Would You Still Move to France After Hearing This?

Welcome back to A New Life in France. Each week Maria and I share our journey of moving to southwest France — the ups, the downs, and the surprises you won’t find in the glossy brochures. Alongside our life on the River Lot, we sit down with others who’ve taken the same leap, to hear why they moved and how life has unfolded since. This week we meet Trish and Kevin, newcomers who’ve just bought their home right on the river here in southwest France. Their story is honest, funny, and full of the kind of details you only discover once you actually live here. 🏡 Why the River? For Trish and Kevin, the river came first and the house came second. They’d lived canal-side in the UK and knew they wanted water at the heart of their life in France. The Garonne was too wild, other rivers too risky. But the Lot had one huge advantage: the barrage system. Since the dams were built in 1959, this stretch of river hasn’t flooded. That sealed it for them — deep water, but without the fear of waking up in waders. 🌦 House Hunting in Winter They began searching in the rain, in the bleak midwinter, and still knew they’d found the right place. By the time summer arrived, the move made sense — from local markets to night festivals, France was beginning to feel like home. 🍷 First Summer Discoveries Their first summer in France was a crash course in everything from markets to meals. Night markets, especially the one at Fongrave, took them by surprise: tables spilling out along the river, music, laughter, and food that made their family back home ask, “Where on earth are you living?” The rhythm of rural life set in fast — Villeneuve on a Saturday, Saint-Livrade on a Friday, and everything shutting down for lunch in between. 🥢 A Taste of Vietnam in Rural France The biggest surprise? Just down the road lies a vibrant Vietnamese community, the legacy of families who came here after the First Indochina War in the 1950s. What began as Europe’s largest Vietnamese refugee camp has become a thriving part of the Lot-et-Garonne. For Trish and Kevin, that means being able to walk to authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the middle of southwest France. A bowl of pho or a plate of noodles by the river — not what you expect when you buy in a French village. 📚 French Lessons That Work Integration doesn’t just happen by accident. They joined a volunteer-run French class where a whole season costs about €30. It’s not just grammar and verbs — it’s lifelines for paperwork, for shopping, and for making sense of daily life. The mix of French and English neighbours at the local bar in Saint-Livrade helps too. This is how you build community one word, one mistake, and one laugh at a time. 🎣 Rivers Deep and Fishy Tales The Lot is no small stream. Where they live it’s up to 45–60 feet deep. Carp fishing here is a serious sport, and then there are the catfish — monsters so big you start to wonder whether you should wear gloves before dangling your hands in the water. Noodling was mentioned, which sounds more like madness than sport, but that’s part of the river life charm: stories flow as deep as the water. 🛠 France Moves at Its Own Pace Of course, not everything happens overnight. The boat is still waiting on repairs. Builders take their time. At first it seems frustrating, then slowly you find yourself defending the pace. France has its own rhythm. You can’t fight it, you have to join it — and that might be the best lesson of all. ✨ Settling In For Trish and Kevin, it’s only been months, but already the choice feels right. They wanted river first, house second, and they’ve found both. Markets, neighbours, lessons, laughter — it’s not perfection, but it’s France, and that’s better. ⸻ 💬 Join the Conversation Would you move to a river in southwest France? Would the barrage reassure you or would the depth make you nervous? And what’s the biggest surprise you’ve discovered living abroad — night markets, new communities, or maybe even Vietnamese food in a French village? Tell us in the comments — we love hearing your stories. ⸻ 📌 About Us We’re Richard and Maria, sharing our adventures of building a new life in southwest France. From life on the River Lot to interviews with people who’ve taken the plunge, our channel shows you the truth about moving to and living in France. 🌿 Stay With Us at Villa La Rive If you’d like to experience life on the River Lot for yourself, come and stay with us at Villa La Rive. Enjoy riverside views, boat trips, and the same markets and villages you see in our videos. More details and booking at https://villa-la-rive.com.