REAL LIFE
“Problems along the way have been overshadowed by our good life here”
problems partly due to cultural and linguistic differences. Overall, however, most problems were simply down to my ignorance and were overcome by discussing them with whomever was overseeing my applications. Everyone I have dealt with has been charming, helpful and patient, except on the rare occasion when the bureaucrat has been hidden from view by the faceless internet. The next major hurdle
A picturesque street in Gary and Pauline's village, Morlanne
were threatening to reimpose them within days, which did indeed happen. Unperturbed, we were queuing for the Channel Tunnel when our train was cancelled, not once but many times, causing us to fear we wouldn’t reach France before the end of the year. This time we had a little luck
and arrived at our temporary digs in northern France to a rather annoyed landlady who didn't seem to understand that our tardiness was not our fault. If anyone should have complained, however, it was us. Even as a near destitute student I wouldn’t have rented such a place, but the near squalor at a high rent incentivised us to find our new home quickly!
RESIDENCY WRANGLES Between 15 December 2020 and July 2021, there was much to do to establish our residency which was made more difficult than needed by our landlady prohibiting any internet connection. What could have been a relatively easy time applying for residency cards, re-registering my car, opening bank accounts, understanding the income tax system and completing French tax returns
and more on a laptop became a fight, normally against myself as I cursed too frequently, attempting these formalities on a smart phone with a near non-existent signal. Before planting my flag
on these shores, I had been concerned about fighting my way through the much- discussed bureaucratic nightmare said to be prevalent throughout France. Fortunately, the stories of completing every form in triplicate and then again several times over was an exaggeration. Yes, there were
was the process to buy our Morlanne home. Luckily this was simplified with help of a notaire in our nearest city, Pau, which incidentally has a lovely and eclectic mix of French, Bearnaise and Spanish architecture, while its wonderful boulevard
offers stunning views of the Pyrénées mountains. Our notaire had sufficient
English language skills to explain some of the tricky points of the legal documents. He was even courteous enough to spend an hour or so with me discussing the French legal system as he noticed my interest in the law. There were other problems along the way, but these have been overshadowed by our good life here; had it been otherwise, we wouldn’t have stayed. I hope to tell you about
Morlanne life in another article, with its rich music culture and its festivals, its warm and friendly people, its evening market, its wonderful views of the Pyrénées and, of course, the local goats... ■
Local town Arzacq is on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route
Morlanne's abbey, leſt, and the restored fortified château, right, which was built in 1373 and is open to the public 82 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: September/October 2023
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