Two years on and many Britons in France are feeling very threatened by the outcome of the UK’s June 2016 referendum on leaving the EU. Brexit has not happened yet, and Renestance does not wish to join any political debate. However, as we help English-speakers moving to France from both inside and outside the EU, we want to provide accurate and helpful information to our British friends as the deadline draws closer.

Have you heard about the famous Catch-22 in France where you need a bank account to rent housing but need an address to open an account? If you’re moving to France, this may be one of the first administrative hurdles you face. As our mission at Renestance is helping English-speakers live out their French dream, we often help them clear this obstacle early on.

“School’s out!” The summer holidays have begun and the kids are on vacation. This weekend in France, voices across the nation will be singing ‘La Marseillaise’ and celebrating Bastille Day, a national holiday in France (‘la fête Nationale’) remembering a turning point of the French Revolution on 14 July 1789.

As immigrants, we celebrate this event with our new French friends, watch the impressive fireworks and enjoy the food and drink. It’s an annual reminder of some of the many things we love about France; the ‘joie de vivre’, the sense of community, the traditions and the deeply embedded history of a diverse and dynamic country we now call home.

Summertime in Languedoc has arrived! Long sunny days and plenty of local fêtes, markets and evening celebrations take place throughout July and August (you may often see these advertised as “Soirées Estivales”)

From 14th July (Bastille day and a national holiday) France swings into holiday season with music, fireworks and plenty of food and drink. Over the next 6 weeks, and until the return to school (‘la rentrée’) on 3 September, you can expect many public services to be slower than usual, with many employees taking advantage of the long summer break. In addition, don’t forget that Wednesday 15 August is also a public holiday in France (‘Assomption’), often celebrated with a large village party the night before!

If you prefer not to sit on the beach or spend every day sitting by the pool, we’ve put together a list of a few ideas for things to do this summer – inside or out, for different ages and interests …

If you’ve ever taken a trip to a new destination and instantly fallen in love with a city – its skyline, its people, its energy – then you know that it can be tempting to consider packing up house and home and relocating to your new-found paradise. Except that it is not always that easy…

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Here in the south of France we eat well. Very well. To the south and west, Languedoc has Spain, Catalonia and the former French colonies of North Africa.  The region has had many delicious and mediterranean influences throughout the centuries.