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23.04.2017
The First Round of France's Presidential Election

There is a quite time for 44 hours before a French election. The national timeout lasts from midnight Friday to 8 p.m. on Sunday in France and is intended to give voters time to reflect on their choice free from the distraction of surveys, radio commentary, and televised rallies. The rules apply online as well, meaning that candidates and their campaigns can't do so much as post updates to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The rules even apply to French voters — meaning that someone posting a pro-Socialist or pro-Republican message online could fall afoul of the law, at least in theory.

The final hours of many electoral campaigns are frantic affairs, dominated by last-minute pitches, late-breaking polls and massive social media campaigns aimed at drumming up turnout. Not so in France. Rules dating back more than half a century impose a 44-hour timeout ahead of the polls' closure Sunday, meaning that politicians, journalists — and even ordinary citizens — are supposed to refrain from broadcasting any form of "electoral propaganda."

No horse race election results here in France: The election was Sunday, April 23. The official results will be announced on April 26. The President of the French Constitutional Council, Laurent Fabius, will make public the official results of the first round of the presidential election by addressing the press on Wednesday April 26, 2017 at 5 pm.

Unofficial results will be released by media in the day or two following the election. This process is much more disciplined and orderly than what I experienced in the states. Plus holding the elections on Sunday allows many more people to vote than does holding the elections on a workday (Tuesday), as in the U.S. NOTE: Three U.S. states -- Oregon, Washington and Colorado -- conduct all elections by mail. A ballot is automatically mailed to every registered voter in advance of Election Day, and traditional in-person voting precincts are not available. Other states provide vote by mail but also in-person precinct ballots.

With all votes now counted (but still unofficial), Macron was first with 24 percent versus 21.3 percent for Le Pen.  François Fillon, the mainstream conservative candidate of the Républicains party, and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon, gained 19.9 and 19.6 percent of the vote respectively. If you are interested you can see how parts of France voted using these maps and charts. Our region, Provence Alps Cote d'Azur (PACA) usually votes Conservative or far right. The far right (Le Pen and the Centrist Macron) head for the runoff on May 7. Neither reached even 25% of the vote and for the runoff it is expected that Macron will get approximately 60.93% and Le Pen 39.07% John and I both liked Hamon, the Socialist, but our current administration is Socialist but they didn't govern as Socialists and they didn't lower the unemployment rate (currently at 10%) so the people opposed the Socialists this time. Our current President did not run. The one Socialist in the race, Hamon, saw a surge for a short while but then he lost support as the Communist (Mélenchon) surged. The only viable candidate who did not proposed weakening or ending France's membership in the EU and NATO was Macron. He had some anti-labor history but supporting the EU and NATO are very important. Weakening them would weaken both organizations and France and empower Putin).

Fillon was ahead of Macron until early this year when Fillon's scandals about paying his wife for a job that didn't exist. From then on Macron has been in the lead. It's interesting the me that Macron was so successful when the mood was so strongly against the Socialists and Macron was part of Hollande's administration. There is much to his story but I think I'll save that until May. Meanwhile, if you are interested, you can read his Wikipedia page.

John and I have begun researching obtaining dual citizenship here in France. In less than 3-1/2 years (and time is flying by) we will be eligible to apply. So someday soon we can vote against the PACA tide and vote for Liberals - or at least Centrist.

An interesting article, "What if America voted like France?" investigates the U.S. having all candidates in a first round and then the top two vote getters in the second round. That ensures a majority vote win. There would be no electoral college. Our history would be surprisingly different if America’s elections worked like Sunday’s French vote.

Food
I rarely eat steak (ha ha!) but occasionally I like a medium rare steak. I've had some trouble getting it cooked the way they were cooked in the U.S. I usually end up with uncooked meat. Here is some info on how to order your steak preference in France.

• Bleu – Done on a very hot grill for one minute on each side.
• Saignant – Meaning bloody. Very rare, but cooked slightly longer on the second side than a bleu steak.
• À point – rare for British or American standards. This implies that a steak is cooked a little longer than a saignant one.
• Bien cuit – ‘well cooked’. This level will still often have some pinkness in the middle of the meat. A ‘steak bien cuit’ is cooked until the juices run brown on the surface of the steak.
• Très bien cuit (!) – should get you a steak that is totally cooked through!

Those cooked beef choices lean heavily toward the uncooked choices. I would probably want something cooked more than "À point" but less than "Bien cuit."

A few days ago John and I met Doc and Marion for "tea". I had a milkshake -- it had been a long time. The milkshake was weird (of course). It seemed that they put milk in a shaker container, added some sweetener, flavoring and very small bits of chocolate and then they shook it until slightly foamy. That was a milkshake. That's not what I wanted or expected. Many times the food is what I expect it will be but other times... for example, I wouldn't try the rum balls here.

Finding a permanent place in Nice
John and I have been renting here for 19 months. We weren't sure we were going to stay in Nice as we tried to compromise for one another. John decided to compromise for me so I could live in a big city that I love (plus John HATES moving) and we decided to stay in Nice.

One of our friends from Democrats Abroad, Joe, recommended Liberation/Boriglione for less crottes de chien, good transport/walkable/market/shops (During our "tea" with Doc and Marion they seconded Joe's recommendation of the Liberation area of Nice.)

John and I went there to check it out. It's housing is reasonably priced, lots of leafy trees, wide streets, a large outdoor market open 6 days a week and only a little dog poop. There are very many shops and some large stores. It is also on the tram route. It's only 6 minutes by trolley to the coast, Nice de Ville, large department stores and more. The buildings were well maintained (everything was recently painted) as part of the renovation of that part of town in preparation for the higher demand due to the tram expansion. Our friend Anna previously told us about the open air market there which is more expansive and less expensive than the one in old Town (and Marion added her praise of the market), so we toured and shopped the farmer's market. We walked that area of town for an hour and we'll go back before we contact a realtor. There are some houses but it's heavily apartments.

We live at the red X (lower left).  Libération is the black teardrop marker at the top
center of the map. 		 A colorful dome atop an apartment building
in the Libération neighborhood		 The Gare du Sud, open market and Charles de Gaulle statue in Place du Général de Gaulle
There's a large open market 6 days a week at
Place du Général de Gaulle		 The fruits, vegetables, flowers and fish
all looked great!		 The Gare du Sud (South Train Station) is being refurbished for commercial/retail use.
From Place du Général de Gaulle following the tram lines to the hills north of Nice Charles de Gaulle looking a little like Fred Astaire Many buildings in the Libération neighborhood
are beautifully ornate.





22.04.2017

We had a very nice get together today with Doc, Marion and Sparky at La Canne à Sucre on Promenade des Anglais. We actually experienced the stories we've been hearing about the French leisurely two hour lunches where the servers do not try to hurry you out the door.  Also, companion animals (pets) are welcome in the restaurants (and pretty much everywhere else).  Hi Sparky! 

The time flew by while we shared life and work experiences and talked of politics, health and France. It turned out that John and Doc and Marion were living 30 miles apart in Germany in early 1977. John was stationed at Zweibrucken AB and Doc and Marion were working at Landstuhl.

Doc has recently returned from a two day visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture which is part of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. John (our history addict) was eager to hear his impressions. Doc mentioned that he wished he could spend a lot more time there.

Marion and Sparky at La Canne à Sucre





15.04.2017

Easter is a national holiday here in this nation of "strict Laïcité".  Bunnies, chicks and eggs made of chocolate and other sweets range in size from tiny to giant (nearly 3 feet tall). The ads for local stores had all the Easter icons we were used to in the states but next to Easter icons and sale announcements in the Carrefour ads newspaper we receive every week were weird looking bunnies. Really weird looking. At first John and I thought they were part of some weird Frenchie Easter bunnies tradition, but later we learned they were characters from a video game called Raving Rabbits (known here as Lapins Crétins or Cretinous Rabbits). The game was developed by Ubisoft. John and I were aware of the company from our periods of immersion in the game development world but we didn't know that Ubisoft is based in Montpellier, France which is on the Mediterranean coast west of Marseilles. Carrefour was promoting a loyalty program where customers collect the rabbits stickers. Ubisoft is doing well with their weird rabbits.

Doves
A new pair of doves now come to our back balcony. They land on a ledge and then we started putting seeds there. Lovey and Dovey snack on the ledge next to the kitchen window. Very recently while I was cooking I decided to leave the window open for air flow. Lovey came and sat on the ledge, with the windows open. I needed to replenish their seeds and Lovey stayed on the ledge while I spread the seeds and as I continued cooking. Both doves will sit a distance from the window when we spread seeds but this was the first time one came to sit on the ledge with the windows wide open. That was nice having one of our doves being so trusting. Lovey's always been braver than Dovey. We named our back door doves George and Gracie after George Burns and Gracie Allen. They are ring neck doves like Lovey and Dovey.

Garden Festival
The 1st Côte d’Azur Garden Festival is taking place in Nice, Cannes, Grasse, Antibes and Menton during April. Some info on the gardens can be found here and here. There were only 2 Nice gardens in the competition which were disappointing. They resembled native foliage in Eugene, Oregon which look a lot like weeds. One of the gardens which was not in competition was well organized and with a variety of brightly colored and muted flowers as well as several topiary shapes. We suspect that those in competition had submitted required paperwork and others did not.

French citizenship test
We recently learned that in 2012 the Socialists changed the citizenship requirements such that there is no longer a requirement for language proficiency if you are over 60 (which we both are). That's great if we don't have to take that test but we both know we need to learn spoken French to make our lives simpler. We still have to do the cultural test which includes current events and local history. Also, that requirement can change back.  Also I'm nor clear if we still need to do our oral interview in French but we just don't need the advanced schooling and certification. Here's a sample cultural test. The local museums help with that. Remember - the colors of the French flag are blue, white and red NOT red, white and blue. That 60 year language proficiency waiver is standard in Europe, Canada and other countries.  The U.S. doesn't have a language requirement. But it may change in France after the election in May. Especially if Le Pen were to win. But we don't think she will get more than 35% of the vote in the final round.

John and I decided to settle in Nice. We decided that we will be most happy living near the ocean.  We want to live in a walkable neighborhood near good mass transit. The only areas like that have apartments as housing, so we have decided we will get an apartment. We've already found a few affordable apartments that meet most of our needs (although all are at least a bit smaller than I would prefer) and we will keep looking.

The realtors here operate differently from those in the U.S.  In the U.S in large cities you would go to one realtor within a franchise (Century 21, for example) and that realtor would use MLS to find homes for sale. That realtor would represent us and show us properties from any agency, listed by any agent.

Here you find a property advertised on the Internet or at a realtor's office;  The agent for that property can show you properties from that individual office only - not from a comprehensive MLS-type listing or even from all the Century 21 agencies.  So instead of having access to 50 or more properties that match your needs you may have access to one (or none or two) properties at each agency you contact.

So far we've primarily been looking on the Internet but we're also going to take a few walks and get the contact info for apartments for sale.  Then we will see if we can determine an online listing for the place.  The for sale signs usually list the number of bedrooms and a contact phone and that's it (though, of course, the area of town, condition of the outside of building, neighborhood facilities and area property prices will all be readily discoverable.

Our tentative target date for finding a place is August.

There's a common thing here wherein a property is listed €100,000 or so less than the market listing but requires "an annuity" of around a thousand Euros a month until the owner dies.  The owner is usually approximately 80 years of age.  I read that it used to be very common.  Now we encounter it about every 20 listings.  The price of those properties are usually more expensive than we can/want to pay right now.  They would be a good deal if the owner died within 10 years but they are still generally outside our price range.

These life annuity payments used to be calculated such that the new owner could not use the property until the old owner died.  The ones we've seen are not structured that way.  These owners are in nursing homes so the property is available.

A guide to a viager (or equity release scheme) for French property owners

We aren't going to go the viager route, but it's an interesting cultural difference so I thought i'd mention it.

Elections on Sunday, April 23
The first round of the French Presidential election is April 23. The leading candidates at this time are Macron (the only viable EU candidate is a former Socialist, now without a party but calls himself a moderate), Le Pen (far right leader of the National Front party), François Fillon (Republican) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Communist) who is only 3.5 points behind Emmanuel Macron. According to one poll 42% of Mélenchon's supporters say they won't vote if Mélenchon is not in the finals. Some say they will vote for Le Pen.

Below are some pics of our recent activities.  Three pics are of Place Masséna which is a large public plaza that hosts events year round.  The online English language local newspaper (appropriately named "The Local"), published a list of the most beautiful squares/plazas across France.  Place Massena is one of them.  

Danny's waiting for his brushing. Lapins Crétins Easter decorations and candies were everywhere.
George and Gracie eating on the back ledge. Festival des Jardins Purple and white flowers
Bright springtime flowers Tiny little red flowers Not sure what these are, but they looked interesting.
Lots of flowers, but we didn't see any bees. Sunny little flowers Bird of Paradise
Beautiful Place Masséna Always a pedicab around if needed Small political demonstration for African country
of Gabon at Place Masséna
Reflective pool at the Promenade du Paillon with the fountains turned off





13.04.2017

The weather of the last half of March and all of April so far has been gorgeous. It rained periodically in March but the weather was relatively warm most of the time (unless you are a Frenchie, and then you'd be bundled up). The water is still a bit cold but it will be warm soon. I REALLY love living in Nice (notwithstanding the cigarette smoke and doggy poop).

We went to the prehistoric museum (Terra Amata) for John's birthday (a belated present). The museum is of a settlement that is 400,000 years old. From the objects of the dig it is clear that the inhabitants had domesticated fire and it is among the earliest evidence of fire in Europe.

According to Wikipedia, "Terra Amata is an archaeological site in open air located on the slopes of Mount Boron in Nice, at a level 26 meters (85 ft) above the current sea level of the Mediterranean. It was discovered and excavated in 1966 by Henry de Lumley. The site, originally on a prehistoric beach, contained tools of the lower Paleolithic period, dated to about 400,000 BC, as well as traces of some of the earliest domestication of fire in Europe. The site now lies beneath an apartment building and a museum of prehistoric Nice, where some of the objects discovered are on display. The site was discovered during the construction of a terrace near the port of Nice in 1966. After negotiating with the owner of the site, DeLumley was given permission to work on the site from January 28 until July 5, 1966. He and his team worked seven days a week, and, at the end, twenty-four hours a day, to complete their work. The site contained a settlement with several layers of habitation located on a fossil beach. The habitations dated to 380,000 BC, and included vestiges which suggested that the inhabitants lived in huts on the beach. In the center of each hut was a fireplace, with ashes showing that the inhabitants had domesticated fire. These signs of fire, along with those at Menez Dregan in the Finistere in France, at Beeches Pit in Suffolk, England, and at Vertesszollos in Hungary, are the earliest evidence of the domestication of fire known in Europe. These vestiges included low walls of stones and beach pebbles, placed to the northwest of the fireplaces, which would have sheltered the fire from the strong Mistral wind. De Lumley believed the inhabitants built the huts of animal skins supported by poles, with a hole in the center for the smoke to escape. Twenty to forty people could gather in such a shelter. If his theory is correct, Terra Amata is one of the first discoveries of man-made human habitations in Europe."

The site also included evidence that the inhabitants had manufactured tools out of the beach stones, including tools with two cutting faces and a particular kind of stone pick which was given the name '"Pics de Terra Amata." They also discovered a large number of stone tools and scrapers in the dunes above the beach."

The fossils are large and small animal bones, tools and plant hulls and impressions.

You can see a few images of the museum here.

Tommy playing with his sunbeam French presidential ads are out. They can only
be displayed in certain places. 		Museum of Archeology Terra Amata is built into a hill at the location of the original excavation.
Representation of early structure
(400,000 years ago)		 Early structure exhibit Dark patch of early fire use in Nice
(400,000 years ago)
Original excavation of Terra Amata
within the museum		 Terra Amata excavation in 1966 Field book from original excavation. It's in French and we could read it!
Bones used as tools Remains of tortoises and voles were also found This rabbit bone shows that rabbits were also part of their diet.
Deer antlers and bones Buffalo bones Elephant vertebrae
Rhinoceros jaw Diorama of life in Nice
400,000 years ago 		Stone age efficiency. One stone divided into 6 different types of tools.
400,000 year old footprint Little child's tooth Skull and jaw of 400,000 year old Frenchman