Have any of you spent time or lived in Central France?

[FITBMX]

One of these days I plan on moving to Central or south France, not in a city, but out in the country.
I am working on learning to to speak French.
Have any of you spent much time there?

 

[Directway]

My sons girlfriend is from France. She is visiting at present and is working on moving to Canada permanently. She is from Paris. She worked on the same street and ate daily at the restaurant where the one terrorist attack took place. Is there some information in particular you are looking for? I could ask her if there is something you wanted to know.

Marcel

 

[petrochemist]

My brother is doing up a Gite in a very rural area and spends about half the year there. His french was rather patchy when he started. He's made some good local friends & seems to be loving it.

 

[gsgary]

Always try and get in with the local mayor especially if you want to renovate old property

 

[FITBMX]

My sons girlfriend is from France. She is visiting at present and is working on moving to Canada permanently. She is from Paris. She worked on the same street and ate daily at the restaurant where the one terrorist attack took place. Is there some information in particular you are looking for? I could ask her if there is something you wanted to know.

Marcel

I am glad she is okay!
Is there a big difference between the French I am learning, and what is spoken in the rural areas?
Also, Some people have told me that taxes are so high, that you can even afford to live there. Now that seemed off to me, because there are a lot of people living there. But is it something to think about?

I really appreciate the help, Thanks you!

My brother is doing up a Gite in a very rural area and spends about half the year there. His french was rather patchy when he started. He's made some good local friends & seems to be loving it.

That is nice to know! I asked this same question on a non photo forum, and they said France is a "Cesspool" and the people are (jerks, that hate foreigners). That didn't seems right either, so it is nice hearing that your brother likes it there.

 

[FITBMX]

Always try and get in with the local mayor especially if you want to renovate old property

That helps?
That is what I would like to do, get a old Chateau (or something like that) I know everyone probably wants to do this. Do I would have it more as a large working produce farm.

 

[gsgary]

Always try and get in with the local mayor especially if you want to renovate old property

That helps?
That is what I would like to do, get a old Chateau (or something like that) I know everyone probably wants to do this. Do I would have it more as a large working produce farm.

The local mayors have quite a lot of power

 

[FITBMX]

Always try and get in with the local mayor especially if you want to renovate old property

That helps?
That is what I would like to do, get a old Chateau (or something like that) I know everyone probably wants to do this. Do I would have it more as a large working produce farm.

The local mayors have quite a lot of power

Didn't know that!

 

[gsgary]

French politics goes local - the role of Mayor - Riviera Reporter

 

[limr]

Any language is going to reflect regional differences, so yes, there is going to be some pronunciation and vocabulary differences between what you are learning here (probably Parisian French) and the dialect you'll be exposed to when you move (unless you move to Paris.)

I haven't spent time in central or southern France, but I've been to Normandy. The people are lovely, the landscape is gorgeous, and the French spoken there is very clear.

 

[FITBMX]

French politics goes local - the role of Mayor - Riviera Reporter

Thanks, It was very interesting!

Any language is going to reflect regional differences, so yes, there is going to be some pronunciation and vocabulary differences between what you are learning here (probably Parisian French) and the dialect you'll be exposed to when you move (unless you move to Paris.)

I haven't spent time in central or southern France, but I've been to Normandy. The people are lovely, the landscape is gorgeous, and the French spoken there is very clear.

There is a huge difference between me (here is Kansas) and someone from Arkansas or Oklahoma. So I figured there would be a difference. But if I learn Parisian French, I should be able learn the local difference.
And there is pretty much no chance of me moving to a big city like Paris, I am just not a city person.

 

[Gary A.]

I lived in Paris back in the '90s.

 

[FITBMX]

I lived in Paris back in the '90s.

What did you think of it?

 

[pgriz]

If you note that Gary seems to be living a very Parisian lifestyle while in LA, you'll know.

I have a friend whose family comes from near Marseille. They maintain an apartment in Paris and the ancestral home in the country not far from Marseille. The 'granpere' is in his 80's and splits his time between Montreal and France, and last time I talked to him, he was grumbling about the lack of good tradespeople who he could trust to maintain his home (built sometime in 1700's). If you are interested, I'll ask him next time I see him.

 

[Gary A.]

I lived in Paris back in the '90s.

What did you think of it?

Not life as a Parisian ... A Californian lifestyle.