by Maria C Collins

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: August 09, 2009

I was born in England and lived for most of my life in the South East. A few years ago my husband and I packed up and moved to South West France and now live deep in the countryside about a mile and a half from the nearest village. The scenery is truly beautiful, dramatic, glacier carved valleys and beautiful french countryside. Deer, hare, and red squirrels pass through my garden, just outside the gate on a telegraph pole most days sits a buzzard looking for his lunch.

The small medieval walled hilltop villages of this area are full of enough history to satisfy any student of history, their ancient walls and narrow streets could surely tell many a tale. These villages, however are not museums, but live working villages each with it's own primary school, Mayor, post office and proper shops, always a baker's, and usually also a butcher's, a general store and a hairdresser's.

The French way of life is gentle and laid-back people still care for one another, if you go into the village shop you may be in there quite a while, if the owner is talking to someone in front of you but when it is your turn she will spend just as much time with you. On entering a small shop it is polite to say "bonjour" to the other customers, as the french regard small shops as a private space and not a public space.

The summer festivals held outside in the warm summer evenings are such fun and whole families, from Grandma and Grandpa to the tiniest grandchild go together and sit together for the evening. There is music and dancing far into the night and of course hot food is cooked and served from stalls in the middle of the square, and also wine is available. No one makes a nuisance of themselves and the evening is enjoyed by all.

There are some drawbacks to life in France; bureaucracy is rife, and things such as national insurance payments, income tax and business taxes can be very high and setting up a business can be quite difficult. On the whole the advantages of life in France greatly outweigh the disadvantages. I love England but the England I love is the country of my childhood. I was born an Englishwoman, and will remain one until I die, but my home is in France.

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