We traveled to Mont Saint Michel by bus to Beauvoir, a small village near to the Mont. We were greeted warmly by our hosts, two British expats They spoke English. We had lots of great conversations and discussions. The downside? We didn’t work on speaking French. Even at Mont Saint Michel, since it is a major international tourist destination, everyone seems to speak multiple languages with ease.

Being here long-term and adapting to French culture doesn’t preclude our being tourists - far from it. Anyway, we had to do the tourist thing and journey to Fougères, to visit the Château de Fougères (literally, Castle of Ferns), one of the best preserved fortified medieval castles in Europe. Begun in the 10th century as a wooden fort at a location protected by high palisades on a rocky outcrop in a basin of the River Nançon, it wasn’t until two centuries later that the massive fortress emerged as a formidable stronghold.

Life without a car has, so far, been easy. Local trips have logically been on foot, covering 5-8 miles (8-12km) per day. That doesn’t include any transport on the Rennes Metro or bus system which we try and use daily. Beyond Rennes, it is the train. If you have to get older, and considering the option, it’s not so bad if you take advantage of discounts.