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Everything you always wanted to know about France |
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France Voila - Newsletter #70
Pezenas - France - November 20, 2002 1. French With Tears 2. Restaurant Reviews 3. Paris Matisse-Picasso Show Tips 4. Web Hosting and other services 5. Christmas in Paris 6. Julian Halsby UK art exhibition 7. How to Book 8. Discounts and Coupons from Us 9. Nizas - to London Plus answers to some of your questions and a new regular series of restaurant reviews starts at... http://francevoila.com/ The archives with over 650 features and articles are at... http://francevoila.com/archives/ ====== Sent from France by.. http://francevoila.com/ All you need to know to visit - or live - in France. Full details to subscribe, change address and unsubscribe are at the end of this newsletter. Write to me at... mailto:tony@nizas.com I really do try to answer all letters - if you don't hear from me in a few days - write louder. Tony ===== Accommodation in France From one day - to a Lifetime http://rentalsfrance.com/ ===== 1. FRENCH WITH TEARS Visit The Spectator.co.uk at http://www.spectator.co.uk Victoria Kaulback crossed the Channel in search of glamour and romance, and found a land of humourless conformity. I guess not all of us find things in France so easy to adapt to and accept. This is a good, humorous reminder to think carefully before moving permanently to France. We have heard these feelings from many readers over time. Great for a vacation, but not always so great to live... http://francevoila.com/features/spectator-1.html By Victoria Kaulback ===== A VISIT TO SCHOOL Tony- We are 2 families 2 adults and one 14 year old girl 2 adults one 14 year old and one 17 year old girls arriving in France on 28th Jan in Paris. We want to stay in Paris for 3 days then to travel to your area for approx. 2 weeks. We are outgoing NZ families who enjoy the outdoors. Could you suggest some accommodation - your place in NIZAS sounds great. Could you give us a price for a week - we may stay somewhere else for the other week or stay for both weeks in the area. We quite like the idea of strolling down to a restaurant but wondered if there were any restaurants open in NIZAS. The other area we are interested in is Sete. My 14 year old is very interested in French - her ideal would be to spend a term (about 2 months) with a family in France with similarly aged child who could come back and stay with us for a term. She attends a very good private school at the moment. I realise this is an ideal but wondered if you could put this request in your newsletter. We were also going to try and see if she could attend a school for a few days while we are there. Any recommendations or contacts would be great. We live in Auckland very close to the sea and would welcome any French visitors who may be visiting NZ. Thanks Eileen == Hello Eileen Accommodation is no problem, we have apartments in Paris and can find many properties here for you. - there is a huge difference between Sete which is the busiest port (in shipping movements) on the Mediterranean, and Nizas which is a quiet (usually) farming village 20 minutes from the sea. Nizas has a shop and a cafe and - and that's about it. http://nizas.com/ Unless your 14 year old daughter speaks fluent French she will not be allowed to attend a local school short term. Also, no school would accept her unless you were also a resident or she was with a recognised program. At 14 the school curriculum is very severe, our 13 year old starts at 7:30 and gets home at 5:30 - it is solid work. However, we are building a relationship with a specialist in this sort of service and I am copying this mail to Mary-Louise Toms who may be in direct contact with you. We have enjoyed the visits of many people from NZ and would love to welcome you here. Best wishes Tony ===== Back to Top 2. RESTAURANT REVIEW There may not be much in Nizas in the way of places to eat or shops (Well, Tony and Carole- mostly Carole puts on a good feast for friends!) But, nearby Pezenas is host to a few good, interesting locales. This week Agi, our genuinely French team member tells us about Station Mir. Station Mir 50 rue Conti 34120 Pezenas 04 67 98 54 23 http://francevoila.com/features/restos/stationmir.html ===== Back to Top 3. Matisse-Picasso at the Grand Palais "When one of us dies, there will be things that we will no longer be able to say to anyone else." Picasso, quoted in Françoise Gilot, Matisse and Picasso: Une Amitie Racontee. From the moment they first met in 1906, Matisse and Picasso seem to have had an endless supply of things to say to each other. That stunning visual conversation, marked in equal parts by respect and rivalry, is what makes "Matisse-Picasso" at the Grand Palais the must-see modern art event of the year. These sprawling and ambitious blockbuster shows can be a bit overwhelming, however, even for a visitor familiar with the works on display. But the art specialists at Paris Muse have created a practical primer to read before visiting the show, which will help you get a lot more out of the experience. It's available at: http://www.parismuse.com/news/2002-11-6.html If the snaking lines out front are any indication, the show is breaking attendance records. This is great news for the organizers, but not so good for you. A recent visit to the show, on a Wednesday at 2pm required almost an hour wait. But do not despair if you are wait-phobic but like planning ahead, you have several options. 1. Go with a Paris Muse guide. If you give them enough notice, and provide a few different date options, Paris Muse will buy your tickets for you. Matisse specialist Ellen McBreen, who is currently writing on the sculpture of Matisse, will meet you at the show and whisk you right in past the lines. Why settle for the bland audioguide when you can have a private engaging tour with an art historian who will focus on your interests and questions? McBreen offers her interactive tours of "Matisse-Picasso" (4 person max) for 75 euro per person, which includes the 11 euro advance ticket price. You may email her directly at museinfo@parismuse.com 2. Buy your tickets ahead of time on your own. We recommend doing this a few weeks in advance if you do this online, at http://www.fnac.com/ More information on making reservations can be had at http://www.matissepicasso.com/ By phone from the States, call 011- 33-1-42-31-32. Information from Paris: 01-44-13-17-17. When in Paris, you can also buy them in person at the Office du Tourism (127, avenue des Champs-Elysees), the FNAC at the Champs-Elysées, Virgin, Printemps-Haussmann, Bon Marché, BHV, and Galeries Lafayette. 3. Get the Carte Sesame If you are already in France, another option is to buy a Carte Sesame at the Grand Palais. This card gets you into all three of the Grand Palais shows this year without waiting in line. In addition to Matisse-Picasso, there is also a Constable show until January 13 (see below) and a Chagall retrospective opening March 13. This card is "laissez-passer illimite" which means you can visit each show as many times as you like. The price for the Carte Sesame is 32 euro for one person, 60 euro for two. Since tickets to each are between 8 and 11 euro, this is only a deal if you can actually attend all three, or if you are enough of an enthusiast to go more than once. Matisse/Picasso. Grand Palais. September 22 to January 6. Open daily 10-8pm; Open late on Wednesdays until 10pm. Closed Tuesday. Entrance is at Square Jean Perrin off Avenue General Eisenhower, 75008. M: Champs-Elysees Clemenceau. (Note: for those of you who won't be able to see it in Paris, you'll have another chance when it travels to New York, February 13-May 20, 2003). For more information on the arts and private museum tours in Paris, visit: http://www.parismuse.com/ == Please tell them you saw them in the FranceVoila! newsletter. We would like to continue to publish their articles of interest! ===== SLIP OF THE DOIGTS (FINGERS)- NOT THE ESPRIT Hey Tony: Call me anal but when I come across something like ".....is dominated by its' vinyards", I see red. In the first case, the only time an apostrophe is appropriate in conjunction with ITS is when the words it is are contracted into IT'S. Its' is mistakenly used by many people to mean the possessive of the word its. They fail to understand that, like his and hers, its is possessive without an apostrophe. Secondly, vinyards, in a newsletter from France of all places!! Please pass these observations on to Dawn Eleanor Ramsay as she starts her new venture. Best regards. Peter, just back from a couple of weeks based in St Victor La Coste. Merveilleux!! == Peter- So sorry to have offended you with my poor use of language. My priorities tend to lie elsewhere, and I rarely, if ever use spell check (don't tell Tony). I love writing and write quite naturally without thinking about -,;:' and the like. Often, I have to edit the "!s" in my articles. I have caught myself ending every sentence in a paragraph with them!!! I would not call you anal- but perhaps you miss the point. My goal is to overlook the faults to discover joy, in myself as well as others.... Perhaps my faux pas will help you to that end. And, point taken- I'll work on the random 's in my writing. Plus, I'll even promise to avoid writing past midnight in the future so I don't accidentally misspell common words. Am I forgiven my trespasses on the language? Tell us about St Victor- any good restaurants? My best Dawn Eleanor Ramsay mailto:dawn@rentalsfrance.com ===== SPRING AND SUMMER ON THE CANAL DU MIDI Rent a new boat and cruise the Canal Du Midi for about the same price as a cottage this summer... Wine tasting, bike rides through nearby villages, sun bathing on deck. A good time for sure, with good friends or family! Retire to the cool shade of your private cabin for a tranquil nap, or lay back and watch the countryside flow by. Prepare your own meals in your fully-equipped kitchen or try out some of the nearby restaurants. Luxury boats are available complete with a gourmet chef! You can choose boats to accommodate up to 12- so there's plenty of room for fun! http://frenchcanalvacations.com/ ===== Hi Tony, We're enjoying the newsletter. It's great you can send it out more often now. The canal cruising sounds lovely. We'll check your rentals again as we probably won't be trying to buying a house again, unless we strike it rich. Renting in different region has an appeal and is easier than what we tried to do last summer. Off season prices make it a good alternative to buying. Next year I will be showing my art in Barcelona. If we're driving through we'll say hi - unless we take the train, of course. But we'll connect again, maybe you'll be in Paris when we're there sometime. Keep up the good work. Cheers, Gregg and Carol == It truly is nice to hear from friends... Thanks for keeping in touch! What better advertisement could we have for our services? ===== HIGH EXPECTATIONS...BUT.... Hi Tony, We arrived in Agde 5 weeks ago, had high expectations and hopes. Thought we had discussed the home with the caretaker into details but unfortunately it turns out to be a small disaster. I know, you will say you should have rented from us, ;-) and you're right. The house leaks through the doors when it rains, the woodburning stove doesn't work, it fills the house with smokes and spreads a terrible smell with leaves us with burning headaches. The house was very dirty, mattresses are horrible, the bed collapsed the first night and we sleep on the floor, duvets had big stinking urine stains etc. besides all this, the house is very very small, and the stairs are very steep. I have severe arthritis so going up and down and sleeping on the cold damp floor is affecting my health very bad and causes me a lot of pain. On top of all this, our ADSL doesn't work. We had a phone installed 4 weeks ago and were told ADSL was possible in our house. 3 weeks ago we received the modem but still have no signal at all even though we have been back to telecom in Beziers 4 times to complain. In fact Waldo, my husband, is gone again today. He's a software engineer and should to be working 2 weeks but can't because of the lack of internet connection. We have no clue whatsoever why the ADSL doesn't work. Telecom people told us in their centrale looks everything okay. it's and Ethernet modem connected to my Mac laptop with OS X so what can go wrong? Not much. There simply isn't a signal. We have been to the internet cafe in Pezenas for a couple of afternoons to do some work but that is not a ideal situation. It's very frustrating, We were wondering last night if we shouldn't move to another more comfortable home. We did sign a 6 months lease but as I was reading in your newsletter (love it!) if they didn't enclose the flaws before we do not have to be bound by that lease. You wouldn't know anything available in an area were ADSL would be possible would you? Best wishes, Christine Agde == Hi Christine I will not say I told you so - I am sure that you are not bound by any 6 month lease - you will need to expect an argument, but if you are clear in your evidence that the property is unsuitable and that it is not as described then the law is very much on your side. If you have time, do come over to Pezenas, I am usually in the offices from 09h00 till 19h00. I may be able to give some advice relating to the lease and give you the contacts for consumer protection etc. We do have some accommodation available for the winter Hope to hear from you Tony ===== TEACHING ENGLISH Hello Tony I have read with interest your newsletters for several months now. In 2004 I and my French partner were hoping to come and live in France and we bought a lovely house in Plan de La Tour near St Tropez. In May this year my partner died very suddenly and very young (35) leaving me with the headache of owning a house with his parents. It is still my dearest wish in time to live and work in France and with this in mind next year I am hoping to start a TESOL course. In your opinion do you think I might find suitable work. I speak fairly passable French - not fluent by any means but enough to get by. Because I am English speaking I wondered if this might be an advantage on the Cote D'Azur because so many other nationalities visit and unhappily not all speak French but many speak English. I await your reply Regards Jacky == Hello Jacky I am sorry to hear of your bereavement. You would be able to live comfortably in any part of the south of France with passable French. There are many English speaking people living here. This of course will also mean that there is no shortage of people who are available for any English language related occupation. There are tens of thousands of British residents now living here. Finding work anywhere in France is very difficult, this is in fact much harder for any person who is not French and even harder in the South which attracts a large floating seasonal population. However, determination and persistence are always the best ways to success and anything is possible. Best wishes Tony == Jacky- I've recently researched this subject as well. The TESOL- or any certification is better than none (the French like the Cambridge programs), however you may run into another snag. If you are not from the EC and do not have a working visa, you will have difficulty getting one. Most teaching jobs are part time- many only a few hours. Teachers go from school to school to get a living wage. To get your carte de sejour for EC members, or your working visa for non-EC members, you must have a work contract that shows you will be paid the SMIC- minimum wage. Otherwise, you must prove you have resources to support yourself. Good luck. Dawn Eleanor Ramsay ===== PROPERTY SPECULATION AND WEATHER Tony, Spent lot of time this morning on your web site. Very interesting and friendly site. We have moved to Gers over last couple of years and recently I have been doing the rounds of the web sites to look at business opportunities. I was surprised to find how negative you were on property speculation in France. Prices have shot up and for those living here I do think it is possible to find a bargain and sell on handsomely. I have now done it twice with good reward. I have brought a further two which I will rent out. Agree entirely on the trend to poorer rental yields with rental properties as the supply side continues to grow. For this reason we are renting one of our properties on a normal letting to the French, where I have found rental levels are not bad in this area - and yes we are aware of how the law is weighted towards the tenants but we have taken some precautions. On a completely different tack, one of the things I have been looking for is a decent French web site on local weather patterns. I have been to Meteo Consult which gives good weather forecasts but I am seeking to understand the historic pattern of local weather information e.g. the level of rainfall in Montpellier last year. Can you help? David == Hello David You clearly know your business and yes it is possible to deal successfully in property especially as prices are rising fast, however, the up to 40%capital gains tax, income tax and the 10% taxes on purchase do make it more difficult to make speculation profits than in some other countries. I know many people who have lost money in real terms in the last few years or who are having to hang on to reduce their tax liabilities in spite of prices which have jumped up to 100% in the last three years. What I warn against is the "claim" by many companies, websites, exploration tours and immobilier that it is a certainty that buying a house in France will not only pay for itself by rentals, but is guaranteed to have a big capital gain very quickly. This is and always was absolute tosh. The best sites we have found for weather information are at http://rentalsfrance.com/weather/ Weather Underground can give a history of local data. Hope this helps Tony ===== Back to Top 4. WEB-HOSTING AND OTHER SERVICES WE OFFER To get the quality and reliability we demand for our websites, we found the only way was to start our own web-hosting company 23333.com.(33 is Frances' country code!) You will find our hosting packages more than competitive with an unequalled range of reliable, proven services to make your website count. You will be able to enjoy the same service we get for our sites like RentalsFrance.com and 1stVacations.com. We have a range of services which specialize in the needs of home rental sites. * free on-line availability calendar which you can access directly and update * free on-line guest book * free on-line news page to post news and events in your area * free members forum so you can write on-line to other registered owners to share news and knowledge about renting your property * discounts and special offers on other travel services * web design and promotion To learn more about our services, which can be as little as $10 a month, write to Kevin at.. mailto:hosting@23333.com ===== Back to Top 5. Christmas in Paris For winter picnicking in Paris, we have the following suggestions from readers- for the people wanting to picnic in December in Paris, I would suggest the following outdoor, but covered, locations (may well be cold but relatively dry): Parc Montsouris band stand, Parc Luxembourg covered areas (many) or, for indoor spots that don't already serve food--that's a tough one. How about the corner of a large church (as was done in the Middle Ages)? S. Sulpice and St. Eustache come to mind though it would have to be a pretty quiet picnic! == Editor's note: I wouldn't recommend a church. I saw a guard at Notre Dame physically remove a woman with a video camera during a service this summer- I have a picture in my head of you all being hefted out of the building with your food flung after you! From the looks of the guard, he would keep the wine! == TONY, My suggestion for the picnic is PASSAGE JOFFERY NANCY HELEN Your French Connection mailto:nancyhelen@ceefrance.com http://www.yourfrenchconnexion.com ===== Back to Top 6. UK art exhibition If you can't get to Paris this winter, but are in Hampshire- there is a very good art exhibition of mostly French subjects. One of the artists, Julian Halsby is a good friend and longtime visitor to Languedoc. You can see many of the pictures on the gallery web site: We have added one of Julians' paintings on the front page of FranceVoila! Just a little inspiration... http://francevoila.com/ ===== CAR HIRE If you are venturing out of Paris, you will probably want a car. You get the best prices available and also help support us if you use the links from our site. They don't pay us much, but every little bit helps. Plus, all these companies come recommended from us or our readers! http://rentalsfrance.com/carhire/ ===== Back to Top 7. THE HOW TO BOOK We are adding to the information about French property taxes. The section in our new printable e-book will include information never discussed in our free archives or newsletter! Let us know if you will be wanting your copy.... We are putting all the information you need to run a successful Gite in one place. From details such as dishes to provide, marketing techniques, and registering with the authorities to the basics of buying, what to look out for- how to calculate return on investment and how to legally proceed with renovations. To see last week's sample: http://francevoila.com/howsample/3sample.pdf If you are interested in THE HOW TO BOOK, please email : mailto:howto@francevoila.com We'll reserve you a copy and keep you posted on the progress- If you have any questions on this subject- send them along! ===== Back to Top 8. Pricing and Coupons We occasionally find a property we list with different prices on other sites. I will repeat: WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD. A few owners have brought to our attention that "free" sites are picking up their ads and showing them on their sites without permission. This is a growing trend. Most often the rental inquiries are never even forwarded on to the owners. When they are, there are frequently details missing, etc. This wastes both your and the owners' time. If you find any property rental we are showing on any of our sites listed at a lower price somewhere else, we will always make sure you get that property at the best price available. Before renting from any site, make sure the company is registered. Any reputable company will clearly post their address and phone number. They should be able to provide you with an immobilier registration, agente commerciale number and most likely a Siret number. If not, you could be supporting a company that is operating illegally. All new subscribers get a free coupon. If you have not claimed yours, claim it now (only one per e-mail/surface-mail address). If you spot an error or admission in our sites, we will also send you a coupon. http://rentalsfrance.com/coupon/ The database will tell me if you are printing out more than one - so no cheating. We are encouraging owners to list their specials via "coupons" on their pages too. Look for them when you are browsing. ===== Back to Top 9. Nizas - to London Not about Nizas this week as I have been in London at the World Travel Market and some conferences. The Excel center in the rejuvenated docklands of East London is impressive - the transport to this massive building is not. The misery of travelling in inadequate, obsolete and very expensive London Transport trains and buses is one I had (almost) forgotten having been living in France for 12 years. It should not take longer to cross London than to fly there from the south of France. The strike by British firefighters compounded the problems, as did many closed stations due to "repairs" and the complete cancellation of trains from London airports to the city meaning the bus ride took twice as long as the whole air trip (and was more expensive). London will have to do a lot to have any hope of hosting the 2012 Olympics. There were 5000 exhibitors from every country in the world promoting tourism in their regions - La France had a mini-city of stands with charming dancers from the Lido and Moulin Rouge - so France gets my prize for the best, least dressed, attraction. I had a good week of food and many warm pints of John Smiths beer, the best fish and chips I have ever had in Hannigans of Crouch End - the traditional Indian hot curry (impossible to get in France) the perfect Chinese meal and the company of our friends Julian and Miranda from (Nizas and Highgate) But to leave the fog-bound airport (only just, as many planes were cancelled) and arrive in the warm and cloud free south of France was a joy. The meteorites on Monday were breathtaking from our bedroom terrace at 05h00. It's good to be home. ===== We love to receive your letters and comments and we really try to answer all mail but it does get lost, filtered or vanishes somewhere.(This week, it can undoubtedly be blamed on the ghosts and ghouls floating about. They use your notes as decorations for their party.) So, if you write and don't hear from me, please write again. mailto:tony@nizas.com |