The Cost of living and every day life
Many expats fail to realise that they must still deal with the everyday chores, hassles and problems life brings anywhere.
You may wonder how much everyday life is going to cost. This depends: what may seem a perfectly reasonable standard of living for one person could be incon-ceivable to another. Talk to people who live in your target area to get an idea of their monthly outgoings. Ask your estate agent for details of rates, but don't forget to account for electricity, heating, telephone and food costs.
Many people use wood-burning stoves for heating. In autumn, your woodsman will arrive on his tractor to deliver the cubic metres of logs you ordered. You then get to stack them. The delivery can be hilarious: while the woodsman is being charming to you, he could well be shouting profanities to his apprentice as he fails to negotiate backing into a tight driveway.
Then there is the paperwork: be prepared.
You will amass a dossier of essential papers. You'll need birth and marriage certificates and, although current EU law says this is not required, you may have to get them officially translated. Keep all your paperwork to hand and go with the flow.
While administrative red tape might seem infuriating at times, remember the French find it infuriating too. As an outsider, you must adapt to local ways; do not expect local ways to adapt to you.
Time is measured by the seasons. People greet each other in the street; they talk about the mushrooms they found in the woods. They watch for the cranes to fly over and discuss the return of summer. I would not live anywhere else.
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