france
France
French allure that beckons thousands of new retirees every year
Why France?
What is it about France that casts a spell on us? Is it the rich history, culture and cuisine or the exquisitely beautiful French countryside where you can step back in time to a less stressful era?
France offers wonderful food: for breakfast, crisp baguettes, croissants and batons fresh from the boulangerie, ready to smother in rich butter and confiture to accompany your aromatic café au lait or espresso.
Later in the day indulge in some hors d’œuvre, côtes d’agneau, canard a l’orange, quails, sparrows or pâté de foie gras. Haute cuisine? Nouvelle cuisine? The choice is yours.
Not to your fancy? – then try that favourite venue of all holidaymakers, the French pavement café, and watch the world go by as you sip your aperitif.
Once you’ve tired of lazing by the boulevards, visit an art gallery to see the work of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cézanne, Gauguin and Matisse or, in Paris, check out the flea markets of the Left Bank or dawdle in the Gothic cathedrals of Notre Dame, Rennes, Chartres or the abbey church of Saint Denis.
France and Britain have always had somewhat of a love-hate relationship but when Lord Lansdowne and Paul Cambon, the French Ambassador, signed the Entente Cordiale 100 years ago it is unlikely they could have anticipated that this ‘friendly understanding’ would not only resolve certain international political disputes but might lead to the long love affair we have with the French lifestyle.
Of course, friendship grows with mutual understanding and, especially in more remote areas, you will find that being able to speak the language, or even just knowing the most important phrases, will take you a long way and make life much easier.
Thousands of Britons move to France every year and while France is only a short hop across the Channel, there is a world of difference between the two countries and lifestyles – enough of a difference to make thousands start a new life in ‘La Douce France’.
There is a very good reason why France has always held the top spot as the world’s most visited country: it has everything anyone would need in a vacation and as a retirement destination.
The cost of living, especially in the countryside areas, is usually lower than the United Kingdom.
The south tempts many with its Mediterranean climate of mild winters and warm summers. Others opt for the less pricey and less crowded parts of the country, such as the south-west, where property represents some of the best bargains available.
Nowhere is served better than France by the budget airlines and getting around in France is a pleasure compared to the UK.
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