Nearly five years ago, just a year after Síle and I had sold the restaurant and when I had been blogging for about six months I wrote a piece about the ten reasons why I wanted to retire to France.

This was the year before we bought Le Presbytere.

As we now have just completed our first year of living the dream in France it seemed a good idea to revisit the dream and see how it relates to reality.

Under each reason I will give in italics my modern judgement on the dream of five years ago.

1. The Weather

We have spent time in France now during nearly every month of the calendar and often in very different parts.
This includes November in the Cote d’Azure and in the Loire.
Time spent by the Loire during January.
Countless Julys spent everywhere from Brittany, down through Poiteau, Charante, the Lot, The Gard, Languedoc, the Auvergne, Provence etc etc.
August in the Tarn and Roussillon, Burgundy and again the Loire.
An excellent Easter in Alsace, and on every occasion –bar one fairly miserable Easter in Normandy- we have always had better weather than we would have had in Ireland.

The evidence is clear:
The Weather is Better in France.

Mainly yes, but with reservations. The post Christmas winter had some bitter weather, so cold that we are seriously thinking of getting in some form of central heating for next year. Also the spring was wet, wetter that recent years according to records.
All this I can forgive however because of the beautiful warm and sunny Autumn and the glorious (and not too hot) summer of last year.

2. The Food

Yes I know we are getting better here and our markets are becoming much more impressive but we still have a long way to go before we reach the heady standards of the French village market.
The fact that more sun gets their fruits to optimum ripeness there is one factor, but, probably even more important, is the highly discriminatory, not to mention thrifty, French housewife who wouldn’t dream of buying any product if even the slightest bit sub standard, or overpriced.
Observe the queues outside those stalls selling the choicest fruit in the markets, then join them.
This ultimately insures the high quality and cheapness of food there.

Again some reservations on this earlier judgement.
Early spring can be as barren of vegetables in the south of France and only the proximity of Spain saves us from the possibility of living solely on root vegetables. Also , with some exceptions, the Med does seem to have been very overfished so often we are getting Atlantic fish brought over from the fish auctions in the South West of France, at, inevitably, higher cost than the same fish in Ireland.
Our local village butcher kills and hangs his meat to perfection. A lucky plus.

3. The Wine

This is one of price pure and simple.
We can buy wine in France for at least half the cost of wine here, and with a little travelling and ferreting out we can spend about a quarter.
( we were buying excellent red from a local cave last summer for €1 a litre)
Add (subtract!) the consequences of that from your weekly shopping bill!

Add to this the delights of shopping around the caves for the best bargains of the moment and it is all pure enjoyment. (A possible downsider might be the condition of my liver)

4. The People

This is not I know a popular notion in Ireland of the Welcomes but we have come across more genuine kindness and hospitality in France than we ever have else where.
I promise you that the lunettes rose are doffed, I too have come across the proverbial arrogance of Frenchmen and women but find that far outweighed by French kindness.

Hear Hear

5. Politeness

A bit akin to the previous I know but subtly different.
The French are still trained in politeness.
In Campsites this year we noticed that children don’t pass one without a simple “Bon Jour” or “Bon Soir”or a “Bon Appetite” if one is eating.
As one enters every small shop one is greeted by choruses of “Bon Jour Monsieur/Madame”s
A small thing, but one my sister noticed in supermarkets.
The check out girls always greet you as they put your purchases through, never talk to other people in the queue when you are with them and always say “Au Revoir” as you go. Such old style manners seem to be long forgotten here.

Again Hear Hear

6. The Buildings

This one is a lot to do with France’s comparative affluence during the last few centuries and also the French great respect and conservation of their history. So often we have, when ambling through side roads on moments of off motorway leisure, come across wonderful villages, unheralded by the guides, which have houses and churches untouched it seems since the 17th century.
Mind blowing stuff.

This has proved to be even more of a mind blower than expected, I think what I hadn’t noticed before we moved here was the details of street architecture.

7. The Language

I just love it, from the poems I learned in my Inter cert to the songs of Françoise Hardy, the rippling “Rs” of Piaf to my current obsession Jacques Brel.
I could listen to French all day (and hope to.)

Of course not quite a complete joy as expected and my lack of skill can often be extremely frustrating.
I do improve and thank the heavens for my brass neck.

8. The Chic” ness

Men and women alike just tend to dress, and look better.
Yes I know there are exceptions to this, the women’s peculiar attachment to gold shoes and orange hair, and the mens’ even more peculiar idea that a waxed moustache is flattering not to mention their uniform when cycling, but, on the whole both sexes are a pleasure to look at.

This one I think I got wrong, having studied the dress sense of the village for the last year I think we do as well in Ireland.
Now Spain…., they do dress well there.

9. The Brocantes
(for their second hand glasses)

I know my family will be amazed to see this, my well known penchant, coming in at a mere ninth but, since I no longer have a restaurant to decorate with glasses and now have about 20 boxes of glasses in storage I fell I can no longer buy with the enthusiasm I used.
I haven’t completely given up though!

I have I confess had to abandon the collection of glasses, bar ones that have a high practical use. Nothing can persuade me that to add to those in storage would be a good idea. However I am still open to ceramics, old linens, garden furniture but have downgraded from Brocantes to Vide Greniers (Car boot sales)

10 The Culture

There are many things that make up the great charm of this country which I am now going to list under this vague heading.
In no particular order they are:

The enormous importance of food in their culture ( and the status of chefs) is music to my eyes, ears and taste buds.

The fact that old people are seen on the streets doing their own shopping (and that they trustingly hand their purses to the shopkeeper to pay)

That children are not only seen and heard but also welcomed into homes and even restaurants (and rise to the occasion when they are there)
(Obverse side of this coin is that the same applies to dogs but, what the hell, no body’s perfect!)

The great literature, and that I have yet to read most of it!

Bakeries (heavily and correctly subsidised) in nearly every village.

Savon d’Alep, that most natural soap, made from olive oil and bay leaves which never aggravates my eczema.

White peaches, freely available even in the hypermarkets.
The taste of heaven!

Just to pick out one thing which has disappointed, bread is perhaps not as magical as expected and the ephemeral baguette (crisp for about an hour) I now buy only for visitors. I have reverted to making my own.

Last word,
Any Regrets ?

No.