The Connexion 246 - April 2023 e-Paper | Subscribers can find their copy in My Account
What's inside this month's edition?
On the front page
Senator to push forward ‘second home’ visa proposal
A senator is to add an amendment to France's upcoming Immigration Bill for France to offer a dedicated ‘second-home owner visa’ for non-EU owners to visit their French properties more easily and for longer
More complaints filed over new inheritance law, response due shortly
A complaint by a British woman about the 2021 French inheritance law on forced heirship is being taken seriously by the European Commission
Heritage group criticises EU energy plans for character homes
Criticism of new EU plans that would place more restrictions on many older stone or character properties
French news explained
New rules and changes in France affecting residents and second-home owners
How to declare your home on the new tax form
It is especially important to understand the difference between a main and second home this year as all property owners must complete a new form to declare how their properties are used. Your questions answered
Couple's residency cards 'downgraded'
The couple have been living in France for more than 10 years but suffered an unexpected drop in income
Cheap and cheerful restaurants back in fashion
Traditional bouillons are having a renaissance in and out of the capital
Ideas to revitalise rural areas
Good broadband, accessible housing and a vibrant community life are key to the development of so-called ‘smart villages’, a study has found + €80,000 grants to open a rural store
UK digital borders for travel from France to open next year – and EU scheme is delayed
Visitors to the UK from European countries will have to apply and pay for a visa waiver for short visits from the end of 2024 at the latest
Project to make wastewater fit for drinking
A major project to transform wastewater into drinking water is expected to be up and running in France by the end of the year
Riviera villa where famous film kiss took place up for sale
The villa provided the backdrop to a famous kiss between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film 'To Catch a Thief'
Consumer groups attack anti-inflation measures
Why consumer associations have criticised the government’s new anti-inflation campaign, which is now running in several French supermarkets
‘It took a moment to take in the words, then the world tilted a bit’
Hannah O’Neill on becoming one of the few foreign danseuses étoiles at the Paris Opera Ballet
Sisters are doing it for themselves in French countryside
Meet three women in the Dordogne who are breaking the expatriate mould to forge their own paths
Practical advice and updates for living in France
About France: 13 things you can do via a notaire other than buy a house
Don’t cut hedges in nesting season
Gardeners have been advised to wait a few months as birds’ nesting season gets under way
Nine tips for managing a renovation project yourself
The building market is starting to settle down after the post-lockdown boom, labour shortages and price inflation combined to make “getting the builders in” easier said than done
Learning French in a classroom will only get you so far...
From total immersion to dating a French native, we run through language-learning options + Five tips to get you speaking
Questions to expect during a French citizenship interview
Feedback from those who have done it
Our financial writer answers your money queries on page 33
You can find more information on managing your money in France in our Money and Tax section on pages 33 and 34, and online
Readers questions answered
- How do I replace my damaged French card driving licence?
- Do cruises count towards 90-day allowance?
- How do I know if flat listing respects rent control rules?
- How to keep track of changing speed limits on secondary roads
French living
The forgotten talents of Belle Epoque beauty Liane de Pougy
Liane de Pougy conquered the Parisian demi-monde with her beguiling looks and winning charisma, but as we reveal, there was far more to her than just a sensationalist soap-opera biography
Follow your nose on a scent-sational tour of France’s spring flowers
We explore the national and regional floral specialities of France, and sniff out the best flower festivals and horticultural events taking place around the country this spring
‘The first baby hedgehog we rescued was a real love-at-first-sight story’
Sara Stahl tells how she faced multiple obstacles to help a by hedgehog she found and then undertook years of training to set up a ‘hedgehog health centre’
Loire Valley arboretum puts heather and magnolias in the spring spotlight
Explore a beautiful arboretum at Ingrannes in the Loiret which is home to a fine collection of magnolias, at their best in May
Biodiversity boost as protected forest cats come back from the brink of extinction in France
The beautiful ‘chat forestier’ was hunted out of much of France but now that it is a protected species it is re-populating countryside areas
More from the April edition
Interview: Former British ambassador on the recent France-UK summit
Food and drink: French ravioli from the Dauphiné
Architecture: Art Deco and hidden artwork
Trending: The huge boom in indoor climbing walls
Heritage: How gloves led to Grasse's perfume fame