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 \u2014 the lavender fields, the march\u00e9s, 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 Proven\u00e7al town with a weekly march\u00e9 on Saturday, a cheese shop on every corner and old men playing p\u00e9tanque in the square. After two months I knew: I'm staying. I bought a 70m\u00b2 apartment in the center for \u20ac145,000 \u2014 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 S\u00e9curit\u00e9 Sociale. The CPAM in Avignon processed my application in six weeks \u2014 faster than I expected. My carte vitale arrived by post. Now I pay 30% co-payment at the GP (\u20ac7.50 of the \u20ac25 consultation fee), but with a mutuelle (supplementary insurance at \u20ac45/month) nearly everything is reimbursed.

My m\u00e9decin traitant is Dr. Blanc in Apt. I had to choose him and register with CPAM \u2014 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 \u2014 I had a rheumatologist appointment within two weeks.

Social life was my second concern. Being alone in a new country at my age \u2014 that's not nothing. But Provence surprised me. Through the mairie I signed up for a seniors' activity group: hiking, painting and weekly d\u00e9jeuners. There's also an Association Franco-N\u00e9erlandaise in the region where I meet other Dutch people. And my neighbor Monique \u2014 73, widow, Proven\u00e7ale \u2014 has become my best friend. We have th\u00e9 together every afternoon.

What I want to tell other retirees: don't wait too long. The bureaucracy is heavy \u2014 the pr\u00e9fecture, the CPAM, the imp\u00f4ts (tax office) \u2014 and it takes energy you might not have at 75. But if you do it now, you'll be rewarded. My pension of \u20ac1,600 net is enough for a comfortable life. I eat fresh from the march\u00e9 every day, hike in the Luberon and wake up with the sun on my face. The Hague was good. Provence is better.