When you arrive in the city of Angers in west France, signage on the train station entrance informs you that you are in the number one city for quality of life in France.
This accolade, coupled with the fact that my girlfriend has a postdoctoral position in the university here, made relocating to this city in January a bit of a no-brainer. Additionally, I had moved with a fool-proof plan that would let me retire and enjoy Angers’ spoils at the ripe age of 28.
It was simple really. I’d approach the Angers tourism board with the best marketing slogan they’d ever seen and watch as tourists flock to the region. “Angers? We hope it doesn’t.” I was sure they would like it.
Unfortunately, this plan never materialised and I’ve yet to make my Angers millions. Now, I have new goals – learn French, make friends and integrate into this city.
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First step to achieving these goals? Leverage the city’s love for Ireland (as evidenced by its heavy concentration of Irish pubs) and endear myself to the locals. Indeed, the Angevins love an Irish pub. Throughout the town, you’ve got Matt Murphy’s, Le James Joyce and, my favourite, Le Dublin’s.
Le Dublin is what exactly? I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter, it’s the best spot in town for a Guinness. I’m on “tu/toi” terms with the bartender. On the rare occasion I order a half-pint, shock clouds his face and he asks if I’m sick. Naturally enough, I stick to full measures.
In addition to the Irish pubs scattered about the town, there’s a GAA club on the city’s outskirts and an Irish-themed gift shop in the centre, stocked with plenty of home comforts, including Dairy Milk, Barry’s Tea and baked beans.
When I’m at a loose end, I peruse the shelves of that shop in my O’Neill’s shorts hoping for the locals to view me as Angers’ answer to Paul Mescal, or failing that, to bump into other Irish expats. Bizarrely, neither of these things have happened.
In fact, I’ve yet to meet a single other Irish person in this city.
So, leveraging the city’s supposed love for Ireland has yet to work out in my favour, but no matter, I had a backup plan. Integrate seamlessly into Angers’ LGBT+ scene.
The city is very LGBT+ friendly. In fact, the street we live on has two gay bars. We’ve visited one of them a handful of times and for nine months, we assumed the other was permanently closed. This isn’t the case. It’s very much in business, but we’re just always tucked up at home long before it opens its doors.
It didn’t take me too long to realise that my entirely identity-based attempts to make friends in Angers mightn’t be the most logical approach. Still, I’m determined to integrate.
This time, however, I’m taking some inspiration from the city of Angers itself. This is a relaxed town that values leisure and culture. Maybe I should do the same?
So far, it’s working. I’ve signed up for dance classes and when I leave the house, I no longer stress over what I’ll say or practice poorly translated phrases from Google Translate. Instead, I try to relax, enjoy the class and pick up the little bits of French as they come.
Indulging in the city’s food offerings is also an important (and delicious) part of the integration process. France is renowned for its cuisine, and Angers is no exception. With close proximity to Brittany, the town’s crepe and cider offering is strong, but it’s also a hub for international food, with Vietnamese and Thai restaurants among my personal favourites.
Loneliness often comes with the territory of moving abroad and whenever I feel its pangs (or that yearning for a Spice Bag) I remember the quality of life promised to me at the train station, and I’m glad I get to live here.
After all, this is a very green city with a rich cultural offering. We’re a stone’s throw away from a theatre that’s dedicated almost entirely to contemporary dance. The city’s skyline is a literal castle and its art galleries are some of the best I’ve seen.
We pay less than €700 for a spacious one-bedroom apartment, and this summer, our evenings were spent cycling, playing badminton and swimming in the lake. Now, as the colder weather creeps in, it won’t be long before the scent of mulled wine and the twinkle of Christmas lights pop up in the town’s square.
Little by little, I feel myself becoming more at one with this city, and until I’m fully integrated, I can always feel at home with a lovingly poured pint of plain from Le Dublin’s.
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