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.

You’re in a pickle. You need to communicate with a French person but don’t speak French. If you’re lucky, the person speaks better English than you do French and is not too shy to give it a go. You should be very grateful. You should also know that you’re still in a cornichon. This is the second article in the series Lost in Traduction – things you didn’t know you’d have to translate in France.

You’re a non-EU citizen and plan on being in France for more than 90 days? Or you’re an EU citizen and want to apply for a stay permit, exchange your driver’s license or apply for healthcare? Then you will more than likely come into contact with the bureaucracy of the consulat, préfecture, mairie, or another representative of the French administration.

Emergency happens. If you or someone close to you is injured and you need urgent assistance, we thought we’d put together a list of phrases that you might want to print out and keep somewhere handy – but here’s hoping you won’t need them anytime soon!

It takes courage to move to a foreign country. When you are single and retired, it takes even more. Would you even consider it, if that country is almost 6000 miles away and you haven’t spoken the local language for 30 years?

The dream of a new life in France is often enough pull for people to take the leap. The pace of life is slower, the weather is warmer, the rich history is fascinating, the healthcare is excellent, and the food and drink delicious!

We had been talking about doing it for ages, and on Friday 23 March we finally held our first Renesting in France seminar. Our goal was to pack into one day as much essential information about living in France as possible. Our esteemed partners and we succeeded, and it even turned out to be a fun day.