Editorial (10)
07.04.2011
column: RT editorial for April 2011
At this time of year, I love a good spring clean. The sun comes out and I come around from months of baggy jumper wearing and Radio 4 listening and I suddenly want my world to be sparkly and in order.Read more … Moving beyond a spring clean
01.03.2011
column: RT editorial for March 2011
At the end of last year, I came across an article that claimed visitor numbers in Europe’s most popular holiday destinations, like the Costa del Sol and the French Riviera, were on the slide. Turns out that with the increasing number of budget flights to the cheaper, perma-sunny coastlines of countries like Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt, pricey holidays to euro-currency countries were losing their appeal for crisis hit north Europeans. Read more … Holiday hotspots sans politics
04.02.2011
column: RT editorial for February 2011
This month lovers will celebrate Saint Valentine with overpriced meals in overpriced restaurants. Bah Humbug, I hear you say and feel free: I am happy to admit I've never quite got Valentine’s Day. In fact I've long suspected the 'tradition' is a ruse devised by Hallmark to make us buy gift cards. Read more … Not just for Valentine's
04.05.2010
column: RT editorial for May 2010
OK, so they may not be everyone's idea of a good time. However, for a lot of mere mortals the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival hold a special allure and embody many modern day aspirations - fame, beauty, glamour, luxury...Read more … The jetset Cannes still go glam
02.03.2010
column: RT editorial for March 2010
How often have you found yourself saying these three seemingly harmless words? The idea of speaking French in France shouldn’t seem alien but somehow, sometimes it does.Read more … Parlez vous Anglais?
02.02.2010
column: RT editorial for February 2010
The beauty of the Riviera has long attracted visitors to its shore: the brilliant blue sea, the palm tree-lined promenades and the endless sunshine brushes this part of the world with an achingly alluring shimmer.Read more … Casting a shadow over the Côte
06.01.2010
column: RT editorial for January 2010
For those of us from colder climates, January is traditionally the worst month of the year: everyone is weary and guilt-ridden after festive excesses; the days are dark and cold. The only thing you can do is hide inside and try to avoid the sales. Read more … Keeping January blues away
01.12.2009
Column: RT Editorial December 2009
It's no coincidence that France's biggest annual fund-raising event, the Telethon, takes place in December or that numerous charity gala dinners will be hosted in the region over the next month. The general desire to spead good cheer at this time of year inevitably encourages the best in us, but in the midsts of all the merriness we can forget that "goodwill to all men" is a principle for life, not just for Christmas.
Read more … Not just for Christmas
01.11.2009
Column: RT Editorial November 2009
It has long been the conventional wisdom that France is a wonderful country to visit and a fulfilling place to live. Many Brits have plucked up the courage to buy a second home here, while others have moved across lock, stock and barrel, often to retire and spend their last years in a better climate. But although the sun is warmer than at home, few expats have viewed the country as a hot prospect for employment. The image of better weather, superior food, and joie de vivre has always been tempered by the view that working here could be problematic.
Read more … The sun shines on the young
01.10.2009
Column: RT Editorial Octobe 2009
It has been a complicated time for foreign property investors on the Riviera. UK second-home owners have been leaving in droves, according to local real estate agents. The reason for this withdrawal has been the economic crisis, which has put pressure on many British residents with French properties. These sellers have been helped by the collapse of the pound against the euro, so a paper loss in France has often trans-lated into a real profit in sterling. Obstacles, such as the requirement to appoint a fiscal guarantor (see article page 20) have not been big enough to be insurmountable. Perhaps one day some of these vendors will return.
Read more … Property investors under threat
