Where does “Jo Step Out” next?
On the road again!
It’s getting close to that time again when I hit the road and start a new adventure in my roaming around the world. However, this time will be a bit different as I’m going back to France to scout out a place to move to!
Yes, you read that correctly. I hadn’t planned to settle anywhere for several years, but upon reflection and my recent love affair with France, I’ve decided to take the plunge earlier than planned. So, to that end, I will be flying to Rome on Sept 27, then on to Bari, Italy to spend time with a friend who moved to that area earlier this year. After that, I will fly to Paris and get on a train to visit the 7-8 places that I’ve identified (with the help of a relocation specialist) that fit the criteria I’m looking for in a place to live.
And, no….I do not speak French, but I have weekly lessons with a tutor who says my accent is improving greatly. I’m just going to have to take his word for it, as it doesn’t feel that way to me!
Why France and why now?
In all of my travels, I had never been to France. When I spent 2 months there last year, I fell in love. It just immediately felt like a place that I could live long-term.
One of the issues I run into with travel in Europe, is the Schengen Zone. I can only travel in these countries (most of Europe), for 90 days within a 180 day period. That really limits when you can go and what time of the year you can go. As a resident of France, those rules would not apply to me. I can go where I want…when I want.
So, although I will have a home in France, I still plan to travel quite a bit. It will just be easier to do it from France as opposed to traveling from the US.
I want to live in a town where everything I need is a few minutes walk. The bakery, pharmacy, market, grocery store, café, bank and doctor can all be within a 10–15 minute walk, or an easy bus or train ride.
I love the people, the history and architecture, ancient medieval castles and villages. Beautiful scenery and a mild climate.
One of the most important reasons that I want to move is the quality of food. Markets happen a couple of times per week, where local produce is available. It’s not just produce that is healthier, the food in the grocery stores is also not full of dyes, bad oils and other toxins.
Entertainment is often integrated into town life. Concerts, festivals, markets, exhibitions, outdoor performances, museums and community events can be accessible without getting in a car and driving 30–45 minutes.
France fits into my goal to have an active retirement, great healthcare, walkable towns, easy train travel, markets, culture and a strong sense of place.
Where am I going?
When I get to France, I will be taking the train to visit several places that have been recommended by a relocation specialist that I’ve hired to help me out. I’ve given him my criteria for what I want in a location, and he has given me these cities to visit. I have friends who live in Libourne, so I will be stopping to see them rather than looking at living there.
I anticipate spending 2-4 days in each city. Once I narrow the list down to one or two places, I will go back to those cities and spend a few weeks in each to get a food feel for whether or not it would be a good place to live.
When am I moving?
I will be in Italy and France from Sept 28 to approximately the first week in December. Then I have to leave the Schengen Zone so thinking I will spend the rest of December through the middle of February in Montenegro and/or Turkey.
When I’m back home in February, I will apply for a French retirement Visa, and once that has been approved, I have 3 months to actually move. That puts me in the June-August time-frame.
The good news is that I don’t have much left to have to ship over, so not much to do
