Corrie(68)

After retiring from the municipality of The Hague, I faced the question: what now? My husband had passed away five years earlier, the children lived abroad and my flat in Scheveningen felt like a waiting room. I had always loved Provence — the lavender fields, the marchés, the light. One January morning, while it rained again in The Hague, I booked a one-way flight to Marseille.

I first rented for three months in Apt, a small town in the Luberon. Apt isn't Saint-Tropez: it's a real Provençal town with a weekly marché on Saturday, a cheese shop on every corner and old men playing pétanque in the square. After two months I knew: I'm staying. I bought a 70m² apartment in the center for €145,000 — with a view of the bell tower and a small balcony full of lavender.

Healthcare was my biggest concern. I have arthritis, high blood pressure and take daily medication. Through the CAK I requested an S1 form, which entitles me to the French Sécurité Sociale. The CPAM in Avignon processed my application in six weeks — faster than I expected. My carte vitale arrived by post. Now I pay 30% co-payment at the GP (€7.50 of the €25 consultation fee), but with a mutuelle (supplementary insurance at €45/month) nearly everything is reimbursed.

My médecin traitant is Dr. Blanc in Apt. I had to choose him and register with CPAM — in France you need a designated GP for reimbursement. He is patient, thorough and speaks a little English. For specialists I go to the hospital in Avignon, 45 minutes by car. Waiting times are shorter than in the Netherlands — I had a rheumatologist appointment within two weeks.

Social life was my second concern. Being alone in a new country at my age — that's not nothing. But Provence surprised me. Through the mairie I signed up for a seniors' activity group: hiking, painting and weekly déjeuners. There's also an Association Franco-Néerlandaise in the region where I meet other Dutch people. And my neighbor Monique — 73, widow, Provençale — has become my best friend. We have thé together every afternoon.

What I want to tell other retirees: don't wait too long. The bureaucracy is heavy — the préfecture, the CPAM, the impôts (tax office) — and it takes energy you might not have at 75. But if you do it now, you'll be rewarded. My pension of €1,600 net is enough for a comfortable life. I eat fresh from the marché every day, hike in the Luberon and wake up with the sun on my face. The Hague was good. Provence is better.