Home Hunting
Deciding on a city we would like to call home.
Almost four weeks into our adventure here in the south of France. We are hunting for a place to call home. Most any place would do as so many cities and villages are beautiful but we have decided upon a truly Mediterranean climate.
Renting seems like the smart thing to do before committing ourselves to that small house in the country. Rather avoid the maintenance and other costs of ownership while we sample the experience of the community we choose.
Renting also comes with its own set of challenges. Because French law favours the tenant over the landlord, landlords can be quite picky before accepting a tenant. In the US or Canada your credit score gives the landlord a measure of your ability to pay the rent. In France there is no such thing as a credit score. You need a dossier; a file showing proof that you have income and have never been late paying the rent. As a retired immigrant, you have no dossier so renting can be a trick. Fortunately you can buy an insurance policy that guarantees your rent will be paid regardless of circumstance.
We are anxious to identify where our new home will be because we will soon need to restock our pharmacy supplies. This will require prescriptions which, in turn, requires doctors. Access to medical practitioners who understand English is a big requirement. This, more than anything, will drive our decision on where we call home. It is also why we are limiting our search to the larger communities. Once we find those doctors, we don’t want to have to change because we find we don’t like the community.
Community choices? There are a number. Montpellier is the largest then to the south is Béziers and Narbonne and Nimes to the north. There are airports at all of these cities and by next year the highspeed rail line between Montpellier and Paris should extend all the way south to Barcelona.
Montpellier is a nice large city with a great transit system. You can get most anywhere in Montpellier by tram or bus and the cost to city residents is nothing. It’s a perk of living here. Montpellier is also home to the oldest medical school in Europe, if not the world. In addition to the medical school, there are a number of technical colleges that are highly regarded. The result is that Montpellier has become known as a tech hub attracting many young professionals who, coincidentally need a place to live. Finding a rental may be difficult here.
We visited Nimes when we were here in December. Our overall impression of the city was good. Like all of the cities in France, transit is a priority so that checks that box. There are also Roman legacies to visit including the still operating arena. Granted it was two weeks before Christmas, but the town seemed to be hopping while we were out exploring its streets and allies.
South of Montpellier is Béziers and Narbonne. We haven’t been to Narbonne yet, but did visit Béziers at the beginning of the week. An ambitious one day trip by European standards made even more so because the actions of the🍊🤡 have driven up the price of gas. Fortunately the DACIA Jogger we are leasing, a larger hybrid SUV, seems to sip gas from the tank.
According to Wikipedia, Béziers has been a destination since 575 BCE. It is located on the banks of the river Orb, about ten kilometers inland from the Mediterranean. The Canal du Midi crosses the Orb via an aqueduct here. The Canal du Midi, by the way, is part of the waterway that was built to connect the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic, to the Mediterranean. The Canal was constructed from 1666 through 1681 and is still in operation today.
So, back to home hunting and checking out Béziers. We drove around and through the city several times getting a feel for the districts and suburbs. Transit looks good, in the downtown core, there is a large park with lots of outdoor cafes under the shade of trees. Even with it being Monday, there was a lot of activity.
One of my requirements of where we call home is the ability to get around without a car. The more we search, the more I realize this is probably not going to be possible. Unless we find ourselves on one of the tram lines in Montpellier, not having a car available is going to be a big inconvenience. Oh well… one can dream can’t one. After getting our health care providers lined up, I guess I will have to line up for driver’s education and take a whack at a French driver’s license.
So… the drive to Béziers provided many opportunities for fantastic landscapes. Lots of churches on the skyline as we drove along roads with no shoulder to allow a quick stop. It was a fantastic day for a drive. The weather was great.
And no. We haven’t decided on where home will be.
