So, where to choose to live, when the world, or at least a big chunk of Gallic real estate, is your huitre?
Some time ago, I'd cunningly narrowed the search right down to the Midi-Pyrénées, an area roughly the size of Switzerland. Hmmm, very astute. So, adopting a much more disciplined approach, I targeted 9, 31 and 65 (Ariege, Haute Garonne and Haute Pyrénées), an area I know reasonably well and one which would, theoretically, provide three seasons of opportunity to financially benefit from tourism, rather than just July and August.
Following a holiday in Haute Pyrénées, the process was narrrowed further as we fell in love with the towns of Arreau and Luz-St-Sauveur, and the surrounding villages, valleys and cols. The added bonus of being there as the Tour crossed added an element of glamour and, admittedly, one of hallucination, as men in styrofoam sausages on wheels sped past as part of the promotional pre-event thingy. You just don't need that sort of thing after a lunchtime liquid picnic - it really can be quite traumatic.
Anyway, the decision was taken - 65 was near enough to both Pau and Toulouse airports, it was transcendentally beautiful, it was touristically popular without being crowded, it was warm in summer, white in winter, and it was home to some of the most legendary Tour climbs (ok, irrational but important to me!). Upon arrival at our temporary home in the Vendée this October, we were to embark on an extensive househunt further south in 65.
However, distraction led me to return to the property markets of Ariege and Haute Garonne, and I found that, presumably because the ski stations are lower both in altitude and profile in those departments, the prices were correspondingly lower, so now I'm unsure. What we'll do, I think, is go across from the Andorran border to Cauterets over a couple of weeks in Autumn and make a decision thereafter.
What a wonderful predicament!
The humble carte de séjour: the more I read about it, the more I become confused. David Hampshire, in his excellent 'Living and Working in France', suggests checking the local requirement, ie whether one is needed or not, and acting accordingly. Is this good advice? If you decide that there is no need to apply for one, are you in a three year limbo until you're eligible for a carte de résident? I'm sure I'll find some decent advice elsewhere on the Living France webpages, but if anyone fancies adding something definitive here...
But enough, briefly, of such uncertainties. I can find solace in the fact that I'm totally prepared for my move in one respect (or two if I count the arrival last week of the Land Rover). Having spent the morning in a photo booth, I'm now the proud owner of about 830 images of me trying to look trustworthy, sober, sane and potentially good at submitting tax returns. Monsieur le Maire will be ever so pleased. I wish there were more of such easy bits - for every photo there are ten alien verb structures.
Away from the narcissistic delights of the photo booth, I've been booking ferry tickets on Brittany Ferries' much-simpler-than-it-used-to-be on-line service. The first lot of possessions are going out on the 3rd March, with a subsequent trip booked for the end of May. One more will be needed in summer before the BIG MOVE in October.
Finally, back again to neurosis: I've been listening to 'France Facile' (I think it's called) on RFI's website. Is that facile French??????? Quite a shock. No invitation for me to repeat what's been said by a man on mogadon, no helpful hints, nothing about asking the way to Rue St Jacques. Oh well, still a few months left, by which time I'm sure I'll be able to keep up with a gabbled explanation of the political situation in Liberia. At least, that's what I think was being discussed. Perhaps, however, it was the presenter explaining the dark art of applying for a carte de sejour.
ps - Happy Valentine's Day - St Valentine's remains lie in the parish church at St Pierre du Chemin - the village in the Vendée which will be home for a year from October. True, true!