Living in France/Germany/Benelux

[sml2]

Hello everyone, this is a new thread to find out how many of us live in north west europe, and hopefully, be able to swap information.

We are in north west France - not too far from you, RushingAround! but we are somewhat south of Metz, in the country. Needless to say, it is currently snowbound like a picture postcard.

Sml, congrats on the move - didn't realise it was on the cards. Would love to hear more about how you and your family are enjoying it all.

Welcome back !

hello Bells and Twink,

Thank you for the good wishes. We moved about 6 months ago actually! however, all has not gone completely smoothly, we are currently stretched between France and the UK which has been a bit depressing.

Our house (which we are renovating) is beautiful, situated some 200m from the idyllic village school, so our move solved mortgage misery and school angst in one fell swoop. Children are picking up French rapidly from their little pals at school, dd in particular is doing extremely well, learning to read and write in English and French.

We all appreciate the high standard of living in France. When we come to the UK, our cases are full of French chocolate, cheese, bread, cakes, air-dried ham and wine, and when we go back over the channel, it is with essentials like Lyle's Golden Syrup, tea and ReadyBrek!

Sml, you lucky things - I love Alsace Lorraine. I hope you manage to get the move 100% sorted soon. I'd move to France like a shot if we could both get jobs there but the university sector is still very much a closed shop, apparently. Keep telling us drooling Francophiles more things about wine and food...

Yes, very jealous sml!

glad your move is working out sml - is your house very old? I am jealous too!

Hello all
Marina - what a shame about the jobs. Have you considered Germany or another European country?

Tigermoth, it's about two hundred years old, a typical French style house, which I find terribly romantic!

Two things I haven't figured out yet are :
What's the French for Bio/Non Bio washing powder?
and
As you can buy semi-skimmed goats milk in French supermarkets, what do they do with the cream, and can you get goats butter anywhere?

All information gratefully received...

Hi SML

Well done on the move....

I can't help with this powder thing actually... I'll ask my mum on Sunday... I can't remember that they make such a distinction in France.

And the goat's question is also a tricky one. I have never seen goat butter but there is plenty of goat or sheep yogourt (usually organic) and of course plenty of goat cheese.

If you have more French questions - don't hesitate... as you can see I am VERY useful

Hello Pupuce, thank you for your help. Looks like I will still be exporting St Helens goat butter then - but I am in cheese heaven!

Hi sml2! Nice to hear you're only down the road!

Just had a big lunch: it's French cuisine, but German quantities here! I need to lie down for a while ... Nice local wine too.

I used to get folk to bring me out Marmite, Nescafe and Tetley tea when we first came in '94, but times have moved on - there's a special English specialities (?!) section in the supermarché now - Marmite, Walkers shortbread, baked beans. But Why do they keep on with that terrible Lipton Yellow Label Tea???

Rushingaround they love that yellow liptons out here too (Greece) - I always cringe inside when people offer to make me a cup of tea with it!!!! Now I am saved by M&S who still operate out here and I buy their extra strong one cup T bags.Wish I could get pork pies and english sausages too...

GRmum, totally sympathise re the British sausages. Our M&S closed down along with so many over a year ago, and although I didn't shop there often, I really crave the odd M&S Ready Meal or some decent pork sausages! Funnily, I miss things I never thought I would miss such as English crumpets! Most of all, I miss the choice: it seems incredible what you can buy in British supermarkets now. That would be a nice idea for a thread - what do you all miss most from home?

Hi everyone.

Anyone missing out on those lovely English goodies that we all miss so much should try www.expatshopping.com who will deliver 30kg worth of goods for ten pounds. I think they have a tie in with Tesco's but the choice is huge and the service excellent.

Oh M&S . You'd pop in there to have a quick peek and end up having your major social event of the day because all the other Brits were in there too. Now I get really cross when I hear that they're doing well again - they shouldn't have left us, we were keeping them in good business! Didn't know they were still in Greece - lucky you GRmum!
Actually, can't complain Too much, as we have a couple of speciality British shops - sausages, pork pies, stuffing mixes and all. And the crisps!! Cheese&onion, salt&vinegar ... It's just paprika, paprika in the supermarkets here. (Sorry, getting a bit carried away there thinking about the crisps).

I agree with the huge choice in UK supermarkets - and also miss M&S. Why does nobody else make bras that fit me?! And children's clothes here cost a small fortune, even if they are gorgeous.
We also have quite a few specialist British shops here, if you're willing to drive a bit to get there, but paying twice the price is a bit off-putting unless it's Christmas or I'm desperate. I keep getting cravings for tinned custard, swedes and pork pies, which I all hated when I lived in the UK!
sml2, I've decided the French & Belgians just don't distinguish between bio & non-bio powders. Here it all seems to be bio unless you buy the "pure soap powder"-type stuff, which doesn't really get babyclothes clean in my experience.

Oxocube just want to ask you a question. Do you know Oude Wetering at all?

Sprout - where are you??? Brussels???

Pupuce, how did you guess?!! Pretty obvious pseudonim I'm afraid, but I wasn't feeling very inspired the first time I logged on. You're in Belgium, too, aren't you?

Rushingaround yes M&S is still operating here _i think Greece was one of the few european outlets that was making a profit but it is pretty expensive.Paprika crisps-yes we have ouddles of those too as well as oregano (v.popular) and recently feta and olive oil (not nice)!!!

Sprout yes I'd forgotten swede which i love and parsnips I always wish I could get those at Xmas time.I keep meaning to buy some seeds when I'm home in the summer but always forget....Think I'd manage to grow some on my balcony????

sml2 - Like most others I would love to move to France - my in-laws leave in the Dordogne. Can I be nosey and ask you what you and your husband do to make a living?

No I use to live there but I AM Belgian.
Do you know Buissoniere? They have nice but cheap clothes. Of course Jacadi is expensive.... Don't they have H&M?
Otherwise in Lille you have Du Pareil Au Meme or Tout Comptes Fait... both nice and cheap.
I should ask all my cousins where they buy their kids'clothes... off to do an e-mail!

Thanks, Pupuce. No, I don't know Buissonniere so thanks for the tip. I'm a regular at H&M - good thing dd likes bright pink! - and C&A is also not bad, so I shouldn't really complain. I think there's also a Vertbaudet in Lille. I haven't ever been to Lille, but so many people have recommended it for clothes shopping recently that I think I'll have to treat myself to a trip there soon. It's so quick on the train that I should have tried it years ago.

CAM, I know the name but can't quite place it! Is it near to Schiphol and Leiden? Did you live there? We are a bit further away, between Hilversum and Weesp.

Oh and agree with everyone re the crisps (or chips if we're being local ) What is it with Europeans and paprika?

I have to confess now and say that I thought dear Cam was asking about a brand of Dutch gin (genever)...

Yeah they're called chips here too!