Bonjour Reader, This week we're heading to a city Napoleon literally drew on a map — and it's quietly become one of the best-value retirement spots on France's Atlantic side. From My Corner of the World The end of March Madness always flips a switch in my head. Brackets go in the trash, and suddenly I want to be outside — walking, cycling, hiking, or just parked on the porch with the sunshine (and, let's be honest, the pollen). It's one of the things that pulled me toward France in the first...
9 days ago • 6 min read
Bonjour Reader, This week: a medieval city most Americans have never heard of — €120K apartments, half-timbered streets, and a 90-minute train to Paris. And yes, it's surrounded by vineyards. Oh, and an updated newsletter format... 👀 From My Corner of the World I caught the moon mission launch on TV this week. Didn't even know it was happening — it just came on, and suddenly there was a rocket climbing into the sky. I stopped what I was doing. Because for a few minutes, it was hard not to...
16 days ago • 5 min read
IN TODAY'S ISSUE 📍HIDDEN GEM: Épinal — a riverside Vosges capital with medieval character, colorful art history, and enough canal greenway to make your legs happy and your inbox irrelevant. 🏡 AFFORDABLE FINDS: Two properties in the heart of Épinal — one move-in ready with character, one a blank canvas with serious upside. 📜 TAX, VISA, HEALTHCARE: There's a common treaty trap with dividends — and knowing which article actually applies could save you from a very unpleasant surprise. 📺 FRANCE...
23 days ago • 7 min read
IN TODAY'S ISSUE 📍HIDDEN GEM: Agen — a sunny riverside hub with a walkable old town, a legendary market, and one of France’s coolest “bridges”… for boats. 🏡 AFFORDABLE FINDS: A stone house with a gîte and pool near Agen or a city-center apartment with a wraparound balcony. 📜 TAX, VISA, HEALTHCARE: U.S. Social Security isn’t taxed in France—and if SS is your only income, you may owe $0 in the U.S., too. 📺 FRANCE MUST-WATCH: See Agen in 4K with this stunning walking tour video. 👋 PERSONAL...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
IN TODAY'S ISSUE 📍HIDDEN GEM: The Luberon - hilltop villages, vineyard valleys, and sun-soaked Provençal scenery that makes “someday” feel suddenly doable. 🏡 AFFORDABLE FINDS: Two affordable-ish stone properties in The Luberon. One has a pool. The other, sweeping valley views. 📜 TAX, VISA, HEALTHCARE: Not healthcare, but getting healthy: walk, hike, and cycle your way to better health (at any age). 📺 FRANCE MUST-WATCH: A stunning, 4K video tour of the Luberon and it's idyllic villages. TRAVEL...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
IN TODAY'S ISSUE 📍HIDDEN GEM: Thiviers, Dordogne — A low-key Périgord Vert market town where foie gras, forests, and French “real life” show up on time (especially Saturday morning). 🏡 AFFORDABLE FINDS: First, a 73m², 2-bedroom apartment in the heart of Thiviers for just $71,130—leaving plenty of budget to modernize the kitchen, refresh the walls, and make it your own. Next, just outside Thiviers, this 11-room country home on close to 5 acres for $536,000 offers a pool, huge living spaces,...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
IN TODAY'S ISSUE 📍HIDDEN GEM: Chalon-sur-Saône — Burgundy riverside living with canals, cycling bliss, and “why-isn’t-everyone-talking-about-this?” energy. 🏡 AFFORDABLE FIND: €265,000 — Renovated 1940s character home near central Chalon-sur-Saône and a furnished apartment for €943/mo. 📜 TAX, VISA, HEALTHCARE: Retiring before Medicare? France’s healthcare setup can be a budget game-changer after you become a resident. 📺 FRANCE MUST-WATCH: See Chalon-sur-Saône up close. It's medieval center,...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
IN TODAY'S ISSUE 📍HIDDEN GEM: Bourges — A cathedral-crowned medieval city that feels like France hit “pause” (in the best way). 🏡 AFFORDABLE FIND: A 9-bedroom French castle with a pool and over 5 acres just outside Bourges. Please invite me to visit. 📜 TAX, VISA, HEALTHCARE: Retiring in France isn’t “all or nothing”—you can test-drive it in smart, flexible ways. 📺 FRANCE MUST-WATCH: Explore Bourges and it's surrounding countryside in this stunning video. 📚 FRANCE RESOURCE LIBRARY: (New)...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
IN TODAY'S ISSUE 📍HIDDEN GEM: Orléans — Loire-side charm, Joan of Arc history, and easy Paris access (without the Paris price tag). 🏡 AFFORDABLE FIND: Bright 1-Bedroom Near the Jardin des Plantes, Orléans, for just €850/month. 📜 TAX, VISA, HEALTHCARE: Arriving late in the year? You may still need to file in France—even if you’re under 183 days. 📺 FRANCE MUST-WATCH: Experience the stunning Loire Valley by bike in this must-see video. 📚 FRANCE RESOURCE LIBRARY: (New) How to find your first...
2 months ago • 4 min read