About us

Kate

The idea for this site originated after our move to the Pyrenees Orientales in 2004. We found ourselves in the position of buying a house, registering with the health and social security schemes, dealing with legal issues, registering cars, looking at schools etc without a great deal of help and advice specific to the region. There were books and guides and a growing number of websites dealing with France in general but the Pyrénées-Orientales remained a mystery we are only just beginning to unravel.

Friends and family were well acquainted with the south of France (Nice,Cannes, St Tropez and Marseilles) but this region of cherry blossom and mimosa was relatively undiscovered. Intrepid explorers that we are, we set out on a mission to introduce the Pyrénées-Orientales to the rest of the world!

Further investigation revealed that there was in fact a very large Anglophone community in the region, in many cases hungry for contact with other ’ex pats’. A website therefore seemed like a good medium to get both ex pats and tourists together via a forum which would enable them to swap ideas and advice, access general information and share experiences. 

Fabien

We also noticed that, due to the obvious limits of the language barrier, there did not always seem to be adequate communication between the Anglophone community and the local trades and businesses. It seemed like a good idea therefore, to find out which of these local businesses could welcome and deal with the English speaker in his own language.

On this site you will find lists of businesses who have particularly expressed a desire to encourage Anglophone customers, either through the ability to communicate in the language or through a knowledge of the English standards and requirements.

Olivier

We do hope that the site is useful to you. We by no means claim to be experts on any aspect of the PO. The articles within this site are based on our own experiences, along with research and information gleaned as we have integrated ourselves into the region and its way of life. The site is still young and developing and its eventual success or failure will depend heavily upon your feedback. We would welcome any comments, tips or articles that you might wish to contribute on any aspect of the Pyrénées-Orientales.
Contact us at info@anglophone-direct.com