24th October 2021

 Watching the Carol Drinkwater programme A Year in Provence brought it all back. As described in my best-selling, comic memoir Pensioners in Paradis (click image on the right), there’s a lot to be said for living in France - not least the sunshine and le bien manger. But, and it’s a big but, I learned some painful lessons over the 12 years we lived there. Don’t confuse capital from the sale of your UK house with income. Don’t expect to earn enough to live on, especially from renting out a gîte. It’s very hard work, soul-destroying and relentless. Don’t create an English clique. It’s not a holiday club but the rest of your life. Even if you speak the language fluently, in general the French won’t warm to you and rarely invite you into their homes. By nature, the French are fermé (closed). If you’re a pensioner,  think carefully whether you wish to be buried there, where few will visit your grave. Returning to the UK takes a lot of energy and effort, so if you think this is likely at some point, or if one of you suddenly becomes disabled/in a wheelchair, do it whilst you’re still fit enough. Carol Drinkwater married a rich Frenchman, instantly integrating her and removing most of the obstacles. Most of us don’t and suffer the consequences. 


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