I'm a squilionaire

[Blaze]

Like everyone else here, we've never regretted moving to France. We moved north from near Saumur in 49 partly because we found the summers too hot for us and partly because we missed the sea. We've found the sea and our old stone farmhouse is orientated NNE and SSW. Winters are mild and although summers can be hottish, there's always a nice breeze coming off the sea in the afternoon. We can have all the windows open and rarely have to shut the shutters.
It was easy to settle in here because we're able to do various activities here that aren't full of oldies !!! We love the birdsong and at night, when there's a grand marée, we can hear the sound of the sea and the curlews ... it's magical.
No, the sea is far too cold for us to swim in but we love looking at it in all weathers !

[demi]

I've been in France 18 months. I am still looking for a house to buy.

From my terraced rental I can hear the trains, the bell ringing for the level crossing and the screech of swifts, my neighbours chatting quietly in their gardens.

I am a 3/4 minute walk from town (smallish, pop 7,500) & every time I walk in I meet someone I know and have a chat.

I am also a 7 minute walk from amazing footpaths & GR routes.

I am very happy. Now I live alone I love the social aspect of being in a town - I don't want silence anymore!

Many of my friends thought I was mad to move to France (to be close to my only family) after OH died.

They were wrong, it was the best decision I have ever made.


PS - Blaze - you are a wimp! I swam in the sea in UK from May - October. Mind you I don't think I woud now given all the s**t that's around!!!

PPS Am also loving the weather - guaranteed warmth = bliss!

[curtis]

I asked for voluntary redundancy and after a year of arguing I got it. I had been introduced to a French lady when I was over here racing and things progressed.
Sold up and moved to France. So I effectively retired when I was 51. Never regretted the move. No emotions on moving, in fact I have been more emotional when selling a car that I had owned and raced for many years.
Twenty years in la France profonde and now six years living on the edge of a town. Neighbours fine and we all mix well together. Just had a great fête des voisins.

[ajm]

I also retired at 51. My only regret in moving here was I had to sell my beautiful Steinway grand piano as it would not have fitted in to our smaller house.

[Blaze]

Blaze - you are a wimp! I swam in the sea in UK from May - October.

Yes !!! I didn't mind cold water as a child but as a grown up ....
We've spent our lives packing and unpacking so moving to France was just another move, but it is nice to have been able to put down roots. We always laugh when people asked where we are from because it's impossible to say !

@ajm I don't think I could have done that ... Parting with an instrument can be painful unless you are upgrading. Leaving a Steinway would have broken my heart.

[ajm]

Blaze - you are a wimp! I swam in the sea in UK from May - October.

Yes !!! I didn't mind cold water as a child but as a grown up ....
We've spent our lives packing and unpacking so moving to France was just another move, but it is nice to have been able to put down roots. We always laugh when people asked where we are from because it's impossible to say !

@ajm I don't think I could have done that ... Parting with an instrument can be painful unless you are upgrading. Leaving a Steinway would have broken my heart.

It nearly broke my heart but as we already had the house it had to go. If we had known that we wanted to live here permanently we could have bought something larger. In the event ,now that my hands suffer from Dupytrons(?) I can't play much so having the piano just sitting there unused would have been just as bad.

[Blaze]

now that my hands suffer from Dupytrons(?

I'm really sorry to hear that, ajm. Dupuytrens is something every musician dreads as just about every instrument requires use of the fingers/hands. I assume there isn't much that can be done.

[exile]

They can operate but results can be iffy.

OH had it done twice in Germany with, in the end, no real improvement.
She was referred to a specialist hospital in Montelimar who were limited in what they could do due to the scar damage caused by the previous attempts. It has however resulted in what seems to be a permanent solution - albeit partial.

I was also taken there when I slashed my wrist on a broken bottle in the supermarket. Very professional and no lasting issues except the scars. Their surgeons are specialists in hand and wrist problems.

Edit to add: their clientele seemed to cover a very wide area with folk from north of Lyon and down to Marseille being treated.

[ajm]

I had both hands do e twice successfully but that was some time ago and the consultant said after the second ops that it was not possible to di them again.