Real estate in Aix, Puyricard, Célony, Venelles, Les PLatanes

Real estate in the Aix en Provence region does not come cheap and is not an easy game- as with many attractive markets!

Today, in September 2009, a large (200 square meter) house with 2500 square meters of terrain in a nice, quiet, yet convenient area just north of Aix will go between 600 K and 800K euros depending on how much renovation needs to be done and elements like a pool and the beauty of the yard.

If you’re looking to buy in the area and do not live here yet, I strongly advise renting before buying.
Prices are too high and the traps too numerous to buy quickly.

However, finding a nice home to rent is easier said than done as well! A relocation agency showed us scores of homes during the Spring all around Aix, none of which we could not envision ourselves living in. They each had a major flaw: either it was the general condition of the house, or the street noise, or the view, or the absence of a yard, or a depressing grass-less and tress-less yard, etc…
The agents were not in the least disturbed by these points.

We luckily found a dream home, at the last minute. I blog about it here.

Areas around Aix en Provence

I’ll focus on the areas north of Aix here, because those are the ones I know best but I’ll write a brief note on the southern areas.

South of Aix en provence

The south of Aix includes towns like Luynes, Bouc bel Air, Cabriès, Simiane, and further south west, towns like Fuveau and Rousset. The first four towns are convenient in terms of location because they are close to Marseille, where many work, and for deal hunters, close to large shopping strips like Plan de Campagne- open in Sundays!

Luynes is the top area in terms of attractiveness because it offers some nice countryside, a five minute proximity to Aix, and the presence of a number of international primary and secondary schools.

We found prices in Luynes were consequently totally disproportionate to the intrinsic quality of the homes. We saw a 160 square meter home lodged in a ravine, with neighbours overlooking on at least two sides, proximity to a noisy road AND a railway line, a limited garden space, priced above 900 K euros…

The towns of Fuveau and Rousset are a bit different. Being further out South East with respect to Aix, they are a good 20 minutes drive to the city. They do offer gorgeous views of the Montagne Sainte Victoire and proximity to a large golf course. Rousset has an industrial park where some large companies are based like Atmail and Thalès.

I personally very much like the north of Aix because it’s close to the medieval city, yet completely retains countryside charm.

Areas north of Aix: Puyricard, Célony, Eguilles, Venelles, les PLatanes

North West of Aix, after a 7 minute drive along the mythical Route Nationale 7, and easily accessible with city buses, you’ll stumble onto what is a village, even though it has lost its charm: Celony.

All around that ugly intersection, however, are beautiful homes hidden in the country side, along narrow roads. Near there you’ll find outdoor restaurants and a night club called the Hot Brass, sports clubs like to Set Club and, not far, in Puyricard, the Aix Country Club.

Further out and further west is beautiful Eguilles. Now that’s a village! Nestled on top of a hill, it has preserved its ‘provencal’ character while offering gourmet and high end shopping and services. There also, you’ll find beautiful properties. You’re about 12 minutes from Aix there, with limited bus service.

Straight north of Aix , after a 12 minute drive here again, you’ll find Puyricard. The village is hidden to the side of the main road here, preserving its charm. The surrounding country side offers large fields, planted with wheat, corn, and many vines, and isolated homes. Buses do run here to the center of Aix, but the frequency of morning buses for teeanagers needing to attend high school near Aix is insufficient. Puyricard has a private, catholic ‘college’, ie, high school and of course, public primary and secondary schools.

The big drawback to these areas: no international schools exist north of Aix, strange as it may seem. A primary school is in the works it seems in Venelles.

Venelles is the less picturesque town north East of Aix, about 15 minutes away. It offers a convenient yet unsightly commercial strip along with a cute village.

Les Platanes are also North East of Aix, about 5 minutes away. There is no village to speak of there, just a few isolated boulangeries and the like along the main road. It offers beautiful, isolated homes, not convenient for teenagers needing to get around but it is home to a horse riding center called Les Pinchinats.

There’s for a quick tour of the Aix area in terms of environment. Please use the comment section for more details.

Beautiful home for rent in Puyricard , just north of Aix en provence

This is our home. Its now been rented. See here for HOW we had to vacate our home earlier than we’d have liked, thanks to wonderful relocation and real estate agencies.

As explained in another post, looking for a rental or a home to purchase is no walk on the park in the region. We feel extremely lucky to have found this home for rent, at the last minute. It had just been built when it came up for rent. The owner had intended to occupy it himself, hence the quality of the home and its environment.

This beautiful house will be for rent starting in November or December 2009 in Puyricard, 12 minutes north of Aix by car. Set on the Route du Puy Ste Réparade, but far from the road, this new, now two- year old home has four large bedrooms, a large, beautiful, 2500 square feet planted yard and a unique setting that makes it very safe.

It is set on a much larger terrain originally owned by a man who designed it so his three children could build their homes there. So on this terrain with a single, gated entrance, there are today three homes. One of them is occupied by the original owner, and older man, who in fact acts as the unofficial ‘ gardien’ for the property, being always on the premises and a very helpful person indeed.

It is very confortable, and so conveniently thought out. There is no lack of storage space, almost no hallways, and large, light-filled open spaces.

Back to School Activities in English in and around Aix

Ma ny of you are thinking about activities, whether sports or artistic, for your children 1 to 17 in the Aix region, and many of you are looking for activites held in English.

Here are a few options that focus on learning the English language, in a fun environment:

- English Bubble: for young to teens:
Some of you may already be acquainted with the English Bubble Association, which was established in 2007 by Caroline Thorpe. From September 09 Caroline has formed a partnership with Debra Watson to start a business. Their business will still be
known as English Bubble.

English Bubble is an English-speaking centre open to all nationalities. They aim to provide a welcoming environment, which gives people a ‘Taste of England’. Their goal is to serve all ages, providing a variety of courses in English tailored to meet all levels of ability and experience, using programmes that stimulate the learner in a fun and interactive way.

Courses starting from September are, English for beginners, (age 1-6), art, drama/theatre, Irish dancing, adult conversation, patchwork and creative sewing, yoga for teenagers as well as a book club and film club. Debra is a special needs teacher who is able to offer appropriate learning support and can provide individual classes. They also hope to offer more courses in the New Year, such as an exercise class for busy mums (with creche facility).

There will also be a café serving English tea and cakes, as well as a gift shop.

If you would like to know more about English Bubble you can contact either Caroline or Debra on 0661438576 or 0622507854 or refer to their website www.englishbubble.fr

- CIPEC, IBS, EPIM:
The international primary and secondary schools south of Aix ( in luynes) all now offer Wednesday classes for outside students.

Americans fight it out with spirit as they lose their homes in droves

I have to admit it, I cried after hearing the last comment in an American Public Media podcast from a radio show called Market Place this July 2009.

A family of four had lost their home because of a tricky loan (one where interest rose after a few years) the couple couldn’t repay. This was after having completely self-renovated the home over the fifteen years they’d owned it and seeing their elderly parents and children have to live elsewhere than at home because of lack of space in the trailer…One day the bank had said: “You have three days to leave” and that was it.

The woman who’d lost her home was now living in her trailer. What hit me in the heart was when she said, as she was showing a picture of a sunset she’d recently taken : ” If I get to see this everynight, it cant be that bad can it?”

How’s that for good spirit?

– > Listen to Market PLace via podcast to get a smart taste of how the US economy is doing

Le Monde announces launch of UWC Lycee in les Milles, Aix en provence

Le Monde of this July 22, 2009 announces a project to create an international ( English or Spanish track) Lycée ( or High School) in Les Milles, just West of Aix en provence, where a micro Silicon Valley has developped.

Its to be developped by an international organization (part non profit, part company) , UWC ( United World Colleges), founded in the 1950’s by a German educationalist, Kurt Hahn, and which has gained the support of royals and UN top brass like Lord Mountbatten, Queen Noor of Jordan, and Nelson Mandela over the years.

About UWC:

UWC has 12 Colleges located on five continents, 11 schools are pre-university and teach the IB Diploma and one is a tertiary agriculture school. It claims it selects students based on merit versus the parents’ ability to pay for tuition.

UWC seeks additional funding for the secondary intitution to open, however. It accepts donations and seeks out volunteers to staff its National Committees.

UWC National Committees

UWC depends on the dedication and expertise of a network of volunteers to find and select the majority of our future students.
These volunteer groups are called National Committees and they operate in over 120 countries worldwide.

UWC National Committees promote UWC to prospective students in their country, encourage and support applications and select students based on merit to represent their country at the Colleges.

– > UWC site

– > UWC France

In France, UWC organizes summer camps for youth in Megève, in the French Alps. There the fee is 1800 euros for 2 weeks.

English language Summer Camps near Aix and Marseille

There are a few English language camps available for kids and youth in the Aix en provence area during the summer.

* ICCP Kids Camp and Youth Camp :
The international christian (protestant) community of Provence organizes an amazing kids camp in July, for kids 7 to 11. This year it was the week July 7 to 11, 2009. It is set at the wonderful home of one of the parishioners in St Marc Jaumegarde, staffed with councelors, a majority from the US , and junior councelors ( from age 11) who are often alumni of the Camp.

Activities run from Arts and Crafts to sports to participating in singing and music, always with a cooperative, respectuful mindset, rather than a competitive one. This year’s theme was ‘ The Aixplorers’, in a play on the Adventurers of the Lost Ark movie.

The Youth Camp, for age 12 to 17, takes place near Grenoble, in August.

* Private International Schools Summer Camps:

CIPEC, EPIM, and IBS, all in Luynes (as well as in Marseille for EPIM) organize summer camps with lots of fun activities for children and teenagers.

– > CIPEC: Domaine de Fontvieille – Luynes 13080 AIX EN PROVENCE – FRANCE Tél: +33 (0)4 42 60 84 25 – Fax: + 33 (0)4 42 60 84 26 Email: info@c-i-p-e-c.com

– > EPIM: International Private School of Provence
Marseille school phone : 04 91 530 000 – Aix-en-Provence school phone : 04 42 600 300

– > IBS: Summer camp info page: http://www.ibsofprovence.com/spip.php?article16
Domaine des Pins – 500 Petite Route de Bouc-Bel-Air
Aix-en-Provence 13080 LUYNES – France
Tél : (33)(0)4 42 24 03 40 Fax : (33)(0)4 42 24 09 81

Online networking tool launched, in Beta version

While this blog contains my ramblings on about living in the Aix Marseille region with children, our newly launched online networking tool, in French and in Beta ( i.e ‘test) mode at this point, is designed to help you all get in touch and exchange the joys, fears and experiences of internationally minded parents! This site is visible here, but one needs to be a member ( and logged in) to access anything significant. This is by invitation only.
If necessary, use the Comments feature here to ask for your sign up link!

International Children’s Education in Aix Marseille

Here’s a quick listing of schools with an international or at minimum, a bilingual French-English curriculum. I also put all these schools on a map to help you all visualize their locations: map of international schools, public and private in the Aix -Manosque region .

The International Parents club is there to help you exchange your experiences about schools and other matters you have an interest in. Joining is free and by invitation by current members only. Contact us through the Comments link below to ask to join.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS:

-> IRIS: English-French Pre-K in Aix en Provence.
Same site as for Europipole, below.

-> Europipole:Nursery to Primary levels.
See our post here, and the very interesting comments. Tuition is the most reasonable, at 3 000 euros a year. Centre de Loisirs Municipal Parc Club de l’arbois 13480 CABRIES . About 30 km south of Aix, 15 km north of Marseille. PreK and Primary. Tél. / Fax : 04 42 315 315.

-> CIPEC: Luynes, 10 km south of Aix. Pre-K and Primary .
Domaine de Fontvieille – Luynes 13080 AIX EN PROVENCE – FRANCE Tél: +33 (0)4 42 60 84 25 – Fax: + 33 (0)4 42 60 84 26 Email: info @ c-i-p-e-c.com. See our post here. They also offer Wednesday afternoon activities in English open to all children.

-> IBS, International Bilingual School of Provence: Secondary level.
Domaine des Pins- 500 Petite Route de Bouc-Bel-Air, Luynes. 10km south of Aix. Tél : (33)(0)4 42 24 03 40 Fax : (33)(0)4 42 24 09 81.
They also offer all day Wednesday English language activities for outside students.

-> EPIM: PreK (Nursery) and Primary school
With campuses in Luynes and Marseille. Very free handed approach to education, totally bilingual French and English, with fees in the 7 000 to 10 000 Euro range! They also offer Wednesday afternoon English language activities for outside students.

-> Val St André, in Aix en Provence: High School.
Offers the traditional French curriculum with special arrangements for bilingual students, as well as a full International section for the High School level. Tuition is about 5 000 euros a year in 2009.

FRENCH PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS with “EUROPEAN SECTIONS”

These public schools offer a European or international section for students fluent in another European language only.  They offer more courses in this European language than the traditional French system, but do not expect a full bilingual track.  These are: language classes at a mother toungue level ( wether English, German or Spanish) , and either geography or history.  Getting into these sections requires taking a language proficiency exam as well as a general exam in other subjects if the applicant does not come from the French public system.  Tuition is nearly free.  Selection is therefore very high.  However, keep in mind your teenager will be in this international section for only a few hours a week.

- Collège Mignet, Junior High School: in Aix en provence.
French , public system Junior High School with an English international section.  The students in this section get 8 hours of teaching in English per week. The rest of the school drains students from the low income Jas de Bouffan population. Parents are fighting to improve the quality of the school infrastructure. Here’s the link to the very active international section parents association, APELEVIA.

- Lycée George Duby: senior High School. In Luynes, just south of Aix en Provence:
French , public system senior High School with international sections in various languages ( English, German, among the ones I know of). Again, this means students in that section get a few more classes in English than those in the purely French section, but its not a bilingual education. If they wish to present British exams, the students must work independently. It drains students from Luynes and further south ( Cabriès, Bouc Bel Air, Simiane, etc…). Here’s the link to the active international parents association, common to Duby and Mignet.

- College des Pennes Mirabeau: junior high school . West of Marseille : This junior high school just opened an international section in 2009. It’s not been well publicized so there’s still space.

- Ecole Internationale de Manosque: Pre-K, primary to High School. Situated 60 km north of Aix: Created in 2008 in reaction to the big ITER industrial project, this school covers all levels of education, from preK to High School, with Japanese, English and Italian sections, among others. The Manosque parents association site is accessible here.

–> Map of international schools, public and private in the Aix -Manosque region . I have yet to do Marseille, any suggestions for me?

Great Horse Riding and Swimming camp near Aix

To follow up on my post on places for children and adolescents to take riding lessons, one of the places mentioned is offered what I find a great summer camp offering for 2009.

The Domaine de La Garde, near Eguilles, is under renovation during the summer. The team there will however be holding all day, week long summer camps at the Haras de la Buissone, in Meyreuil, South East of Aix en provence, starting the week of July 6th.

Hours will be 9 am to 6 PM, with riding in the morning, access to a nice swimming pool all afternoon, and some riding or care of horses after 4 PM. Lunch can be provided or kids can bring their own.
A child can come for one day, 3 or 5 days. The 3 day fee is 135 euros, the 5 day fee is 210 euros.

Severine is the young woman who manages the riding school. She can be reached at: 06 18 78 32 02.

Horse riding for Children and teens in Aix en provence

Here’s my limited experience with horseback riding establishments near Aix en provence, notably North of Aix:

• Les Pinchinats:
  in les Platanes, 10 minutes from Aix. 1811 Route Pinchinats 13100 Aix En Provence
  Téléphone : 04 42 23 26 97
• For a laid back, slightly unkept riding experience, but a lot of cautions is taken with the children, at least the beginners. For the more advanced, caution is still the rule but the teacher-owner has a taste for shouting and bad words… As we say : ‘ Au Pinchinats ça sent le caca – mais on aime ça!’. I’ll let you translate…
  – > So a good place to start I’d say.

• Domaine de la Garde – Eguilles
  I haven’t found a specific address for them. They’re not far from the Set Club, but on Route de Berre, on the left after the big Bovero store. Turn let onto a tree lined dirt road. Its at the end.
• The Domaine de la Garde has just changed management in 2009, for the best. Its also planned to be completely renovated during the summer of 2009. The young woman who manages it now is great, cautious, attentionate. They’re not equipped yet with any leaflets and to reach them the best thing is to call Severine’s cell phone, which I can provide if you comment on this post.
  – > My favorite so far. Its a club good for all levels, with a true interest in teaching, unlike the one below, where horses are given more consideration than students…

• Les Ecuries de venelles: In a very different style, set more north of Les Pinchinats, between Venelles and St Cannat, are les Ecuries de Venelles. Once you’ve managed the terrible, pothole-filled dirt road that constitutes the last 1.5 kilometers to reach it, the setting is gorgeous. Its a wide open space with horses quietly eating or running in the grass fields. The stables are spotless. But the feel is not as warm as Les Pinchinats. Its more competitive in a way and more pricy than les Pinchinats.
  – > I’ve heard a few stories of children falling unnecessarily, because of the carelessness and irresponsable attitude of some of the teachers there. My own child fell quite hard when a teacher had her galop outside, on a horse ( she’s been on poneys before), and asked her to jump over a branch and then magically stop her horse, I stopped going there.