Paris museums and art. To book a custom tour and support their contributions to this newsletter- please visit them using this link! Paris">http://www.parismuse.com/index.shtml?ef=0000018">Paris Muse- Expert Guides to Paris Museums ===== Back to Top FINDING A BANK Hi Tony Can you help - we've just brought a house in France and need to open a French bank account. We have been told that Credit Agricole has a branch in Caen which is mainly for English speakers, do you have any details? Thanks Gill == Gill- I don't know of the particular branch that specializes in English services. Here is the listing of Branches in Caen. You may have specific reasons to be searching for this particular branch, so disregard my comments if they are inappropriate- they are just based on personal observation. Banking in France is a highly personal matter. To get good service you must have a rapport with the local officer in your branch. Just because they speak English or not, doesn't mean they will do a good job for you. Overall, you will find the vast majority of people, French or foreign, will tell you that banking here is highly inefficient and frustrating. My best advice is to go to several branches and gauge the atmosphere. Here in the Charente there is a branch that many expats prefer even though the English spoken is quite poor and it is further away. This is because there is woman at the branch that makes an effort to help. I have heard of whole transactions done through pointing and writing of numbers on scraps of paper- phone calls initiated by the woman when she has noticed a problem- hand written notes attached to statement copies sent in the mail, etc.... Those are all unusual in a French bank. So, look for a person- not a branch! Good luck, Dawn ===== Back to Top THE SAME ALL OVER Dear Tony, Thanks for your newsletter - as usual it is fun and informative. I am sorry that so many people are upset - the Speccy article and the letter about urine soaked mattresses to name two. Everywhere one lives (I am a British expatriot living in Texas) has its ups and downs- some serious some not, but apart from the illegally advertised urine soaked mattresses most things are overcome with a sense of humour. The Speccy article points to the problems of living in a capital city. All the same criticisms can be leveled at Houston, Dallas, Washington, London, Madrid - you name it. If you want to live abroad don't judge a country by the overworked, and overstretched folks in the cities. I own a house in a small town near Limoges and the people have been very pleasant. My furniture arrived exactly on time, the electrical appliances were fifteen minutes late but the proprietor of the shop where we bought them walked in the rain to our house to say that his truck was held up by a wreck on the main road. The gas and electricity office do their very best to help me when I arrive with my three words of French and my neighbours are sure that if only they Can talk to me long enough I will understand them. That applies in Texas too! The plumber arrived the moment he said he would and was glad to practice his English on us; thank goodness! I love living in France even though only part time, and I love living in Texas too. An American bank has thought of a way of sending funds in any currency via email and it is only a matter of time before I do not have to wait for a girl to appear to weigh and price my vegetables in Champion - Walmart says it is changing the face of retailing in Europe (it has done so here!) and American efficiency eventually will ensure that I do not have the slightest inconvenience while shopping. I will miss the French corner store of forty years ago where the Brie was warm and soggy in the middle and the milk was sour before midday. I miss the trek down to the coal merchants to buy kindling for the ancient heater and every time I see sacks of frozen vegetables I remember the excitement and great misgivings when the very first bag of frozen peas came to our tiny local supermarche in Brittany. Oddly enough life in France is almost identical to life here in the USA. and most unlike life in the UK. We have had difficulty finding 'different' articles with which to furnish our house in France - everything seems to have a common ancestry with items here. Prices are nearly the same and even the bureaucracy is the same. If I had never come to live in the USA I think I would still have felt that France was exotic and strange - as it is we are comfortable in both places and feel very much at home on either side of the Atlantic. It is interesting to note that the Picasso/ Matisse exhibition currently touted in your newsletter was here in Fort Worth three years ago! Thanks again for your newsletter - I do not have a problem with multinational spellings OR apostrophes - I had to read that letter three times before I realised what the writer was complaining about! Keep sending the newsletters - they are so informative and please ignore the usual British miseries - some of us left England to get away from the rampant negativity! With love from us in Texas == You can see the Spectator Article if you missed it in our Archives: http://francevoila.com/features/spectator-1.html By Victoria Kaulback ===== Back to Top 4. Web Hosting with 23333.com To get the quality and reliability we demanded for our websites, we found the only way was to start our own web-hosting company 23333.com. Our hosting packages are competitive with an unequalled range of reliable, proven services to make your website count. Don’t waste money on limited results. We offer a range of services for home rental sites and specialty services. * Free on-line availability calendar * free on-line guest book * Free on-line news page * free members forum * web design and promotion You will be able to enjoy the same service we get for our sites like http://RentalsFrance.com/ and http://1stVacations.com/ To learn more about our services, starting at only $10 a month contact Kevin at hosting@23333.com ===== Back to Top CAN ANYONE HELP THESE BRITS? Dear Tony We have now moved to St Cyprien, in the Languadoc and we both love the region. However as we are still finding our feet around here we would love to hear from any other brits who either live near us or visit here often. We have been told that there is an English Association in the St Cyprien/Canet region, but despite all our efforts we have yet to find it. Perhaps one of your readers might know of how we would make contact with them. Thanks Angie and Chris ===== Back to Top 5. Random Chickens There are more types of chickens in France than I ever imagined- and I spent the first 15 years of my life in Oregon farm country- followed by a long stint not far from San Francisco’s Chinatown! The Chalais market at the edge of the Charente has a very friendly vendor- who thinks I’m insane, I’m sure. He boasts dozens of varieties of chickens and every week seems to have them all available at every stage of development. When he has the 3-4 day old chicks his truck qualifies as a local tourist attraction! We have our own rooster (cockrel) to deal with where I live named Daffy. A white Banty, he is a real pain. At precisely one hour before I plan to wake up on any given day he crows just outside my window- yes, he knows. And, if there are small children around, he chases them and delights in their screams of horror. If you have laundry to put on the line, he goes for your legs- but doesn’t bother if you are wearing boots. I think sometimes he was put on earth to teach us humans that we aren’t the only intelligent life form. Daffy has been even worse the last couple of weeks, his woman- with his personality, I’m sure that is how he refers to her- was busy hatching 8 chicks. The brood is doing well, and I now have a permanent appointment at 4:30 when my daughter gets home from school to go visit the coop. By far, however, my favorite chickens, bar none are the random type. Like the one I encountered next to the shopping carts (trolleys) at the local market. He calmly looked at my friend and me as we laughed hysterically at the sight of his unlikely location. When the row of carts connected to each other by chains requiring 1 Euro to use moved, he did decide to stalk around. He had feathery feet! I now understand why when I buy chicken legs there are still little feathers at the end of the drumsticks. While shopping, we spent the next 45 minutes plotting how we could catch him and get him home. Alternated with bets that someone else would have already done so before we returned! Well, when we came out- there he was! And, when I returned the next day to get all the things I forgot- he was still there Random chickens! ===== Back to top Interested in help marketing your French property or specialty service? Our readers and web site visitors love to see new things and new places. Contact us to see if your French business can fit into the FranceVoila! service group. tony@nizas.com ===== Back to Top INVESTING IN FRANCE Hi Tony, I am thinking of buying some small furnished flats in Paris to let out to provide an income in my old age. Should I just buy them in my own name? Use an SCI? Should I tell the French tax people or should I tell the English, or both of any income? Where would it be cheaper to pay the tax? I understand it will be 33% in France....but what can I claim as expenses...is it the same allowance as an English buy to let? It seems difficult to get up to date answers to these simple questions. Congratulations on an interesting site Nick == Hello Nick The correct answer will depend on many criteria such as what other income you have in other countries etc. However, in simple terms, all income derived or earnt in France must be declared for tax in France, so any income from apartments in Paris must be declared as income (and probably taxed) in France. How you structure the business will also depend on many variables, it is likely that you will need to form a company, either and SCI or a SARL - we are developing some books on this for people in your situation. I will ask a specialist in this sort of financial question to reply to you. In my experience you will not get a simple or accurate reply from any one French department or society. Hope this helps - please let me know how you get on Tony PS: don't forget we can find clients for your apartments ===== Back to Top 6. BUYING A RENTAL PROPERTY IN FRANCE? If you dream of financing a move to France by renting your property out to visitors you need our upcoming E-book. We are consolidating, updating and verifying all the information in our archives, plus adding new information on taxes, resources for owners and live links in the text. From the basics of buying to government resources, from details such as how to communicate charm through your web page to marketing techniques and how to register with the authorities and operate legally in France- It's all in one spot with live links to resources you'll need and an index for reference. We're progressing quickly, reserve your copy now and pass along any specific questions you want to see answered in the Q&A section. mailto:howto@francevoila.com We'll reserve you a copy and keep you posted on the progress-- available as a printable e-book hot off the presses. ===== Back to Top 7. Pricing and Coupons We occasionally find a property we list with different prices on other sites. I will repeat: WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD. If you find any property rental we are showing on any of our sites listed at a lower price somewhere else, we will always make sure you get that property at the best price available. All new subscribers get a free coupon. If you have not claimed yours, claim it now (only one per e-mail/surface-mail address). If you spot an error or omission in our sites, we will also send you a coupon. http://rentalsfrance.com/coupon/ The database will tell me if you are printing out more than one - so no cheating. Look for the upcoming Tour De France Coupons to be posted on properties near the 2003 route! ===== Back to Top The AOVP Setting the Standards for Quality and Value for Vacation Rentals The Association of Owners of Vacation Properties (AOVP) provides advice and support to owners and managers of properties rented as vacation accommodation and protects both the interests of owners and the rights of renters. The association's objectives are · To create a high level of trust in world-wide property rental relationships · To guarantee the standards and services of members' rental properties · To assure the quality of vacation services Members of AOVP confirm that they comply with the association's standards and code of ethics. Consumers will have high confidence in AOVP approval as an indication of dedicated, reliable professional management. For further details and to apply for membership, go the association's website at a href="http://aovp.com"> http://aovp.com ===== Back to Top 8. The Wine Festival at Adissan This year’s wine festival in the village of Adissan took place on a glorious autumn day in early November. We arrived at the Cave Co-operative to be welcomed with a glass of their crisp white wine made from Clairette grapes, an old variety which is the speciality of the area. All the village was there: old men reminiscing about the past, energetic vignerons talking earnestly about the quality of this year’s wine, women discussing their families, children taking rides on donkeys, all serenaded by the local brass band resplendent in their red and gold costumes. Then we were called to table - or rather to scores of tables laid out in the open air because 700 of us were about to eat. We walked past the calves being roasted on a spit over an open fire, realising that they must have started cooking in the early hours of the morning. Then the food arrived, served by members of the Co-operative, wine makers and growers, wearing smart black trousers, waistcoats and berets. The food was superb, the veal tender and delicious, and the wine flowed freely - the new wine of 2002, a red primeur with a delicate bouquet followed by a sweet white late harvested clairette. When lunch was over, the tractors arrived with their carts to take us up the hill to harvest the last few rows of grapes, left to ripen in the autumn sun in order to create a sweet wine of intense flavour. We were taken to the top of the hill where the view is breathtaking - the valley of the Herault bathed in golden afternoon sunlight, the blue peaks of Vissou and St Baudille, stepping stones to the Cevennes, all surrounded by the russets, golds, ochres and sepias of the autumn vine leaves. In a small chapel built to celebrate the village’s delivery from cholera in the 19th century, the priest blessed the grapes and the harvesters and, armed with scissors, we set out to collect the last bunches of grapes. There were children dressed in traditional costume, members of local wine confraternities with magnificent cloaks of velvet in rich blues, reds and browns, and a few foreigners like ourselves delighted to be included in such a symbolic ritual. The grapes were loaded into traditional wooden barrels, long since replaced by plastic boxes, and placed onto horse drawn carts, long since superseded by tractors. The children climbed aboard a pony trap and we set off down the hill towards the village. Arriving at the Co-operative the grapes were put into a traditional wooden press and soon a sweet amber juice was flowing for all to sample. The festivities would continue into the night, but sadly we were returning to London the following day. So we took our leave, taking with us warm memories for the long winter ahead. Memories of friendship, of respect for tradition, all bathed in the unique golden light of a Languedoc autumn. Julian Halsby ===== Back to Top CAR HIRE To get to the really good stuff out of Paris, you will probably want a car. You get the best prices available and also help support us if you use the links from our site. They don't pay us much, but every little bit helps. Plus, all these companies come recommended from us or our readers! http://rentalsfrance.com/carhire/ ===== Back to Top 9. Nizas - Jacks Birthday The big event of the week is Jacks 8th birthday on Saturday and the party on Sunday - as a fan of Arsenal, manchester United, real Madrid and France, Jack is getting a great collection of football shirts - if he can get as good as David Beckham we will be delighted, Jack is convinced his middle name is david after his hero (it is in fact after my beloved Uncle). The party was a hoot - most of the school in Nizas seemed to be climbing up the ramparts of our old house and running through the rooms - our home is now called Hogwarts as we are told it resembles Harry Potters school, I needed some trolls to keep the kids in control. On Friday evening we saw the Nutcracker by the Russian Imperial ballet in Montpellier - a slight modification to the score cut the suger-plum fairy, it was like having the Wizard of Oz without the rainbow song. The kids were enchanted, nothing beats live theater. On the 15th if you are in our area, there is a English Carole concert in the church at Fontes at 3.00 pm this is a traditional service of carols and lesons ===== Back to Top We love to receive your letters and comments and we really try to answer all mail but it does get lost, filtered or vanishes somewhere.(Often chickens chase them away, or the elephants trample them so badly they can’t be read.) So, if you write and don't hear from me, please write again. mailto:tony@nizas.com |