Fiona Alderman: July News from Rural France
The time to live – camping in France
The French and also the Dutch like to go camping when on holiday, and it is often the cheapest option. Around here there are several campsites and they really do offer great facilities for families. One is called “Le Temps de Vivre” ie the time to live, and is a franchise of Flower Campings. In their publicity they call it Camping is Human!. We know the family who own it very well now. A French couple, with two girls, who came here more or less the same time as we did. I have done various jobs for them, from babysitting,dance classes, and now I give English classes for their girls.
We were asked to do some photos for their next year’s brochure and went one hot summer day to look around the site. It is surrounded by trees and countryside and is a haven of peace and quiet . The obligatory swimming pools and play areas with a huge bouncy castle feature largely. They do work hard though, often up at four in the morning to be well in advance for the day.They offer lots of activities too throughout the summer from mosaic and puppet making , zumba classes and aquagym. With a restaurant , bar area and little shop for basic foods,you can easily just relax without having to move very far!
Barry took many photos and one tent in particular took his eye,as it was quite different to the rest.It was well arranged with some humorous touches. Bonne vacances!
Contact:
Lebarry Gites and e mail [email protected]
The vital green card
We are extremely lucky to have a great Health Service in France.Over the last few years we have both had to use it rather extensively.
To get the Carte Vitale is a mass of paperwork to fill in, but once on, it carries all your medical data and this is linked to your bank account. This makes reimbursement payments automatic. Those on low incomes are entitled also to the CMU C scheme which provides health care completely free. When going to the doctor’s for instance, instead of paying upfront a fee of 23 euros you present your “carte vitale” which he registers on his computer system and it automatically reimburses him.
Prescribed medications are also usually fully reimbursed through a combination of your state health cover and top up insurance and often it is not necessary to pay anything upfront.
Going to the pharmacy in France clutching your vital green card is now no longer such a hassle. Before, paying for your medicines was an expensive business but your prescription is free now and most are fully reimbursed.However, I am always amazed by the number of boxes and packets that some people buy, but the French are also great hypochondriacs. The latest pill or potion for the slightest thing and they will buy it!
Expats and holiday houses
I get a bit fed up with the idea that now we live in France that we might be treated as expats! First of all I hate the expression, and secondly I haven’t exiled myself from Scotland. We haven’t done dual nationality either,as we feel what would that gain? There are a lot of English people abroad who complain if they can’t get something “So British” in the shops, so we say why bother coming on holiday? I hear them in the supermarket shouting loudly to be understood,when they can’t be bothered to speak a little of the language?
However, I look after a house for a Dutch/ Scottish couple who have a holiday house here and they understand French quite well.It makes such a difference. It is rented out for the summer,usually to Dutch people ,and I manage the cleaning as well as welcoming the guests. It is a pleasure to do, as it is such a lovely house and makes mine look a bit untidy!
Well I will finish this rambling story, and wish you a very good summer.
Fifi’s story from rural France. July 2015.
Dance and film courses in the Dordogne.
This section: Fiona Alderman blogging from The Salignac Foundation France
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Written by : Pat Byrne
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