Living in 2021

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Gus Morris
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Living in 2021

Post by Gus Morris »

May I share a thought on here?

Once upon a time this forum was quite lively. Discussions on all sorts of subjects as well as people looking for advice.

Over the past couple of years our lives have changed. For some of us it has meant dealing with the double whammy of Covid and Brexit.How have you managed to cope with all the changes. What lessons have you learnt. Any interesting experiences you would care to share?

I have only recently been vaccinated. No, I'm not an anti-vaccinist. I just anwered yes to one of the questions in the pre-jab examination and that was it. "On yer bike sunshine". But with a bit of perseverance, and the help of a friendly GP, I eventually got it sorted. So now I am the proud owner of a valid Pass Sanitaire!

Gus
Florence
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by Florence »

I was rather reluctant to have a jab because of various allergies. But after having a long discussion with my GP, we decided the J&J one would be best. So no allergic reaction, but I now also have that magic piece of paper.

Fortunately, apart from the drop in value of our UK pension, brexit has not had any effect on our lives.
alan
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by alan »

I turned 70 last October. At the beginning of 2020, my wife and I had a whole series of holidays and events planned. One by one, they fell away, although we were able to spend my actual birthday with my daughters and their families and with my stepson. Also, we were able to have a couple of “staycations” in Cornwall.

We have 4 grandchildren; the youngest was born on 11 April last year. We were in a childcare bubble with him, his elder brother and parents. We have felt privileged to spend so much of his first 18 months so involved in his care. My eldest grandson, lives with his younger brother and parents about 200 miles away. He began secondary school in September but during lock-down we regularly helped with schoolwork over Zoom. My stepson bought a house a year ago, a true “doer-upper”. We have helped throughout and he is now living happily in his first home.

So, all in all, 2020 and the first half of this year were not as we had planned but have nevertheless been extremely satisfying. We have been fortunate in maintaining good health and our various holidays and events are now resuming thanks to our Covid vaccinations. Our second home in Port Vendres did not suffer while we were unable to get there and Brexit has not been a particular problem.
Lescr31
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by Lescr31 »

It has been a strange year.

I took early retirement during the summer of 2020 and managed to spend a month out our house in Amelie les Bains, before COVID travel restrictions started to bite again. It resulted in endless DIY, Gardening and cancelled holidays.

I ended up so bored I have gone back to work full time - bills and the cost of living have been rising, so the extra income is welcome. Do I enjoy it ? No!

I had sleepless nights about the house in France and what we would find when we finally visited in September this year. In fact it was fine - yes the garden was a little overgrown and the swimming pool was green, but it didn't take long to sort out.

Brexit has affected life in the UK more than in France. But saying that the chances of retirement to France have now gone Decisions will need to be made on what our retirement plans will (and can be).

Fell out of love of with Amelie les Bains - the last two visits have opened our eyes to how run down it has become. The new Mayoress will have her work cut out to improve the village.
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Gus Morris
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by Gus Morris »

I was mildly surprised when I saw that this topic was active again. Well done Lescr31!

It's saddening to hear that you are falling out of love with Amelie. I can't comment further as I don't know the area that well. I suspect that the coastal communes are better maintained because of the tax revenues generated by the tourists. Plus the need to remain attractive in an area of considerable competition for visitors. But they are a hive of activity in the summer which is not everybody's cup of tea.

If it's any consolation most of the anglophones that I have met in recent times have moved house at least once. Getting it right first time is not easy.

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alan
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by alan »

I am also sorry you are falling out of love with Amelie. There has certainly been an improvement in Port Vendres, where we have our second home, coinciding with the term of office of the new Mayor. The streets are cleaner. There have been a number of civic improvements including to the long neglected area between the Dome and the harbour. More are planned and private money has been spent on the restaurants and shops. The place is really attractive and vibrant. Although we have always liked it, in the past PV has been a little rough around the edges but much less so now. Hopefully, you will see similar improvements to Amelie.
SteveB
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by SteveB »

I must admit that a few years ago, when I was exploring the area, I thought Amélie looked rather run down. However Céret, where I ended up buying a house, remains as vibrant and attractive as ever.
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by Daycare1 »

alan wrote: Wed 06 Oct 2021 18:17 I turned 70 last October. At the beginning of 2020, my wife and I had a whole series of holidays and events planned. One by one, they fell away, although we were able to spend my actual birthday with my daughters and their families and with my stepson. Also, we were able to have a couple of “staycations” in Cornwall.

We have 4 grandchildren; the youngest was born on 11 April last year. We were in a childcare bubble with him, his elder brother and parents. We have felt privileged to spend so much of his first 18 months so involved in his care. My eldest grandson, lives with his younger brother and parents about 200 miles away. He began secondary school in September but during lock-down we regularly helped with schoolwork over Zoom. My stepson bought a house a year ago, a true “doer-upper”. We have helped throughout and he is now living happily in his first home.

So, all in all, 2020 and the first half of this year were not as we had planned but have nevertheless been extremely satisfying. We have been fortunate in maintaining good health and our various holidays and events are now resuming thanks to our Covid vaccinations. Our second home in Port Vendres did not suffer while we were unable to get there and Brexit has not been a particular problem.
Thanks 👍
alan
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by alan »

Well there has been yet another change in our lives, which we could never have anticipated when I last posted. In March, following Putin's invasion of Ukraine, we decided that we would host two mothers and their daughters aged 17 and 10 to provide them with a place of safety from the war until it is safe for them to return. All the administration attaching to this has at times been almost overwhelming but the mothers are both working, the 10 year old is happily settled in school and the 17 year old begins college in September. As I sit typing, 3 of my grandchildren are playing happily together with Masha, the 10 year old, having been to the cinema this morning and I can't help but feel that this has probably been one of the most satisfying things we have ever done.
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by Karen »

Your post warms my heart.
Thank you for sharing .
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Sirmon
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by Sirmon »

As a newcomer to this forum, it is a little disappointing how little activity there is. But so it goes ...
alan
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by alan »

I agree that it is a pity that the forum is largely inactive.

I have previously posted a couple of times about what has happened in our lives since covid and here is an update in case anyone is interested.

We are still hosting our 4 Ukrainian guests and are happy to continue to do so until it is safe for them to return. They are a delight and since I last posted it has been good to celebrate birthdays together and introduce them to English Christmas and Easter traditions and, in turn, be introduced to their traditions. The mothers have continued to work and the now 18 year old is working. She thought it was better to earn money for her eventual return to Ukraine and put her studies on hold. The youngest goes to secondary school in September and settled into her English primary school without any difficulties.

We continue to enjoy holidays in our second home in Port Vendres and we shall be back next week. We have had 2 previous holidays there this year. We haven't been disrupted much by the protests but we have always had in place contingency plans. We travel by public transport and, franky, have quite enjoyed making these plans. On our forthcoming trip, we are planning a little trip to Spain for the Girona flower festival and are aiming to get there by slow train via Port-Bou. I'll let people know how we get on.

Perhaps other people will post what they have been getting up to over the last couple of years or so in order perhaps to get the forum a bit more active again.
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opas
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by opas »

Well, we came through COVID without any problems, I carried on working when allowed and enjoyed state aid when I wasn't( that aide was the first I had received in 20 years of living in France)

And wham, we both caught COVID last September, floored us! Thank goodness for having 3 vacins.

Since the world opened up again we have seen the Northern lights in Norway, touring by campervan to Sweden and Lapland.
We have done a Nile tour.
Visited Lisbon, loved it and would definatly return as so much history.
Driven around Tuscany, seeing Collodi, Florence, Pisa and Cinque Terres.

Our girls are both settled and happy.
I continue my one man band property management business and him indoors is still HGV driving....or will be when ANTS pull their fingers out an send out his updated licence after another farcical medical - touch your nose with eyes closed ,walk backward on top toe, read that sight chart and how much do you weigh( no scales in sight)

Over to you :wink:
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alan
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by alan »

You certainly have been busy since "the world opened up again". During 2020, 2021and 2022 we only visited France, apart from a trip to Poland last year to help our Ukrainian guests, two of whom had never left Ukraine before. In 2020 we had been planning a trip to San Sebastian as part of my 70th birthday celebrations, travelling across Spain to Barcelona before going to our house in Port Vendres. We put that trip on hold but still plan to do it sometime. However, we are just back from PV and during this trip ventured across the border to visit the Girona flower festival. We travelled on two slow trains changing at Port Bou. This was a great journey with much more to see than on the fast train from Perpignan. We found some of the displays a little kitsch but the steps to the Cathedral were wonderful. On the way back we stopped at Port Bou to check on the Walter Benjamin memorial. The last time we visited it had been defaced with racist graffiti. It has since been cleaned but, sadly, the engraved glass at the base is cracked.
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Re: Living in 2021

Post by alan »

By the way, I also got Covid last September but soon got over it
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