# General hello and introduction



## Msearle1954

Greetings, all - I am a 68 yr old newly retired woman planning on relocating to France to be closer to my daughter who married a Brit and lives in England. I need advice on so many issues. 
Where to look - I have lived my life in middle America, and have had enough of miserably hot summers. 
A good and patient real estate person. 
A financial advisor - or some one to guide me through this.

I will gladly appreciate any advice. Thank you!


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## EuroTrash

Greeting, I'm afraid I can't offer any practical advice but sitting here in the Vendée looking forward with mixed feelings to yet another sweltering (to me) day of temperatures up in the 30°s, I'm curious how hot it gets in middle America?


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## suein56

Doesn't the US have °F ? In which case 32°C is about 90°F ..
Even here in Morbihan we have reached 30°c (and a bit above) in the afternoons for the past few days.


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## BackinFrance

EuroTrash said:


> Greeting, I'm afraid I can't offer any practical advice but sitting here in the Vendée looking forward with mixed feelings to yet another sweltering (to me) day of temperatures up in the 30°s, I'm curious how hot it gets in middle America?


I have been googling to try to determine where middle America is and am more confused than ever.


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## Bevdeforges

Hi, and welcome to the forum. As you may notice, many of our regulars are from the UK, so I'll try to help out with the US based guidance (though it has been a LONG time since I last lived there). 



> Where to look - I have lived my life in middle America, and have had enough of miserably hot summers.


OK, spent some significant time in the Midwest (born in St. Louis, university in Indiana) and I'm afraid you're looking more at climate change than any long-term climate "stability" here. We've been having more frequent "canicules" (the French term for heat waves). While the temperatures are nominally less than what some parts of the US have suffered lately, air conditioning is much less available here (though it's getting a bit more common for obvious reasons). Unlike most retirees, you may want to concentrate on areas north of the Loire river which will at least keep you out of the more extreme southern areas (where there are more and more brush and forest fires these days, too). One thought might be to look at Brittany (Bretagne) or Normandy which are both handy to the UK (for visiting your daughter) and subject to more in the way of sea breezes even in the worst of the heat waves here.


> A good and patient real estate person.


Be careful here. Real estate agents work differently than they do in the US. They don't do nearly the same level of hand holding, nor of "finding" you a place. Normally, they will not reveal the address of a place available (rental or purchase) until you have signed a paper agreeing to pay them their fee (indicated on the paper) if you take the place (to rent or to buy). There is no "multi-listing" service so multiple agents may well show you the same property, and if they do, and you decide to take it, you owe multiple agent fees. I'll also mention that agencies that cater to English speaking customers tend to post elevated prices and have fees that are higher than the local agents and agencies. There is also the usual advice to rent for a year or two before you consider buying. There is quite a bit to learn about the housing market and if you make a "mistake" it's easier to change rental homes than to resell a house.


> A financial advisor - or some one to guide me through this.


This is another one of those things that is mostly of interest to expats. What you might want to consider at first is to take a membership with AARO, a US expat group in Paris. They do quite a bit in the area of financial information and taxes (because as a US citizen, you're on the hook for filing and potentially paying US taxes no matter where in the world you live). There are lots of tax attorneys and other financial advisor types who belong to AARO and it can be useful to get to know them via the association before you try choosing one to work with. (And hey, a trip in to Paris a couple times a year to consult with your "expert" is a nice excuse for a shopping trip on the side! <g>) There is lots of information readily available on their website, plus other options as a member who can access the "members only" sections. 
AARO - Association of Americans Resident Overseas


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## GraceS

Msearle1954 said:


> Greetings, all - I am a 68 yr old newly retired woman planning on relocating to France to be closer to my daughter who married a Brit and lives in England. I need advice on so many issues.
> Where to look - I have lived my life in middle America, and have had enough of miserably hot summers.


A thought experiment: is a move to France actually the best way to accomplish your goals? If your aim is to be close to your UK-based daughter and to avoid US mid-west summers, another option would be to take advantage of the six months per year that US citizens can stay in the UK visa-free. So, for example, you could stay in the UK from June through August and mid-October through mid-January--summer and the holiday season. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm retired in France. I love it and recommend it--but it's not without it's challenges. I do wonder if it would be the most satisfying retirement if you weren't here for the place itself. 

Good luck with your decisions!


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## Crabtree

Hello and Welcome.As your priority appears to be able to visit the UK then I would suggest researching how easy it is to get from France to the UK by all the different means -planes trains and automobiles and how the weather especially in the Channel could scupper your plans.Do you drive if so can you exchange your licence? Also you need to research healthcare doctors hospitals etc as much of Rural France is poorly served not just by hospitals but everyday services like shops etc If you do not want summer heat then you really need to be looking at Northern France but the downside is that the winters can be wet and gloomy,especially in Brittany and parts of Normandy.


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## conky2

BackinFrance said:


> I have been googling to try to determine where middle America is and am more confused than ever.


It' about the same as "greater SW France" ..............


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## ALKB

conky2 said:


> It' about the same as "greater SW France" ..............


Huh. And here I was thinking that Middle America includes countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Belize...


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## BackinFrance

Air conditioning is one of the human activities that adds to climate change, even when the energy comes from nuclear power because nuclear power stations need to be cooled. Hydraulic power is not a solution either because dams are drying up. Creating large solar power farms within or on the edge of forests, as France has done, is totally counter productive. If thinking of moving to France, you should ensure you will be able to effectively insulate the home, that its location and orientation are appropriate, that you have sufficient funds to produce all or the vast majority of your power on site, etc etc. Only then can you hope to stay reasonably cool. Not too close to the ocean because of the impacts of rising sea levels.


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## EuroTrash

Being of a Brit of a certain age, "middle" tends to have a a secondary meaning too, and the term "middle America" initially conjured up suburbia, i.e. middle class/middle income/middle of the road politics. But I don't suppose it can be that here because one thing that is the same right across society, is the weather.


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## Bevdeforges

Gang, the Brits are used to everyone jumping on the newbie - apparently. The Americans (as in US residents) not so much so. Could we lighten up a bit here, please? 

There are certain states in the middle part of the USofA that have specific regional designations - like the Plains States, the Midwestern States (though there is huge disagreement on precisely which states belong to this "region") and so forth. What I believe she means is someplace in the middle of the map of the US that isn't associated with one of the aforementioned "regional clusters." (Mexico, Belize and those other countries are usually referred to as "Central America.") And ET is correct about "middle America" often referring to straight down the middle "average" for US residents. 

How about we try to be, oh, "welcoming" to a potential new member to our forum here? 

And let's save the environmental rants for the Bistro and the appropriate political or scientific threads. Our new member (if you haven't chased her off already) isn't the one who mentioned air conditioning. I did - in the context of "don't expect to find a/c everywhere here like back in the Old Country." Hardly an endorsement of laying waste to what is left of the environment. 

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming....


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## EuroTrash

OK well I guess I won't find out how hot middle America is, I would have genuinely liked to know.

To make amends I'm going to give the ball a kick in the right direction and suggest somewhere near Calais. That area isn't known for its hot weather, it's convenient for getting to England - shouldn't be a problem even if you don't drive - and I guess every estate agent will speak English because there are so many English people around that pretty much every service provider must be used to dealing with English speakers.
And there are some very attractive places in dept. 62. Have a look at Ardres for instance.


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## Bevdeforges

Just a further point to Grace's suggestion - Doing the six month splits in the UK would be one way to do things. Unfortunately, I don't think the UK offers a "retirement visa" or anything comparable to the "visiteur visa" we have here in France. I could be wrong on that - but it's very similar to the US situation. They pretty much expect you to either come to the country to join family (in the household) or come to the country to work. But if you're retired and living off your pension(s) there isn't really a category for granting a visa. (The good news is that you won't be considered "tax resident" in the UK if you do the splits things and you can just carry on as you're doing with filing your US taxes.)

I did notice you had a thread over on the UK forum here about possibly moving to the UK, so perhaps the folks over there may have mentioned the visa issue. We used to get queries from Brits looking to retire in America - and they pretty much face the same problem - with a similar solution involving a special visa that needs to be applied for through the Embassy. This expat life is definitely not easy! <g>


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## BackinFrance

If there is a possibility of getting a UK visa, though, it would overcome issues with inheritance tax in France.


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## ToutesDirections

What struck me right away about this post is the courage and spirit of @*Msearle1954* in looking to start a new chapter. Which many folks never do... This feeling has stayed with me as I've been considering how to respond in a helpful way.

Climate change is hitting France hard. Humans make plans based on our view of the past but the reality 'on the ground' is morphing. How to deal with where climate change is taking us all has to be a part of every expat 'retire-to-France' plan or dream. And by 'deal with" I'm really talking about adaptation not mitigation. The impacts are happening now and they are intensifying.

Agree with @Bevdeforges that canicules are becoming more frequent in France. They are also coming earlier in the year - late May/early June - and lingering later into fall as well. Any place that is known historically for being hot in summer is going to be hotter than that in the near future, if it isn't already. So I would echo the advice to look at Bretagne and Normandie, knowing that the weather in these regions is largely parallel to the UK. 

Where the OP's daughter is located is a big factor - train and ferry service are quite place-specific. Consider minimizing air travel, which makes climate change worse. The EU is also working to eliminate short-hop flights where these routes can be served by trains and other lower-impact modes. Expect this trend to continue.

As the OP is only 68, plan on having air conditioning whether you rent or buy. Unlike the US, A/C is not a given in France though heat pumps are becoming more common. Budget for the extra costs of cooling your living space, especially overnight. We get more sensitive to the health impacts of heat as we get older.

In addition to heat, many human settlements in France are along rivers. Flooding in the rainy season is becoming more common - another factor to consider.

It makes me sad to say these things out loud but there are too many data points (including recent first-hand experience) to ignore. Better to work it into the plan as early as possible.


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## Kid Charlemagne

EuroTrash said:


> OK well I guess I won't find out how hot middle America is, I would have genuinely liked to know.


I live there now - specifically in Chicago - and have lived in various parts of it for years and years. The summers get to 100F (37 C) with regularity (more so the further south you go) so its as hot or hotter than the hottest parts of southern France. Winters get to 0 C quite a bit, and up by me in Chicago or further north, it gets to -15 to -20 C fairly often, probably -5 to -7 C most of the time, which is colder than anywhere in France that isn't on top of a mountain, I'd think.


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## Msearle1954

EuroTrash said:


> OK well I guess I won't find out how hot middle America is, I would have genuinely liked to know.
> 
> To make amends I'm going to give the ball a kick in the right direction and suggest somewhere near Calais. That area isn't known for its hot weather, it's convenient for getting to England - shouldn't be a problem even if you don't drive - and I guess every estate agent will speak English because there are so many English people around that pretty much every service provider must be used to dealing with English speakers.
> And there are some very attractive places in dept. 62. Have a look at Ardres for instance.


I love all the activity my post has generated. Thank you. I live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, pretty close to the actual middle of the US, This summer, we have been breaking records for high temps. It’s been between 100°F and 109°F recently. My upstairs air conditioner is not working so I’ve been experimenting with my response to heat. I could deal with it, but I see so many places there that are above 110°, and I don’t think I could deal with that.

ive been checking out houses on Rightmove and Green-Acres and looking at the daily temps on my weather app.


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## Msearle1954

Bevdeforges said:


> Gang, the Brits are used to everyone jumping on the newbie - apparently. The Americans (as in US residents) not so much so. Could we lighten up a bit here, please?
> 
> There are certain states in the middle part of the USofA that have specific regional designations - like the Plains States, the Midwestern States (though there is huge disagreement on precisely which states belong to this "region") and so forth. What I believe she means is someplace in the middle of the map of the US that isn't associated with one of the aforementioned "regional clusters." (Mexico, Belize and those other countries are usually referred to as "Central America.") And ET is correct about "middle America" often referring to straight down the middle "average" for US residents.
> 
> How about we try to be, oh, "welcoming" to a potential new member to our forum here?
> 
> And let's save the environmental rants for the Bistro and the appropriate political or scientific threads. Our new member (if you haven't chased her off already) isn't the one who mentioned air conditioning. I did - in the context of "don't expect to find a/c everywhere here like back in the Old Country." Hardly an endorsement of laying waste to what is left of the environment.
> 
> I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming....


You.are.wonderful. I did want to live in the UK and they used to have a retirement visa, but discontinued it. I considered the bi-continental splitting of the year, and I just want a house to call my own where I can enjoy the scenery and go on long walks with my dog. I’m very pragmatic, and am attracted to a wide range of home styles and surroundings. I, like many “foreigners“, love the medieval buildings, towns, houses, and would very much like to live in one. 

I don’t have any family but my daughter. She and the hubs live in Retford, Nottinghamshire, but have recently bought a home in Chesterfield and will be moving there soon. I’m coming over for the month of Dec and will have to look while I’m there. I do drive and plan on having my car shipped over when I’m settled.

chances are slim that you will scare me off. I’m fascinated by people and our differences.

have a good night, all!


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## bhamham

I hope you have researched shipping your car to France thoroughly. It can be a real nightmare registering a non-French manufactured car. There's quite a few threads on the subject if you use the search function.


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## EuroTrash

Msearle1954 said:


> I’ve been experimenting with my response to heat


Me too.
I took a picture of the thermometer out on my terrace on 14 June. This is in the Vendée.


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## dpdapper

Msearle1954 said:


> I do drive and plan on having my car shipped over when I’m settled.


Don’t do it. I researched this a few years ago. Unless your car is over 30 years old, the cost of shipping and conforming it to EU standards (even if it was originally manufactured in the EU, since cars manufactured for delivery in the US are different than cars delivered in the EU), plus the administrative hassle, is likely to make it impractical to do so. Plus you will almost certainly want something smaller than you drive in the US, considering the size of the roads and parking spots and garages. Sell your car in the States and buy something in France.


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## Bevdeforges

Yup, I concur completely with the advice to forget about shipping your car over. There is a "famous" (perhaps "infamous") thread here on the forum started by one of our regulars (rynd2it) who was initially convinced that he wanted to ship his car to France. Once he got into the details, he changed his mind. Besides, in this transition period, you need to consider the type of car you'll need for the longer term here (hybrid, electric, whatever else becomes available). 

But I see you have anticipated the next step, which will be to make an exploratory trip over here to check out regions you might want to live in. Only advice on that is not to be in a big hurry to buy something. Due to the differences in construction, regulations on housing and property transfer and general living conditions, it pays to rent for a while until you know the territory a little bit better and get used to some of the customs regarding living in older buildings. These old stone houses (or even those built in cinder block like where I live) react a bit differently to heat and cold, plus you may learn that shutters aren't just for decoration here - they serve a very useful function for heating and cooling purposes.

The other big thing to consider is starting to learn a few "handy" sentences and expression in French if you don't already have at least a passing acquaintance with the language.


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## Bevdeforges

OK, here it is, in all its glory: Bringing your car to France

Bonne lecture!


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## Crabtree

DO NOT bring your car over.You will spend a fortune getting it here then another fortune and a huge bureaucratic problem getting it reregistered. I assume it is automatic? and double check on your driving licence.
For what it is worth automatic gear shift is more available in the UK than France


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## Bevdeforges

Crabtree said:


> For what it is worth automatic gear shift is more available in the UK than France


OTOH, most (maybe all) hybrids and (I think) all electric cars have what amounts to an "automatic" transmission. (Functions a bit differently, but it drives pretty much the same.) The big issue with bringing in a vehicle from the US is the difference in available models - and thus the availability (or lack thereof) of replacement parts. Even for marks like Toyota, Hyundai or VW, the models they make available here are very different from those they make for sale in the US, even if the model goes by the same name.


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## Poloss

BackinFrance said:


> I have been googling to try to determine where middle America is and am more confused than ever.


From reading Bill Bryson's books, I'd say Kansas & Iowa would be a good place to start


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## BarbTF

I'm almost afraid to mention it because I don't want the area to get any more crowded--I like the more rural setting--but I've been watching Brest weather since that area is now my top choice for moving to France (or at least visiting long-term.) But I suppose all the way up the coast through Normandy is likely similar, as long as you stay close to the water.

The weather is very similar in the summer to where I am in Maine (US) but the winters are nowhere near as cold.


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## Msearle1954

bhamham said:


> I hope you have researched shipping your car to France thoroughly. It can be a real nightmare registering a non-French manufactured car. There's quite a few threads on the subject if you use the search function.


Thanks, will do. I was looking at the cost of shipping a grand piano, actually, and saw a quote re shipping a car. Then checked used cars there, and actually found the twin of my car for sale. if it’s a problem, I can sell it here. People are begging for cars here right now.


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## Msearle1954

BarbTF said:


> I'm almost afraid to mention it because I don't want the area to get any more crowded--I like the more rural setting--but I've been watching Brest weather since that area is now my top choice for moving to France (or at least visiting long-term.) But I suppose all the way up the coast through Normandy is likely similar, as long as you stay close to the water.
> 
> The weather is very similar in the summer to where I am in Maine (US) but the winters are nowhere near as cold.


That sounds wonderful! And I’m just one person, i promise I won’t make it too much more crowded.


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## Bevdeforges

Msearle1954 said:


> Then checked used cars there, and actually found the twin of my car for sale.


It may sound like a "twin" to your car, but if it's an international brand and available for sale here in France it may well be the "French version" of what you have or else it has already been altered to meet French and European standards. Do read that thread (yeah, it's pretty long, I know) about shipping a car to France. Spoiler alert: in the end Rynd2it gave up on the project for all sorts of practical reasons.


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## MoonlitKnight

Bevdeforges said:


> Gang, the Brits are used to everyone jumping on the newbie - apparently. The Americans (as in US residents) not so much so. Could we lighten up a bit here, please?
> 
> There are certain states in the middle part of the USofA that have specific regional designations - like the Plains States, the Midwestern States (though there is huge disagreement on precisely which states belong to this "region") and so forth. What I believe she means is someplace in the middle of the map of the US that isn't associated with one of the aforementioned "regional clusters." (Mexico, Belize and those other countries are usually referred to as "Central America.") And ET is correct about "middle America" often referring to straight down the middle "average" for US residents.
> 
> How about we try to be, oh, "welcoming" to a potential new member to our forum here?
> 
> And let's save the environmental rants for the Bistro and the appropriate political or scientific threads. Our new member (if you haven't chased her off already) isn't the one who mentioned air conditioning. I did - in the context of "don't expect to find a/c everywhere here like back in the Old Country." Hardly an endorsement of laying waste to what is left of the environment.
> 
> I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming....


Thank you for this post - as a newbie myself, I thought I was just being overly sensitive as I read the replies folks were posting with very few helpful and constructive comments (and I'm the proverbial bull-in-the-china-shop...) (And I knew EXACTLY what was meant by "middle America")
To the OP - if you are interested in not leaving the US, the upper northwest corner of Washington is just downright cold (as in, it's July and we got to a high of 70F today) - maybe you could move here - it's only a 10-hour flight to the UK...


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## LoriEleanor

I agree about not shipping your car. We did it (from California) and I would NEVER go through that again for any amount of 'savings.' The shipping cost was nothing compared to the legalities and jumping through all kinds of hoops to get the car registered and insured. It took me nearly TWO YEARS !!!!! At the time, the DRIRE wanted specific forms completed, then they didn't like the data they received, then they wanted additional forms completed (by - in our case - TOYOTA France headquarters). It would take weeks in between sending out forms to Toyota and getting them back. Don't do it. It is just not worth the hassle and stress.


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## LoriEleanor

I also would agree with the renting before buying suggestion. That is what we did. We rented for just over a year to get to know the region. Then we bought a place and renovated it.

This was many years back now. We rented a house online without even seeing it. Things have gotten much harder now. Renting a place as a retired foreigner, with no local guarantors / references can be very challenging. Both the rental and sales markets in many regions of France have very little product to offer. In my area, things get snapped up in a matter of days. Only the 'crap' tends to sit for any period of time - and there certainly is crap out there too. 

It is very difficult to rent now without a French bank account. That too 'can' create challenges.

If you are serious about it, your first step would be to apply for a Long Stay Visa at the Consulate assigned to your current home address. Once that gets approved (assuming it does), then you can take the next step - while reading about every thing you can while you wait.


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## Msearle1954

So many kind and informative replies. Okay, I’ll see my car here.

What is the general feeling about inflation and the economy there now? Staying here certainly seems chancy.


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## Bevdeforges

Msearle1954 said:


> What is the general feeling about inflation and the economy there now? Staying here certainly seems chancy.


First of all, the French have a tendency toward "gloom and doom" even at the best of times. <g> But realistically, I don't think you're going to "escape" the high inflation anywhere over the next decade or so. Europe definitely is facing some serious issues over all this Russian gas cutoff stuff and other aspects of both the war in Ukraine and the current climate crisis. On the bright side <g?> this is starting to force Europe (and everywhere else) to get serious about all those pledges made at the Paris Climate Conference however many years ago. This coming winter is going to be tough in many parts of Europe, especially for those unable or unwilling to make some compromises in their lifestyles, budgets and whatever else it takes to get by. The issues are different in the US, but just as serious. Personally, I'd rather take my chances over here - but then I've lived here for 30 years now.


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## ToulouseRob

Coming a bit late to this discussion, but for comparing weather in different places you might find this site useful:





__





The Weather Year Round Anywhere on Earth - Weather Spark


Get monthly, daily, and hourly graphical reports of the average weather: daily highs and lows, rain, clouds, wind, etc. Great for event and trip planning!




weatherspark.com





It was recommended by some kind soul on this forum, but I forget who; I'll say "thanks again" to whoever it was!

It's particularly good for comparing places; here's a page for comparing Oklahoma City with Amiens in the north of France. (I only use Amiens as an example, not a recommendation).


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## BackinFrance

Msearle1954 said:


> What is the general feeling about inflation and the economy there now? Staying here certainly seems chancy.


The most pressing issue is in France is energy and in particular electricity supply this winter. Whilst the government says it does not intend that prices go through the roof and may have found a solution for gas supply, the spectre of electricity black outs and possible rationing as well as high prices looms large.


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