Les Beetelles and Les Eegulles

Imagine the Beatles and Eagles (now pronounced Les Beetelles and Les Eegulles) with Maurice Chevalier accents and you have the fun of last night.  After dinner at our place with three French friends, we all went off to a tiny theatre just down the street, Le Théâtre St. Martin, to hear a band play the music of our youth. Called Dièse (the French word for the musical symbol sharp) Revival, the band were together as teenagers, went their ways in other professions and this year reunited after 40 years.
Once through the theatre entrance, we found ourselves in a large and elegant bar, full of people of a "certain age", many quite elegantly dressed. Beyond the bar was the theatre, about 200 red velvet seats with a small stage. As it filled up, there was an atmosphere of neighbourhood with lots of hand shaking and bisous on both cheeks. A few 30 somethings appeared, probably brought along by their parents. Much confusion as the theatre manager, a silver haired impresario in a suit, tried to find seats for everyone as they wandered in from the bar. Finally, he climbed up on the stage, announced the band to great applause. Then, to our amusement, he began to pull ropes to open the curtain and became entangled in the red plush material. The seven band members, keyboards, drums, bass guitar, three lead guitars and lead singer, wearing the requisite jeans and running shoes immediately launched into their tribute to the Eagles. It seemed clear by their skill and the amount of musical equipment on the stage that they had all maintained their interest in rock music over the intervening years. It was also clear that they were all having a great time together, lots of smiles and gestures.  I was reminded of several friends who do this and then thought of my talented nephew, wondering if he will still be playing with his friends 40 years from now.
Their music was really very good. The drummer (his drums are called the batterie in French) was like all rock drummers, off in a world of his own, rather loud and seeming to try very hard to impress from way backstage. David thinks of it as the "Short Man Syndrome".The enthusiastic singer had a nice voice and a very French accent! "Zere will be an answer. Let eet bee."   " 'otel Caleeforneeah"   and David's favorite "easaaaay" sung over and over with much feeling and with rapt appreciation from the swaying crowd. We were momentarily perplexed by the announcement of one of the few songs written by "Georjjjes Arr ee son" until we realized who it was!
We all had a great time, singing along and clapping to the music, led by the band who gave us many opportunities to sing along. When it was finally over at 12:15 we made our way through the happy crowd finally spilling into the street. There was such a feeling of joie de vivre. Our group left, still singing and we discovered that the echo in the arcades definitely improves your voice!

La Rochelle

La Rochelle is a gem. I am amazed by how close it is to what we had imagined and wanted. The city publicity bears the tagline:"La Rochelle . . . belle et rebelle."  It has a long history of rebelling. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was a Protestant stronghold and payed dearly for those convictions: the city was destroyed during a long seige by the king and a large percentage of the population died. Now its rebellion is along environmental lines. By great, good chance the Rochelais elected a charismatic, visionary mayor, Michel Crépeau in 1971. Referred to by our friend Valérie as "notre chèr maire", he remained in power until his sudden death in 1999. He pushed La Rochelle forward with great creativity. This was the first city in France to have both bicycle (1976) and electric car rental (1995) programs. Maire Crépeau blocked development along the seaside, increased the amount of green space and developed pedestrian walkways in the old city as well as one of the first recycling programs in France. He also successfully lobbied for the establishment of the university. "While others were building freeways, we were introducing bicycles.", the current mayor said recently. Now there are solar powered boats and buses, all part of the large integrated "agglomeration" that takes in 18 different communities. 

Because of its harbour, La Rochelle has been for centuries a rich, trading city. This accounts for the large and beautiful homes and general prosperity over the years. All this history seems to be in the blood of the rochelais who hold their heads high, and as one person said to me, act like they're rich and powerful even though they are not.

 







The old part of the city is remarkably well preserved with lots of renovation and restoration happening inside the old facades. We wonder about the permit regulations! Care is being taken to preserve the old buildings or at the very least their facades. In spite of the economic downturn, there is lots of construction going on. M. Grue (see View from the Top) is helping to build 34 new apartments inside the walls of an old convent. At our corner, the inside of a building has been gutted and is slowly being renovated. Every walk we take is full of beautiful, unusual or funny sights. One great delight is the arcades. We have been told that La Rochelle developed differently from most towns, without a market square and so merchants began building wooden roofs outside their shops to display their wares. As this custom developed, they began to be joined together into arcades. Then as the city became more prosperous, the wooden arcades were replaced with the stone ones we see today.  

Sprinkled through the city are old timbered houses that in the past anchored the wooden arcades. Some of the very old massive beams are still contained above the “new” stone ones. We can walk almost everywhere under cover. So it makes me wonder why the Rochelais neglected to take this clever architectural detail with them to New France—the Toronto PATH revised and much prettier! 

There are some very grand “hôtels particuliers” concealed behind massive gates and stone walls. Once family homes of prosperous merchants, they are now mostly offices or divided into apartments. Once in a while the gates are open and we can peer into the courtyards, cobbled and now used for parking. Only a few are enhanced with flowers and trees in pots. Generally, the doors to most people's living space open directly onto the sidewalk. Sometimes the door opens into a hallway like ours but we have also noticed long passages that lead to small courtyards well hidden from the street. It seems that the population density is high judging from the number of doorbells beside most of the doors!


The pace of life here is slow and casual. I find myself still racing--in La Rochelle terms--down the sidewalk passing everyone else. The cafés are always full, people actually sit on the benches in the parks and enjoy the views. The man who owns the local bicycle shop has just returned from visiting his son in New Jersey. He said when he got back to Paris, he found it cool and slow and La Rochelle? . . .  "Eh bien . . ." and then, the Gallic shrug!

What We Did on November 19

We, like everyone else who lives here, are amazed by the weather. All plans for the day went out the window on Thursday when we discovered that it would be sunny and 17 degrees. Time for another long hike.
There are many surprises about French life and one of them is the great interest in hiking. There are hiking trails criss-crossing the country, well maintained we are told, by various municipalities and clubs. All around La Rochelle are various randonnées and we have tried out several of them. By taking a city bus to the end of the line, we can begin the walk, following the sometimes confusing directions from our little book. Last month we did what is now called The Long March. We became completely confused by the directions but carried on as it was so beautiful. It was only when we returned home that we discovered our mistake. We had missed the correct bus stop and had begun much further away than planned. In fact, we had walked 14 kilometres. Even our French friends were impressed!
We started out on Thursday with bus map, randonnée directions, sun screen and snacks to the Place de Verdun for the bus to an ancient village called Nieul sur Mer. It was the week of the Rights of the Child and it seems that many French children were being schooled in the French art of the "manifestation".

A very quick bus ride and we arrived at the Mairie, the centre of administrative life in all French towns. Often in grand buildings, Nieul sur Mer is no exception. Their marie is in an 18th century mansion once owned by an Irish member of the French army!

The town, about 8 km. from La Rochelle began its life over a thousand years ago, much closer to the sea than it is now. A combination of natural sedimentation and land recovery has pushed the ocean back. The swamps that were once used for salt recovery are now oyster beds. The once verdant wine fields were decimated in 1880 by the scourge from North America, phylloxera and never recovered. Now the village seems sleepier than ever and is a bedroom community for La Rochelle as well as a summer place for people from away.

We set off through the narrow streets, past all sorts of interesting houses and strange doorways. 

This was a stone over the doorway of a rebuilt wall. One can guess what the trade of the ancient owner was.

 And then it was time for un bon café crème at a curiously named café, that has sat on the main square since 1923. We were amused but tempted by its decidedly non Tex-Mex menu. I went inside to use the washroom and was confronted by a little group of elderly men, working out their bets for the PMU (pari mutuel urbain) the horse racing betting forms. They all looked as worried as students writing final exams as they licked their pencils and frowned furiously at the newspapers. The actual toilet will be a blog for later!!

 

We walked on out of the village, along a lovely lane, running beside a stream, called strangely the Gô. Lots of signs of wild life, some pretty swans and ducks and very few people. 

Suddenly the ocean was before us, a gentle wind off the land, the sound of the waves hitting the limestone cliffs.

 We carried on along these cliffs for several kilometres, past some old oyster beds 

until we stopped for a small picnic. As we were munching, another hiking couple approached. "Bon appétit!" they called. They may have thought that apples and cheese weren't quite up to scratch for a proper lunch!

The path doubled back to the old village of Lauzières. Here there was evidence of the continuing importance of oyster farming: many cultivated beds and signs for fresh oysters for sale as well as the other uses for the shells.

 To our delight, we also found 

so named because the paving stones, now covered by asphalt, were the ballast of 17th century sailing ships from Canada.  Further on, we felt for the poor WWI soldier whose legs, made of the local calcite stone, have been eaten away by the weather. He looks as though he has monumental varicose veins.

 And after five hours (and 10 km.), we were back again at the Mairie and the bus stop, blessed with this day of peace and adventure.

I Could Never Do That! Part II

More information about our preparations for this year.   
                         Packing/shipping  
This was easy! Comparing the cost of extra baggage on the plane, shipping companies like Purolator, moving companies and Canada Post, we chose Canada Post. The long experience of my daughter led us to use large Rubbermaid tubs (lighter than suitcases, sturdier than cardboard boxes) for our plane baggage as well as for shipping. We drilled holes along the edges and used heavy plastic ties to secure the lids (along with great Canadian duct tape). All the boxes arrived intact. The one cardboard box we sent at the last minute looked very sad with the sides split. It was fairly well repaired by one of the post offices but we would now always use plastic boxes.

Health Care
In Ontario, as in all provinces in Canada, most of our health care is paid for by taxes. However, payment for treatment outside Canada is low and you are encouraged to buy personal health insurance. In Ontario, if you are away more than six months there can be a delay in obtaining coverage when you return. If you are not leaving for work or studies, you may leave Ontario for one year without this penalty only twice in your lifetime. You must register at a Ministry of Health office where you will receive a document stating that you are "eligible to be eligible" to receive provincial benefits immediately upon your return. We strongly suggest that you do this. It makes a difference in the amount that you will be charged for your out-of-country health insurance. In the event of a serious health problem while abroad, the insurance company is then able fly you home where you will be covered by provincial insurance. We have heard that you can find medical coverage in France once you arrive. However, since health insurance was a major requirement of the Long Stay Visa, this avenue may not be open to you.  


Housing in France
Most of the books we read had idyllic descriptions of living in a village and we were attracted by the idea. However, the more we thought about it the more we realized that only a city would give us what we wanted--some cultural activities, access to French learning, the possibility of making friends with people who shared our interests in music, art, hiking and the outdoors. We also wanted to be able to live without a car. Investigation into various rural transit systems made us realize that we could be isolated in a village, dependent on bus systems that may run only in the morning and evenings for working people. Finding a rental apartment for one year is difficult in France as generally leases are for a minimum of three years. Additionally, most rental apartments are "bare bones" without kitchen appliances and sometimes even lacking kitchen cupboards. Furnished apartments are also quite rare. We looked first at university towns, thinking that student accommodation might be the answer and then, in a stroke of brilliance, wondered about tourist rentals. What do people do with their apartments after the summer tourists leave? We figured that "tourist landlords" might be more flexible and open to what we wanted used as they are to people coming and going. I called 27 landlords in La Rochelle. Most were very pleasant, interested in our adventure and open to the idea of long term rental. In the end, we had a short list of eight potential places. With the help of our friends, Gery and Marie, we narrowed it down and finally decided on Rue des Bonnes Femmes. Now that we have been able to see the others on our short list, we know we made the right decision.  

Visa Application 
The visa application was not a piece of cake! The Consulate of France in Toronto has a very good web site. Having read and been told about the strict adherence to process by French bureaucrats, we followed the instructions on the web site religiously. We also heeded some advice we had been given to put together documents that were not on the list, just in case they asked for them. We took the contract we had worked out with my daughter, the lease for the basement apartment, a letter from our investment adviser to prove that we had the resources to look after ourselves in France. Taking heed of the web site admonition that processing a Long Stay Visa (for a period of 6 months to a year) is a lengthy process, even longer through the summer, we collected all our documents (in triplicate) and made a date for the "Appointment of Personal Appearance" in May for our departure in September. We arrived with the idea that we would be interviewed by some urbane French diplomat who would be judging our suitability (as well as our Personal Appearance!) for French life. We arrived dressed to the nines to discover that the urbane French diplomat was a very nice, very young French clerk dressed in jeans. Imagine our disappointment when she sent us away with instructions to return much later as their computer system will only process departure dates that are two months away. The instructions on the web site are just to get one going and not have an expectation that visas will be issued willy-nilly. Our second visit was problem free. We had our document file organized in the order in which they are listed on the web site, which impressed her! She went through the financial and health care documents with a fine toothed comb, asked for lots of information to clarify each of these, smiled and told us we could return to pick up our visas in 10 days. What celebration when we left the office! Our adventure was really beginning!

Top Ten Tips
1. Start early--it took us over two years.

2. Research, research, research! Use the internet, libraries and bookstores for information on the places you are considering.

3. Talk to everyone you know about your plan. They have ideas and their circle of friends might be helpful. We met several people through friends who had very helpful advice.

4. Very early on, work on a budget. If you have debts, get rid of them.

5. Realize that you will get frustrated and wonder whether it will ever happen. This is normal and will occur at least every two months!

6. Stay positive! Look on the bright side when red tape seems endless.

7. If you are going as a couple, talk about how it will be for you to be the only people in each others lives. How will you manage this? What problems are likely to arise?

8. Start learning or improving your language skills as soon as you decide where you are going. It will make an enormous difference to you when you arrive.

9. Listen to the naysayers. They are irritating but often make you think of some problem you may have overlooked.

10. Imagine, daydream, spin stories. This will help you work out what sort of place you want to be in and how you might like to spend your time. It will also keep your dream alive through the planning and organizing.

Helpful Internet Sites
www.transitionsabroad.co
www.expatsforum.com 
www.escapeartist.com
www.transitionsabroad.com
www.internationalliving.com

. . . and Books 
French or Foe? Polly Plat 
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong Jean Benoit-Nadeau, Julie Barlow
International Living magazine
Belonging Isabel Huggan 
Paris to the Moon Adam Gopnik 
On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town Susan Loomis 
I'll Never be French (No Matter What I Do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany Mark Greenside 
Chasing Matisse: A Year in France Living My Dream James Morgan

Remembrance Day

While Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarkozy were making history in Paris, David and I decided to attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies in La Rochelle. The city was occupied and heavily fortified by the Germans early in the Second World War. We have come across relics of the fortifications in our walks. A large German submarine base continues to be a topic of dissension--raze it (very expensive to do) or turn it into a museum? La Rochelle was also one of the last places in France to be liberated, on the 8th of May, 1945. There is a large cenotaph to all the wars as well as a memorial to the resistance and, scattered around the city, there are small plaques of remembrance to those who died in the resistance. One of our friends was a small girl during the war. She talked to us one day about her experiences: watching as Jews were seized by the Germans, of not having enough to eat and the frenzy when French troops arrived on the 8th of May. For all these reasons, we felt that the world wars must be much closer to people's lives here and that Remembrance Day might have a different flavour. There was a small clue that this might not be so in the difficulty we had discovering where and when the ceremony might take place. But we set off  to the cenotaph, planning to arrive around 10:30. It is located at the end of the Mail, a wide boulevard, laid out at the end of the 19th century. The ocean is on one side, grand homes on the other and down the middle, grass and flower beds. Very impressive!
We found a very small but mixed crowd: a lot of elderly people, a few people with small children and some middle-aged. In formation in front of the cenotaph were soldiers from the 519th Regiment, Elèves Sous- Officiers, and the highway patrol on motorcycles. A speech was followed by the laying of wreaths and a moving moment when a group of young children laid single white roses on the cenotaph. Then the trumpet sounded out the Last Post. We were perplexed as it was not eleven AM. However,  there was a brief moment of silence ended by several bars of the Marseillaise played by a brass band. It seemed to be 11 minutes to 11 but we have found no reference to this being the French custom. We should have asked questions!
Then the soldiers marched off down the road and everyone milled about. We noticed a red carpet by the side of the road and discovered that there would be a march past. Across from the VIPs, stood a row of veterans with flags of the various regiments, associations etc. Sadly, the brass band packed up and left and the march past took place to canned martial music. The 519th regiment, stationed in La Rochelle marched by in their camouflage battledress with neat white cravats. I did notice that their pants were much better cut and fit much tighter than anything I have seen on a Canadian soldier. There was a sprinkling of women in the ranks and among the VIPs. The navy wins the uniform prize for women: a stylish skirt and shorter jacket make it look like it was actually designed for women.  The highway patrol took the best uniform prize: navy trousers with a white strip, long navy blue jackets with the sides caught up with buttons showing a red lining, very impressive as they sat on shiny blue BMW motorcycles.
Interestingly, there were no poppies anywhere. A few old soldiers were collecting money and gave out a sticker in return for your coins.
We walked back along the sea wall to have coffee at the Cafe de la Paix. A building put to many uses until the 1890s when it became a large cafe/restaurant, decorated in wonderful art nouveau style. Strong coffee and a croissant were satisfying after the cold walk. We watched a group of people come in and settle themselves at a table nearby. Imagine our amazement when one of the women took a small ginger kitten out of the front of her coat and put it on the table. The waiter didn't bat an eye. Only the Canadians were open-mouthed! We have become used to people bringing their dogs into restaurants but this was another first in the story of the French and their animals.
Sadly, the day is no longer a complete holiday. Garbage collection took place and some creeping North American consumerism was in evidence with some of the larger stores opening in the afternoon. One of our neighbourhood restaurants closed and took Thursday off --"un petit weekend", they called it. So it seems that the holiday here is no longer about remembrance but has become a day off work. In fact, judging from the media coverage in Canada in various cities large and small where few people have the day off, the crowds at the cenotaphs seemed to be larger. I was moved by the story from Ottawa of onlookers spontaneously covering the the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with their poppies. So we began to wonder. If we really want to remember, perhaps that happens more effectively when people are organized in their workplace to do so. Is having a holiday to remember an effective way to make this happen?

View from the Top

The view from our little balcony is of roof tops, windows, the the street below and not far away, a large building crane. We have begun to weave stories about the various people we see through their windows or in the street, our neighbours from our view on high.

In the near distance is "M. Grue", the young man who operates the building crane. We have observed his skill and habits with great interest. He is building an apartment within the architectural details of an old convent. He is a young man, well built. We know this because when it was hot, he worked topless! We watch him as he climbs up and down his tower. Some days he is like a mountain goat, leaping up the stairs; others, he climbs wearily, stopping along the way. We worry about him and his mates on those days. One false move and all their lives are in danger. Earlier this week, a large rainbow shone over him as he worked.

Across the street, are two windows with flower boxes and brightly coloured curtains behind the ubiquitous white shutters. "Madame"  intrigues us as her shutters open late in the afternoon and close again as evening comes on. She is probably in her forties, with long blond hair, beautiful red fingernails and brightly coloured clothing. David has waved to her and said bonjour but she indicated that she does not speak French. We wonder what job she does and decided it is either a factory job or another type of work that takes place at night--thus her nickname.

Farther in the distance are "Les Gars", two young men who live in an attic with a sky light. When the weather was warmer, they climbed out of the skylight onto their very dodgy deck. It is made of planks, with no railing or protection from falling into the street four stories below. Beside the chimney, they have a barbecue where they cook large quantities of what looks like meat. These are clearly not impoverished students! Even horse meat is expensive!

On the street below, are two restaurants side by side. Judging by the number of customers, one is clearly more successful than the other. We try to psychically urge the potential customers into the latter but clearly our skills need improvement as the tables remain empty. We wonder how they can support six staff on the number of customers they have each week and worry for their future. They work long hours often in their white aprons preparing food before we are really functioning in the morning and then attending to customers long after we are asleep.

And on our side of the street is our fellow tenant, M. Book Sex Shop. The window holds a quite tasteful display of sexy underwear, with a few dildos discreetly placed and a modest sex manual. The commonly held notion of  the open-minded French is somewhat destroyed by watching the passersby. Most people slow slightly and quickly glance at the window. Rarely does anyone stop. One older man who appeared to be a grandpa actually covered his young grandson's eyes! We also worry about Olivier who owns the shop as very few people enter. However, as he drives a very superior new motorcycle and a Lexus, we think we have missed something!

We definitely are enjoying witnessing this world beyond our balcony.

I Could Never Do That! Part 1

As we told friends of our plan to move to La Rochelle, we were met with one of two reactions: "How wonderful, what a great idea!" or "You are so brave. I could never do that." We were happy to have the support and excitement of the former. When we asked the latter what would constrain them, they usually wondered how they could leave their life and possessions behind and how they could ever afford to do such a thing. Having had our wonderful idea, we, too, wondered about the same things. We have two cars, a large trailer, a house and a garden that need maintenance. Thus began a long and laborious research project!  

House 
The house was the major consideration. Our goal was to find a way to cover the running and maintenance costs of the house in Toronto and therefore have money to pay rent in France. First, we investigated house exchanges which seemed the most likely and cheapest answer. However, it is rare to find one for a year. Too late, we thought of going through universities to find someone on sabbatical. We should have tried harder in this area. It might have required us to be more flexible in our choice of town. By the time, someone suggested it to us, we had already begun to fall in love with La Rochelle. We will definitely try this out in the future as we have heard only of positive experiences. The next logical solution was renting the house. Furnished or unfurnished? How to find a good tenant? Who would do the maintenance? Research on management companies uncovered a good one and we realized that we could still make a good profit if we left them in charge. Having decided to store our belongings, we then started the hunt for a storage unit. Luckily for us, our neighbour manages a very good one! Then fortune smiled. My daughter, a great traveller herself, decided to remain in Toronto for at least a year. The perfect answer. Someone we trust would be in charge and the expenses would be covered. We started a maintenance fund for any possible problems, put together a list of maintenance professionals and a month by month "manual" mainly for the garden. For those of you who may not have this lovely solution, the management company seems to us the best alternative if you are renting to a stranger.  

Vehicles 
This was relatively easy. We left our car in the driveway and the truck and trailer are stored in a parking lot north of the city. We took most of the insurance off the vehicles. If you were really organized and wanted to save more money, you could also remove the license plates. There is some good advice on the Internet about the care of a stored vehicle. Having someone run the engine every couple of months seems to be one of the main ones as well as putting a preservative into a full gas tank. 

Banking 
Finding an efficient and inexpensive method to transfer money from Canada to France on a regular basis is difficult. David spent many hours surfing the net and on the phone. The ease of internet banking in Canada perhaps gave us high expectations of what would be possible. There are many regulations, both national and international that impede transfers and make them expensive. The solution breaks down into a number of steps, the main one finding a company that transfers money easily and cheaply around the world. We found Currencies Direct, a UK firm recently set up in Canada. Then we needed an account in France to which the funds could be transferred. This can be done through international banks such as HSBC but they can be expensive. We were given the email address of an English speaking representative of a Banque Populaire branch in France. She has been unfailing helpful and thus has been christened "Patient Patricia". The next step was to find out how to transfer money from our bank account to Currencies Direct. This is where we realized Canadian banks are not very sophisticated in international money transfers. Paypal has  become expensive so we are using Telpay, recommended by Currencies Direct. We received a bank card from the French bank as soon as we had established residence in France which works well with merchants and withdrawing cash. Transferring money to our landlord's French bank account is possible as well although cheques are cheaper. We also have learned new banking jargon. For all this to work you need an international bank account that includes IBAN, BIC and in France, "le RIB".  

Airline tickets 
After researching Air Canada, Air France, KLM and British Airways, Air Canada proved to be the most efficient for one year tickets. None of the systems can take a one year return however Air Canada will book the ticket for the limit of their system and then give you one free change which allows you to book the return. You just have to remember to do it!