The chateau de Valencay is one of my favourite chateaux in the region; firstly because it is family friendly and secondly because it is always trying to deliver new exhibitions and entertaining shows.
Usually the chateau is open from around 10am to 7pm but for the delight of its visitors, this year it opened its doors twice (the 23rd of July and the 6th of August) to the general public at night time to offer a candle light castle tour.
I have visited the chateau several times; usually I take my little ones there every year for Easter as they love to go egg-hunting in the Park of the castle. However, seeing the castle at night time is and entirely different experience. From the moment you enter the town of Valencay, you can see in the distance the castle, and you can start admiring the beauty of this building illuminated by candles.
A romantic candlelit evening
We arrived to the castle near 10pm, ready to spend an enchanted evening. The entrance was very different to the day entrance, at this time of the night the garden paths to the castle were illuminated with discreet candles on the floor. Once we reached the main hall of the castle I was surprised to see how well lit it was. I have read that they use more than 3000 candles to illuminate the castle, but somehow I couldn’t imagine it until I saw it. The big Chandeliers hanging of the ceilings with dozens of candles were breathtaking.
Walking through the corridors and rooms of the castle, bumping into people dressed as if they were expecting the Prince the Tayllerand, or even Napoleon at any minute, you couldn’t avoid to feel transported in time. Every room, from the smallest bedroom to the big dining room and kitchens were candle lit, even the outside windows of the castle were lit with candles. The gardens were not exception to this extravagance and they were also candle lit so you could appreciate the beauty of its park in a romantic horse and carriage ride that would have Cinderella green with envy!
It was impossible not to feel transported in time to the great banquets organized by the Prince de Tayllerand in this castle. There were also flamenco dancers all along the castle –I suppose to highlight the fact that the King of Spain lived exiled in this castle for about 4 years.
To end our magic visit, we were taken back to the gardens where we were treated to a small but beautiful firework display in front of the castle, accompanied by period music.
If all that hadn’t been magic enough, on the way home we stopped in the middle of the fields to appreciate what I call “nature’s fireworks” which is an amazing event that happens every summer in the region, a “rain of stars”, meaning and abundance of shooting stars, so numerous that you don’t even have the time to make up enough wishes…
The town of Valençay has a lot to offer to the tourist. A detour into Valençay is certainly worth your time. It is not a surprise that Valençay is known as one of the "Most beautiful detours in France". Located in the Indre department Read More
Listening to the opera with a glass of Haut Medoc in an empty room overlooking the fields of colza wasn’t my idea of a fun Saturday night. This time however, I felt completely happy just sitting on the window sill tasting the wine and listening to the music, simply enjoying being on my own.
I cannot remember the last time I spent a weekend on my own. Come to think about it, probably never as I am usually not at ease spending time on my own, least of all in the middle of the countryside with the nearest neighbour one kilometre away. I never realized how liberating for the soul it could be to disconnect from everything and just enjoy “being there” being yourself.
My detox weekend did not follow a traditional detox programme. I had no spas, massages or colonic irrigations. All I had was time with myself and nature, plus of course a couple of bottles of Haut Medoc, some local goat’s cheese and freshly baked croissants and coffee. Probably not a very healthy diet, but an enjoyable one. My detox plan involved cutting off from the internet, tv and telephone. A big detox if you come to think how attached we are to these things.
My weekend started on a Friday afternoon when I arrived at an empty country house which a friend kindly let me use . My first impression was “Oh my God, what am I doing here in the middle of nowhere”. For a few minutes I hesitated and wanted to go back to the security of my own home, but I was here now and the sun was shining. I braved it, opened the door and unpacked my few belongings. After I unpacked I sat on the door step with a glass of wine, the sun warming me gently. The rest of the afternoon I just sat there and read a book until the sun disappeared and I had to go in. My dinner for the night consisted of another glass of wine, nuts and raisins.
Fields of Wheat on the front and Rape-seed (colza) on the back
Saturday morning came with yet more sunshine; an opportunity I took to go out on my bike searching for the nearest goat’s cheese farm and baker. By the time I got back to the house it was already the early afternoon. I had taken a long time cycling, stopping on the way to admire hidden castles, rivers, flowers and wildlife. I was exhausted after my long ride and I just sat again by the door to soak up more sun and greedily enjoy two freshly baked croissants I had bought at the nearest village. It was a beautiful day and without a second thought after I finished my lunch I put on my walking boots and wandered among the fields of colza and wheat. For some reason the colza’s yellow flowers looked so inviting that I couldn’t stop myself from going in the fields, the yellow carpet ahead of me just made me want to roll over it!. After a while I reached the woods and continued my walk until I reached a small pond where I sat for a while before walking back. All I could hear was the wind and birds chirping. I never came across another soul on my walk. On my way back I couldn’t believe I’d just ventured into the woods and fields on my own. I have always been scared of the woods (watched too many horror films) but this time I felt secure.
Colza (rape-seed) flowers
Rape-seed (colza) fields
The rest of the Saturday afternoon I just sunbathed and when the sun went down I sat on the window sill listening to the opera, sipping a glass of wine, admiring the colza fields. I felt good.
Moving to France and starting a new life is a wonderful way to broaden your horizons and revitalize your life. True enough it requires courage and a lot of research to move to a different country but if you put your heart in it, you can make your move a success.
Winemaker at O’Vineyards: Ryan O’Connell
Today I want to introduce you to Ryan O’Connell, a young winemaker at O’Vineyards and member of the Outsiders a group of winemakers who have all fallen head over heels for Languedoc Roussillon wines. Ryan also runs a Languedoc Wine blog and is the author of the e-book “Wines of Carcassonne”.
How long have you been living in France Ryan?
I lived in France on and off as a child, but I have been here more regularly since 2005
What inspired you to come to France? Why France rather than an English speaking country?
Does the dream match reality? Did you find in France what you were expecting?
I thought I knew what French life would be like since I had lived in Paris as a child, but I found rural life to be a totally different experience, in a good way. It's been wonderful here. Although, country life means everybody knows everybody. Without the anonymity of the city, I sometimes feel like I have no privacy. But it's worth it for the beautiful landscapes and great wine.
Ryan O'Connell
What is it that you like the most about living in France?
WINE! and unpasteurized cheese.
What has been so far your worst experience living in France?
All the paperwork, bureaucracy here is exactly as bad as people describe.
What advice would you give to any foreigners who want to come and start a new life in France?
Learn about what part of France you're going to. Each region has its own history and culture. Don't expect all of France to be the same or all French people to be the same as it’s one of the most diverse and culturally rich parts of the developed world. And people still latch onto their regional heritage (especially in rural areas), so know your stuff if you want to integrate!
Wines of Carcassonne. A book by Ryan O'Connell
For more information or to visit O’Vineyards you can call email them at ryan@ovineyards.com
We just finished 2010, finished paying for all my 2009 taxes (taxes are paid one year in arrears in France) and I have to start worrying about my 2010 tax form for this year. This is because the French tax year runs for the calendar year (ie. from the 1st January to the 31st December). Very soon I will be receiving my annual tax return form called declaration des revenues. Notice that in France, even if you have no income to declare you are obliged to fill in a tax return form, the French tax authorities will then send you a statement saying that you have no tax to pay.
Taxes are high in France and as you would expect in a country with millions of bureaucrats, the French tax system is complicated even for the French! It doesn’t matter how much you inform yourself, just when you think you finally understand it and you know it all… paffff they change the rules or even worst hit you with a new tax.
Having said that taxes are high in France, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that Personal Income Tax (Impot sur le revenue) in France is below average for EU countries, especially for large families, as the amount of income tax paid is based on the number of dependant children. But before you get too happy, I’ll bring you back to the crude reality… once you add social security contributions (regarded as a form of tax) and other taxes, French taxes are among the highest in the world!
Every individual is responsible for paying and declaring their own Income Tax in France. Late payment of tax bills will add a surcharge of 10% penalty to your bill.
Who pays tax in France?
Under the French tax code if you are a resident in France you have to pay taxes in France. You are considered a French resident if:
You are living permanently in France.
You spend over 183 days in France during a calendar year.
Your business is based in France
You work in France
Allowances
Your taxable income can be considerably reduced by an array of allowances such as social security payments, home improvements and others.
For more information on paying your taxes in France, the 2011 tax calendar and some useful vocabulary to understand the French tax system you can click here.
This is the first of a series of interviews that I’ll be having with foreigners living in France. I want to give you a hint of what it is really like for a foreigner to live in France on a day to day basis. For this purpose I have gathered a few friend writers from HubPages who have agreed to let us have an insight into their life in France.
For the first interview I invited Brian who bought a lovely former watermill in France and turned it into a gite, Le Moulin de L’Argentouire, A spacious and comfortable gite situated in the Aude region of Languedoc-Roussillon in the South of France, midway between Carcassonne and Toulouse. The perfect destination for an action packed holiday or simply a relaxing vacation.
How long have you been living in France Brian?
We first bought our house in the Easter of 2007 and moved into it permanently in March 2008. So doing the math it means we will have been here living for 2 years in March 2010.
What inspired you to come to France? Why France rather than an English speaking country?
If I am honest when I first thought about coming to France it was with a view of getting a job with Airbus and living close to Toulouse. We probably first thought about doing this about seven years ago when I read an article in a magazine about Toulouse describing the industry of the area and everything else Toulouse had to offer. I worked for a technology company that had a lot of synergy with the aerospace industry and at the time there were quite a few jobs available for English speaking ex-pats. That all changed rather rapidly and the jobs available with Airbus suddenly disappeared, causing us to re-think our options.
Both my wife and I had a long term desire to work and live abroad and my wife was very interested in running a bed & breakfast or self catering business. So that became the focus of our attention and with the property prices in France it seemed to us that we should be able to find a property that was large enough to offer part as holiday accommodation and retain part as our accommodation. It was certainly more feasible than buying a property in the UK for a similar arrangement or many other places for that matter. So adding up all that France had to offer, affordable property, Mediterranean climate, mountains, skiing, proximity to the UK for family and a potential business that could be set up to provide a basic income, the fact we didn’t really speak French seemed to be a compromise worth making.
Add to that, many holidays spent and enjoyed in France from teenage years to the current time; then it really did become a question of ‘pourquoi pas’, why not indeed. Lets face it when you get older then you do not want to be asking yourself too many of those ‘what if’ questions. Life is about living and taking reasonable risks and yes it was and still is a risk.
Does the dream match reality? Did you find in France what you were expecting?
Good question, honestly, no dream matches reality there are some days when I would happily go back to my mother country. But there are many more days when I have to pinch myself to remind me about what I live in and where I live. France is a truly beautiful country with a history and culture to match our own; the days I do think I would like to go back to my own country are nearly always related to the frustration of not speaking French fluently. I would just love to be able to have a proper conversation with the French people we meet, who are nearly always friendly, helpful and welcoming. I think properly integrating into the community would be much more easily achieved for French speakers.
What is it that you like the most about living in France?
The diversity of the environment, I can be in the mountains skiing in an hour and a half, likewise I can be on the Mediterranean coastline, even closer we have amazing countryside, scenery and views. The cities are also absolutely amazing, Carcassonne, Toulouse, Montpellier, Beziers, Narbonne all have architecture that has to be seen to be believed and a history that underpins everything that has formed the character of the places and the people.
If you want to find more reasons why living in France is a dream come true don’t forget to check Brian’s article on Moving to France
What has been so far your worst experience living in France?
Not sure I have anything that I could report as a worst experience, I got pretty ticked off once when I bought a chainsaw that seized within a couple of months and I was told I hadn’t put oil in the fuel so the warranty would not be honored. Now I know I put oil in the fuel and argued my case vehemently, but to no avail. So having paid a small fortune for the saw in the first place I then had to pay a small fortune for the repair because apparently the damage was my fault; now there is no way a retailer in the UK would have got away with that one, I would just have blinded them with my technical knowledge (English of course). But all in all still pretty trivial and I guess I am over it now, well nearly.
What advice would you give to any foreigners who want to come and start a new life in France?
Just to be sure they want to do it really, and understand that there will be some fairly serious challenges and obstacles to overcome e.g getting a job if you don’t speak French. Learning the language is a must, just to be able to function normally, and if anyone is really not sure they want to make the move, then they would be wise to think long and hard before committing; especially if they are leaving friends and family behind. That said if you are truly committed and sure you want to do it, then you will cope with the challenges and obstacles and you will realise that the reward of a life in the France Lane was worth the effort.
You too can start making money now writing for HubPages, Publish your insights and expertise online with easy-to-use, non-techie tools. It is easy to sign in and get started publishing and earning money.
I live in Central France, in what is known by the French as the Campagne Berrichone, meaning the Berry countryside, or as Parisians would say « the middle of nowhere, the land that time forgot”.
It is true that living in the countryside can be rather basic but that is one of the things that I love about living here. Waking up in the morning to pick up some fresh raspberries from the garden for a hearty raspberry smoothy, or popping round to see the next door neighbour to get some fresh honey that is just being extracted from their own bee hives, are some of the gastronomic delights of living in the countryside.
Over here, most people have their own vegetable garden and we are used to eating seasonally. Do not be surprised if you come here at lunch time and the restaurant’s waiters cannot tell you what is on the menu for the day because they are waiting for the head cook to come back from the local market with whatever fresh produce inspired him that day.
As I said, most people have their own vegetable garden or potager and often they end up with surplus vegetables that they have learned to keep in the form of richly flavoured conserves prepared either with oil or vinegar. I am not talking about ordinary oils or vinegars here. I am talking about vinegars and oils flavoured with anything from rose petals, herbs and fruits to hot chilli peppers. You would be amazed at the variety of oils and vinegars that you can find for sale, and even more at the creations that the locals make according to their seasonal ingredients and refined taste.
Too sore and too tired today to do the Swiss ball. The snow had melted overnight and it was a sunny day, warmer than what it has been for the past few weeks. But despite the good weather, for some reason even putting one foot in front of the other has been a struggle today. At least it was Wednesday which means that I can have a long sleep in the morning. Why? Because Wednesdays there is no school for children attending primary schools in France, and being winter my little ones also have a long cosy sleep.
The French educational system can be something of a puzzle for foreigners. Starting with the Ecole Maternelle which children can attend from 2 ½ years provided that they are potty trained to all the puzzling letters and numbers that form the primary educational system.
Thankfully, at least this part of living in France is easy. Schooling your children when you come to France is a priority for the authorities. I remember finding the local school one day and going to ask for information only to be surprised by the fact that my girl could start attending school the next again day, even though she did not speak French yet. This happened in April, only 2 months before the end of the school year. The school’s director was delighted to have a new student and the teacher was very friendly and welcoming.
That was 4 years ago and my little ones still attending the same school. We have a free bus service that comes to pick them up almost to the door and brings them back in the afternoon. Most of the time they eat in the school’s canteen, at 2€ for a 3 course meal per child, it is really a bargain. The school and school materials are also free. The only things we need to buy at the start of the year are the school bags and knick and knacks. The children also need a private insurance which is called assurance scolaire. We pay around 30€ a year for this and it covers a child for any accidents at school and/or during extra curricular activities and for any damage that they might cause to a third party.
Schooling in France has been so far a pleasant experience for us.
