34 Comments

This may not be helpful, but it sums up my approach to similar circumstances:

"Listen; this world is the lunatic's sphere,

Don't always agree it's real,

Even with my feet upon it, and the postman knowing my door

My address is elsewhere." ~ Hafez

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Jan 22, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

Maybe change your name to Valerie and move to Croatia. But whatever you choose, just keep writing.

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Jan 25, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

I do not have a French licence, and BC expired. Waited too long to qualify for exchange initiative. So, I need to study the code and take thé test. La Charite is à fine small ville. Farmer's marche samedi, 2 boucherie, 4 boulangerie. Fromagerie, Delightful Vin Boutique, 2 chocolat shops, les halles de Loire etc. Long may it last.

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Jan 25, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

I agree that having good ingrédients and nécessaires, in my case walking distance, is wonderful. Methinks Paris has àn exotique stimulation that thé country side, albeit beautiful and calm can't offer. This is my current dilemme, city or country mouse ?

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Jan 24, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

...haven't been to that part-yet.Though did stay in Dún Laoghaire -beautiful little town outside of Dublin and to Galway.Such good food in Ireland.

Oh, and I forgot another Cork-ian ancestor- Driscoll.

Perhaps get your Irish passport ,too.It's quite easy.

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Jan 24, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

A bit queasy again with the horses.

I would love for the world to be more romantic-”citizen of the world” and less-“Papers please!”

Though having as many practical options at your disposal would no doubt be best in these overly bureaucratic times.

Also have ancestry from County Cork-Flynn, Feeley.

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Jan 23, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

Very enjoyable snog of the Blarney Stone. Maybe set up the People's Republic of Chez Mooney? I'm sure you would get many applications for long-stay visas. Or better yet, short-stay and off you go after dinner visas.

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Jan 23, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

If you don't want to become a frog then go green and become Irish--and European!

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Jan 22, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

Wonderful piece..I know the feeling of being there and not there ..and if you ever want to go back through the ancestors.past Kinsale...I'd love to help as for me it is a great road back into social history and full of anecdotes and fascinating wills ..love to you!.

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So when you know where you want to be buried it will clear up this mishagass. This is a question that a Russian tourist asked me 20 years ago on a train between Paris and Marseille. So now I am French.

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Jan 22, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

Your expérience living away from land of birth is long, and interesting. Though, the life of étranger is not entirely comforting. There is often à desire to return from whence we come to end our adventure in thé mortal coil, and bury our souls close to rooted memory. An answer to your current misgivivings will come when you feel how you want to take care of your age-ing physical and emotional self.

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Jan 22, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

Most entertaining.

What happened to Tinker?

Who is Michael J Fox?

Get your carte de séjour anyway..

If you feel like going French, let’s do it at the same time and check how it goes :-)

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Jan 22, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

One hopes that whatever you decide, the result will be an anecdote worthy of handing down through generations. That may require at least the risk of capital punishment…

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Jan 22, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

Very funny writing...aren't you EU? renewing should not be too difficult if you are...next step will probably be permanent...I got that...

Good luck

Deidi

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Jan 22, 2023Liked by Christopher Mooney

Great writing as always. In response to your dilemma, you’ll have to renew your titre de séjour in any case given that from the moment you send your naturalisation application it could take 1.5-2 years to get citizenship.

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I like the staying-above-it-all option, but I guess that's not an option. Go French, and change the spelling of your name to Monet.

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