Join Us in France Travel Podcast

A lot was happening in Paris in 1900. But the two items I would like to focus on today were the Exposition Universelle of 1900 and the Inauguration of the Paris Metro. Paris had a lot to live-up to with the 1900 universal expo. After all the 1889 expo gave rise to the Eiffel Tower and how do you top that? In 1900 they had a pavilion on electricity and lots of gorgeous country pavilions that boasted the best of their respective countries, but what was exciting and new in Paris? The Paris Metro, of course! While not as glamorous and visible as the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Metro transformed the city and continues to be a central part of Parisian life. Book Recommendation: This week Annie read The Matchmaker of the Perigord by Julia Stuart. While not an earth-shattering read, it's pleasant and does not break any rules of life in France. They started thinking about adding a large transportation system in Paris in 1871 and there were several competing ideas. They wanted to have something operational by 1889 for the Paris Word Fair. But they didn’t manage it and the first metro started service on July 19, 1900. Ding-a-Dong by Teach In, Eurovision winner and a superbly happy song. Check out how much fun the guy with the xylophone is having! Annie's Patreon | Elyse's Patreon | Newsletter | Boutique The Inauguration of the Paris Metro They did not inaugurate the Paris Metro to great fanfare because it was a controversial project and politicians felt it was safer to keep everything low-key. Before they got to this inauguration, they went through a lot of proposals and opposing ideas being battled out in the newspapers. But the real issue was choosing the right metro technology for Paris. There is a lot to think about and those decision will impact life in the city for decades to come! There were lots of proposals, I'll just go into two that caught my attention. The photo below is the Angely proposal for a suspended rail system

On today's episode of the podcast Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin have a conversation about Bruniquel. Bruniquel is one of those little towns in the south west of France that are beautiful and tell a great story. And look at all the other wonderful places you can visit nearby! Gaillac, Albi and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie are nearby (link to episodes dedicated to those places below). We'll also publish episodes in the next few weeks about Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val and Castelnau de Montmiral. Annie particularly enjoyed the chateau of Penne. Puycelsi is good too. It is possible to see two or 3 of these villages in a day. Lots to see and enjoy in the southwest of France! There are a few places you can stay in or near Bruniquel, take a look at your options here. If you're interested in wine, take a look at the Vin du Quercy. Annie's Patreon | Elyse's Patreon | Newsletter | Boutique   Categories: Off the Beaten Track in France, Toulouse Area

Today Annie brings you a conversation with Susan Walter about bread in France, and why bread is such an important piece of French culture and life. We talk a little bit about this history of bread and we agree on many things, including: What’s up with the obsession with finding the “BEST” baguette in France? Grab some toast, let’s talk bread! Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/324 And, something I didn't mention in the episode and I should have. If you don’t live close to a great bakery, you can buy several loaves, slice them the way you like them, put them in a bag and freeze them. When you need some, take it out of the freezer and pop the slices into the toaster. Baguette freezes really well and will taste fabulous that way. Book Recommendation: Max Gallo, the Sun of Austerlitz, a good book about Napoleon. Podcast Recommendation: Un bonbon sur la langue with Muriel Gilbert My guest on today's episode has a blog called Days on the Claise, a good source of information about a part of France that's rarely discussed. Annie's Boutique | Annie's Patreon | Subscribe to the newsletter Discussed in this episode Bread in France: it's a staple A brief history of bread in France French baguettes aren't as old as you think! Large Boulangeries in France Bread vending machines in France The types of wheat grown in France Bread preferences in France Breads you won't find in France Where is the best bread in Paris? Categories: France How To, French Culture, French Customs & Lifestyle, French Food & Wine

Annie's Patreon | Elyse's Patreon | Boutique La Rochelle in the Charente is a gorgeous French city on the French Atlantic coast. It is surrounded by beautiful coast, white limestone and stunning vistas. La Rochelle is a favorite vacation spot for French people, but doesn't seem to be on a radar of a lot of American visitors. That's a mistake because it is usually sunny and has a mild oceanic climate. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/323 You could spend a whole week in La Rochelle and keep busy by exploring nearby islands such as Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron.  Those are the easy ones because they both have a causeway to drive to them. You can even take a bus from La Rochelle to visit those places for the day. Some islands are more remote and can only be accessed by boat. You could also explore the Marais Poitevin and beautiful cities like Saintes, Rochefort and Cognac in this region. In this episode we talk about the siege of La Rochelle, how it brought the city to its knees. We also discuss how La Rochelle gained back its prominence by being an active participant in the slave trade. This shameful part of history has been acknowledge in the city as you will hear when we discuss the new world museum. We recommend you download the official brochures of La Rochelle published by the tourist office, they provide an excellent walking tour of the city. Discussed in this Episode Ile de Ré Rochefort (the Hermione and Marquis de Lafayette) Ile d’Oléron Cognac Saintes Tour Saint Nicolas Tour de la Lanterne Tour de la Chaine German u-boats Musée du Nouveau Monde Les Francofolies Aquarium of La Rochelle La Grosse Horloge Oysters La Mouclade Pinot de La Rochelle (fortified wine) Chabichou goat cheese La galette Charentaise Fort Boyard FOLLOW US ON: Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

Today Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Carolyn Gates and Julia Maurice about growing old in France. Even if you have no intention of ever moving to France, as a Francophile you might be interested in what happens as people grow old in France. Having said that, a lot of my listeners would love to move to France someday. It may or may not happen, but they are keenly interested in the question. If you move to France and all goes well, you’ll be growing old in France. What options will you have then? We’ll explore the 3 things that can happen as a person grows old in France. Full show notes for this episode: https://joinusinfrance.com/322 Discussed in this Episode Growing old in your own home Age-proof your Home Watch those steps! Increase door width Choose your terroir carefully Get a Carte Vitale and get to know the French system The Carte Vitale is your ticket into the French health insurance system Medical services are cheap in France compared to America How the French system helps people kive in their own homes Medical taxis Home visits are part of the plan What's an infirmière indépendante? Annie's experience with her ageing father There are lots of home services for the elderly in France! Moving into a residence with services for older adults The cost of senior residences EHPAD or Établissement d'Ébergement pour Personnes Âgées Carolyne's experience with an EHPAD Conversation with Julia about growing old in France French tip of the week "faut pas pousser" Annie's Boutique | Annie's Patreon | Newsletter

This episode features our frequent and very popular guest Elyse Rivin. If you enjoy her episodes, please consider supporting her on Patreon. Le Marais Poitevin is also known as La Venise Verte and it's a lovely piece of France between Niort and La Rochelle not far from the Atlantic ocean. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/321 Officially some of it is in the Loire region and some of it in the Aquitaine region. The name means “the marsh of the Poitou” but everyone just calls it Marais Poitevin or Green Venice because of the boat rides. It’s a place most French people have heard of and lots of us visit every year, but it's not as popular with foreign visitors. I don’t know why that is because it’s a wonderful place where you can enjoy nature, bike rides, bucolic walks and fun boat rides. It’s gorgeous and restful. Both Elyse and I have been there and if you click play you’ll soon understand why we love it so much! Annie's book recommendation: The French Revolution by Emma Moreau The Join Us in France Podcast Audience Graph by Rephonic. This shows what the people who listen to Join Us in France also listen to. Discussed in this Episode Marais Poitevin Venise Verte Réserve  Naturelle Nationale Michel Brosselin Marans Sansais Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux Maillezais Maillé Damvix Saint-Sigismond Le Mazeau French Tip of the Week: Appeler un chat un chat Annie's Boutique | Annie's Patreon | Subscribe to the Newsletter

Categories: Loire Valley, Moving to France Annie Sargent chats with Sarah Smith about her new life in the Mayenne. The Mayenne is in the North West of France, tucked between Paris and Brittany. It is part of the Loire Valley region and about an hour away from some of the most famous chateaux in the world. There are places like that in France. They are in plain sight and yet hidden secrets because we don't talk about them enough. Show notes for this episode: https://joinusinfrance.com/320 If you like what we do here at Join Us in France, consider supporting us on Patreon and by visiting the Join Us in France Boutique. Discussed in this Episode The Mayenne department Mayenne the city The Mayenne River Laval Chailland Fontaine Daniel Toiles de Mayenne Ambriere les Vallées Lassay les Châteaux Montgiroux Sainte Suzanne Saint Pierre sur Erve Fresnay sur Sarthe Craon The difficutlies of finding a house in France Why it's good to rent several gîtes Why Sarah loves driving in France

In this episode Annie and Elyse talk about the long history of vaccines and how Louis Pasteur made tremendous contributions to the field. We also talk about the life and career of a simple man who changed the world with science and careful observation. Show Notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/319 The Pasteur Institute in Paris is closed right now, both because of Covid-19 and for renovations. Check their website for updates. Book recommendation: Louis Pasteur by Albert Keim. Annie picked this one because it goes over Pasteur's life in some detail. Go to the Join Us in France YouTube channel to see the hedgehog video. #joinusinfrance #louispasteur #frenchhistory FOLLOW US ON: Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise Category: French History

This episode of the podcast is a conversation with Wendy Sherwood on house-hunting in France. Wendy is looking to retire in France which is a dream for a lot of people. It’s achievable, she explains how they are going about it. Wendy keeps a blog called Are We In France Yet and I recommend you take a look, lots of inspiration for places to visit in France if you need your list to get any longer! 2021 is finally here! Not that rolling over a new digit will necessarily change everything, but it’s a step forward and I’m happy that it’s finally here. So, Bonne Année to all of you, wishing you health, joy with your family and friends, professional success, and the ability to visit France soon. Will travel for pleasure resume in 2021? I am sure some of it will. How much? I can’t say for sure right now. House Hunting in France Wendy and her husband decided to look for a house they could buy for their retirement. They're not ready to retire yet, but they've decided they would like to live in France and are exploring ways to make that happen. Wendy has lived in France in the past, she speaks French and loves France. Her husband was in the wine business and would love to live in France. They have friends whose parents are in Toulouse and they are helping them locate a property. They spent 10 weeks in France doing on the ground reconnaissance but they haven't decided where they want to settle yet. They are considering buying a property they could rent as a gite or possibly use the space to do cooking classes or some such service. If they don't develop a business they will have more leeway as to where they settle. 10 Weeks of House Hunting in France They landed in Bordeaux and leased a car through Renault and Euro Drive. This gave them plenty of time to see several regions and be really mobile. At first they stayed with their friends around Bordeaux and the Dordogne and then moved on to AirBnB. Their friends have a lot of local knowledge and was able to tell them all about the area they were looking into. They were able to take personal house tours arranged by their friends without involving a realtor. They know they want an old house with old stones, some land, access to water. But not anything like renovate a chateau. They'd like a historic property (which they know might come with some issues) and possibly has a barn they can renovate into a B&B or gite. Making the Purchase Contingent on What You Need It's important to make sure whatever property the buyer chooses is zoned right for that sort of development because in France zoning is only reviewed every decade or so. If it's not zoned right it may be get the right zoning in your lifetime. In the purchase contract you can put a condition that says I will only buy if it turns out I can put in a pool or turn an agricultural building into a house. But be aware that the only people who can tell you for sure is city officials. Not realtors and definitely not sellers because they'll say anything to make the sale. Find an Agent who Speaks English Finding an agent who speaks English is good, but knowing French yourself is a lot better. Annie guesses that a buyer who doesn't understand the fine print will be taken for a lot of rides. If you're looking into areas where it's touristy most real-estate agents will look at you like a walking checkbook. They figure the rich Americans have shown up, let's sell them something even if it's not really what they wanted. Work with a British Agent If you're not 100% comfortable with French, look for an agent who is English or speaks great English. They will often be more understanding of your point of view as a buyer. There are a lot of them in the Dordogne, Provence, Normandy. Putting an Offer on a House If you're house hunting in France, eventually you'll make an offer. That's exactly what happened to Wendy and her husband. They fell in love with a property that checked all their boxes and put an offer on it. They made the offer, negotiated it, the sellers accepted it. The sellers were adamant that they should sign the "compromis de vente" right away. That's the document that commits you and if you break that commitment you lose your deposit. Getting the House Inspected In France there are mandatory reports that the seller has to pay for but buyers can also hire an engineer who will give an independent inspection. Hiring an independent inspector is not common in France, but it's a good idea to do it even if it'll cost a few hundred euros. Finding an independent building inspector might be difficult. In France it's still very much about who you know. People get their uncle who is a builder to come look at the house. The "bilan énergétique" is mandatory. But you're on your own when it comes to floods and other risks. In the Dordogne you can find building inspectors (because there are so many English-speaking buyers) and that's what they did. Their inspector wrote a 30 page report and met with them and explained that the biggest problem was with humidity in the walls. This is a common problem with houses built in that era. There are ways to mitigate these issues but it can be very expensive. Who Will Manage the Renovations? One big question folks who want to retire in France must answer is who will take care of renovations on the house. Can that person speak French? Is that person willing to handle these things? This can become a full-time job at least temporarily. Is this Area Still French? There are areas of France (in the Dordogne and in Provence notably) where all the houses have been purchased by foreign buyers. That means that all the French people have moved somewhere else. Are you really living in France when you're surrounded by non-French people? London vs Dordogne House Prices Keep in mind that British families who own a modest home in London are in a position to sell that modest home for the price of a beautiful place in the Dordogne. Annie met a couple like that who came to house-sit for her. They sold their tiny house near London and bought a big beautiful place with a gite in the Dordogne. They didn't have enough income to live in the Dordogne so in the touristy season they rented out their house and went around house-sitting. This may end with Brexit, but it was common up until now. Will You Start a Hospitality Business in France? This is another big question for folks who want to "retire in France". A lot of them don't really want to retire fully. They want to have a side business that often turns out to be a rental business or other hospitality business. The issue is can they qualify for a work permit? Rules change all the time but Wendy explains what she looked into at around minute 29 of our conversation. Lessons Learned from the Pandemic Because of the pandemic Wendy realized that it's possible for a hospitality business to stop bringing income. Travel restrictions have been a reality for most of 2020 and continue to be a reality in early 2021. The question is can you move to France if that means not being able to go home to see your aging parents? Look at Less Expensive Regions in France If you're not going to be able to rely on a hospitality business to justify buying an expensive property in a touristy area, maybe you can look at cheaper French regions. Brittany comes to mind. The weather is not as pleasant, but it's beautiful. Wendy being from a hot dry climate in California and she's not sure she wants to be in a place that has heat waves again. But most of France has heat waves occasionally. WiFi is another consideration. Some places have great connections and others are bad even if technically they have WiFi. Most French people don't care if the WiFi is lousy. We have 4G (soon to be 5G) with our local data plan so we can do a hot-spot for better internet access. Changes Due to Covid and Brexit The economic depression due to Covid-19 has motivated the French government to create incentives for French people to renovate their homes. These incentives are available for primary as well as secondary residences. It is likely that home owners in France will take advantage of these grants to improve heating systems. Will they install AC? Some never will, even if it's cheap because there is a bias in France against cooling. Because of Brexit it will become harder for English people to buy up properties in France. That will make home sellers more willing to negotiate. Some properties will stay on the market for years because it was inherited by siblings who can't agree on a sales price. Usually these are people who are not hurting for cash anyway. With the pandemic lots of people in Paris are realizing that they might prefer to live somewhere more rural, have a garden and not be so close to other people. Apartment prices being what they are in Paris, they can sell at a high price and buy a bigger place somewhere else in France. It's very much a seller's market in France right now and for the foreseeable future. The Sellers Who Are Most Likely to Negotiate The people who are most likely to sell as quickly as possible in France are people who are getting a divorce. They need to split the equity between them and usually neither one has the cash necessary to buy the other one out. They are the ones who will negotiate. Folks who inherited a house are often willing to sit on the property for years and won't lower their price. The Smart Way to Find a House in France Rent for a few months at minimum and talk to everybody. The little old ladies and the dog walkers are a great source of information! They know things nobody else will tell you. Live there for a year in a rental, get to know the folks who are on the city council. They'll know if a new development is coming or if something that was planned has is not going to happen. This also helps you becoming part of a community. French people are very willing to help once you have a relationship with them. Find Your Own Notaire Have a meeting with a Notaire. They are a real estate lawyer as well as a deed company and they collect taxes. In France you pay a big chuck of tax when you buy. Later on you'll pay Taxe Foncière and Taxe d'Habitation, but those are not big amount. If you're house hunting in France, you should lookup the price houses have actually sold in France. Just be aware that the data is often a year behind. It's also smart to have your own notaire and not use the same one as the seller. French people don't refinance their mortgage because they would pay high taxes again. So, this is not done here. No Zillow or MLS in France One of the difficulties of buying a house in France is the difficulty of determining the right price. Lots of houses are listed by different realtors at different prices. You cannot hire a buyer's agent. Once you've signed a visitation paper you're stuck with that realtor. Official site that lists the price of properties sold in France since Feb 2014. How about you? Have you gone house hunting in France? Share your thoughts on the show's Facebook group. More episodes about moving to France FOLLOW US ON: Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter     Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): Will the Pandemic Change the Way You Travel? Episode 282 Will Covid-19 Change France? Episode 285 Wendy and her husband

In this short episode of the podcast, Annie reviews best practices when preparing a trip to France. There are simple things that many visitors never think to look into but would nevertheless insure that you have a wonderful experience on your vacation. What sort of traveler are you? Because you're always inside your head, it can be hard to see what sort of traveler you are. It is vital to understand that or you may not pick your destination accordingly. If you like to sleep in the same bed for a while go to a city that has plenty to offer (the biggest 5 or 6 cities in France) or an area where you can take a lot of daytrips. On joinusinfrance.com we share lots of day trips you can take from Toulouse and Paris, but any city has great day trips you can take by googling them. In French you’d search for que faire autour de... If you’re not in a big city, you will spend time in the car. It shouldn’t be a problem for most Americans, but even in a city like Toulouse, once you’ve been here for 2 or 3 nights, you’ll run out of things to do unless you hop in a car and explore. This is also true of Bordeaux, Lyon, etc. However, if you go to the French Riviera you’ll be able to do all that by train. It’s worth looking at regional trains. There are also fairly rural places in France where it’s possible to do day trips and go sleep in the same bed every night: Normandy and the Dordogne come to mind. French roads are pretty easy to navigate, especially with a GPS. Now that electric assist bikes are so common, I wonder if more people will use those explore 20-50 kilometers around without breaking too much of a sweat. French people have sure taken to electric bikes! Well, French people like all sorts of bikes, really. Listen to podcast episodes about different parts of France to pick the one that fits your needs best. Check out the Calendar Some of us don’t have a choice when we travel while others can pick whichever date is best. Once you’ve picked an area, lookup events. How do you do that? Use the right search terms in French. You want to use the words agenda and sorties and événement and cette semaine à and then the name of the place you picked. Results will be in French, but if your French isn’t great you can ask your browser to do an automatic translation. Those are not perfect but it’ll help you get the gist. Don’t skip this step, events make a vacation great! List of events in France Look for the Tourist Office Before Your Trip Many tourist offices in France will put handy-dandy city maps on their web site for you to download on PDF. These make it so easy to plan your visit and even decide in what part of the city to stay! But to find them you need to use the right words: plan touristique PDF and the name of the city or brochure touristique PDF. Some tourist offices have a version of the site in English, but it’s extremely rare that they have every page or every resource translated into English. If the English site doesn’t have what you need, check out the French version. A map is a map is a map, it doesn’t need to be in English to be helpful. Look for a Planning Template There are a lot of free trip planning templates on-line and you should use them! I use Word and Excel and if I search for word travel template I get to a lot of templates that are beautiful but also a great reminder if things to look into. Same for Google Docs. Remember to look for a template and pick the one that suits your needs best. Some of them will remind you to list your flight and reservation numbers as well as list the medications you take just in case you need medical help on your trip. Templates are also a great way to see the gaps in your planning. More episodes about how things work in France FOLLOW US ON: Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise Categories: France How To, French Customs & Lifestyle