Bien, je parle un peu de francais, Monsieur. [Linked Image]

I'm certainly not fluent in French, but I can speak enough to deal with most everyday situations like shopping, asking directions, etc.

I'll concentrate on my technical writing work mostly, which will still be with British & American publishers, so no problem. I might pick up a little wiring work locally once I get settled and known in the area, particularly with any other Brits who are renovating and would feel more comfortable dealing with someone who is fluent in English.

Quite a few Brits live over there now in certain regions, usually quoting similar reasons like cheaper property & lower property taxes, getting out of the rat-race into a more relaxed pace of life, and so on.

I understand that a number of Dutch and Germans are also buying in the same regions for the cheaper property. I've yet to meet any Dutchman who doesn't speak English fairly well, and most Germans seem to speak at least basic English as it's taught as the "de facto" second language in that part of Europe. (Ask Texas Ranger -- He's from neighboring Austria.)

Although taxes are high in France if you have a large income, for those on more modest pay there are a lot of savings, e.g. property taxes and annual vehicle registration are quite a lot cheaper. And although still expensive by American standards, food & gasoline are slightly cheaper than here. The weather's a little better as well, of course!

I've just been looking at a rural house in Normandy: 2 BR, 1 bath, habitable with all services but in need of some work, in 3/4 acre of land for 170,000 francs. That's about £16,000 Sterling or U.S. $25,000. You can't even buy a small empty lot in southern England for that!