moving to France

[contadina]

"The biggest problem with living in France is the amount of weight you put on because of all the lovely bread, cheese and wine"

That's so true - I have friends and family living in France and they've all had to ween themselves off the croissant and cheese diet - but the weight they've gained hasn't shifted!

[cheapandcheery]

The old saying.

''A moment on the lips...a lifetime on the hips'' So true, so true!

Jill

[niknak]

Thanks cheapandcheery, really looking forward to moving out there before too long.
We keep promising ourselves that with the extra physical work we will be taking on, we should'nt put on too much extra weight.
But the cakes over there are reaaaaaally nice ......& the wine......& cheese.
Wonder if they have the equivalent of a JJB over there?

[cheapandcheery]

What's a JJB?????????????
Jill

[9ball]

JJB is a big sports shop. The place to go to get a costume for a chav fancy dress party.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Wonder if they have the equivalent of a JJB over there?

Decathelon. The quality is very good, and it's a real sports shop, rather than somewhere selling loose clothes for those who have indulged in too many pies.

The key to staying slim in France is this: eat as the French eat. Cheese is consumed in quantities bearly visible to the naked eye and wine in glasses the size of thimbles. This is how they say thin.

We used to do table d'hôte in the gîtes. When the cheese board was presented the British habit (and I used to be equally guilty of doing this until I started to expand) was to take a great lump of each cheese: the French took a sliver. Once I realised this I shrunk again.

[niknak]

JJB is a big sports shop. The place to go to get a costume for a chav fancy dress party.

Our JJB has a gym/sauna/pool. I used to go alot :naka: but I gave up going when I took up gardening. Cheaper and much more enjoyable!

[oldfella]

Having lived here awhile the only advice I can give from experience is that if you make an effort to join your local community, and ask for help with the problems that you will find in making such a big change in your life, go and talk to the appropriate department, IE, the local tax office, the local health office, and do it with smile and joke and you will find that you will be treated with far more respect than you you would be in the UK

[Millymollymandy]

Sadly that depends where you live. I read only too many stories where people are treated like a rabid dog because either they are British or the bureaucrat got out of bed the wrong side that morning.

We have had our ups and downs, but the big lesson to learn about life in France, as regards the bureaucracy you will face, is that no-one, but no-one will give you information that you need unless you ask for it. Of course you won't ask for it because you don't know that it exists because they couldn't be bothered to tell you.

If they do tell you, and the answer is NO, then ask again, another day. You will probably find the answer will be YES with someone else.

All French people go through these hoops too, even if they are bureaucrats themselves, because the arse doesn't know what the elbow is talking about.

Oh the joys of living in this bloody country.

[oldfella]

Sadly that depends where you live.

We have had our ups and downs, but the big lesson to learn about life in France, as regards the bureaucracy you will face, is that no-one, but no-one will give you information that you need unless you ask for it. Of course you won't ask for it because you don't know that it exists because they couldn't be bothered to tell you.

I am sorry if that has been your experience 3Ms but mine was to so totally different;

[Millymollymandy]

I'm glad you've had good experiences Oldfella! It's just that it is better to point out the bad things that can happen, and do, only too often, so those moving out will know it can be a very complicated country.

Only today I was told by my physio - "Only one more session to go."

My amazed response: "But my foot isn't better yet! and you told me my problem might go on for 2 years!!!???!!!"

"Oh you have to go back to your doctor for another prescription because it is only good for 8 sessions."

So more time wasted going back to the doctor, more forms, more €1 lost to the Government that isn't refunded every time you visit the doctor. More stamps sending off yet more forms and of course the postage isn't refunded either. So much for the 'free' ha ha health care.

[ina]

"Oh you have to go back to your doctor for another prescription because it is only good for 8 sessions."

8 sessions? I got one - after 4 months of waiting here; that was 1.5 years ago, and my leg is nowhere near better! And I know it's the same in Germany; you always get a number of sessions straight away, and you don't wait months or even years for it... Could it be you've forgotten by now how awful the NHS can be?

[Millymollymandy]

I'm not comparing it to the NHS, just pointing out the fun of the bureaucracy here. How many forms do you have to fill in and send off when you have medical treatment in the UK? I can't even really tell you the name of my 'caisse' (the people who refund the majority of my health costs) because they have so many!

And actually, it took 6 months of asking before my doctor would send me to a physio!

[oldfella]

It may be possible as you say MMM that it depends where you live, but to balance the the picture, may I tell you what my health care picture is. When I visit my Doctor which I have to every 4 months, I have to present my Carte Vitale (National Health Card) which is used to record all health transactions and pay the Doctors Fee of 22euros which is refunded to my Bank account within 30 days. My medication prescription is made out four months so that I do not have to visit her every month (this is normal practice in France) my prescription is filled and again I use my Carte Vitale I pay nothing and the chemist also has my private insurance details in the computer and all payments are direct, also once a year I have to see a heart specialist and the procedure is the same.

In my time in France I have been hospitalised on 3 occasions and to give one example from the time from visiting the Doctor to the Operation
was four weeks and three days, the operation was to remove a varicose vein, and again I only gave them my Carte Vitale and my private insurance card, and I have never been asked to fill in any forms, I can only say to you that I have only every found here my region cause to praise the health system and I am sorry that you appear to have a very different experience

[Millymollymandy]

I have to pay upfront everywhere except the pharmacy, then wait for a refund from first my Caisse, then send the paperwork that comes with it to the Mutuelle who then refund the remainder!!! Recently when seeing both the podologue and the physio they were not interested in my Carte Vitale, as they are (old fashioned I assume) and still use the Feuille de Soins, which is the brown form which you have to send off to the Caisse. At the physio I had a grey form which I've never seen before which is something about advance warning for continuing treatment. I presume I'll have to re-do that form every 8 sessions as well!

However when my OH was unemployed it was all free, no money changed hands ever and no forms!

I'm glad you've had good experiences though. Having come from having private health insurance and my healthcare primarily in Switzerland, I am not impressed by France, apart from the empty (of patients) hospital emergency dept I once visited, which was amazing!