Welcome to Episode 99!
If you think moving to France is all about sipping wine and eating cheese, wait until you experience the sheer unadulterated thrill of the French visa process!
In this episode we take you to a brilliant classic car and motorbike show in Saint Sylvestre sur Lot. From classic American muscle to beautiful old MGs and a rather unique VW camper, it is a proper petrolheads dream. Richard also shares a hilarious story about his mums old Ami 8.
We then take a stroll through the stunning hilltop village of Penne d Agenais and reminisce about Chateau le Stelsia, where Richard was once accused of sneaking Maria into the hotel like a lady of the night!
But the biggest news of the week? As we reported last week, Maria has finally received had her Talent Visa approved! It only took a year of waiting and a tidy sum of 400 euros. We sit down to share our honest experience with French bureaucracy and explain why you should absolutely get professional advice instead of chancing it on a tourist visa.
In this episode we cover:
A fantastic classic car show in the Lot et Garonne.
Exploring Penne d Agenais and our funny hotel memory.
A quick update on our restaurant project in Fongrave.
The reality of applying for a French Talent Visa.
How long French paperwork actually takes.
👇 Let us know in the comments: What is your absolute favourite classic car from the show?
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Links & Resources:
🏡 Book a stay at our villa: https://villa-la-rive.com/
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#MovingToFrance #LifeInFrance #ExpatLife #LivingInFrance #RuralFrance #FrenchVisa
31 Comments
Right, so after a brisk 12 month wait, the French government has finally agreed Maria is allowed to stay. Of course we have not actually handed over the 400 euros yet, as the physical card is currently being hand crafted by local artisans and could take another lifetime to arrive. We shall believe it when we see it.
Let us know down below which classic car you would actually take home from the show today. If anyone genuinely says my mums old Ami 8, you need your head checking.
Links & Resources:
🏡 Book a stay at our villa: https://villa-la-rive.com/
🟦 Follow our daily updates on that Facebook page we never use: https://www.facebook.com/Villa.la.Rive/
Blame Brexit.
Chers Amis d'outre manche…
Je vois que vous appréciez mon Pays qu'est La France 🇨🇵..
Vos blogs… Are great…
C'est dommage que vous ne glissiez pas quelques phrases en français…
Vous êtes en France 🇨🇵
Quoique qu'il en soit… Merci d'avance d'aimer Notre Pays..La France 🇨🇵 i
Folks please be careful before paying any money to ‘hand holders’ there are scammers out there. Do lots of research goggle, trust pilot reviews. The French bureaucracy can take some navigating and people will prey on this and take your hard earned cash without doing a light !
Confession about reverse gear was both funny and emotional to be honest. I can’t imagine how much your Mom went through on that morning. And you didn’t tell her Richard LOL.
The Lotus logo with the screws, surely your brothers did it well I think Maria. Hope your brothers see this video haha.
I was impressed about the editing skills is Richard, the song was exactly about GMC and it matched the frame so perfectly!
Fongrav restaurant will be a reality one day for sure, like Maria said it is all about patience.
Have a great week guys!
Bonjour à tous et toutes. Hi ya.
Comme disait La Fontaine :
Patience et longueur de temps font plus que force ni que rage…
And my favorite old car is the : la deudeuche, or the 4L. Actually, my ex-step-dad had a Triumph "Spit Fire"… Sounds posh, inni't. See ya.
The music was hilarious, well done 😁😁.
…nice AND informative…😀…
Enjoyed hearing "your" voice on the music track Richard! Your anecdote about the hotel reminded me of Pretty Woman…you should have told the receptionist "Big mistake. Big. Huge" 😄
Hearing about the starting handle remonds me of may Dad's Morris Minor Traveller (the ones with the wooden frame.). It often needed extra help from the starting handle on winter mornings!
Hello Maria & Richard. Thanks for this pretty cool video with the sun and the marvellos large collection of classic cars.😃
Personally we have an american one, it's a 1985 Cadillac Eldorado w/2-doors, a big V8 and an automatic gear 😉. And it's a real pleasure to cruise in Normandy where we live on scenic roads closer the Channel with our Caddy.
We're so happy Maria has got one talent visa, the future is now completely open to continue to build the -New Life in France-. Take care of you and have fun.
Hi 😊. Anorher lovley sundaymovie. 🤩😍 Yes Maria, totally with you there.! Those beautiful sportscars: Mustang, MG, Volvo P1800, old Mercedez benz, Corvette are so beautiful because they have curves and they are just beautifully made. Thank you for the visits in those beautiful spaces. Reelected!!..So nice to hear that you're adjusting. You should offer him a slice of your pie Rich.! You have had very god help before Rich. Hand crafted visas-that's something to wait on. 😉 Ha! we have the same saying: I always go: I belive it when I see it! Oh poor mother, what a morning! Thank you for this one. Lots of love to you. 💗💖 . 😀 Do I need to mention the music again ? Splendid like always.🌟
Wonderful Music and Words by You, Perfect for the Event. Thanks cheers form Snowy Calgary, AB Canada
What a lovely way to spend my Sunday afternoon, your videos are always so inspiring, today’s music was fitting for the car show, have me looking forward to my city classic car event in summer, finally having some beautiful weather today ❤ from Canada 🇨🇦
400 euros is nothing compared to the costs of the visas in the UK. My sister (french) just paid £1,938 for a fiance visa. And it's only for 6 month. Her "fiance" is english, he lives and works in London
Nice video, thanks
Your videos are always just so much fun. My husband, Arthur, really loved seeing the VW split screen (childhood memories!) I'm more of a classic MG girl, myself. So much fun to go along with you to the car show. À bientôt !🚘
Great outing and chat. We'll never talk again. We we brought up in Citroens. London Ramsgate Car in plane (Parents and 6 kids) Le Touquet …. Nice Côte D'Azur. How we ended in the Lot LOL and then found out ancestors are from Tournon d'Agenais and Prayssac. ps not surprised we're 6 siblings due to break downs of all the citroens Get out and push
Thats a great story, about your chateau stay. 😂 😆 🤣 You rule breaker you. And Maria your 'Pretty Woman' 😂
Great vlog as usual, what a stunning weather !
Maria getting her 4 year visa must be soo happy now, fingers crossed for your restaurant project… the mayor does not seem to share your enthusiasm though 😂
You should focus on your table d'hôte and apéro events in your villa for your guests 😊
Are we not facing the reality of the "advantages" of Brexit?
My late husband would have loved that car show. He was the proud owner, from new, of a Ford Cosworth registered in Jersey, but now in secure storage in the UK.
Hi Richard and Maria, Another great episode from the the Lot, and early congratulations for Episode 100 next week, love your channel, kindest regards from the Commonwealth,Tim
Sunshine and T shirts already, v envious ! fab cars —- buy one 😂 are you planning a fanfare for the magic 100 ? As always glad to see your grins
Hi to you both
Absolutely fantastic video this week what a lovely event to go to in the first place and then to watch and listen to you guys wondering around in the sun and the cars and trucks looked amazing. I think the pick up truck had been made to look like the one from the cars movie.
Loved the song well written and well made it fitted tye scene perfectly.
Great all round video again.
Have a fantastic week guys.
Oh ot's hard to shoose. I saw adark green car behind someone. Looked like a fast one.
I'm a little surprised to see the number of American models there!
Ahh, ok. So, that style of restoration done on that GMC truck where they purposefully leave the patina in place is what they refer to as a "rat rod" style. In case you were not aware. 🙂
Many countries have a strict visa process. It’s obviously done to protect that country’s citizens. I think working visa is the most stringent. I live in Mexico as an expat. In order to get resident visa, temporary or permanent, you need to prove economic solvency. Id you are interested, you can check out how much cash is required for the residency visas on the government website. Plus there is a cost for the process of residency. The costs are very surprisingly high!
Brilliant video. Car show looked great and so many cars! Some corker confessions too. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts eat your heart out 😂🤭
Ah quel dommage que nos amis Britannique nous aient tournés le dos avec le brexit . J'imagine que devoir attentre son visa est assez stressant. Surtout dans un pays comme le notre ou la bureaucratie est poussée a son extreme je dirais que c'est presque de l'art !!!! Que Marie profite bien de ses quatre ans de répit . Je vous trouve pédagogue avec les futurs arrivants a savoir le changement radical de vie ici en france et aussi le "devoir" d'apprendre le français qui ouvrira toutes les portes des gens du coin Bonne continuation dans ce charmant département