If there’s a nº2, you can bet there will be a nº3.

There’s a Facebook group of Expats in Montpellier that I am subscribed to. They meet every week on Thursday at Cafe de La Mer in downtown M. So we went there and met with, surprisingly, very nice fellow americans who decided to retire to France. There is a couple who, after retirement, decided to move every year to a new place for a whole year. There’s a lady in her 60s who moved here with her husband who is in his late 70s, and never wants to go back. None of them spoke the language when they first moved here. All of them have scouted the different areas of France, Spain, and Portugal and decided to settle here in M.

Mark and his wife Kathy have been in France for a year. They invite friends over at their place for homemade dinners every week, and they decided to include us. What a nice gesture for someone you just met for 1/2 hour. He followed recipes for the last 2 dinners, which were Boeuf Bourguignon and Bouillabaisse.

I am still questioning why someone would uproot and leave their whole world and history behind to start a new life in a foreign place. Most of them have siblings, children and grand children back home, and kept in touch through skype/zoom. I’m not sure that would be sufficient for me.

I understand the lure of seating at a coffee shop in the morning with a cafe au lait and a croissant and reading newspaper. It’s very romantic and nostalgic but can I do it all day everyday?

The healthcare is supposedly good and way much cheaper. The yearly healthcare cost here is about what you pay in the US a month. The rent is half of the rent of a decent place in North CA. As an example, a 2 BR, 1BA place in downtown costs 1900 USD. The food and produce are of course much fresher. You don’t really need a car since public transportation is more convenient with trams in town, and trains between towns. Public transportation (trams and busses) for residents is free. Our 1-week pass costs 20€.

The group of expats is very sympa and happy to answer questions. There’s about 50 people every week gathering for coffee. I think this is their way to feel connected to home while exploring. I wonder if this is do-able back home, meeting with friends once a month.