Last year,
Steve and I spent seven months in the Tarn Et Garonne region of France on a
house sit, which confirmed our suspicions – we wanted to remain in France full
time. The Dordogne and The Limousin had been our first choices, but a three day
stay in Dinan changed all that.
We fell for the charms of Brittany after a visit to Dinan
What's not to like?
We fell
in love with the area, viewed a property in the Cote D’Armor region, loved it,
put an offer in on it and three months later, had taken possession of it J
Our little piece of France
We have
now lived in our small and beautifully tranquil village of 450 people for three
and a half months, and it has surpassed all our expectations. Steve is busy full time on renovating our house,
with me as his first mate, labourer, plaster mixer supreme and coffee maker.
I DO work, maybe not as much as Steve, but I try
Oh and
when I get the time, I write! I am sat now at our breakfast bar as I write this blog; out of the window I can see the birds in the garden as they flock to the feeders. The neighbours climbing rose trails lazily over our wall, sharing it's beauty with us. Swallows flit silently in the eggshell blue sky, catching midges on the wing, and once again I count my blessings.
My regular visitor
I am a
member of an ex pats Facebook site for those of us lucky enough to live in
Brittany. On occasion, someone from the UK or further afield will ask the
question – “We’re thinking of moving to Brittany, can you recommend it?” The
question seems to be all the more pressing in light of Brexit. People are
worried that things will change, now that the UK have decided to leave the EU,
and that maybe they won’t be able to live and work as freely in France. My view
is, that people lived and worked in France before the UK was a member of the
EU, and will continue to do so regardless of the decision to leave. It is not
something I worry about at all.
The
questions about a move to Brittany are usually met by an overwhelming barrage
of answers, most, if not all of which, say – YES, come and join us here in this
beautiful area of France. Come and find out for yourselves what life is like
here.
Steve and
I left the UK in 2010 in a haze of disillusionment and disappointment to live
in Gozo.
Steve by the pool overlooking the sea at our old house in Gozo
It was an absolutely life changing experience. We were there for over
five years; we made wonderful lifelong friends there who we miss to this day.
We worked on the island as singers, developing a solid following of like-minded
people who loved the music and the camaraderie. Unforgettable memories, most of
which are recorded in my award winning 2nd book entitled, Gozo, Is the Grass Greener?
With an honorable mention at the 2015 London Book Festival and a WINNER at the 2016 Paris Book Festival, my autobiographical book about Gozo has proved popular
When we
made the decision to live in France, we had many dire warnings of how difficult
it would be to settle here. From the nightmare we were promised if we tried to buy a house, to the acres
of forms required to open a bank account and register for health care, the nay
sayers had something to say on just about every subject possible.
I will
admit, there have been some obstacles, but none have been insurmountable. We now
have a joint bank account, which yes, DID require a lot of ID and form filling,
but it was not impossible. We have house and car insurance here, which was considerably
cheaper than in the UK and offered more in the way of benefits.
The
process of buying the house was surprisingly straightforward and has been
explored in a previous blog.
Buying the house was amazingly hassle free
The
health care registration is ongoing, but IS getting sorted, slowly but surely.
We have had no problem accessing health care in the meantime – doctors, dentist
and a trip to the A&E of the local hospital when Steve managed to prong
himself on a sharp tile. We have found
an English speaking vet for our rescue dog Merlin and have so far, been
impressed with the care offered, both to us and Merlin J
The one and only Merlin, our rescued Griffon Bleu
The
village we live in could be straight out of a novel. Quaint, friendly, and
accepting. We know our neighbours and are regulars at the local café/bar for
coffee or a Kir cocktail (or 2) J
Our local cafe/bar
The
Mairie (local mayor) has been round for coffee and helped us to fill in the
forms we needed when we had to get permission to put some new windows in. There
is a wonderful boulangerie, just a short stroll from our house, where I can get
heavenly fresh bread, mouth-watering patisserie and basic shopping six days a
week. On the way, I might meet 3 or 4
neighbours who are on the same bread buying mission; we exchange a pleasant
bonjour and go about our business.
Decisions decisions
This is a
rural area, with high levels of agriculture. Acres of sweet corn rubs shoulders with the fast
growing wheat. Hedges grow wild and untamed. Cows regard you with marvelous bovine
disinterest as you walk on by, or if they are feeling mischievous they will
rush at Merlin in an attempt to scare him and jostle noisily at the fence as
they compete for the best position from which to see him. There are peaceful
off road walks for me and Merlin; ponds with ragondin (coypu) wild duck, heron,
buzzards, deer, foxes, badgers and much more. A short car ride will get you to
areas with rivers, forests, lakes, historical buildings and areas of stunning
beauty.
Ragondin with babies
Our village at 6 am
There is space here. We never feel hemmed in or crowded. Even popular beauty spots seem secluded and almost muted in their tranquility. When I walk out in the early morning or late in the evening, the silence is quite literally deafening.
Just before the sunrise in our village
Most of the people in the village seem to retire early, with shutters down and doors closed by 10pm. No one has music blaring out, no car engines revving, no shouting, just peace.
The beautiful early morning sun breaking through
The weather here suits Steve and I and we seem to have the best of both worlds. At the moment, we are enjoying the beautiful summer weather, with temperatures up in the high 20’s and low 30’s, which is quite hot enough for us. However, mornings still have that coolness, along with low lying mist over the fields. Perfect for walking Merlin and for making the most of the glorious countryside before it gets too hot.
Full moon!
We have not lived here through a winter, so cannot comment from experience. However, I am reliably informed that the winters are mild; frost and snow are rare. You can find out more about the weather in Brittany by following the link below.
If it’s
an ex pat community you want; you will have no difficulty in finding one in
Brittany, though Steve and I prefer the more traditional aspects of life here.
There are plenty of local bars with live music and many other social
activities. Car boot sales are popular, as are fetes and similar festivities in
the local villages. Contrary to popular
belief, the French are NOT ignorant, hostile, rude or awkward. We have found everyone
to be pleasant, friendly, helpful and extremely polite. When you walk into a
doctor’s surgery, a shop or anywhere really, everyone in the place will say
good morning. Steve and I were initially taken aback in the local café when
people we had never met would come in and greet us with a hand shake or a double kiss.
I recall one lady bringing her five children in. Without a word from her, they
all came over to us and shook Steve’s hand and kissed me soundly once on each
cheek. Delightful J
There are
small traditions here which endure. Each village has its own school; no
question of closure, or moving several schools to one bigger school. Local shops are supported; it would be
unthinkable for a village, no matter how small, not to have a boulangerie!
I speak
basic French, which is improving all the time. When no one around you speaks
English, you learn very quickly. My vocabulary includes a startling variety of
DIY and building phrases, such as, “We have some rubble to get rid of” – for the
local rubbish tip! If in doubt I point and say, “Un comme ca s’il vous plait” J
Ready for the rubbish tip - again!
We know people who have lived here 20 years, while others, like us, have only been here a few months. They all say the same – life here is lovely. Of course there are challenges; we are not living in a Disney movie, but there is an ease about living here, a laid back, relaxed vibe, which we soak up like sponges.
So, if you are contemplating, “Shall we move to Brittany” I can speak from experience and say – do; you won’t regret it. Life is short, it is not a dress rehearsal. A recent study of people at the end of their lives discovered that they did not regret the things they had done, but the things they had NOT done, the risks they did not take and the road not taken.
Anyway,
you will have to excuse me, I must go to the boulangerie, where I suspect there
is a fresh baked baguette, and perhaps a strawberry tart with my name on it J
Ah yes, that'll do nicely
My new book, Caught in Traffick us due out imminently. It is a sequel to the award winning Known to Social Services. The book is about the harrowing world of child trafficking and is set in Thailand.
It will be available via Amazon in paperback and as a download. I will keep you informed.
Merlin also has his own short story, now available on Amazon, entitled, Merlin, The Hound Dog; Part One, In From The Cold. It is £1.99, a % of which will go to animal charities
Merlin also has his own Facebook page!
www.facebook.com/merlinthehounddog
For more details about my writing, please visit my website;
www.freyabarrington.com
I will leave you with a few more photos of this most beautiful area.
A bientot J
Freya
Lovely, enticing, well written, nice pix - what's not to like?
ReplyDeleteMany thanks James :)
ReplyDelete