My life is definitely here. I feel at home here now, and I've put roots down. You know, my wife's French, and so, France is home. My wife certainly opened my eyes to a whole new narrative that I didn't hear in England amongst my friends. When I came here, there was a narrative that's much more liberal, and egalitarian. My background was much more individualistic. Brian
I realised that if I let go of my fear of making a fool of myself, I could start embracing a new language. It's the same thing with moving to another country, if you're not frightened, then you don't become paralysed in a particular place. I'm totally used to being a foreigner, so I feel at home everywhere. It’s not the nation, it’s the place. It's a question of the immediate space around me. I just love living here. Scarlett
Where I grew up in Connecticut plants often died with the cold temperatures or whatnot. Here it's a joy you know to see plants pop up again after the winter, plus all the butterflies and the bees, it's just a thrill. The aromas, the plants.
You go to the market here and ask, ‘what's in season?’. Where I lived, it was tomatoes coming from California that tasted like cardboard. I mean here we get fruit and vegetables that taste like they're supposed to. It's incredible. When I was in the States and working full-time, I really didn't enjoy cooking, but cooking here is fabulous. It's simple, and the taste is great. So that's my three cents, okay. Betty
You know, I've got lots of friends. And even though I'm on my own at the moment, they look after me you know, so it's pretty good. Of course, being alone means you're lonely at times, but it's not that I am really alone, because every week [in the summer] there is something going on. But in the winter, sometimes it’s a little bit quiet. Frank
I knew that I would end up being here [in France] at some point in my life, I just didn't know when it was going to be. And I'd read all the books, like ‘Narrow Dog to Carcassonne’ – all the romance and beautiful stories. And I could just imagine myself in France. None of those stories, of course, were [particularly] true. Sarah
So, maybe it was destiny. I don't know. I always had the feeling that I was born in the wrong place. It is very difficult to describe, and I cannot explain it. The strangest thing was waking up on the first day [in France], because realising a dream in life is very exciting; and suddenly you are living your dream, but it is also so different from what you expected. Xavier
I'm sure I've got some Italian or Spanish blood, you know, I feel the weather suits me better here. I've never liked the cold and I feel as if I belong. So, no, I haven't had any problems about settling here, it's what I wanted to do all my life. I've never seen myself as an expat. Eira
I found a place here, which gave me the opportunity to do quite a lot of work on it, to create something and to be in a place with lots of people. I looked at all sorts of places out in the middle of nowhere, the idyllic sort of French manor house, but that's the last thing I wanted. So yeah, [now I] have something to do, lots of people around, lots going on, a bit of hustle and bustle, a few arguments even, here and there. Patrick
The biggest thing (about moving) for me was my parents because when I told them, ‘we have found this lovely old farmhouse’, and how beautiful it was and everything, I thought they were going to be, ‘oh, that's fantastic, how lovely’, but it seemed like their hearts sank because they realized they weren't going to see so much of me. I think they were probably counting on me to be around a bit more as they got older. I suppose I should have taken more notice of how they felt, thinking about it. I wanted them to be happy for me, but they were sadder for themselves rather than happier for me. Rosey
We have a saying in India, if you're six months in a place you become that person. So being six years in France, the way that I behave, the way I talk, I think I've slowly turned into a French person. But then, when I go back to India, the way I act can surprise, and maybe upset, my family. Suman
You can have a feeling of being lost when you first retire, and especially when you move countries as well, and you haven't got the familiar things that you are used to. So, you can become a little lost. And it's not just the fact of, ‘what day is it?’ or ‘What should I be doing?’, but a feeling of drifting, if you like, because there isn’t a structure. Yes, you get up and you clean the house, and you go and do the shopping, and then what? Sian
We didn't know anyone [when we moved here]. At our age, I mean, I was 75 and he was 77, it's a big thing really. I had a [serious] health problem in England, just as we sold our house and bought this one. So, it was a big move really. Marilyn
I didn't want to come to France at all, I intended to go to Greece. But then we came to visit some friends in the next village from here, and they said, ‘why don't you come to France rather than Greece?’. They sent us a photo of the building in the square [here] and said, it's for sale for next to nothing. So, we came to see it, fell in love with the building and bought it, which was a huge mistake, because all I wanted was a bar on a beach in Greece and I ended up with a huge ancient building in France. Joyce
What has changed? My memory isn't good, so that's definitely changed. And the house is falling down. That's quite bad. It was always going to, but it did start moving much, much faster. But it's a bit stabilised now, so it will see me out. I'm not worrying about it. And life: different friends. I have younger friends now. I used to have friends of my generation … all those are not here. Gail