France the Flip Side
I am a fan of Jeremy Clarkson, his column in the Sunday Times may be the only floppy copy I read each week, apart from his motoring section which rates the Lada higher than the Audi (so do I and I love the Dacia)
He got a column ‘pulled’ recently for suggesting the tying of some chap called Mandelson to the front of a van and parading him around the UK in an attempt to cheer up the increasingly fed-up population of Britain. It seems that this chap Mandy is an unelected lord of all things and responsible for supporting rich people and generally being important. There is also a Mr Brown somewhere and another chap called Darling – it all sounds like the cast of a Blackadder farce, but it isn’t.
Basically the censored article said how fed-up lot of people are with Britain and would love to live somewhere else, France for example, but JC pointed out that there is a teensy problem with paperwork and bureaucracy in France which an Englishman would not get on with.
I am an Englishman and I do not get on well with French paperwork – actually I do not get on well with any paperwork, but I get it in spades in France and really do very badly.
But this is the point – it seems a universal truth that the ‘quality of life’ in France is recognised as being among the best in the world – millions of people leave their own countries and come to live in France. More people come to France to experience the French lifestyle and culture than to any other country in the world.
Yes France does have a horrid number of civil servants, a low income level, privacy and secrecy laws to stun a goldfish and a reputation of being cheese eating surrender monkeys – I refute all of these (well not all, there are a lot of civil servants and a lot of cheese).
On another blog I started at http://2337.com I am presenting facts and opening discussions relating to some legislation affecting short term rentals in Paris. I am doing it because for over a year I have been anticipating some public announcements which will affect anyone who is involved in renting private apartments in Paris, owners, agents and tenants, many of whom read my newsletter or write to me.
Sadly this will inevitably affect some good agencies, some owners who have invested their savings in rental properties and many years of hard work. By my publishing this now and by trying to present the true facts, the good guys could adapt their services and do well – the bad guys who have robbed and tricked people will, I hope, be made to pay.
But what I found interesting in the debates underway on that blog is the assumption that the City of Paris is shooting itself in the foot and that this is ‘bad for tourism’ and will ‘lose Paris income from tourists’.
My belief is that the people of Paris do not give a fig or a tuppenny damn for tourist income and this is the point I am trying to make in this post.
The quality of life in France is good exactly because the French national character values a human lifestyle with values expressed in conversation, food, local shops, affordable homes and which respects a philosopher above transient celebrity. Whereas many other societies establish the value of everything in money.
This explains to me why there is so much control, why I have to do everything in quadruplet and in black ink yet also why health care and education are brilliant. It is because people care about their cities, villages, homes and family life and prefer to have local shops and Parisians living in Paris than chase the quick shilling/dollar/yen/whatever.
The people of Venice are protesting in the streets about the circus their city has become, the city of London is a derelict wasteland in the evenings (I lived in the Barbican for a while).
Wisely, Paris built their Disneyland outside the city – they plan to keep it there.
Now I must get back to filling in another form to wind up a company I have never wanted, never used and which has cost me a fortune but is still there because I missed a dozen pink forms which I only returned in triplicate when everyone knows they have to be in quintuplet.
Post Script…
I am delighted to see that the censored article is back on the Times online site at Tie Mandy to a van Perhaps there is hope – Yogi Blair is not president of Europe and Oz the Rupe did not tug his whatnot for Mandiavelli
Peace Purpose and Passion
November 22, 2009 by tony · 3 Comments
The title sounds like the name of a film – it is actually the mission of a lady who wrote to me this week guides others to discover themselves. I think it is only for ladies, so sadly I cannot search these aspects of my persona.
Tara of www.ElegantFemme.com is asking if there is someone looking for help in return for her family being involved in a French community for some time next year.
I offer the email exchange below and direct links to Tara’s site for anyone who wants to talk.
I am also publishing this as there are some observations in my replies which focus on the differences and attitudes in France which makes for the ‘Frenchness’ of the society.
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Hi there,
I have been following your newsletter for some time;) and I, as an avid lover and dreamer of fulfilling my childhood fantasy of living in France, have come to a beautiful realization! My family and I are considering spending the summer in France, living, working and becoming part of the culture. My heart sings as I write this, for if you knew what this meant to every cell in my body, you would understand the intensity and fear that accompany this email;0
I was wondering if you knew of any small village in France where we could live inexpensively for the summer (perhaps longer), work as either teachers, waiters, or some other light work (even a care taking position would be entertained.)
We have two small boys ages 3 and 6 and are looking for an experience of a lifetime.
Any and all advice would be so much appreciated!
Thank you in advance,
Sincerely,
Tara Marino
Coaching women through Femme lifestyle design
Overwhelmed? Find out how to go from overwhelm to ommmm by uncovering the 3 women who live inside. Join our newsletter at www.ElegantFemme.com
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Hello Tara,
I would love to help you realise your dream. Twenty years ago Carole and I left the UK with two small children, both under 4 at the time, and came to live in France. Twenty years later we are still here, the girls have grown up and are strong individuals and our son, who was born here, is doing well at college.
France is a complex country, it has a unique identity for each of the 95 departments – I would go further and say it has a unique identity for each of the 36,000 villages and towns. it is the village way of life that defines France, you have percieved this well.
France has also evolved a social structure which is very different to that of most English speaking nations. Many people coming to live in France cannot and do not accept ‘the French way of doing things’ they love the French way of life, the respect, consideration, food, culture art, health and education – but visitors too often dismiss the rigidity, bureaucracy and privacy. These are two sides of the same coin.
To live in a small French community for several weeks or longer would be a valuable and enjoyable experience, but – sorry there is a ‘but’ – to have any sort of paid employment is near to impossible.
Visiting and staying in France is open and free – you can buy and invest simply and securely anyhere with no complications. However, all activities and employment must be registered. Teaching, even waiting table need correct and in some cases (teaching is an example) local qualifications and registration for social security and taxes.
Having said that, the ‘unofficial’ working community, as in most countries, is large, but it takes time to discover this and casual summer work is very hard to find.
I know there is a solution for your family – I looked at your website, please tell me more, what budget you would have etc and I will look.
Best wishes
Tony
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Tony,
It was so kind of you to get back to me! Thank you for your response. I understand the difficulty in finding short term summer work and we are open to an experience. perhaps it would help a bit if I gave a bit more detail. I want to spend the entire summer (maybe longer) in France with the family. We are considering doing some volunteer work in lieu for room and board. For me it is not so much budget as it is really wanting to give my family a beautiful and meaningful experience. We have vacationed many places and I truly want this to mean more. We saw an add for a small farm that is being renovated in the south that was looking for some help…that type of thing. I really want to become integrated with the culture and the way of life. I am not looking on taking the boys to the Sofitel;0 Although I do enjoy a bit of female luxury and may leave my husband to ten to the hard labor so I can sneak a petit cafe!
Any and all thoughts regarding what we re looking to do and insight on your own experience would be magical.. Thanks Tony and Bravo for what you have done for your family-in my opinion you have given those girls the experience of a real lifetime.
Tara
PS.
You asked about my business I am a Women’s Lifestyle Expert and coach women on finding peace, purpose and passion in their lives. I would probably be taking care of my clients from overseas as most of my work is done on the phone (which is a beautiful advantage;)
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Tara,
Occasionally I have seen offers of accommodation in exchange for help – I have done this myself when I was rebuilding our home and had people he to stay for a few weeks tileing and helping me renovate our house (there is still a lot to be done 
)
I can send out a request in my newsletter if you wish and you could look for forums on the Internet and ask if anyone knows o something.
But this will mostly be to English speaking people and this will not give you a ‘French’ experience. To find a French family or a French busioness which can offer you something will be much harder as this is not the sort of thing which the French culture would embrace. The National characteristic is generally polite and friendly, but, extemely private, many French people have never seen inside their neighbours homes, even in a lifetime o living net door to one another. So acepting someone from another country into your property is a very rare thing.
When we bought our first home here, we invited our next door neighbour, Mme Jarlet, into our home to meet us, as we did with all our neighbours. She told us, that althouh she was the best friend of the previous owner and had known her all her life (for over 75 years) she had never once been into her house. Times have changed and this is now a little unusual, but not exceptional. We then found that all our French neighbours rarely visited each others homes, they met and talked in cafes and on the streets (usually in the middle of theroad) and they still do.
So finding acommodation in exchange for some involvement with a French family will be difficulty – but not impossible, there are exceptions, people travel a little more and some are open to new things.
Do you speak French ?
Best wishes
Tony
==
Tony,
Oui je parle francais et mes fils aussi-pas mom mari;) donc, si c’estait quelque chose avec le francais est bon.
Merci beaucoup Tony,
Tara
Dark Cloud over City of Light
November 21, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
I have started a blog at http://2337.com which is currently only about one subject – The Rental of Residential Apartments in Central Paris.
I did this as I believe that it is a very important subject which may be putting a lot of people at serious risk, both financially and for personal security.
It is against the law of France to rent an apartment designated as a residential property for a period of less than one year (nine months in the case of a student rental). Most apartments in Paris, the vast majority, are residential apartments as opposed to commercial property. The owner faces a fine of 25,000 euro plus 1,000 euro a day plus 5 years in jail if there is an infringement. The renter is not likely to be able to have insurance cover as the occupancy is illegal.
I have been aware of the problem for over a year and the law has been on the statutes for a long time, but the storm-clouds are gathering. Recently the penalties have been increased and a new bureau has been created an empowered to take action against property owners (not tenants) so I have been investigating this by interviewing the authorities concerned last week. I am also trying to find solutions for owners and renters that comply with the laws.
Charade
November 14, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
Many years ago I used to ride motorbikes in films – one movie which was in production while I was on a UK soundstage was ‘Charade’ with Audrey Hepburn and Carey Grant.
I have always loved the movie – it is perfect in many ways – but to add a gloss to perfection the Parisian setting, apartments, style markets, bateaumouche, just about everything are some of the most evocative images of a wonderful city.
It is on YouTube in 12 episodes, my favorite is #10……
I have some new ideas how to recapture the magic of living in Paris…..
allo allo allo
November 14, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
Got this from PollyVousFrancais who got it from TheNewsPaper.com
European Union Creates International Speeding Ticket
European countries connect vehicle records so that automated speeding tickets cross international borders.
Eucaris mapSpeeding tickets are beginning to cross international borders in Europe, thanks to the European car and driving license information system, or Eucaris. At the beginning of the year, Swiss motorists began being charged for speed camera tickets issued by French authorities. As of October, the French government had collected on a total of 10,000 citations from violations allegedly committed by vehicles registered in Switzerland. A total of 1800 tickets were issued last month alone.
Prior to Eucaris, most countries had no means of collecting on automated tickets issued to non-citizens because there was no automated system that could identify vehicle registrations in a foreign country. Beginning in 1994, a number of authorities upset by losing millions in potential revenue created the drive to standardize the sharing of electronic vehicle and driver’s license records among the disparate database systems in twenty countries.
Progress in connecting these databases has been slow. Only last year did The Netherlands and Germany become the first to swap speed camera ticketing information. Cross-border tickets will also be issued in Belgium as part of a bilateral information exchange program.
Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom have all signed the Eucaris treaty with the rest of the European Union countries expected on board by August 2011. Once fully connected, officials hope to be able to issue fully international speeding tickets and introduce further uses, such as the collection of per-mile taxes.
French Village Transport
November 12, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
There are over 30,000 villages in France, each one has a unique ‘personality’ – I always advise people coming here, looking for a place to live, to first and foremost, find the village they like, not the house. Two villages only a few hundred yards apart can be like chalk and cheese.
In our region, Languedoc, villages are all about 3 to 5 km from each other almost on a neat gridlike pattern, this is a comfortable walk and many a happy day can be had walking (at first) from bar to bar, cafe to cafe, discovering the countryside through the vineyards.
Between main towns and cities, public transport by bus is good, but the last leg to the village is not so simple. Most villages have very few bus services a day, often only two a day. So a car is essential if you plan to make frequent trip to discover the hundreds of unique places around Languedoc and the South of France.
I have just had an email exchange about this which is typical of the questions I am asked and where we try to help….
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Tony (et al),
Your place looks pretty good from here. We’re very interested in coming to see you in June of 2010, but a few questions:
We were hoping to spend a week in the north, then finish our tour de France with a week in the south.
How accessible are you to rail? (web link doesn’t work) How about plane, if we wanted to fly out nearby, instead of traveling back to Paris or wherever to get home (US).
How about cyclomoteur rental? Anything close? I remember my old Cady fondly. We’d like to be able to get around a bit.
Jerry
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Hello Jerry
We would love to welcome you next June.
The main rail station of Agde is only a few minutes from us, the TGV goes directly from Paris regularly every day and takes just under 4 hours.
There are flights to the US from Montpellier airport (Delta Airlines, via Paris), under an hours drive from us, and regular flights to Paris from Beziers airport just 20 minutes from us.
The are plenty of cycle rentals around – I will look into cyclomotor rentals, we have never been asked for this before.
Would happily lend you the Cady, but I don’t have it anymore, but at 5 miles to the gallon you needed the 74 gallon tank it had.
I look forward to hearing from you
Tony
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Tony,
thanks for the reply. I’ll look at the TGV. I think you are saying that I can fly into Paris and change to a flight that will take me to Montpelier or Beziers, or vice versa. I’ll look at that also. Is there a good bus route available to get from either Montpelier or Beziers to Nizas?
My Cady, by the way, was a moped by the people who made the Mobylette. I don’t remember the gas tank being that large. I was thinking that we might enjoy the scenery more if we were putting along rather than pumping along. Do they still make Solexes? I have no fond memories of them, but they worked, pretty much.
We’d be coming to France the first week of June and then coming south the second week. Since you are offering such wonderful terms, we might play with that a bit, but I’m bringing my daughter, and I wanted her to see more than just one place, if you see what I mean. At the same time, we didn’t want to spend two weeks rushing from place to place, so…
Cheers,
Jerry
===
Hi Jerry,
Our home is in Montblanc a village not far from Nizas, where we used to live. International Flights to Paris arrive at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) – most internal flights are to Orly, the connection is not simple and can take a long time so it is important to make sure any connecting flight is to CDG – Delta, I think is the only one with the same plane to USA from Montpellier (MPL).
The TGV rail links are superb, inexpensive, fast, comfortable and clean – city center to city center – they are quicker than plane all over France.
I was talking about a 1948 Cadillac I used to have and posted on Facebook this week – the mobylettes are much cheaper to run.
Unless you stay city center, where a car is useless and a liability, in just about everywhere else in France a car is important. Public transport, away from railway stations, only works between main cities with perhaps a twice daily link to most villages.
I agree that seeing the countryside by bike is a great way to explore any area of France and there is just so much to see in even a very small area that you do not have to make huge journeys – I have not found any rentals for Mobylettes yet – the Solex stopped in France a long time ago – but they did make them in Russia or somewhere and imported them for amusement a couple of years ago.
Adge rail station is not far from us, we could meet you there, but you should think of hiring transport to discover any part of France outside a city center.
Yes, we are offering some fantastic bargains as we are just starting gain with new accommodation.
Happy to help in any way
Best wishes
Tony
google wave
November 9, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
For anyone who has not seen this yet – here it is earlier this year direct from the big “G”
Can anyone give me an invite
Living in Paris
November 8, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
Prices charged for vacation and holiday rentals for private lets in Paris are a minimum of four times the rental charged for a regular tenant, it is often many times more than this and the acute shortage of rental accommodation in the city, partly caused by these apartments not being available to Parisians pushes prices up.
Interestingly, as in the city of London, it is actually illegal for the owner of a private apartment in Paris to offer this for rent as a vacation property, or for any form of short-term furnished letting. There are a few exceptions, registered commercial properties for example, or for rentals to students, but these represent a small number of those properties advertised on the hundreds of websites offering Paris apartments.
The laws are clear, but, like many things in France, these laws have not been applied – until now…..
To read the full posing and follow the comments on this important subject please see the full article here.
Naming of Names
November 4, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
Deciding on a name for our home in Languedoc was mostly question of finding a word which has Mediterranean connotations and was also available for an Internet domain name.
We have a dog called ‘Rocky’ who we nickname ‘Rocky Roquette’ – so now we are officially ‘Villa Roquette’ as this is a spicy herb which grows wild all around us in Languedoc. I have posted a blog on out Villa Roquette site with a recipe for making a liqueur.
I decided to find out about Roquette and uncovered some interesting facts. Roquette is still a wild plant and has only been cultivated for a few years recently – most interesting is the discovery that for centuries it had been considered an aphrodisiac. I am happy to have found a good and relevant name for our home. Now I plan to do some research into this, anyone interested in helping please contact me.
Perhaps Elton John wrote this song for us…..
Do You Remember When rock Was Young
November 4, 2009 by tony · Leave a Comment
The old photos I have been posting on Facebook got a couple of comments – one has put this song in my head for the past week and i can’t get it out……….Laaaaa La La La LA Laaaaa…..
