February 2019

We continue to trod along, as our weeks begin to take shape.  Living here has completely removed the franticness one experiences when visiting or traveling.  Trying to explain that for us, it’s allowing things to unfold which has sometimes been met with disappointment from friends. General disappointment of “You haven’t done…?” followed by “If I were there, boy oh boy, I’d do …. and … right away!”  Next month will mark our first year anniversary in France. But realistically, it took half the year just to find a suitable apartment and another half of the year ironing out the logistics. So we haven’t taken a train to Nice, we haven’t trekked to Copenhagen and no, we haven’t started our French classes-Yet. But we will.

We managed to get over to Lille’s Zoo which is relatively small, but on a beautiful, sunny day is quite popular and enjoyable.

And surrounding the zoo, which upon exiting had a line of families waiting to enter, there is a wonderful garden – le Jardin Vauban as well as walking trails and the Citadelle de Lille. We didn’t quite make it to all of that, but for another day.

G was fascinated with many of the buildings in the zoo and park – they were fashioned from shipping containers. The entry, gift shop, offices and restaurants and cafés were all shipping containers that were spruced-up with nice facades.

So treading along, what is naturally a laundry and bill-paying day turns out to be Sunday, when all the grocery stores and many other places we go to, are closed. That means that grocery shopping almost always starts on Monday.

Grocery shopping is very different for us here than in the US. We used to try to make the most of our refrigerator and cupboards to lessen our food shopping trips, which we found to be cumbersome. The best stores were not close and the trips quite an undertaking, taking up half or more a day.  Since for us, frozen vegetables are better than canned, in our freezer you would always find vegetable stables but never carrots. I have an issue with carrots. They were almost always too bitter when fresh and rubbery, when frozen. So no carrots. There would also always be frozen berries, chicken, beef, pork and fish in the freezer. But nothing in any category was a pre-made dish because we enjoy cooking. The pantry of course had staples too, just not much in canned goods. OK, to be honest, not when G went to Trader Joes, alone.

We’ve already commented on how fresh and fresh-tasting the food is here. It isn’t that the produce is amazing (well, generally it is) but it just, truly, has a better flavor. My example of carrots is perfect. We’ve yet to find a fresh one that is bitter. We’ve developed a preference to taste food at it’s optimum.  And grocery shopping? Yes, we stop almost every other day because with the shops right on our street, fresh is on hand. There is a fresh fish section in the large grocery store, which is as fabulous as the dairy sections. We buy our vegetables and fruit at a shop that only carries those items.

And a patisserie for our bread. Could we have done that if we still worked? We have friends who do, even though we thought they were nuts. It’s true that we could keep our old habits but, importantly, we really do taste a difference here when it isn’t staying in the refrigerator for a week or so.

Milestones this month included the sofa-bed delivery for the 2nd bedroom/office (ordered last November). Like the Paris sofa-bed delivery, it came up the stairs in pieces, to be assembled in the second bedroom. Unfortunately it didn’t quite fit where we’d planned. That resulted in a flurry of reorganization and more outlet cords. We also received that week most of the packages of guest linens ordered online (cheaper there) so we’re all set for the incoming visitors. I finally got a working bank card, after opening the account back in July. It took three tries and it was tolerable only because G’s card did work.

We had our first dentist visit and it was a carbon copy of the doctor visits. He is also his own receptionist and handles payment. Our US dentist had told us that the French dentistry was not at the same level and he was correct. Our teeth cleaning was quite light in comparison, and did not involve gloves or a mask and we believe that anything further is probably done by a specialist.

Then came the paper chase. Time to put the tax paperwork together, which took a good effort and a wait for one final document sent to the wrong address. All of our paperwork is handled online and uploaded. Sounds easy enough but it’s really involved and took G a couple of full days. This year (after 20-odd years with our previous), we switched to new CPAs who handle international taxes. This was a tough decision for us, but we wanted to make sure we’re filing properly in the US and here in France.

Also time this month to get ready to begin again our long term stay process with a titre-carte de séjour.  We’ve come to understand that it isn’t a renewal of our visa de long séjour (which can be annually renewed), but rather a new request for a multi-year residence permit. This is a much different process with a different office (Préfecture vs. OFII) and the paperwork required is also not the same as for the long term visa.

In reviewing the requirements from our immigration attorney, it was disconcerting to discover that we needed original copies of our birth certificates and marriage certificate. No one we know is crazy enough to travel with their originals. Ours are where they should be; deep in storage in Portland. Our options: fly to the US just to get into our storage (cost of over $2,000); contact our birth cities to request replacement certificates (cost of $400 or more with delivery) or; ask a family member to retrieve it for us out of our storage (cost of a considerable amount of goodwill).  It was amazing to find out on internet blogs what people have gone through to retrieve their documents. One guy got his ex-girlfriend to retrieve it out of stored boxes kept at another friend’s home.

We opted for the relative, of course.  The good news is that having considered that these items may be needed at some point, they were stored in a specific spot for ease of retrieval. A drawing of it’s location – which is my mode of operating – texted, and a video call at the time of the search to identify what we needed, did the trick. These drawings however, are not museum grade by any means.

Got to LOVE technology. The fast track delivery with required signature cost was $60 and a promise to give the relative a Rolls Royce in our next life.  After another two days of steady computer work, G was able to send the packet of documentation to our lawyer.  Since the French Préfecture office in Lille has the discretion in choosing how long the residence permit is issued for, we’re hoping to be charming enough to earn a longer term.

Speaking of charming and mode of operating, I have to talk about our hardware store. As is everything else, it is within easy walking distance. We have gone there so many times that the entire staff smiles broadly when we show up. They are all still patient with the fact that we can’t really explain in French what we are looking for.  It pays to be apologetic and to be sure, we’ve stretched the limits of charming. What they find amusing is the fact that I draw everything we can’t verbally get across. So much that they grab a pen and paper when they see us come in.

They’re betting that we’ll need it. And generally we do, although lately I’ve drawn what we’re looking for in advance of going – just in case. The picture starts with what the object involved actually does, then the point of what we are looking for, with arrows to where it fits into the object. Anyway, I’m sure their back room has a vast collection of these notes, taped on the wall for a lunch laugh.

The walking shoes we purchased are doing a better job on the cobblestones than the ones we brought. However, we have noticed that we don’t walk as long as we did in Paris – everything is in our quartier. The cobblestones do wear us down.  But it’s still a thrill to stroll past the architecture, taking in the scents of restaurants and bakeries. Oh, and we should mention that the ground vents sometimes give off a sulfuric and sewage odor. It is probably due to 1700 period building. It’s the same in Paris. It’s not overwhelming but it is certainly present.

On Valentine’s day, the chocolatiers, patisseries and restaurants were all bustling and brimming with customers. At one of our favorite restaurants, we managed to get an early table, which overlooked the kitchen prep area.  As we enjoyed our meal, we were mesmerized by the kitchen activity. Great dinner and entertainment.

The next week, we decided to train to Cassel because it had been voted the most charming French village in the country.  A 30 minute ride deposited us at a very small railroad stop on the outskirts of the town. It was a 35-minute walk to Cassel and would have been lovely if we could have only seen it. The weather app had predicted high 50’s to low 60’s, clear weather and we had dressed accordingly. What greeted us was a fog so thick you could not see more than 30 feet ahead, and a wind chill factor that brought the temperature to the low 40’s. 

As we walked to town, passing no one else, we could hear (and smell) that we were passing cows and an occasional rooster. Once in the town center, we still could not see the buildings across the street. Having been thoroughly drained of any warmth, we sought refuge in a corner café named Café Aux Trois Moulins. Run by the same family for several decades, the wife cooks, the husband runs the front and the son serves the tables. We were treated to a wonderful pork chop dish with onions and fries. During the summer, they’re known to serve salad from their own gardens but given the time of year and our popsicle state, we passed on the salad option.

As we were finishing up our meal, the weather had not improved, in fact it had gotten colder and G found that Uber wasn’t available for the area.  Before returning to the train platform by foot, he asked the son if taxi service was available in the area. Sadly no, he replied, and shocked us by immediately offering to drop us off.  In no time flat, we were back on the train platform and Ronald had us promising to return when the weather was kinder.  It was a terrific experience – one we would not have had during warmer days.

Also during the month one evening, we had a wonderful surprise when our upstairs’ neighbor knocked on our door.  At some point in passing each other in the lobby, we had made mention of practicing our French on him and he came to the door to arrange that very task. In return, he asked that we help him improve his English skills. What a delight! We explained that the language classes start in March, so our French won’t be anywhere close to workable but we could certainly begin to help with his English.  He is so incredibly nice to offer this and we are absolutely thrilled. None of us really know how to proceed but we are all ready to try it. At the very least, we’ll have gotten to know our neighbor in the process.

Our weekly video calls with family members have become a comfortable habit. Emails and text messaging with friends fill us in on their news as well. With the tax and residential permit work in and last of the furnishings and linens delivered, the month slides to a close.  Yesterday, sitting outside of a café in Lille, in its unseasonably warm 64°F sunny weather, sipping the local brews, we were in awe.  We never imagined we would enjoy such a time and place.