Bonjour a tous!

[General DeGaulle]

Hello fellow preppers. Although not a 'new' member as such I have been away from this forum for nearly 2 years and thought I would become active again. Good to see that my account wasn't turned off! Anyway, still prepping, still growing, and still unsuccessfully trying to go off grid!

[izzy_mack]

Welcome back

[pseudonym]

Welcome back to the Fold.Hope life has treated you well in your sabbatical.

[jansman]

Welcome back.

[jennyjj01]

Hello fellow preppers. Although not a 'new' member as such I have been away from this forum for nearly 2 years and thought I would become active again. Good to see that my account wasn't turned off! Anyway, still prepping, still growing, and still unsuccessfully trying to go off grid!

Welcome back Monsieur,
Has your prepping approach changed over the last few years. Did you move to a 'nearly off grid' rural location?

[General DeGaulle]

Yes, I live in a tiny village in central western France about 40 miles South of Angers in a very rural location. I am lucky enough to have a biggish garden with 2 wells and plenty of hot sunny days to grow tomatoes, melons etc. I moved here about 5 years ago after taking early retirement from the NHS.

[Vitamin c]

Welcome.

Just out of interest how do you fair if you become sick .
Do you get free access to the French health system or do you have to pay .

[General DeGaulle]

Access to the French health service is free - for the actual treatment. For 'hotel' services - such as hospital stay food etc you have to pay, and all of us here have an insurance policy called a 'mutuel' which we pay into each month. So, if I for example have to get my appendix whipped out, the state pays for the operation, medication etc, but I am billed for the hospital stay and food, which I then send to my insurance provider who then pays it. There are five tiers of mutuel assurance, ranging from cheap and cheerful to gold plated, which covers everything including dentistry. I pay for the middle tier, which is about 90 euros a month for me and my partner, which works out at less than the national insurance we were both paying in Blighty. Ambulance call outs are also paid for by the mutuel. One tight fisted ex - pat over here decided not to have the mutuel, fell off his ladder whilst decorating, had to call the ambulance out. 800 euros later, he decided to take out a mutuel...

[Arzosah]

Welcome back! Good to hear from you again, and good to know that there haven't been huge disruptions round where you are. Lovely area - I was pootling about around Bordeaux a few years ago, I loved it.