About working remotely from southern france

The house

Located in the middle of Aigues-Vives sits the 8 bedroom house. The house is on the corner of Rue de la Poste and Rue de Dr Ferran, across from the post office.

The two-story house has one bedroom on the ground floor, along with the living and entertaining area, the kitchen and dining area, and a washroom with laundry, bathroom, and shower. There’s a large u-shaped sofa and TV to enjoy, plus we bring the Apple TV with us so everyone can enjoy movies, Netflix, and whatever else we want to stream.

The second floor is the main sleeping area with seven color-themed bedrooms, a library, and a beautiful bathroom with toilet, bidet, corner bath tub, and a shower. The Blue Room is the largest bedroom in the house and looks out over the courtyard and pool. The White Room also looks out over the courtyard and pool. The Red Room, Yellow Room, Black & White Room, and Lavender Rooms all look out over Rue de la Poste, while the Green Room looks out over Rue de Dr Ferran. These rooms are all roughly the same size, include shuttered windows, high ceilings, and a large bed approximately the size of a US queen.

The lot includes a private courtyard with tall privacy walls, as well as a pool & lounge area. The pool is not heated, but in the summer the sun does a good job of warming up the water. Also, the water is treated using a non-chlorinated solution, so your hair doesn’t feel crunchy when you get out.

The house also has WiFi, and I will amplify the signal out to the pool area so we can do something fun like bring a portable projector and watch movies on the wall while floating in the pool, or so people can answer emails…if they must.

There is also a grill, so we can very easily enjoy grilling food near the pool, in the courtyard, or cook inside and dine at the table in the kitchen.

One last item to note that, as is fairly normal, there isn’t much A/C (hence the high ceilings). But we have table fans for all rooms and open windows at night brings in cooler air. The average temps in July range between 87º and 66º.

Aigues-Vives

Sitting on a hilltop overlooking broad vineyards, the town dates back to at least 1301, based on the oldest writings. This is the Occitanie region of France. It’s a very small town, home to about 700 people. It’s a very quiet and safe town to wander around, or go for a jog through the vineyards.

As mentioned above, the post office is next to the house. About 20 yards up the street is a pharmacy (and we will have a doctor with us in case of any emergency needs). Behind the house is a tree-lined street that runs from the bull ring to the center square where you will find the church, a bakery, and some very little cafes. At the end of the block is the local market and a flower shop. And just outside of the village is the cemetery if you’re interested in looking at really old tombstones.

Being that it’s surrounded by vineyards, there’s also a nice wine tasting room (Domaine Guitard) nearby where you can taste and buy some award winning wines. There are others, this just happens to be the one I’m most familiar with.

A little further down the road is the town of Lunel, where the big supermarket is located. Aside from the market, a lot of the food is bought at the local farmer’s markets in Calvisson, Sommières, and Aigues-Mortes to name a few. They are held on different days and evenings and include lots of great fresh goods from fruits and vegetables to olives to spices to locally-made cheeses, salamis, and sausages. There’s also plenty cooked foods, as well as arts and crafts.

In the summer there are small public events. It seems like they usually have a (very) small short-film festival, with shorts from around the world in late July. Much of the town comes out for the weekend evenings to drink wine, eat some local foods, and enjoy the evening. There is also a jazz festival in the summer, but since I’ve never been, I don’t really know anything about it. Lastly, there is also a local tradition of running the bulls through the town and into the bull ring…where the Pamplona spectacle comes from. But these events are not as dramatic. The bulls are brought along the streets while herded by well-trained horses. Also, while there are events in the rings with bulls, this is not bull fighting and the animals are not hurt. There are different variations of “the fight”, most typically one where the contestants have to place a ring on the bull’s horn, or where they need to retrieve a charm hanging between the horns.

Things to do Nearby (within an hour’s drive)

We will plan out some local outings to farmer’s markets or a nearby village for dinner during the week, and some longer stuff on the weekends, but stay relatively local to the region.

Aigues-MORTES

If you’re into history, Aigues-Mortes is pretty special, but there’s stuff for everyone. Aigues-Mortes’ old town is a walled city on the edge of the Mediterranean marshes, and that’s possibly where the name comes from. There is debate about which Roman Emperor founded the city, possibly as far back at 100 B.C., but it was in the 790’s when Charlemagne ordered the construction of the first tower. But it’s Louis IX who is given credit for what Aigue-Mortes became when all the ramparts were completed. Aigues-Mortes also played an important role in Medieval history as it was one of the launching points of the Crusades in the 1200’s. And a century later, after those same Crusades built the wealth, power, and legend of the Knights Templar, the Tower of Constance in Aigues-Mortes was used as a prison to hold 45 of the knights until their trial and execution.

Today you can visit the tower, as well as walk along the ramparts looking into the city or over the walls at the surrounding area. Inside the walls is a vibrant shopping district, as well as restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops, and a church.

Outside of the walls, you can drive through the marsh to Salin d’Aigues-Mortes, where you can take a tour of the saltern, including the bright pink pools, and learn about the process of making sea salt. You can also enjoy seeing flamingos as they wade around the pools.

ARLES

I’ll start with the disclaimer that I have not yet been to this city, but I really want to. While the city has in the Roman Empire, being founded in the first century, most people have seen the city while walking through museums…even if they aren’t aware of it. Vincent Van Gogh lived here, mostly while in an asylum after his ear incident. He painted around 300 scenes of the city, and many of those viewpoints can be found today with easels in place to show replicas of his work from the vantage point he used to paint them…including his famous Starry Night over the Rhône, and Café Terrace at Night. The café is still there, as is the Rhone.

But aside from Van Gogh, many other famous people have lived in Arles, including fellow painters Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso. And it’s also home to The Gypsy Kings.

Avignon

Curious to visit the papal palace? Avignon is the only city outside of Rome where popes lived and ruled. Seven popes lived in the papal palace, making it the seat of Catholicism, from 1309 to 1377. It was once a grand city, filled with beautiful buildings and churches, the palace as well as the home of King René. There was even once a grand bridge spanning the Rhône with it’s 21 pillars, of which only 4 remain. While today it’s a bridge to nowhere, once upon a time it was a bridge to…somewhere. I don’t know, from the city it went half north, half left. Now on the map there’s only half left. The stupid jokes write themselves.

Calvisson

My experience with Calvisson revolves mostly around their weekend morning farmer’s market. It’s a fairly large one, taking up the entire central square. But there are also a lot of shops around the square, as well as restaurants and cafes.

Montpellier

The only metropolis in the area, Montpellier is home to Dell, the nearest IKEA, and FISE…an annual extreme sports festival that attracts the biggest names in skateboarding, BMX, and other Red Bull-sponsored sports you don’t watch on ESPN3x.

But the city also has a long history, as well as interesting characters living (and learning) there. For example, in the 1500’s at the Université de Montpellier there was a student drinking heavily at night, sleeping straight through his 9am astronomy lectures. And rather than read the overpriced texts of his professors, he just wrote vague essays on where he saw the world going. I’m not sure if he graduated magna cum laude, or cum nulla laude, but he eventually gained fame in the 1990’s when everyone was sure the world was ending because DOS possibly couldn’t handle a two-digit year. That student was of course Nostradamus, and he’s been credited with predicting everything including the demise of Radio Shack before anyone knew what Radio Shack was…or just a radio.

NIMES

Raise your hand if you’ve got a jean jacket? Or just some beat up old Levi’s? Or some ugly jorts? You can think the city of Nimes. A fascinating Roman city when you think about some of the cutting edge stuff that was happening in the area before the birth of Christ. The city was so famous for it’s sturdy woven cloth that the product became a brand name before brands existed. Denim (from Nimes) became the rugged wear of the Roman legions, as well as the chic alternative to the other mass produced fabrics of the time.

Nimes still has interesting relics from it’s time in the Roman world. Nearby is the Pont du Gard, a massive aqueduct and engineering marvel that brought water into the city, ending at an elaborate and ingenious cistern that was one of the first mass water distribution systems. Both can be visited, and even worse, I can tell you all about them.

Saintes Maries de la mer

This is a popular beach town with traditional white-washed buildings and winding streets filled with shops of all kinds. Looking for 20 different flavors of oil or vinegar? Got it. Want to buy a dozen different scented soaps? Got it. Leather goods? Got it. Tired of walking and want to dunk your feet in a tank where tiny fish nibble on your tired feet while a man named Jean-Pierre tells you all about the area and his non-traditional disdain for Les Bleu? Obviously, based on the detail of this scenario, it’s there. And when you’re done, grab some ice cream and cross the street to the beach.

SommierÈs

This is another small, picturesque village on the banks of the Vidourle. Along with the restaurants, there are also wine bars and bakeries to enjoy.

Uzès

Another beautiful old historical town with a great farmer’s market. This town was a water source for the region and the Romans distributed it to many of their key cities, including via the Pont du Gard aqueduct to Nimes. There’s also a beautiful old cathedral in the town, as well as the Tour Fenestrelle, a large tower that is the most recognizable landmark in the city and gives a beautiful view of the surrounding valley. Also, in the evenings during the summer, there is a light show projected on the Pont du Gard, visible from the banks of the river or the terrace cafe.

Weekend Trips

If you want to rent a car and venture further out on the weekends, below are some of the towns and cities within a couple hours.

Heading West

Because Aigues-Vives is on the eastern edge of Occitanie, most everything within a couple hours drive to the west or south remains part of the region. While the region isn’t as famous as it’s eastern neighbor (Provence), it’s a very mellow part of the country with it’s own rich history.

ALBI

The town of Albi dates back to the Bronze Age. As with most other settlements, the Romans later took over. In the mid-500’s, most of the town was wiped out by the plague. The Pont Vieux is a thousand year old bridge that is still in use today. And nearby is the Palais de la Berbie, an 800 year old palace that is not just revered as one of the best preserved castles of the era, but it’s also a museum dedicated to the town’s most famous son, painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.

ANDORRA

The city of Austin, Texas is just over 270 square miles in size. That means you could fit the entire country of Andorra easily inside it’s boundaries and still have more than 100 square miles left to spare. This is the definition of a “postage-stamp country”. It’s sits on the border between France and Spain.

Cahors

While this town dates back deep into history, it’s a bit different from most others. While most in the area were rebuilt to reflect the aesthetics of the Romans who conquered them, Cahors managed to keep the Celtic roots from it’s time in the Kingdom of Gaul…although there are still the ruins of the old Roman amphitheater. The town is also famous for it’s Valentré Bridge.

Carcassone

If you want to walk through a Medieval citadel, Carcassone is special. It sits on a hill surrounded by a double-walled rampart, and at one time also had a moat which has dried out over time. You enter through the drawbridge and can roam the streets and alleys of this beautiful little town, as well as tour the castle and learn about the defenses employed to repel multiple sieges.

Toulouse

For the region of Occitanie, the capital resides in Toulouse. The city has several famous buildings and cathedrals, with lots of examples of Gothic, Renaissance, and Romanesque architecture. It’s the global headquarters of Airbus, as well as the birthplace of the Concorde. It’s also the birthplace of Carlos Gardel, the man revered in Argentina as the father of tango, but I assume I’m the only one who cares about that.

heading east

As mentioned above, to the east of Occitanie is the region of Provence. It’s famous for it’s fields of lavender, but it’s also home to some famous beach communities, has an outsized impact on your nose, and reaches to the foothills of the French Alps. For the sake of transparency, I haven’t visited any of the cities/towns below, but I’ve done research on them and they’re on my list of places to visit. I have, however, driven through Provence, as well as visited some of the more famous lavender fields, which were both beautiful and the scent lingers in the air for miles.

Aix en Provence

The most common description I’ve heard from people about Aix is that it’s a beautiful, chill, college town…and I have no reason to disagree because I’ve never been. But the photos are beautiful.

Cannes

Apparently there’s a movie theater in this town, or something like that. I guess they would like to be like Sundance but with subtitles.

Grasse

If you were wondering why I mentioned Provence’s impact on your now, the reason is Grasse…not the famous lavender fields, amazing as they are. Grasse is the heart of the perfume world, and the top perfume-makers live here. In fact, not only can you tour the perfume factories and learn about the process of making perfumes, you can also make your own.

Marseille & NICE

These two are the largest cities in the region, and I have visited neither. But Wikipedia has a lot to say about them both, and I’m getting tired of writing about places I haven’t visited.

Saint Laurent du Verdon

In the foothills lies an amazing gorge with a beautiful meandering river leading into a lake. This is the Gorge du Verdon. It’s surrounded by steeps walls and winding roads full of spectacular viewpoints, but you can also rent a kayak or peddleboat and explore it from the water.

Saint Tropez

If you’re looking for a posh and ritzy beach, this is your spot. There must be a public beach somewhere, but by and large you can expect to pay to lounge at one of the beach clubs and sip your fruity cocktails.

Travel Tips

Electronics

The most obvious place to start is with power converters & outlet adapters.  

The most common outlets in France are the double-post prong pictured below.  I say most common because some of the outlets have a third post (ground).  Almost all of the outlets are indented and in a shape that looks like a squashed hexagon, so the typical adapters fit snugly into the outlets.  At the house we do have some adapters that convert from a grounded three-post plug into an ungrounded two-post plug.

Thunderstorms are extremely rare in this area, especially in the summer, so ungrounded outlets aren’t really an issue.  That aside, my favorite component to travel with is this surge protector from Amazon.  It’s fairly cheap, and it accepts 3 standard US plugs, as well as 4 USB plugs…and plugs right into any outlet you’ll find in the house.  For the most part this one item should handle everything you need. 

You might also want to buy one/two plug adapters so you can plug in something random in a different place, such as a hairdryer in the bathroom.

If you are planning to spend time in France aside from at the house, you might want to buy a USB wall plug.  On the trains you won’t always find a USB port, but you will find outlets and this will allow you to keep your phone happy.

I’ve also gotten some questions about power converters and, fortunately, most everything you have already has built in power conversion or regulation…your laptop charger, phone, etc.

Handiest Apps

Getting Through - Airalo

The most important app I keep on my phone is Airalo.  Most newer phones accept two SIM cards, one physical and one eSIM.  This means when you travel abroad you can purchase a SIM card and install it virtually rather than having to physically replace the card you use at home.  Airalo is a marketplace for eSIMs.  You can buy rechargeable cards that are country-specific, as well as regional.  You can buy the cards with different data amounts.  Prices vary, but you can get by for the month with a $20 card, which is much cheaper than using the roaming of your US service.  I have AT&T, for example, which used to have a “passport” service that was 5GB for $60.  I believe they recently scrapped that program and now charge a straight $10/day for continuation of your service.

If you use an eSIM, you will make this your default cellular service and turn off your US service, which means you will not have text service.  There are a couple work-arounds.

• Install a voice/text messaging app, e.g. WhatsApp

• Not sure about Android phones, but iPhones support WiFi messaging/calling, so if you turn on your US service when in the house and connected to the WiFi with the roaming turned off, you can USUALLY text/call without incurring that roaming connection. I say usually because I’ve had mixed results, so my family also uses WhatsApp

Getting Along - Google Translate

There are a lot of translators, but the one I use most is Google Translate, mostly because it’s had the most consistent translations in terms of understanding nuance…probably because it has the most contributors.  But it also has helpful features.  For example, you can download multiple languages for offline use.  It also has a camera-based translation mode that is useful when you want to quickly translate a menu.  A side benefit is that you sometimes get comically wrong translations when local slang creeps in, and since you can use the camera and “pause” the translation, you can quickly compile an album full of entertaining translations to share with your friends.

But I HAVE in the past found myself using Google Translate to interact with people by typing out a question or comment, and then playing the translation for the other person.  You say shame on me for not speaking the phrase myself?  Believe me when I say I have at times tried and completely confused others.

Getting Around - Google Maps & Atlas Obscura

There are a lot of really good map apps, but I will recommend two: Google Maps and Atlas Obscura.

The reason I like Google Maps is not just how familiar everyone is with it, but that you can also download specific areas and have access to those maps (and all the location details) even if you don’t have network access…which is to say you can have your phone on Airplane Mode and still navigate yourself around in every way.

Atlas Obscura is a great app to use anywhere in the world.  This is a crowd-currated database of points of interests.  Items are separated into several categories and you can find everything from quirky museums to unique dining experiences to little-known attractions.

Getting Paid - XE Currency

From time to time you’ll forget that you’re paying for things in Euros instead of dollars, and you might lose track of what you’re spending…or you want to sort out more or less how much your cash is worth.  XE Currency Exchange is the most popular exchange rate calculator.  

Other Stuff

Airport Lounges

Layovers in airports can suck.  However, if you will be finding yourself in an airport for a couple hours, before you travel check with the airline’s customer service to see if your ticket will grant you access to one of their preferred lounges while you travel.  If you’re traveling with United, or a Star Alliance airline, the Polaris Clubs are generally a really nice place to chill.  In these lounges you will find comfortable chairs and recliners, and sometimes you’ll also find sleep pods or massage chairs.  You have free access to decent food ranging from salad bars or cereal bars to hot food options, as well a variety of drinks and an open bar.  Some of the lounges will also have showers, which after an overnight flight can be a true relief.  If your ticket does not include lounge access, do a Google search for the paid-lounges in the airport you’ll be in and you can find some that can cost anywhere from $20 and up.  You can easily spend $30 on a meal at one of the airport restaurants anyhow, so it might not be a bad idea to spend that amount AND get a comfortable seat and WiFi.

Credit Cards

Before you leave call your credit card company.  Some work flawlessly without prior notice, but you can also save yourself a lot of frustration by giving them a heads up that you’ll be traveling between specific dates so they won’t block transactions while sending you text messages (that you are getting because you’re using Airalo to avoid roaming charges) for confirmation.  You can also get info about any travel points programs they integrate with, or in some cases you might want to increase your credit line to cover ALL of your spending so you can dispute any charges, etc.  

Banks and ATMs

Before you leave call your bank.  Similarly to credit cards it’s great to give them advance notice to prevent having your card locked, but there’s a really good second reason to talk to them ahead of time…cash.  First, not all ATM machines work on the same global exchange platform, meaning some machines will not be able to connect to your account.  But you can also ask your bank if they are partnered with any specific bank in Europe, which will save you on fees when withdrawing in local currency.  For example, Bank of America has a surcharge if you use an ATM at any bank other than BNP Paribas in France.

Insurance and Emergencies

You never know what will happen when you’re abroad. In 2019 (prior to joining ArgonDigital), the day before I was set to fly home from Switzerland, I found myself in the hospital being prepped for surgery to remove my appendix. The hospital sorted through things with my US-based insurance. For the most part, things went smoothly. But almost a year later I did receive some mail from the hospital about open charges, and was able to settle payments between myself, the insurance (BCBS), and the hospital fairly easily. There are a couple take-aways from my experience.

1. Keep your insurance card handy

2. Before you go, know what number would need to be called by a hospital needing to verify information in case of emergency

3. Ask your provider about coverage for emergency medication when you’re abroad

4. Pay for everything with credit cards so you have proof of the transactions, in the event you lose the receipt and need to sort things out a year later

5. Before you leave, work with your local doctor to get prescriptions in a 90-day dosage so you’re sure to not run out of medication on your trip

6. If you have any chronic medical condition, ask your doctor for digital records (and contact info) in case you have any emergency needs while traveling

7. Have proof of COVID vaccinations

COVID Notes

I know Texas is particularly difficult in this regard, and restrictions have been eased recently, but I cannot promise you will not be asked to show proof along the way, especially going through customs. No one was impressed with my CDC card a year ago. If you got vaccinated through CVS, Walgreens, or any place that gives you a QR code for verification, that’s nice…but I’m not sure foreign authorities can access. That said, keep whatever you have handy.

Flying home from Switzerland in mid-May I needed to do a COVID test 24 hours prior to the flight. There are services at almost all international airports and the price varies. Another option is buying the DIY kits from someone like Abbott Labs, which you can do on-camera and they will add your results on their app (Navica). I’ve used them and they are convenient, but the last time I could only by a 6-pack of tests, which was $120. It might make sense for me to buy some and we can each use them…I’ll let you know.

If you forget something…

And finally…don’t stress too much about packing.  You might forget something, but there’s the equivalent of a Super Walmart ten minutes from the house…right next to a McDonald’s, a carwash, and shoe store.  Or if you forgot to pack a circle saw or pipe wrench, there’s a Home Depot eight minutes away.  Please don’t bring any power tools, just understand my point that it’s really not THAT different from home.