Retirement in France… Flood Warnings, French Police Stops and Everyday Life 🇫🇷

Video Description

Retirement in France is full of little surprises that never make the glossy brochures and this week’s episode is a perfect example. Nothing dramatic. Nothing staged. Just the gentle rhythm of winter life in the Lot with all its charm, a few quirks and one very memorable moment in a local farm shop involving turkeys. If you are new here, welcome. We are Richard and Maria and a few years ago we swapped a busy life in the UK for a quieter one in rural France. We now run a small riverside B and B called Villa La Rive and each week we share what living here is really like. No filters. No perfect scenes. Just the real pace of life in a French village and the many small moments that make it special. This week begins with one of our rambles on our village roads. Winter has arrived and the leaves are falling with enthusiasm. The paths look like someone has emptied half the forest onto them and every step gives a satisfying crunch. The air feels sharper and the calm of the season seems to settle over everything. The Lot itself is behaving nicely which is always reassuring at this time of year. When the river is calm, you relax. When it is not, you check the levels with an intensity that would make a meteorologist proud. As we walk, conversation turns to police checks in France. Not because we were stopped today, but because policing here is part of daily life. You never quite know when you might meet a pair of gendarmes who simply want to make sure everyone is safe and that your papers are organised. It is all very calm and very French and talking about it becomes part of the ramble. Retirement here gives you time to notice these small things and time to laugh about them afterwards. Later, we visit a local farm shop where the highlight of the week occurs. Surrounded by produce that looks like it has just been pulled from the earth, we somehow end up discussing Christmas turkeys. The question slips out before we even realise it. Do people in France name their turkeys before the big day. The owner gives exactly the kind of warm amused reaction you would hope for. A perfect little cultural moment that reminds us why life here is endlessly entertaining. Retirement gives you the freedom to ask innocent questions and enjoy the laughter that follows. The conversation turns again to learning French which remains an ongoing adventure. Some words come quickly. Others feel like they are actively running away. We share what we have learned so far. The best method will always be real conversations with real people. Markets. Shops. Neighbours. Anyone who will tolerate a cheerful attempt at French and a few errors along the way. You learn slowly, then suddenly you realise you have understood something without thinking. It feels like a small victory every time. Winter in France brings its own charm. Shorter days. Quiet paths. Villages that feel peaceful in a way summer never allows. It is a time to notice the details of this life. The sound of leaves. The warm light across the fields. The friendly nods from people you pass. This is the France that retirees often dream of. Simple. Honest. Full of texture. And entirely free of rush. If you are considering retirement in France, or simply curious about what day to day life actually feels like, we hope this episode gives you a clear and gentle picture. Not the fantasy version. Not the postcard version. The real version. A walk. A chat. A visit to a farm shop where someone finally answers the turkey question you never knew you had. 🏡 ABOUT OUR B&B We live on the River Lot in Temple sur Lot at Villa La Rive where we welcome guests from all over the world. Some come to relax, some come to explore and many arrive because they are thinking of starting a new life in France themselves. Over breakfast we talk about daily life here, what to expect, what to avoid and all the little truths you only learn once you have lived it. Guests often tell us that staying with us has helped them imagine their own future in France. 🌿 LEARN MORE OR BOOK A STAY Search for Villa La Rive or visit our website at https://villa-la-rive.com Thank you for joining us on our journey. We live it, we share it and we hope it helps you imagine your own new life here. That is your Lot from the Lot. 🇫🇷❤️