Table of Contents for this Episode
Categories: Occitanie, Toulouse Area
587 Gers and Taste of Gascony with Jenine Lurie (March 1)
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Welcome and Preview
Annie Sargent: This is Join Us in France, episode 587, cinq cent quatre-vingt sept.
Bonjour, I’m Annie Sargent, and Join Us in France is the podcast where we take a conversational journey through the beauty, culture, and flavors of France.
Today on the podcast: Taste of Gascony
Annie Sargent: Today, I bring you a conversation with Jenine Lurie, who moved to the Gers, near Toulouse, from New York City, and offers tours of this beautiful part of France.
It’s an interesting story of how that happened, and a place you’ll love hearing about.
Podcast supporters
Annie Sargent: This podcast runs on chocolatine, coffee, and the generosity of listeners like you. Whether you book an itinerary consult, take one of my VoiceMap tours, [00:01:00] join me for a day trip in my electric car around the southwest of France, or support the show on Patreon, you keep this whole adventure going, and I’m really grateful.
If you’d like to support the podcast and skip the ads this year, you’ll find the link in the show notes, and all my tours and services are at joinusinfrance.com/boutique.
Magazine segment
Annie Sargent: For the magazine part of the podcast, after my chat with Jenine today, I’ll discuss recent heavy fines to landlords who did not properly disclose their Airbnb rentals, and why this matters to you visitors.
If you want to explore more of France with us, browse all our episodes at joinusinfrance.com/episodes, and don’t forget to grab your free Newsly… and don’t forget to grab your free weekly recap of the best stories, tips, and hidden gems. Just sign up at joinusinfrance.com/newsletter. It’s like getting a postcard from France delivered straight to your inbox.
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Meet Jenine in Gers
Annie Sargent: Bonjour, Jenine Lurie, and welcome to Join Us in France.
Jenine Lurie: Oh, bonjour, Annie. Merci beaucoup.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful to have you today. We want to talk about uh, the Gers. This is a place where you live. You moved there a few months ago?
Jenine Lurie: Two years ago.
Annie Sargent: Two years ago. So been- it’s- you’ve been there a while, uh, and you know it well.
And we want to s- you know, uh, concentrate on the- this part of Gers that we disc- we discovered together. I, um, I hadn’t really visited that section of the Gers very much. I know the area around um, Auch and further north, but uh, that part of kind of southwest Gers um, wasn’t so familiar to me, so we uh, went, um… Y- you showed me around, and it was wonderful.
So we’ll talk about that, but before we get to that, let’s talk about you a little bit and what brought you to France.
Jenine Lurie: Sure, yes.
From Workaway to Gers
Jenine Lurie: Um, I guess I always had France in me somewhere. Um, I started coming to France, oh, I guess after graduating from college for the first time, and then [00:03:00] dipped my toe in the water as a workaway on a pig farm about 15 years ago.
Annie Sargent: Wow.
Jenine Lurie: And that was wonderful.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful. A pig farm, wonderful! You are a special person.
Jenine Lurie: Oh, my God, I loved it. And I learned all about charcuterie and how pigs are processed from birth on through to the end, and then I got to join the woman who runs this pig farm into the market in Mirande and actually sell the products that she was producing. So um, it was a great experience, and that pig farm was in Montesquiou, which is just one village over from Bassoues, where I live now.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful. All right, so that was your first uh, taste of France, and, and then what happened?
Jenine Lurie: Well, from there, um, it was really kind of my first taste of the Gers. So I had explored around a teeny bit in other regions and departments, and of course, always been to… I was in Lyon, in Paris, in some of the big cities, but I decided that for me, I really wanted a rural location. Um,
So from there, uh, 15 years after that [00:04:00] experience, which was just right after COVID, I came back, and I reconnected with the same person that had this pig farm, and at that point, she sold her last pig, which was just enormous. It must have been 600 pounds, and they pushed it into a truck and took it off to the abattoir for book- for the uh, butchering process. Um, And she’s now since started actually a catering operation and an event planning um, management operation here. So she’s gotten out of the pig farming business.
But um, I was here, and I decided this is the place for me. Like, I just loved it. I knew it the second I stepped foot back into the Gers and into Montesquiou, and and, from there on in, I, I found a real estate agent and started looking. So that took about two years. Um, but, um, yeah, this-
Buying in Bassoues
Annie Sargent: So yeah, you bought you bought a, an, a nice house, it’s a kind of a cottage-looking thing. Um, I, uh… Tell, Tell us about the house and the process of looking for the house.
Jenine Lurie: Well, once I made the decision, then things went pretty smoothly from there. I think the most important part about deciding to live in France is to [00:05:00] make the decision, and to also sort of close out your life, um, and be ready to start something completely new, just open to the possibility.
And um, oh, it was a while, it was at least a two, two-and-a-half-year journey from deciding to move here and then finding the house I wanted to live in, and there were many ups and downs along the way.
But I had good people around me uh, for support, and I trusted them very much.
And um, the house I ended up buying is in Bassoues, around the corner from the center square, and um, the last house on the road, uh, the road has three homes, mine is the last, and then from there on in, it’s all just fields and valleys and mountains.
Annie Sargent: Right. So we should spell Bassoues. So it’s B-A-S-S-O-U-E-S, right? B- So Bassoues, Bassoues, I’ve heard it both ways. I’m not sure. Bassoues is how you say it?
Jenine Lurie: I think the locals say Bassoues.
Annie Sargent: Okay, okay. Very good. So Bassoues it is. [00:06:00] You know, these, these proper names, you never know how they’re going to be said.
Why Gers Feels Special
Annie Sargent: Um, At any rate, so t- tell us a little bit more about the area and what attracted you to it.
I mean, Gers is not a department that is super famous, we have talked about it on the podcast a few times, but it’s not one that attracts um, the most visitors by uh, any stretch of the imagination.
And for French people, it is known for its gastronomy, uh, for its uh, ducks, but in your case, it was pigs. Um, It’s definitely a rural state which has a lot of farms, right?
Jenine Lurie: Yeah, absolutely. It’s gorgeous. It’s been undiscovered, and that is part of the beauty and magic of the Gers. Um, There’s really not a tourist population here. There’s no one.
There are not tourists here, for the most part. Everyone who is here, lives here. Um, And, you know, I think that’s- that really adds to the flavor of the authenticity of the region and also of the, the villages.
So these are [00:07:00] medieval villages that are completely intact from the medieval time, with a very, very vibrant local culture. Um, They’re very fun to explore around, um, and people have just adapted into living in, you know, homes that are 600, 700 years old. Um, it’s, It’s really quite beautiful, and I guess I love it for that reason. I love it because it’s off the beaten track in a, in a real way. There’s no easy access to this region. Um, There’s not really any public transportation. Um, And we’re just surrounded by rolling hills, and valleys, and farms, and lakes, and butted up against the Pyrenees Mountains, so I just find it gorgeous.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, it is beautiful. When I was there, um, late January, uh, there was a beautiful view onto the mountains. And so you’re driving around, and you take a corner, and all of a sudden, oh, the Pyrenees are, you know, uh, in the distance. Uh, it’s, It’s just v- very gorgeous.
Language and Local Life
Annie Sargent: There are some English speakers, though. I mean, it’s not just uh, natives, but to live there, I assume [00:08:00] it’s best if you learn French?
Jenine Lurie: Yeah, I think it helps a lot um, to have working French, um, you know, there are… Wait, hang on a second. Um, okay, I would say that, um, yes, it’s, it’s impo- It is important. It’s highly appreciated, um, h- no matter how poor your French may be, as in my case. I still get by. The people encourage me to speak French. I’m always getting corrected, which is fine, and it’s sometime it’s, it’s a bit of stand-up comedy in, in terms of what I’m saying and what I thought I was saying. Um, I’ve had a few of those experiences, but um, in general, there’s a real special nature to the people here, and they’re really pleasant, and warm, and friendly, and um, accepting, you know? Um, There’s not a lot of criticism or judgment, no matter how poor my French is or how bizarre this woman from New York City ends up in the Gers. And I get that question often, like, “How did you come to the Gers from New York City?” And to me, it’s an easy answer. It’s an obvious answer: I was ready to leave New York.
But um, you know, a lot of people kind of wonder about that, but I think I did make the right decision after all.
But um, in addition, I think like, yeah, I mean, it’s been pretty easy to adapt here, and, and, and yes, in fact, there are, there are a lot of English-speaking [00:09:00] people here.
Well, I wouldn’t say a lot necessarily, but there are, there are people here that have relocated from other places, and like myself, from other lifetimes.
So people who have had big careers in doing something or another and then basically come here and just are ready to settle down.
Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it’s, it’s a, a- I mean, it’s a peaceful place, is I, I, I guess you would put it. It’s, It’s a place for people who are not looking for constant stimulation, for constant uh, uh, happenings.
Culture and Getting Around
Annie Sargent: I mean, there are some happenings. Uh, There are some events. There are some, uh… well, I’m sure we’ll talk about the jazz festival in Marciac, uh, uh, th- there are things, but, uh, but most days it’s a peaceful place where to have your life, um, y- you know, uh, uh, write your book, uh, uh, paint your painting, uh, do whatever it is that you do. It’s, It’s not a place um, of constant, um, uh, e- you know, special exhibits and concerts, and there are some, but not, not constant.
Jenine Lurie: Well, I mean, it depends on how you get your stimulation, I [00:10:00] guess. You know, I think it’s certainly not like ambulances and fire trucks going past all the time, as it was in New York, but it’s… um, it’s quiet. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. It’s tranquil. And there’s a special je ne sais quoi energy in the air here. There’s something very mystical, I think, about living in Bassoues and understanding the history of the, of the village. And each one of these little bastide towns has its little magical piece, really, and I think um, there’s plenty of stimulation just from the nature out there. Like, every single day there’s something else going on. The weather changes every three days, for the most part. And things are, um… you know, I also think that, um, you know, again, there’s- Each village has a community center, a movie theater, a church, and all of them are open year-long and have continuous events, movies, musical events. There’s the La Strada in Marciac that we visited together, and they have performances throughout the year, and they’re really excellent, actually.[00:11:00]
Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm.
Jenine Lurie: I like to refer to that as my Lincoln Center here, and it’s a beautiful modern theater with a great sound system, and, you know, throughout the year you could go to see dance, or music, or, you know, theater.
Annie Sargent: Stand-up comedy.
Jenine Lurie: Comedy. They change quite often. It’s nothing- It’s not like things stay here for a long time, so you have to catch it or it goes away. And even the movie theater, they have different movies every single night of the week, and then there’s, like, four or five little villages dotted around the area, each with a movie theater and a, and a church or a concert hall.
So in actuality, there is something to do, but you can’t just walk outside of your door and take a subway down to do it. You’d have to… You have to drive at night, and that presents its, its, you know, varying issues, but yeah, there’s stuff to do.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, driving uh, I, I thought was, was fine, but it’s true that some of the locals go mighty fast on those roads. I was like, “Whoa!”
Jenine Lurie: No question about it. Either you’re stuck behind a tractor, or somebody is trying to [00:12:00] plow ahead of you.
Weather in the Gers
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell us about the climate, the, the weather. Um, We’re recording this in uh, the first half of February, and it has been raining a lot in Toulouse. I assume it’s been raining a lot in the Gers as well?
Jenine Lurie: Yeah, it’s a little on and off. It’s actually warmer than usual here. Yesterday was pretty warm and kind of muggy. It was an odd climate here yesterday. Um, Today the sun is popping through, so it’s not pouring rain. Last night was quite windy, so it blew in a new weather front…. but I think it’s rather warm here, actually, um, warmer than I would expect in February.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, we don’t get, like, the heavy freezes. I mean, some, but not, uh, not long-lasting freezes like uh, you get in some parts of the US.
Jenine Lurie: No, I mean, I just already trimmed my banana trees, and I pruned my roses and my wisteria. So people are starting to garden pretty seriously right now. I think people are sort [00:13:00] of saying it’s going to be an early spring.
Annie Sargent: Uh-huh. Well, I hope they’re right.
Jenine Lurie: We’ll see. We’ll see.
Annie Sargent: We shall see, we shall see.
Bastide Town History
Annie Sargent: All right, tell- so you mentioned the term bastide. Do you want to tell us a little bit what that is? Because there are some differences between a bastide and a, um, and a regular village.
Jenine Lurie: So the bastide villages came around the 12th, 13th century, and they were built up by the sort of the royal family, the leading families of the region, to bring everybody in from the countryside into a village.
And so the villages were met for several different reasons: one, to support an economy, support the community, but also as a defense mechanism. So all the villages are surrounded by very stable, strong, high walls, and um, inside these walls, there’s the village. So each village is generally built on a square, and the squares um, have a mairie, and a church, and [00:14:00] sometimes several bakeries, and little storefronts, and so forth. And then the homes sort of, like, spread out from that level. And in the case of Bassoues, which I think is one of the oldest of the bas- of the bastide villages here, a lot of the homes have back gardens, which are beautiful and also walled in.
So back in the day, these villages really supported themselves. Um, and it, And it really raised a community over multiple generations. Um, so…
And Bassoues, which makes it special, is there’s the donjon, which is, in English, a dungeon, a prison, but it’s actually not a prison, it was a tower.
And that tower actually was occupied by King Henry Navarre at some point. So, um, And there’s lovely history. So you could climb the Bassoues tower, get on the top, see a panoramic view all the way to the Pyrenees, and then each level has actually a gallery, and inside the gallery, there’s an art exhibit or historical explanation of the dungeon.
Annie Sargent: Nice. Yeah, and Bassoues also has a um, basilica as well [00:15:00] as a church.
Jenine Lurie: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: And that’s because it was a big uh, stop on the way to uh, Compostelle, so on the, on the pilgrimage route. This happens a lot in the Gers. Uh, be- it- You will see a teeny village with a massive church, and you’re like, “Huh, why is there such a massive church for such a small village?” And it’s usually because in the Middle Ages, lots of people came through on their way to uh, Compostelle.
(Mid-roll ad spot)
Taste of Gascony Tours
Annie Sargent: So let’s talk a little bit about your plans. You’re, um, y- You’re organizing some tours of the uh, uh, Gers. Tell us what you have in mind.
Jenine Lurie: Sure. So when I decided to move to France, there were a couple visa options, and I felt that I was not ready to retire. I wanted to start a business, and I started a business that’s called Taste of Gascony, and it’s tours of the Gers, essentially. So it began um, really as food and wine tours, and then I branched out a little [00:16:00] bit as I started to get to know the area a little bit and realized that there’s just a ton of artisans here, and with exceptional talent.
So it might be nice to bring people over to master gardeners or to a baker and have them make bas- uh, baguettes and croissants in the morning, and um, introducing people to the, to the actual culture that’s here.
And um, it is fun, and I’ve done a number of them, and people love it. They love to roll up their sleeves and do stuff and make stuff and learn new things.
My tours, um, in general, it’s a five-day tour, six nights. It would start in Toulouse. We would bring you out here. It’s an immersive experience, and I want to really bring people into the culture that’s here and have people just feel, feel what it’s like to live in the Gers for a week.
Annie Sargent: So do you have specific dates? Do you have a website where people can read more about these tours?
Jenine Lurie: Yes. So the website is Taste of Gascony, [00:17:00] and we have tours set up for the spring, four of them. Uh, The tour begins at Toulouse, and it comes out to Bassoues, and then from there we visit Marciac, Loupiac, Mirande, and then the last day is spent in Eauze.
And Niaux, there’s a very special Armagnac domain that I take people to. Um, So out on the tour, you will learn about the Côtes de Gascogne wine. You will learn about Madiran. You will learn about Armagnac, if you’re a wine fan. You will learn about history of Bassoues. You will see some art. Uh, Three of the four villages we visit have exceptional art galleries, and you’ll eat some great food and meet some new people.
And then we’re starting to also spread the tour out a little bit to welcome Americans here who are considering a move to France. So people who have questions about what it’s like to get your visa or what was it like to find a house, or to settle in, you will meet people who have experienced this process and learn from them.
[00:18:00] So we’ll be organizing uh, dinners, where they’ll be able to be joined by people who have made the move to France.
Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Finding Rentals by Network
Annie Sargent: Yeah, that’s one question I wanted to ask you. When y- When you first arrived, were you renting uh, uh, somewhere, or were you hosted by friends, or…?
Jenine Lurie: So my experience was at the Workaway, where I was doing the volunteer work on the pig farm to begin. That didn’t last very long. But it was good enough for me to get the feel of it. And then secondly, I actually was welcome to stay with a friend I had met, and that also didn’t last too long, because we had conflicting dogs. And from there, she had a friend that was renting a gîte. So really, my first long stay was in a gîte for an under-three-month rental, and it was important as a tenant to stay within three months.
Annie Sargent: Right.
Jenine Lurie: So then the three months went by very quickly, and then I had to find another rental while I was house-sitting. And [00:19:00] thank goodness the man that run the gîte, he was the gardener for a woman that was renting her house at that moment, it was a, it was a long-term rental, but done sort of under the table, and I moved into that home. So I was there from about January on through October, when I moved into the home that I now live in, which I own.
Annie Sargent: So this is, uh, this is important for people to understand, because in France, a lot of things is done via personal uh, connections. Uh,
If you go to any website um, that uh, says that they’re g- you know, they’re for rentals or purchases or whatever, I have found most of that stuff to be spam eventually.
Like, you sign up, you ask for… You, you, you ask for al- to be alerted when uh, new properties come online or things like that, and when you call the people, you fi- you find out, “Oh, it’s already rented,” or it’s, you know, or, “You don’t qualify,” or, “We won’t even talk to you,” or whatever. So th- th- going through websites for finding uh, real estate in France is really frustrating, [00:20:00] because…
Jenine Lurie: I would imagine.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah. Uh-
Jenine Lurie: You know, it is word of mouth. It’s really getting to know people, to be open, to put yourself out there. I mean, my inner circle are English-speaking people, though they’re not from America. They’re from a wide variety of countries, but we are… And, and people sort of refer you to other people, and that’s kind of how it goes.
I mean, I know there are dozens of Facebook groups out there, and they are… I don’t know if they’re filled with spam or disinformation or wrong information, but they really get carried away, and it will take you down a rabbit hole.
So I think, and I see a lot of people saying, “Oh, I want to move to France. What’s- Where should I go?” You know, “What’s the best place?” And I really think that’s a personal answer. You have to answer that for yourself, and to experience, you know, lightly, all these little regions that you’ve always been curious about, and just get the feel and start meeting people and going to the local market, and, you know, um, and see. You know, I think it’s all about people connection. Yes, I would agree [00:21:00] with that.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, it’s, it’s really, really important to do it personally. Like, uh, j- ju- Even if you are not that good at uh, networking, I guess. Uh, Which you are very good at it, but some people are not as good as that, a- as you are at networking, but if you find a gîte, and like you mentioned, gîtes is only three months maximum, after which they need to have a new name on the lease. That has to do with French law and uh, their tax, uh, you know, the way they are taxed. If they, If they don’t follow the rules, they will end up paying more taxes, so they don’t want to do that. Um, so, um,
So start with a gîte, start with an Airbnb, and once you’re there, talk to people. Uh, Get the word out that you’re looking for another place, and talk to as many people as possible. Go into the local realtor uh, shop, and talk to these people. Uh, They will ask you for a lot of information that seems very personal, like they want to see your tax returns, they want to see your [00:22:00] income, and blah, blah, blah. Uh, But that’s normal in France. You cannot, uh… You, you won’t find any- If you refuse to disclose uh, some personal stuff like your income and your tax returns, you’re not going to find a place, like, uh, unless you have a good friend who’s willing to, you know, rent to you.
Visa and Health System
Jenine Lurie: Yeah, there’s a process, and I think, you know, in terms of getting my visa, I started the business, Taste of Gascony. I put together a business plan. It was translated into France, French. It was approved, and then I got a titre de séjour, so that’s my sort of title of stay, which is kind of like a green card, I guess, in the States. And then I also got my health card quite quickly after getting the visa approved. So-
Annie Sargent: And how… Tell us more about getting the health card, because that’s something that worries people a lot.
Jenine Lurie: Well, you know, it’s a process, and I really think, I think a lot of people like to go around processes.
Annie Sargent: Mm.
Jenine Lurie: And in France, you can’t do that so easily, and I know people say it’s so bureaucratic. Everything’s [00:23:00] bureaucratic. I mean, but just follow the rules, follow the steps, and it works.
So if you try not to say, “Oh, I’m entitled to have the better health card or the faster health card,” that won’t work. You have to get the health card in the way that everybody else gets the health card.
Annie Sargent: That is an excellent point.
Jenine Lurie: I mean, it’s a very me- American mentality, I know. I was in business in New York for 30 years.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Jenine Lurie: And you don’t need a lawyer. Like, I didn’t need a lawyer to buy my home. Imagine that. I had a real estate agent, and I had a notaire, and everything was on the, on the level, on the books. It was what they said it was. I knew what I was getting into.
Closing Day Emotions
Jenine Lurie: It was really clear…. and it was a beautiful experience.
You know, at the end of the day, we’re in the notaire, and we signed the documents. We had a bottle of champagne, and we hugged each other, and we cried a little bit, and I was so happy for a new beginning, and the people that were here were so happy for closing out and starting and getting somewhere [00:24:00] else. So, um, it’s just a really nice- you know, when you follow the process, you’re in a safe, in a safe environment. You trust it, and it works.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Notaire and Legal Basics
Annie Sargent: S- s- the not- So you mentioned that you don’t need a lawyer. It- You don’t need a real estate lawyer in France. You need a notaire, who is a lawyer, a, a licensed lawyer that specializes in deeds, and purchases, and anything official, and you have to go through the notaire, or, or it’s worth nothing. Like, you know, It means nothing. If you haven’t signed the paperwork in front of the notaire and um, paid your dues, which can be considerable, um, you don’t have a deed. It’s BS, okay?
Healthcare and French Values
Annie Sargent: And but there are a lot of people… and I like what you put, uh, you know, a bit of entitlement, like, “I want the best place, I want the, the, the, the, the best health card. I want the, the best of this, the best of that.” No, you, you get what French people get, which is not bad at all, by the way. Uh,
Jenine Lurie: It’s super good. I mean, I went to the dentist, and I paid 23 euros. Like, imagine that!
I mean, people get [00:25:00] so excited in America when I tell them what I pay for, you know, healthcare, and I guess like, it’s a system and a process that works. You have a healthy society from birth on up. You know, people… Ugh, it’s there’s so much here, you know, in living and in a society that really cares for one another and that values important things.
Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm.
Jenine Lurie: The important things, not things that are about blah, blah, blah, sex scandals, or gosh knows everything else that people are so caring about in other places. Here, we really just care about, you know, important, th- in my mind, the most important things, you know, food, good wine, good people, healthy society. You know, this is what counts.
Building Taste of Gascony
Jenine Lurie: And um, also, I must say, you know, by starting this business, Taste of Gascony, uh, um, and it’s a tour business, so I’ve met a lot of people because people are very excited to have people come visit their um, ateliers, their workshops, their farms. You know, and, And they’re so proud of what they [00:26:00] do. They love to explain how they make bread or how they, you know, raise ducks for foie gras. It, it, It gives them joy and pleasure, and, and it’s so interesting for us to hear these stories. So it did help me to get really well connected into the community by starting the tour business.
Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm, and they’re not, um… these are not people who are sick and tired of tourists because they don’t get that many of them. Like, you know, in the Gers, you, you get some, of course, like, like we mentioned, Marciac uh, gets a lot of visitors uh, during the, the music festival, the jazz festival, which is outstanding, by the way, and we’ll talk about that next.
But they’re not sick and tired of having visitors uh, uh, looking around and slowing them down like they do in big cities. You know, in Paris, if you don’t mind where you’re walking, people will just rush past you and be annoyed at you that you’re in the way. Uh, In the Gers, I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Jenine Lurie: No, there’s really a pleasant energy here, and they do love to have, especially Americans, because [00:27:00] Americans haven’t discovered this place, and they get a kick out of people coming from America, and they’re like, “Wow!” And they’ve heard so much about… Every day, they hear so much about America. Um, And it’s like a novelty almost.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah.
Politics and Perceptions
Annie Sargent: Do you think people have a bad opinion of America, uh, because of political events? Do they care? Do they seem to care at all to you, on a personal level, I mean?
Jenine Lurie: That’s interesting question. Um, I don’t think so. I don’t think people… I think people separate the personal from the political.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Jenine Lurie: I have found that to be true, and we’re all sort of just going, “Oh, Trump, blah,” you know?
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Jenine Lurie: You know, like, what? You know, what can we really do? We don’t get into it. You know, I think there’s also a perspective here that, you know, what’s going on in Russia and Ukraine is far more concerning because it’s here on the continent. Um, America does feel like a faraway place in some ways.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Health Card and Visa Steps
Annie Sargent: uh, Tell us just a little bit more about the process of getting your health [00:28:00] card. So you just applied. You went on a website. You applied. How long did it take?
Jenine Lurie: It was a little while ago, so it’s about two years now, and I think it was really connected to the visa. So once my business plan for Taste of Gascony was accepted, it triggered a bunch of things.
Annie Sargent: Mm.
Jenine Lurie: And I got, I became part of the process, if you will. So I was called into the OFII office, the Office of Immigration in Toulouse, and I had to take a language test, for example.
So thank goodness I tested beyond A1 level, and I got into A2 level, which is actually acceptable for the titre de séjour. Um, That’s something I hadn’t realized. I didn’t know there were these levels of French, but it’s very important because if you don’t clear the A1 level, they will make you take classes until you do.
Annie Sargent: Uh-huh
Jenine Lurie: … if this is what you want to do with your visa situation here. So also, I’m kind of [00:29:00] on the path to become a citizen.
Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm.
Jenine Lurie: After the first year, I just went back to Auch, which is my… which is the head of the Gers.
Annie Sargent: Prefecture, yeah.
Jenine Lurie: And I applied now for the pluriannuel, I believe, and so that’ll be four years…. a four-year visa, and so I won’t have to go through the process, assuming I’m selected. I hope I will be, or, you know, there’s a review process, so it doesn’t happen automatically. They accept a lot of paperwork, and yes, some of it is my financial information, um, proof that I live here, proof that I’m not planning to go away anytime soon.
Annie Sargent: That you bought a place, that’s, that’s a big, like… Okay, you have a place, you pay your local taxes.
Jenine Lurie: Yep, and then I’m making… Yes, and I’m making some money on my business. I don’t think they expect me to get a business fully running after the first year, but I think by next year, I should have a steady stream of tourists coming in. So I will be making some money and paying some taxes on that money that I’m [00:30:00] earning. It’s not a terribly high amount to clear. I think it’s the French minimum wage, which is about 23,000 euros a year.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Jenine Lurie: So that’s my goal for this first year.
Annie Sargent: Mm-hmm.
Jenine Lurie: Um, And then… and then they’ll decide. So I hope it will be in my favor. Um, And then I’ll get the four-year, and then I won’t have to go through the process until after the fifth year, when I have… I’m have the option to actually become a, I guess, a French citizen.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Jenine Lurie: I also have to improve my French significantly and clear the B1 level.
Annie Sargent: I think having purchased a house, and I’m not sure if you have a loan or if you just purchased it outright, but I think that anchors you into the country.
Because French people really don’t want to kick people out of their homes, like, we don’t… Uh, Like, even if you’re a bad payer, they’re prob- like, they don’t- they hate to kick people out of their homes, th- let’s put it this way.
This is not something we like to do, [00:31:00] just like we don’t like to um, uh, p- put people in financial trouble for medical bills. Like, French people think you shouldn’t ever uh, go bankrupt over medical bills, that it’s not right. And it’s the same idea, the same kind of feeling, like, it sh- you shouldn’t go… Uh, you shouldn’t be kicked off on the street because you can’t pay for, for your rent for a few months, you know? Um, It’s kind of that sort of feeling. So I think having a house anchors you, but d- did you get a loan on this house or no? D- uh, You don’t need to give me any details, but…
Jenine Lurie: No, I paid cash for the house. Yeah, I would hope not, and this is my primary residence, so um, I should hope not. I should hope that they should renew. My only concern is that, um, yeah, maybe the business hasn’t grown as quickly as what they would expect it, but I think Taste of Gascony this year is going to have a good year, and I think, um… I hope it does. And then,
And then if anything, I would have to… I believe it would work, that they wouldn’t actually say, “You’ve got to get out of the country.” They would say, “You have to change your visa status.”
Annie Sargent: I see.
Jenine Lurie: And so that would be perhaps the way it goes down, but I’m, you know, I’m, I’m [00:32:00] pretty confident I should be okay. But you just don’t know until, until you get that letter that says, “Your card’s ready.”
Annie Sargent: You have to jump through all the hoops, and you have to be pliable, I guess.
Expat vs Immigrant Mindset
Annie Sargent: Uh, and, and, And I think if you can shed the feeling of entitlement, but rather come at it as um, you know… It’s the difference between the word uh, expat and immigrant.
When I lived in America, I considered myself an immigrant. There are a lot of Americans who live in France who only consider themselves as expats. The difference is the money.
Jenine Lurie: Really? I think it was cultural. Like, a friend asked me, “What’s it like to be an expat in France?” And I sort of replied, like, “I don’t feel like an expat. I feel like I’m becoming French.”
Annie Sargent: Okay.
Jenine Lurie: That’s a huge concept in, in a lot of ways, and I, I want to become French. I want to adapt to the culture here, and the life here, and the language. And [00:33:00] I signed, after I went to the French exam, I was then put into a civics class.
Annie Sargent: Mm
Jenine Lurie: … so in Auch. And so for every Saturday, for about a month and a half, I went over for uh, civics training-
Annie Sargent: Mm
Jenine Lurie: … with other new immigrants, and at the end of the civics training, I took a test, and then I signed a document that said, “I will abide by the values and principles of France: liberty, equality, fraternity.” And it basically said, “I won’t piss people off”-
Annie Sargent: Yeah
Jenine Lurie: … “in as much as I can.” Like, that was the translation. Like, just live nicely with your neighbors and, you know, be a decent person, and I signed by it. And I guess the French, like, if you’re not kind of living in that way, they have every right to then have an excuse to say, “Listen, it’s not working out. You’ve got to go.”
Annie Sargent: Yes. I on- Of all the people I’ve ever met, I only know of one [00:34:00] person who had to… who was asked to leave. And she was a nice Canadian woman, I don’t know what happened, but she must have played her cards really wrong. Because uh, I’ve met hundreds of expats, and it always works out. Like, they, they complain that, “Oh, I haven’t heard back from this office or that office. I wish I knew…” Often, it’s, “I wish I knew. I wish I had more, more certainty.” Understandable. Of course, we all want certainty, but you don’t get it in France, really. Until it’s done, it’s not done.
And, you know, uh, but, but you can enjoy a very good life in France, and I have, I have no doubt that you will integrate very well. Like, y- You’re clearly well-liked, uh, around pe- you know, all the people I’ve met that you’ve introduced me to clearly like you very much, so you’ll do fine.
Jenine Lurie: So far, so good.
Bonjour and Local Etiquette
Annie Sargent: Yes…. and one trick is always the simple s- stuff really [00:35:00] matters, always start with Bonjour. If the first word out of your mouth is not Bonjour, you’ve lost the battle. They will not really consider you as someone who knows how to live.
Jenine Lurie: Yeah, there’s a lot of subtle and not so subtle formalities here. And um, you know, it’s about making eye contact with people, and it’s about making sure that person’s okay.
Like, I realized, you know, having come from New York City, people don’t say hello to each other when you walk into a store. And you know what? People don’t, don’t really want to know what’s going on. But here, like, you know, when someone walks in the store, I, I kind of… I probably have overthought this, but like, just to kind of be like, “Bonjour, bonjour,” and, like, we know there’s another person at the other end of that calling, and that person is clear-headed, and that person is not acting erratically, and that person is like, just navigating the store as much as anyone else, and they’re sort of behaving in a, in a, in a way, a [00:36:00] well-mannered way. And, And, you know, that’s, that’s an interesting thing, because, like, it oftentimes- you know, in a, in a city like w- where, where New York was going and what I saw happening, like, you’re not sure that everybody in the store is kind of like behaving in a, in a kind of, like, civilized manner, and it’s important to have that kind of like, just connection. It, It feels safe, and it feels comfortable.
Annie Sargent: You know, it’s really silly, but I walk a lot uh, with my dogs uh, on uh, country roads, well, not roads, but um, paths, I guess, that are made for, uh, walkers and bikers and things like that. And if somebody imposing comes uh, towards me, s- you know, say, some build- big, tall, young person, young guy, um, the second they say, “Bonjour,” I know they’re fine. I- e- eh- Not that I worry about it, it’s not, uh… but as soon as they say Bonjour to you, you’re like, “Oh, this is just a walker like me. This is not someone… There’s no threat there. Uh, This person is [00:37:00] not uh, going to be a problem.
And it really matters. Like, French people care about these things, maybe a, a little too much, I don’t know, but we do.
Jenine Lurie: Well, I think many small towns in the United States, certainly, you know, place- there are places and communities, and people say Hello, Good morning to each other. I think it can happen and does happen in the States, but there’s that inner city thing where… And it also can happen there certainly as well. I mean, people can be super friendly.
And in fact, going back to New York after being here, I noticed there was a level of friendliness that came- that started to shine through in people in stores, and there was something there with the “Hello, Good morning, may I help you?” It kind of started to come back a little.
Annie Sargent: Oh, good.
Jenine Lurie: Oh, you know, everybody has their own personal experiences, but I do think it’s nice to just say, “Hello, ça va?” You know, in this sort of, like, friendly way, especially in a small town, it’s, it’s mandatory.[00:38:00]
Annie Sargent: Yeah. It is. It is. All right, so uh, um, I’m… I, I, I think, um, the best I can do for you now is to wish you good luck with uh, Taste of Gascony, and I hope uh, many listeners um, avail themselves of your services because you really know the place quite well.
And like you said, at a… L- like, you’ve made connections with, uh, locals, and that’s r- that’s really important because you can enjoy a place 100 times more if you have someone who introduces you, and you know, like, “Let me show you around.” And French people are very happy, especially the Gersois. They are very kind, and they are very happy to show you around and have you taste their wine.
Armagnac Floc and Aperitifs
Annie Sargent: The floc, you didn’t mention the floc.
Jenine Lurie: Oh, the floc and the Armagnac.
Annie Sargent: Right. So I have to say, I, uh, when we were together, I bought a bottle of Armagnac, uh, and I’ve, uh… The, the guy who sold it to us, uh, this friendly American who lives in, uh, he lives there and works for that, uh, Armagnac produ- production, I’m hoping- [00:39:00] I hope to have him on the podcast at some point. Um, he, He said, “Put it in some uh, uh, ice cream, vanilla ice cream and some Armagnac,” and I tried it. It’s very good. So Armagnac goes well with ice cream, vanilla ice cream.
Jenine Lurie: Mm, delicious.
Annie Sargent: And floc is a very kind of sweet wine, and they also mix it with Armagnac, don’t they?
Jenine Lurie: Yeah, they can, and then also it’s sort of an aperitif, so it’s nice to have before dinner.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah.
Jenine Lurie: It’s an acquired taste, I’ll say, but I, I happen to really like it.
Annie Sargent: Yes, it’s very traditional. Uh, French women, especially of the previous generation, of my mother’s generation, it was not uh, considered a faux pas for a French woman to accept a, a serving of sweet wine for aperitif. Um, It would have been considered strange if she drank anything else.
Jenine Lurie: Oh.
Annie Sargent: Uh,
Jenine Lurie: That is interesting.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, that’s, that’s kind of [00:40:00] a, uh… Now, with the meal, you can have red wine or white wine, but before the meal, we don’t drink cocktails very much, although they do make cocktails out of Armagnac and floc and all of that.
Now, things have moved along, um, but in my mother’s generation, they, they didn’t, uh, drink much else besides sweet wines, and there’s plenty of that in the Gers, so that’s great.
Jenine Lurie: Yeah, absolutely. It’s a really nice way to start a meal, and um, they do have a cocktail called the pousse rapier, which is a little bit of Armagnac on top of champagne, and then a squeeze of orange, and it’s quite delicious.
Annie Sargent: Nice. And we had s- we had one at a restaurant you took us to, uh, Biciclette or Velo, I can’t remember if it was… It was on a bicycle uh, uh, theme thing, but it was very good as well, and it had some Armagnac in it, but it was, a- Armagnac is just too strong for me.
Jenine Lurie: That’s for the after dinner.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah. My throat would-
Jenine Lurie: After dinner sipper.
Annie Sargent: All right, Jenine, thank you so much for talking to me. It’s been a delight to have you. [00:41:00] People, uh, check out uh, Taste of Gascony, and uh, happy uh, tours with, uh, with all these people.
Jenine Lurie: Merci beaucoup! À bientôt, Annie. Bye-bye.
Annie Sargent: Merci, à bientôt, au revoir.
(Mid-roll ad spot)
Patrons Tours and Reviews
Annie Sargent: Again, I want to thank my patrons for giving back and supporting the show. Patrons get several exclusive rewards for doing that. You can see them at patreon.com/joinus.
And to support Elyse, go to patreon.com/elysart, E-L-Y-S-A-R-T.
You know, I can tell that the US economy is not humming along as well as before when I go many days without getting a single new patron.
So I appreciate my current patrons even more, and hope things get easier for everyone soon.
This week, I published a short report for patrons at the Groupie du Podcast tier and above. I just went to visit a Cathar [00:42:00] castle I hadn’t seen before, and I thought I wanted to gather up all the details for my patrons: parking, timing, restaurant, how strenuous, how long it takes, what you can see there, and why the place matters, and it really does matter. So I’ll be sharing uh, field notes with those patrons.
VoiceMap Tour Reviews
Annie Sargent: And there are- There were several reviews of my VoiceMap tours this week. Uh, Eiffel Tower, “Great tour, doesn’t take long and covers quite a bit.” That’s true. If you, If you love the Eiffel Tower, you need to take that tour because it will take you to all the great sights.
My food tour, “I love all of Annie’s tours. It feels like she’s a friend in my ear as we walk around together. So informative, with a dry humor. Merci beaucoup, Annie”.
Thank you, thank you.
You know, I’m very passionate about French food. I eat too much, that’s notorious. I love the markets, the bakeries, the little neighborhoods, the shops, all of it.
It makes me really, really happy when listeners tell me they [00:43:00] loved my VoiceMap food tour, but it does surprise me, though, that how many people will happily book expensive in-person tour, food tours, and never even consider doing a self-guided one. The group tours can cost a lot, and they often only scratch the surface.
With VoiceMap, you can taste everything I recommend and still have room to follow your nose if something else looks irresistible, so you spend more of the money on the food rather than on the tour. To me, that’s a better deal, but, you know, what do I know?
Montmartre, “Intimate and well-paced tour. I recommend starting early in the morning to avoid the crowds so that you have the streets to yourself.”
Yeah, in Montmartre, that’s important. Podcast listeners get an exclusive discount when you buy these tours directly from my website, and that’s als- that’s also a really good way to support me because it means more of what you pay comes straight to me instead of going through Apple or Google, and you will find that at [00:44:00] joinusinfrance.com/boutique.
Private day trips
Annie Sargent: If you’re planning to be in Toulouse this spring or summer, and I hope you are, um, I invite you to take one of my private day trips in the southwest of France in my electric car. Well, actually, it’s an SUV. It’s kind of a plush car. I’ve been driving other cars recently, they’re not near as comfy.
My calendar is filling up, and these are not cookie-cutter tours uh, that, that you grab off of the big platforms.
It’s completely custom. We have a Zoom meeting together to decide what you’re interested in. Could be Cathar history, beautiful hilltop villages, could be food markets, could be wines, scenic drives, painted caves, um, easy scenic walks, because sometimes they’re a bit hard. You name it. I mean, I can customize it to your needs and interests, and if you’re not sure what’s best, that’s fine. I have lots of ideas.
And I can take up to four people. It’s relaxed, flexible, and in-depth. So it’s sort of… It’s great for me as well, because I get to [00:45:00] spend the whole day with you and chat with you and get to know podcast listeners, which is a great experience.
So to get started, go to joinusinfrance.com/day-trip and book a time for us to chat.
Paris Airbnb Crackdown
Annie Sargent: Let’s talk about illegal short-term rentals in Paris. Uh, I want to mention something that just happened, in the last couple of weeks, and it tells you a lot about where things are headed with short-term, with short-term rentals. Two separate court decisions just came down, and the fines are big. Uh, We’re talking serious money in this case.
In one case, a property-owning company that was rending… In one case, a property-owning company that was renting out a two-bedroom apartment in the Ninth Arrondissement on platforms like Airbnb and Booking without authorization was fined eighty, eighty-one thousand euros. In another case, a couple who owned a two-bedroom apartment in Montmartre were fined seventy-five thousand euros each, so that’s a hundred and fifty euros total.
Why? [00:46:00] Because in Paris, in a p- if a property is not your primary residence, you cannot legally rent it out short-term without authorization, and these properties were being used as tourist rentals in violation of the rules. This is the first time we’re seeing fines this high since the adoption of the Echaniz–Le Meur law in November 2024, which I talked about at the time.
It strengthened the regulation of furnished tourist rentals. Before that, the maximum fine was fifty thousand euros, so this is a major escalation. And in one case, the owner refused to remove the listing even after the legal procedure started. The court ordered them to stop renting immediately and convert the apartment back to residential use, with a penalty of a thousand euros per day if they don’t comply.
City officials were very clear: the era of impunity is over. Their argument is that housing in Paris cannot be treated as speculative commodity…. Their [00:47:00] argument is that housing in Paris cannot be treated as a specule- as a speculative commodity, while residents struggle to find a place to live.
And Paris is not alone. Marseille has also secured heavy fines recently. One case totaled a hundred and seventy-one thousand euros for irregular tourist rentals. So if you’re thinking about renting an apartment in Paris,
So if you’re thinking about renting an apartment in Paris and turning it into a short-term rental, this is your reminder. The city is enforcing the rules, and the financial risk is no longer just theoretical. This is a very strong signal from Paris. Regulation is tightening, enforcement is real, and the penalties are now significant enough to really hurt.
I understand why owners would rather treat those rentals as, you know, gravy on the side, because once they do it, uh, according to the rules, properly, they will be liable for income tax, social charges, that’s [00:48:00] 17.2% in many cost- cases, business tax, and VAT tax.
You might think it’s extortion, but you know, um, they just treat those h- rentals like they’re a hotel because they are competing directly with hotels, and so, I can see both sides of the issue.
So what does all this informant… Uh, what does all this informant… So what does all this enforcement mean for visitors like you, who are renting an apartment in Paris? First, you may see fewer listings, especially in very central neighborhoods. As illegal rentals disappear, the sup- the supply, uh, will, will tighten. the supply will tighten.
Second, the prices may creep up in high-demand areas, when there are fewer apartments available, the legal ones can charge more. But there’s an upside, properly declared rentals are less likely to get shut down suddenly. In the past, some illegal listings were canceled at the last minute because of enforcement, because the owner was told, “Oh, the neighbors um, uh, [00:49:00] denounced you,” and so all of a sudden, “Oh, oh, no, I’m not renting to you anymore.”
That’s less likely if you’re booking a compliant property.
This does not affect your visa or your ability to visit in any way. It affects owners, not travelers directly.
So the bottom line is, expect a more regulated market, fewer ultra-cheap, under-the-radar deals, and a bit more stability overall.
My thanks to podcast editors Anne and Christian Cotovan.
Next week on the podcast
Annie Sargent: Next week on the podcast, a much-awaited episode with Elyse about Guédelon. We’re diving into this extraordinary project where a thirteenth-century castle is being built today using only medieval tools, materials, and techniques. No power tools, no modern mash- machinery… No, No power tools, no modern machinery, just stone, timber, lime, and a lot of skill.
We’ll talk about why they started this project in the first [00:50:00] place, what you’ll actually see when you visit, how much time to plan for, and whether it’s worth going out of your way, and it is out of the way.
But if you love hands-on history, craftsmanship, and seeing how things were really done in the Middle Ages, or are visiting with kids, this episode is definitely for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you join me next time so we can look around France together. Au revoir!
Copyright
Annie Sargent: The join us in France Travel Podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Annie Sargent and copyright 2026 by Addicted to France. It is released a, It is released under a Creative Comments, attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives license.[00:51:00] [00:52:00]
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Episode PageCategories: Occitanie, Toulouse Area