It's coming up on the 2nd anniversary of the day we moved into our apartment & we have been reflecting on those stress-filled days.
Our original plan was to have our furniture & household goods loaded directly from our San Francisco house into the 20' container, & then, after arriving at the port in Marseille, have everything delivered into a storage space in Béziers while we looked for our new home. We soon realized that it was a better option to store it in the U.S., rather than paying for movers twice (unload the container into the storage space & then move from the space to our home) in France, where it's more expensive. We had clearly spelled this out to the U.S. company that made all the arrangements & they told us that they would handle all the details with the agent in Marseille, where our container would be arriving.
Once we found our apartment in Pézenas, we notified (more than once) both the U.S. office & the contact in Marseille that our apartment was up 2 flights of stairs, & that a 20' container was unlikely to fit in the narrow, winding streets around our building, & they should plan accordingly. They told us they would make all the necessary arrangements with the police in Pézenas so they could get the required permits.
The U.S. contact notified us a few days before our move-in date that we hadn't paid for unloading & moving in, so we should "get a few friends together" & have them unload. What?! First of all, we didn't know people here, & secondly (& most importantly) we PAID for a completed delivery, not to have everything dumped on the street several blocks away. We were able to get her to calm down & stop trying to rip us off at every turn. Things were getting stressful!
So, on moving day, the truck with the container arrived in Pézenas, only to be told by the local police that they couldn't access our street. After much back & forth, the driver was directed to a place to park the truck. Shortly after, a smaller truck arrived, along with the 2 guys who would be unloading. Unfortunately, they were told that they would be unloading the container into a ground floor unit. We had more than a bit of panic when it looked like they would just drive off.
The smaller truck shuttled back & forth between the container & our building, hauling furniture & boxes up the 42 winding, medieval stairs. The poor guys were exhausted. Here's where things got really interesting.....Our reclining armchair, sofa, dining table, & part of our bed would not fit through the very narrow (around 24" wide) doorway that leads from the stairs to the small landing where our apartment & our neighbor's apartments are. There is a funny little dogleg in the hallway, making it impossible to get those pieces of furniture in to the apartment. It's fairly common for movers to use a lift (similar to a cherry picker) to move furniture & cartons into upper floors, but the moving company didn't request one, & in any case, we're not sure our windows are large enough to accommodate the larger pieces of furniture.
Help! We quickly called the storage facility we originally planned to use, & were lucky that they had a space available. Then, we called Tim, a British guy a friend had recommended. He has a moving & home repair business (Man With a Van) & we crossed our fingers that he would be able to help. Luck was on our side because he left a barbecue with friends, drove an hour to Pézenas to rescue us. Before moving the furniture back downstairs to his van, he gave a try at getting it through the doorway, but he had no more luck than the other 2 guys did. So....downstairs the furniture went, & after Tim met us at the storage facility, all was safely locked away.
While we sat outside the building waiting for Tim, we chatted with the woman who owned the store next to our building & she seemed surprised that it didn't occur to us to measure the doorway and/or notice the strange shape of the hallway, because it seems all French people know to look at these things. Funny, it hadn't occurred to us. When we thought about it, it really made sense. The building was built in the 14th century, when doorways were built to be easily defended, making them no wider than necessary. Furniture then wasn't as big, & people didn't move often.
In the middle of all this, we got a call from the shipper in Marseille, telling us we owed a couple of hundred additional euros because the delivery was not on the ground floor, & that we hadn't paid for door-to-door delivery. What?! Our contract with the U.S. company clearly included door-to-door service, & we had -- on multiple occasions -- advised them of the stairs. We told the Marseille contact what we paid to the U.S. company, & what our contract stated was included, & she realized that she was being cheated by the U.S. company, who took our money but did not pay her. We wrote the check, gave it to the driver because we had no other choice. In the end, the check was never cashed, & it would have been interesting to hear the conversations between the 2 shipping agencies.
Once we started unwrapping the furniture that was so carefully packaged by the Delancey Street Movers in San Francisco, we noticed damage to several pieces, but the moving company didn't care & did nothing to compensate us.
We got through the day & were lucky we still had a few more days in the house we had been renting, so we could escape the chaos & live "normally" while we made the apartment ready to be inhabited. We dread the day we ever choose to move again.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Summer town, winter town
We arrived in Pézenas at the very end of October, 2011 & it seemed that nearly everything in & around the historic center of town was closed. At first we thought it was because it was Sunday evening, but then Monday came & most things were still closed (not unusual in France). The next day was a holiday -- All Saints Day -- so the closures made sense then also. But, we were surprised that in the days that followed, the vast majority of the "old town" was closed up tight, & rather gloomy. Some of the shops & cafés opened for a couple of weeks around Christmas, but then it was quiet again. We could stroll through the streets & not see an open store or another pedestrian.
Then, as spring came, things started opening. It was fun seeing what was behind all those closed doors & shuttered windows. Merchants were busy renovating shops & displaying merchandise, & the cafés were building their outdoor seating areas (usually wooden platforms on top of the uneven cobblestone streets) in anticipation of the warmer weather.
Tourists started coming to Pézenas & the sleepy little town had some life once again. By the time summer was in full swing, the narrow, twisty streets of the old town were crowded & sometimes it was challenging to make our way home, as by June we had moved into our apartment in the old town, & these streets were our neighborhood. We could overhear conversations in a multitude of languages & people were ooh-ing & aahh-ing over the architecture & history of our town.
In July & August many shops participate in the nocturnes & stay open until midnight on Wed. & Fri. nights, & there are events happening all around town. Friends had told us how much different it was in Pézenas during the summer months, but we hadn't believed it until we we experienced it ourselves.
As the summer wound down, so did the activity & buzz. By November, things were quiet again, almost like a bear in hibernation.
As the following spring arrived, what we found interesting was that the vast majority of shops that opened were not the same ones that had occupied those spaces the year before. All that hard work to lay tile floors, paint walls, etc. for just one summer season, only to do it all again the following year. Some businesses moved to new locations, & sometimes someone opened a completely different type of shop the next year. What do they do with the merchandise from the previous year?
It's also a bit strange -- from an American perspective, at least -- that a shop owner wouldn't do even a tiny bit of market research before opening a shop. For instance, there is a shop here that sells a lot of things made of cork (umbrellas, trivets, aprons, purses) & other natural materials. They are open all year, so when another shop opened a couple of streets away, selling a lot of the identical merchandise, we were surprised that they hadn't noticed the first shop, which essentially was a direct competitor & presumably had a customer base.
There was a food shop (épicerie fine) where we had shopped a couple of times that had a sale because they were closing. The owner said that it was too hard to make a living because more shops that sold similar merchandise had opened in town. Then, after closing for a short while, she opened a clothing store in the same location.
What is truly strange is the "moving" bookstore. It's open all year, but is in one location during the winter months, & then moves across the street to its summer location, & then does it all again for the winter. I'm sure there's a logical reason for this back & forth movement, but we can't figure it out. Then, this spring they opened a 2nd small shop around the corner & we wonder whether it will close at the end of the summer.
Now, our third spring here, it's been interesting watching the stores open, wondering what each will sell.
Then, as spring came, things started opening. It was fun seeing what was behind all those closed doors & shuttered windows. Merchants were busy renovating shops & displaying merchandise, & the cafés were building their outdoor seating areas (usually wooden platforms on top of the uneven cobblestone streets) in anticipation of the warmer weather.
Tourists started coming to Pézenas & the sleepy little town had some life once again. By the time summer was in full swing, the narrow, twisty streets of the old town were crowded & sometimes it was challenging to make our way home, as by June we had moved into our apartment in the old town, & these streets were our neighborhood. We could overhear conversations in a multitude of languages & people were ooh-ing & aahh-ing over the architecture & history of our town.
In July & August many shops participate in the nocturnes & stay open until midnight on Wed. & Fri. nights, & there are events happening all around town. Friends had told us how much different it was in Pézenas during the summer months, but we hadn't believed it until we we experienced it ourselves.
As the summer wound down, so did the activity & buzz. By November, things were quiet again, almost like a bear in hibernation.
As the following spring arrived, what we found interesting was that the vast majority of shops that opened were not the same ones that had occupied those spaces the year before. All that hard work to lay tile floors, paint walls, etc. for just one summer season, only to do it all again the following year. Some businesses moved to new locations, & sometimes someone opened a completely different type of shop the next year. What do they do with the merchandise from the previous year?
It's also a bit strange -- from an American perspective, at least -- that a shop owner wouldn't do even a tiny bit of market research before opening a shop. For instance, there is a shop here that sells a lot of things made of cork (umbrellas, trivets, aprons, purses) & other natural materials. They are open all year, so when another shop opened a couple of streets away, selling a lot of the identical merchandise, we were surprised that they hadn't noticed the first shop, which essentially was a direct competitor & presumably had a customer base.
There was a food shop (épicerie fine) where we had shopped a couple of times that had a sale because they were closing. The owner said that it was too hard to make a living because more shops that sold similar merchandise had opened in town. Then, after closing for a short while, she opened a clothing store in the same location.
What is truly strange is the "moving" bookstore. It's open all year, but is in one location during the winter months, & then moves across the street to its summer location, & then does it all again for the winter. I'm sure there's a logical reason for this back & forth movement, but we can't figure it out. Then, this spring they opened a 2nd small shop around the corner & we wonder whether it will close at the end of the summer.
Now, our third spring here, it's been interesting watching the stores open, wondering what each will sell.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
The same, but so different
After a long -- 2 years -- hiatus, we're blogging again, this time with a focus on food. There are some foods in France that we assumed were the same as in the U.S., but that's not always the case.
For example, celery in France is not generally eaten raw; instead, it's used in soups & stews. Taking a bite of raw French celery, we were surprised to find out how tough & bitter it usually is. When cooked in soups & stews, the flavor & texture become milder, so it's fine in those cases, but if we want some crudités for a snack, celery is out. On the positive side, if we want to buy only 1 stalk, that's easily done.
Carrots were another surprise. The majority of carrots we find are rather fat & also have a bitter taste when eaten raw, but they are fine in soups & stews. At the market I search for the skinniest carrots I can find, which can take some digging. We occasionally see bags of miniature carrots (which are ubiquitous in the U.S., but unusual here) but have yet to buy them. Aside from their high cost, we worry that they will still have the same bitterness as the large carrots, but in a smaller format.
Most potatoes in the U.S. have a relatively high starch content; not so with most potatoes in France. They are either waxy (like new red potatoes) or watery when cooked. We made our favorite potato salad recipe but it wasn't quite right because it really needed the starchiness of Idaho potatoes. From time to time we find bintje potatoes at the weekly market or buy a bag of specialty potatoes at the grocery store, but mostly we don't eat baked potatoes or make American potato recipes. When we want convenience foods, there are several yummy frozen potato preparations -- duchesse, noisettes, mashed potatoes, etc.
Corn on the cob is something we really miss. While driving across certain parts of France we've seen huge fields of corn, bit it's rarely seen in the grocery stores, & I've never seen it at our weekly market. It turns out that the fields of corn were a different strain of the veggie, destined to become animal feed. On the occasions when we see corn on the cob at the store, it's imported (usually from Africa), of inconsistent quality, & expensive enough to be considered a treat. It's easy to find canned corn (Green Giant is definitely the best brand), so we know the French eat corn, but usually in salads. Actually, corn has only been considered edible within the past 40 years or so; before that, it was used almost exclusively as animal food.
We won't even write about French beef because it's been covered over & over again by many ex-pats.
Canned, condensed soups are not sold here. Soups are either in cartons or jars (not condensed), or are dry soup mixes. A common soup in the in the south of France is soupe de poissons (fish soup), & several variations can be found in any grocery. But -- no clam chowder, so we'll definitely make sure to eat some the next time we're in the States.
On the plus side, duck breast, rabbit & pheasant are easily found & not considered delicacies. Chicken here actually tastes like chicken used to taste in the U.S. because it's not overbred & force fed. We can buy different kinds of chicken -- yellow (corn-fed) chickens, chickens for stewing, for roasting, etc., as well as coquelets (about the size of a Cornish game hen). Eggs are so much better here -- they have taste & are fresh, unlike in the States where they sometimes sit in refrigerators for 6 months before they get to the supermarkets. Here, they are not even in the refrigerated section of the store. All eggs here have brown shells, not white.
It's quite common to see meats in small packages in the grocery store -- a single pork chop or chicken breast cutlet. Not everything is super-sized, which is great when there are only 2 of us.
Then there is the wine....We live in the Languedoc, the world's largest vineyard, so we are surrounded by wine. Walk or drive nearly anywhere around Pézenas & you will see vineyards. Wine is not considered a luxury here & wine snobbery is not as prevalent. Many local residents buy their wine "en vrac" (in bulk). Simply bring your plastic jug (5 or 10 liters) & have it filled at the tanks. Our local wine cooperative (here's a link to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lescaves.moliere.1) sells 4 varieties of everyday bulk wines at great prices -- around 1.20€ per liter (white, dry rosé, merlot, red table wine). Their bottled wines are quite good as well. They are certainly not the only caveau in the area that sells wines this way; it's the norm around here.
Little by little we are getting used to the differences & are embracing them, but right now we are craving a dinner of American steak, corn on the cob & baked potato.
For example, celery in France is not generally eaten raw; instead, it's used in soups & stews. Taking a bite of raw French celery, we were surprised to find out how tough & bitter it usually is. When cooked in soups & stews, the flavor & texture become milder, so it's fine in those cases, but if we want some crudités for a snack, celery is out. On the positive side, if we want to buy only 1 stalk, that's easily done.
Carrots were another surprise. The majority of carrots we find are rather fat & also have a bitter taste when eaten raw, but they are fine in soups & stews. At the market I search for the skinniest carrots I can find, which can take some digging. We occasionally see bags of miniature carrots (which are ubiquitous in the U.S., but unusual here) but have yet to buy them. Aside from their high cost, we worry that they will still have the same bitterness as the large carrots, but in a smaller format.
Most potatoes in the U.S. have a relatively high starch content; not so with most potatoes in France. They are either waxy (like new red potatoes) or watery when cooked. We made our favorite potato salad recipe but it wasn't quite right because it really needed the starchiness of Idaho potatoes. From time to time we find bintje potatoes at the weekly market or buy a bag of specialty potatoes at the grocery store, but mostly we don't eat baked potatoes or make American potato recipes. When we want convenience foods, there are several yummy frozen potato preparations -- duchesse, noisettes, mashed potatoes, etc.
Corn on the cob is something we really miss. While driving across certain parts of France we've seen huge fields of corn, bit it's rarely seen in the grocery stores, & I've never seen it at our weekly market. It turns out that the fields of corn were a different strain of the veggie, destined to become animal feed. On the occasions when we see corn on the cob at the store, it's imported (usually from Africa), of inconsistent quality, & expensive enough to be considered a treat. It's easy to find canned corn (Green Giant is definitely the best brand), so we know the French eat corn, but usually in salads. Actually, corn has only been considered edible within the past 40 years or so; before that, it was used almost exclusively as animal food.
We won't even write about French beef because it's been covered over & over again by many ex-pats.
Canned, condensed soups are not sold here. Soups are either in cartons or jars (not condensed), or are dry soup mixes. A common soup in the in the south of France is soupe de poissons (fish soup), & several variations can be found in any grocery. But -- no clam chowder, so we'll definitely make sure to eat some the next time we're in the States.
On the plus side, duck breast, rabbit & pheasant are easily found & not considered delicacies. Chicken here actually tastes like chicken used to taste in the U.S. because it's not overbred & force fed. We can buy different kinds of chicken -- yellow (corn-fed) chickens, chickens for stewing, for roasting, etc., as well as coquelets (about the size of a Cornish game hen). Eggs are so much better here -- they have taste & are fresh, unlike in the States where they sometimes sit in refrigerators for 6 months before they get to the supermarkets. Here, they are not even in the refrigerated section of the store. All eggs here have brown shells, not white.
It's quite common to see meats in small packages in the grocery store -- a single pork chop or chicken breast cutlet. Not everything is super-sized, which is great when there are only 2 of us.
Then there is the wine....We live in the Languedoc, the world's largest vineyard, so we are surrounded by wine. Walk or drive nearly anywhere around Pézenas & you will see vineyards. Wine is not considered a luxury here & wine snobbery is not as prevalent. Many local residents buy their wine "en vrac" (in bulk). Simply bring your plastic jug (5 or 10 liters) & have it filled at the tanks. Our local wine cooperative (here's a link to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lescaves.moliere.1) sells 4 varieties of everyday bulk wines at great prices -- around 1.20€ per liter (white, dry rosé, merlot, red table wine). Their bottled wines are quite good as well. They are certainly not the only caveau in the area that sells wines this way; it's the norm around here.
Little by little we are getting used to the differences & are embracing them, but right now we are craving a dinner of American steak, corn on the cob & baked potato.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Spring has arrived & big changes are in the air
Life has been moving along here in Pézenas. Spring has finally arrived, & we are glad to be rid of the freezing winter weather. The trees are no longer bare, & the grapevines are now fully covered in beautiful green leaves, making the countryside beautiful. The shops here in town have re-opened for the season, & the town has come alive. Tourist season is kicking into high gear & there is much more life and energy in Pézenas.
Also, we have found our new home and are getting ready to move. This wasn't as easy as you might think. We had decided to rent rather than buy, giving us more flexibility if we want to move at some point in the future. The real estate market here is suffering from some of the same challenges as in the U.S. & we did not want to be stuck with a house we could not sell in the future. Renting seemed to be the best option for us. Well, it would be if we had income here in France. Our income is all from the U.S. In a nutshell, because of rental laws, it is very difficult to evict a tenant, and landlords carry certain insurance, which they cannot get if the tenant does not earn an income from a French employer. We spoke with several rental agencies; one told us it was impossible to rent, & another wanted us to put down an additional deposit equivalent to one year's rent. This was getting expensive & difficult. We also looked into renting directly from owners, but the few places we looked at were pretty awful.
Then, through a friend, we found a great apartment here in Pézenas. Our friend knows a couple from New Zealand who live in the building, & they had faced the same problem, but the owner decided to take a chance & rent to them. He opted to simply not take out the insurance -- such a simple solution, but one that puts a landlord at risk.
After looking at their apartment (theirs is 3 bedrooms/2 baths, ours is 2 bedrooms/1 bath, but with a similar layout), we decided to look into it. We spoke with the owner, sent him our financial information (proof of income, etc.) & he agreed to rent to us if we like the apartment. We then made an appointment with the agency to view the apartment & decided it suited our needs perfectly. After a few more phone calls & visits to the agency and the apartment, we signed the lease & will be moving sometime during the first week of June, as soon as our household goods arrive at the port & clear customs.
The building has a long history -- the first parts of the building were built in the 14th century, with later additions over the following century. It was fully renovated 2 years ago, with lots of attention to detail. It's bright & cheery & gets lots of sunlight. It's in the old part of Pézenas, full of charm, winding streest, & great shops. We look out onto a small plaza, see rooftops, the church steeple, & the hills beyond that. There is a glassblower's shop across the plaza, & he sometimes moves his work outside the shop, so we get a free show from the window. There is a great little café/bistro downstairs & around the side of the building, & a number of other cafés & restaurants just a few steps from our front door. It's the best neighborhood in Pézenas. The only downside is that we have to walk up 2 flights of stairs, but I like to think of it as getting daily exercise. In our current house, everything is spread over 3 floors, & some days we go up & down 20 times, so it's really not much different.
Because apartments in France rarely come fully equipped, we went shopping for a fridge & oven (there is an electric cooktop installed already). We also bought a TV & a DVD player. We need some lamps as well. Appliances here are much more expensive than in the States. One thing the apartment has that is unusual is closets. We have a big closet in each bedroom, & a fair amount of cupboards in the kitchen.
The Internet service package we started last November (which we'll be moving to the apartment) includes TV, but as our current house has satellite TV, we never activated it. Yesterday we picked up the converter box for the TV, & when the TV is delivered (along with the fridge), they will install it. Can't wait! I just hope we can move the main Internet equipment & phone ourselves without any problems.
We're busy notifying everyone about our new address, but also needed to notify La Poste, and request mail forwarding service. In France, it is not free. We paid 23€ (about $30) for 6 months of forwarding. The U.S. may be the only country that offers this service for free. On the other hand, we notified our French bank of the move, & we do not have to pay to get new checks printed.
Next on our agenda is telling the local police the date the movers will be here (for traffic control & permitting), & to find out if the same situation applies to delivery of the fridge, etc.
Well, that's it for now.
Also, we have found our new home and are getting ready to move. This wasn't as easy as you might think. We had decided to rent rather than buy, giving us more flexibility if we want to move at some point in the future. The real estate market here is suffering from some of the same challenges as in the U.S. & we did not want to be stuck with a house we could not sell in the future. Renting seemed to be the best option for us. Well, it would be if we had income here in France. Our income is all from the U.S. In a nutshell, because of rental laws, it is very difficult to evict a tenant, and landlords carry certain insurance, which they cannot get if the tenant does not earn an income from a French employer. We spoke with several rental agencies; one told us it was impossible to rent, & another wanted us to put down an additional deposit equivalent to one year's rent. This was getting expensive & difficult. We also looked into renting directly from owners, but the few places we looked at were pretty awful.
Then, through a friend, we found a great apartment here in Pézenas. Our friend knows a couple from New Zealand who live in the building, & they had faced the same problem, but the owner decided to take a chance & rent to them. He opted to simply not take out the insurance -- such a simple solution, but one that puts a landlord at risk.
After looking at their apartment (theirs is 3 bedrooms/2 baths, ours is 2 bedrooms/1 bath, but with a similar layout), we decided to look into it. We spoke with the owner, sent him our financial information (proof of income, etc.) & he agreed to rent to us if we like the apartment. We then made an appointment with the agency to view the apartment & decided it suited our needs perfectly. After a few more phone calls & visits to the agency and the apartment, we signed the lease & will be moving sometime during the first week of June, as soon as our household goods arrive at the port & clear customs.
The building has a long history -- the first parts of the building were built in the 14th century, with later additions over the following century. It was fully renovated 2 years ago, with lots of attention to detail. It's bright & cheery & gets lots of sunlight. It's in the old part of Pézenas, full of charm, winding streest, & great shops. We look out onto a small plaza, see rooftops, the church steeple, & the hills beyond that. There is a glassblower's shop across the plaza, & he sometimes moves his work outside the shop, so we get a free show from the window. There is a great little café/bistro downstairs & around the side of the building, & a number of other cafés & restaurants just a few steps from our front door. It's the best neighborhood in Pézenas. The only downside is that we have to walk up 2 flights of stairs, but I like to think of it as getting daily exercise. In our current house, everything is spread over 3 floors, & some days we go up & down 20 times, so it's really not much different.
Because apartments in France rarely come fully equipped, we went shopping for a fridge & oven (there is an electric cooktop installed already). We also bought a TV & a DVD player. We need some lamps as well. Appliances here are much more expensive than in the States. One thing the apartment has that is unusual is closets. We have a big closet in each bedroom, & a fair amount of cupboards in the kitchen.
The Internet service package we started last November (which we'll be moving to the apartment) includes TV, but as our current house has satellite TV, we never activated it. Yesterday we picked up the converter box for the TV, & when the TV is delivered (along with the fridge), they will install it. Can't wait! I just hope we can move the main Internet equipment & phone ourselves without any problems.
We're busy notifying everyone about our new address, but also needed to notify La Poste, and request mail forwarding service. In France, it is not free. We paid 23€ (about $30) for 6 months of forwarding. The U.S. may be the only country that offers this service for free. On the other hand, we notified our French bank of the move, & we do not have to pay to get new checks printed.
Next on our agenda is telling the local police the date the movers will be here (for traffic control & permitting), & to find out if the same situation applies to delivery of the fridge, etc.
Well, that's it for now.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Titre de Séjour -- I'm official!!
This is a post from Holly:
Yesterday was a big day for me.....I picked up my titre de séjour. I learned so much about the process from other Americans who have gone through it -- mostly that no 2 people have the same experience -- & I wanted to share my experience here, in the hopes that it will help someone else.
A little background: I am a U.S. citizen, & my husband has dual U.S.-Irish -- hence EU -- citizenship. Before leaving the States I went to the French consulate in San Francisco to submit my long-stay visa application. A couple of steps into the process (fingerprinting, photo, payment), they reviewed my application & noticed that my husband has Irish citizenship & I was told that because of a recent change in the French laws, I did not need the visa. I was elated, but repeatedly asked the guy for confirmation. He must have thought I was crazy, but I wanted to be absolutely sure. He asked a colleague & confirmed, gave me a refund, & handed most of my paperwork back to me. In hindsight I realized I should have asked him for a letter (in French, of course) stating that I had applied, but they determined that I did not need the visa. Lesson learned: Get it in writing!
So, I happily went about the rest of my preparations for the move to France.
Upon arrival here I went to the mairie in Pézenas, registered my arrival & picked up the paperwork for the titre de séjour. They questioned my lack of visa, but when I told them what I had been told at the consulate, they shrugged & said OK. Here's where having a letter from the consulate would have come in handy.
When I submitted my titre application at the mairie (a very friendly, patient & helpful mairie by the way), she again commented on my lack of long-say visa, & again shrugged when I told her what I was told in SF. She said that it was up to the sous-préfecture, & we should wait to see what they say. By the way, someone had told me that the sous-préfecture in Béziers was tough & not helpful, but I did not find this to be the case.
Then, about a month later, I got a notice to appear at the mairie. When I showed up, I was told 2 things:
1) I needed to pay 110€ (in timbres fiscaux) for the visa, even though the consulate told me I didn't need it. Actually, they were letting me off easy here, as by this time, I had exceeded the 3-month legal stay for a non-EU citizen (though as the spouse of an Irish citizen, I'm sure I had a bit more leeway). I did not have to submit visa paperwork, just the payment.
2) I needed to get my fiscal/income/tax documents translated by an official translator. They did not need translations of birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc. I'm glad I didn't spend the money unnecessarily here. Note: I decided not to get any documents translated into French before my first submission. One thing I learned from others is that there is absolutely NO consistency in this requirement, so I decided to pay only for the translations I was told I needed.
A few days later I went back to the mairie with the newly translated documents & the payment. She reviewed everything & said that because I did not convert the dollar amounts into euros, she is not sure that the sous-préfecture would accept the paperwork, but suggested that she send it on anyway, as one never knows.
Then, 2 days ago, just 2 months after I started the process, I got the great news in the mail. My titre was ready! All I needed to do was bring 230€ in timbres fiscaux & my passport, show up at the sous-préfecture, & the card is mine. Yippee!!
I had read so many stories of struggles,uncooperative bureaucrats, etc., so I was prepared for a nightmare. In reality, everyone was helpful & patient, & it all went smoothly & took less time than I expected. I don't know whether having a spouse who has EU citizenship made it any easier, or whether I was just lucky, but I'm certainly not complaining.
Now, of course, I have to start working my way over other bureaucratic hurdles, but today I am breathing a big sigh of relief.
Yesterday was a big day for me.....I picked up my titre de séjour. I learned so much about the process from other Americans who have gone through it -- mostly that no 2 people have the same experience -- & I wanted to share my experience here, in the hopes that it will help someone else.
A little background: I am a U.S. citizen, & my husband has dual U.S.-Irish -- hence EU -- citizenship. Before leaving the States I went to the French consulate in San Francisco to submit my long-stay visa application. A couple of steps into the process (fingerprinting, photo, payment), they reviewed my application & noticed that my husband has Irish citizenship & I was told that because of a recent change in the French laws, I did not need the visa. I was elated, but repeatedly asked the guy for confirmation. He must have thought I was crazy, but I wanted to be absolutely sure. He asked a colleague & confirmed, gave me a refund, & handed most of my paperwork back to me. In hindsight I realized I should have asked him for a letter (in French, of course) stating that I had applied, but they determined that I did not need the visa. Lesson learned: Get it in writing!
So, I happily went about the rest of my preparations for the move to France.
Upon arrival here I went to the mairie in Pézenas, registered my arrival & picked up the paperwork for the titre de séjour. They questioned my lack of visa, but when I told them what I had been told at the consulate, they shrugged & said OK. Here's where having a letter from the consulate would have come in handy.
When I submitted my titre application at the mairie (a very friendly, patient & helpful mairie by the way), she again commented on my lack of long-say visa, & again shrugged when I told her what I was told in SF. She said that it was up to the sous-préfecture, & we should wait to see what they say. By the way, someone had told me that the sous-préfecture in Béziers was tough & not helpful, but I did not find this to be the case.
Then, about a month later, I got a notice to appear at the mairie. When I showed up, I was told 2 things:
1) I needed to pay 110€ (in timbres fiscaux) for the visa, even though the consulate told me I didn't need it. Actually, they were letting me off easy here, as by this time, I had exceeded the 3-month legal stay for a non-EU citizen (though as the spouse of an Irish citizen, I'm sure I had a bit more leeway). I did not have to submit visa paperwork, just the payment.
2) I needed to get my fiscal/income/tax documents translated by an official translator. They did not need translations of birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc. I'm glad I didn't spend the money unnecessarily here. Note: I decided not to get any documents translated into French before my first submission. One thing I learned from others is that there is absolutely NO consistency in this requirement, so I decided to pay only for the translations I was told I needed.
A few days later I went back to the mairie with the newly translated documents & the payment. She reviewed everything & said that because I did not convert the dollar amounts into euros, she is not sure that the sous-préfecture would accept the paperwork, but suggested that she send it on anyway, as one never knows.
Then, 2 days ago, just 2 months after I started the process, I got the great news in the mail. My titre was ready! All I needed to do was bring 230€ in timbres fiscaux & my passport, show up at the sous-préfecture, & the card is mine. Yippee!!
I had read so many stories of struggles,uncooperative bureaucrats, etc., so I was prepared for a nightmare. In reality, everyone was helpful & patient, & it all went smoothly & took less time than I expected. I don't know whether having a spouse who has EU citizenship made it any easier, or whether I was just lucky, but I'm certainly not complaining.
Now, of course, I have to start working my way over other bureaucratic hurdles, but today I am breathing a big sigh of relief.
Friday, March 30, 2012
La Pharmacie Française
Pharmacies are everywhere in France,& it does not take long to discover that "La Pharmacie Française" is not the same as an American pharmacy. I seem to have developed a love/hate relationship with pharmacies here.
One can easily find a pharmacy here.....just look for the neon green cross, the symbol for pharmacies in France.
Pharmacies are always clean & welcoming, often with a green & white decor. Unlike pharmacies in the U.S., you won't see aisle after aisle of housewares, books, sodas, hardware, kitty litter, etc. The items for sale are all related to health & well-being, for humans & often their pets as well. The cosmetics for sale are often often made with natural ingredients or tout aromatherapeutic properties, & homeopathic remedies are popular as well as abundant. The only products I have seen for sale in pharmacies that one might not expect are a range of Dr. Scholl's footwear products & shoes.
In the U.S., other than for prescriptions, one simply walks up & down the aisles & picks up the products one wants. Not so here in France. The vast majority of products, even over-the-counter (OTC) medications & products, are kept behind the counter & it entails waiting in a line to ask the pharmacist. Need gauze pads? Ask the pharmacist. Need a tube of Vaseline? Ask the pharmacist. You get the picture. I find it challenging to have to ask the pharmacist for nearly everything (Vaseline, Band-Aids, aspirin), but I'm learning to live with it.
Many items (OTC medications, first aid products, etc. -- see paragraph above) that can be found in U.S. grocery stores can only be bought at a pharmacie. The concept of going to one store for all your purchases does not really exist here.
OTC medications here are sold in small packages -- often only 10 or 15 tablets per box. You won't find super-size bottles of Advil here. Many medications are meant to be dissolved in a glass of water & are sometimes effervescent. Aspirin, for instance, often comes this way. OTC meds here are generally more expensive than in the U.S., & are not covered by French health insurance.
Even prescription medications come pre-packaged in small boxes. We found some meds are available here in generic forms, when they are still only name-brand in the U.S. Overall, the price of prescription meds here is a LOT less expensive than in the U.S., even without insurance.
Pharmacies here often have more than 1 pharmacist on duty at a time; in the U.S., even in large pharmacies, I've rarely seen more than 1 pharmacist working at a time. That's probably because the French pharmacist actually gives consultations. I went in recently when I had a bad cough & cold, & the pharmacist asked me several questions (luckily for me, he spoke decent English), listened to my cough, & recommended the appropriate OTC medications. I have had an instance where I had a minor health problem, spoke to the pharmacist, & she sold me a cream that should have been prescription-only -- they must have more latitude here than in the U.S.
Like most other businesses here in the south of France, pharmacies generally close for a couple of hours (at least) at lunch, & are not open on Sundays. Many towns have a rotating schedule of pharmacies open for at least part of Sunday, but that is not always the case. When there is not a pharmacy open, there is always one available "on call" per French law.
Love 'em or hate 'em, Les Pharmacie Françaises are a part of life in France.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Holly is published in a major magazine!!
In the midst of getting ready to make a major move from the SF Bay Area to the south of France, I (Holly) submitted some photos of my latest jewelry designs to Bead Style Magazine, thinking that maybe -- a long shot, really -- they would be interested enough to include a small photo in their Reader's Gallery section. Well, about a month before departure an email came saying that the design was going to be a feature article. Heart pounding, hands shaking.....Could this be real?
Several variations of the design were shipped to the magazine's headquarters where they were to be professionally photographed & where the editorial staff would write the article & instructions so readers could make the project.
It seemed like the time would never come, but the March 2012 issue hit the US newsstands on Jan. 31. It is amazing to see my creations in a major magazine!
UPDATE: Just found out on Friday that my project has been chosen to be included in a new series of books (52 Necklaces, 52 Bracelets, 52 Earrings), being published in July this year, and in a 2nd book, Easy Beading, also by Kalmbach Books. On top of that, because some of the supplies for the project were purchased from Blue Buddha Boutique, their website shows the project & my name. Here's a link: http://www.bluebuddhaboutique.com/supplies/instruction/supplylists/index.php#squares-flair It just keeps getting better!
Here are a few photos of the design that was featured. Note: the silver/black & blue/turquoise pieces were shown in the magazine. Let me know what you think.
Several variations of the design were shipped to the magazine's headquarters where they were to be professionally photographed & where the editorial staff would write the article & instructions so readers could make the project.
It seemed like the time would never come, but the March 2012 issue hit the US newsstands on Jan. 31. It is amazing to see my creations in a major magazine!
UPDATE: Just found out on Friday that my project has been chosen to be included in a new series of books (52 Necklaces, 52 Bracelets, 52 Earrings), being published in July this year, and in a 2nd book, Easy Beading, also by Kalmbach Books. On top of that, because some of the supplies for the project were purchased from Blue Buddha Boutique, their website shows the project & my name. Here's a link: http://www.bluebuddhaboutique.com/supplies/instruction/supplylists/index.php#squares-flair It just keeps getting better!
Here are a few photos of the design that was featured. Note: the silver/black & blue/turquoise pieces were shown in the magazine. Let me know what you think.
I made several other color combos, but don't want to bombard readers with too many photos. Here's a scan of the table of contents for the issue -- with a large photo of one of the necklaces:
....and now for the shameless self promotion -- if you want to purchase any of my jewelry, here are links to my 2 online shops:
.....and a link to my Facebook page where you can see additional photos of my jewelry:
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