Could Oloron-Sainte-Marie Be the Perfect French Village?

Mykle and Doug Flatley joke that they’re the "unofficial ambassadors" of their new hometown in southwestern France.

They’ve only been living in Oloron-Sainte-Marie (OSM) for two and a half years, but they’ve already persuaded a few other expats to move to the region. Indeed, the Flatleys have even made cameo appearances on several episodes of the Peacock TV series Château DIY, when they’ve stopped by a friend’s chateau for social events.

Home to about 11,000 people, OSM is nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees, about 20 miles southwest of the city of Pau.

OSM’s centre-ville (town center) is dotted with townhouses adorned with slate rooftops, pastel shutters, and flowerboxes. Lush green mountains frame the town, which has centuries-old churches, a history museum housed in a chalet-like villa, and a weekly open-air market.

"Oloron-Sainte-Marie is so pretty, with such varied neighborhoods that I love to simply walk around. We can be in Spain in less than an hour, Biarritz in 90 minutes—but I prefer to be here," says Mykle.

A Property Search Leads to OSM

Oloron-Sainte-Marie is nestled at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains.|©iStock/MarioGuti

Before moving to France, Mykle, 55, and Doug, 71, had been living in Phoenix for more than 25 years. With time, they became increasingly interested in moving to Europe. Mykle and Doug are American, but Mykle is also an Irish citizen by descent, giving them a distinct advantage.

"As a dual Irish/US citizen, I could live and work in any European Union country," Mykle explains. "Ireland seemed like the easiest option, but the weather was a bit challenging for us, especially coming from sunny Phoenix. Doug was the one who chose France, because we usually took a vacation to Paris every year. Paris, however, was not in the budget."

As they continued their research, the couple found themselves drawn to OSM’s regional hub of Pau, a city of about 80,000 people in France’s Pyrénées-Atlantiques region.

Pau was once one of Europe’s most prominent resort towns, and has many restaurants, an airport, and high-speed train service to Paris, Bordeaux, and Toulouse. The city is a 35-minute drive from OSM.

Our neighborhood is a picturesque slice of French life.

Mykle and Doug found Pau’s climate and affordability to be appealing, so they joined The Ex-Pats, Pau Pyrenees Facebook group to learn more. There, they mingled with Pau residents who were smitten with the area, including the nearby town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, and happy to answer the couple’s questions.

A few months before they made the move to France, Doug conducted online searches for properties for sale or rent in the region. Using websites like SeLoger, LeBonCoin, GreenAcres, and French-Property.com, he stumbled upon the Oloron-Sainte-Marie apartment they eventually bought.

The couple’s original plan was to rent for the first year. "We wanted to be sure that France was all we wanted it to be, and be sure that this was the right area in France for us," Mykle explains. "But when we saw our current home—which Doug had found online—it was a coup de coeur (love at first sight), so we decided we’d just buy it instead of renting."

The couple say that back in 2021, they paid €116,000 for the 1,000-square-foot apartment plus €9,600 for closing costs. (In France, these fees are collected by the notary and are approximately 9% of the purchase price.)

Life in an 18th-Century Village House

Doug and Mykle in Oloron Sainte-Marie.

According to Mykle, almost everything they need on a daily basis is found on their street. "Our neighborhood is a picturesque slice of French life," he says. "We have a boulangerie (bakery), a butcher shop, a cheese shop, a bookstore, the cathedral, restaurants, a bar, a bank… and a farmers market by the cathedral on Sundays.

"One of my favorite things is to walk with a book, stopping at the various benches placed about town, where I’ll read a chapter before continuing my walk to the next bench. We have two mountain rivers that meet at our library and become the Gave d’Oloron. You can sit on bean bags at the library, overlooking the confluence of the two rivers."

"We love the small-town feel and friendliness of people, but it’s big enough to have the conveniences of services you’ve come to expect without having to leave town," adds Doug.

Despite OSM’s small population, Mykle and Doug have a busy social calendar and regularly meet with other expats. "It’s rare for us to have a week go by without getting together for a meal with friends," Mykle says, adding that their friends come from all over the region. "Many are retired but some are working. There are a few who are younger, some are single, some are married, one couple has a child. It’s a nice mix of people."

Recently, Mykle has started teaching English to adults. He also shares insight about life abroad on his Facebook page, in a series he’s dubbed Foreigner in France. His posts have touched upon everything from navigating purchases at the crèmerie (creamery) to watching Tour de France cyclists roll through their town. (Turn to the Globetrotter section for details on the next Tour.)

Throughout the year, Mykle and Doug welcome a steady stream of friends and family visiting from the United States. One of their recent visitors described Oloron-Sainte-Marie as "magical," Mykle says.

A small-town feel with big-city amenities.

"She also started calling it ‘The OSM,’ which has caught on with us too. Now many of our friends call it ‘The OSM.’"

All in all, the couple has found the area to be affordable when compared to Phoenix.

"Housing is obviously much less expensive. You can rent a two-bedroom apartment in OSM for €650 a month," Mykle explains.

Food pricing is similar, but the quality here, he says, is so much better.

Dining out is much less expensive. Prices may seem similar when you look at a menu, but service is included so you don’t pay another 20% on top of the bill—"although we usually leave a few euros pourboire (tip)," says Mykle.

Products, if made in Europe, are the same or less, but imported products from the US are much higher.

"I Can’t Think of Anywhere I’d Rather Live"

The War Memorial of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, honoring soldiers lost in World Wars I and II.|©iStock/philipimage

In many respects, Mykle’s found their new home more accepting than the United States.

"As a gay couple in the US, I was always hesitant to refer to my husband when meeting someone," he explains. "But here, I don’t feel I have to worry about it. I just say, mon mari (my husband), and no one bats an eye.

"I was also hesitant about people being welcoming to foreigners, but people have been lovely. They are really interested in getting to know us. I feel like we belong."

Still, it’s tough at times for the pair to be far from family and friends. "An impromptu lunch out with friends, or family gatherings. Those are things that the best baguette or croissant can’t top," says Doug.

Mykle adds, "We talk often via text or video chat, but it’s not quite the same as sitting down at my sister’s table and having a cup of tea together. I also miss Mexican food! As you’d imagine, authentic Mexican restaurants and ingredients can be hard to find in France. "All that being said, it was a dream of mine to live abroad… and we’ve only got one life."

"The OSM is home. I love it here. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather live," says Doug.

Four Tips to Learn French

For anyone thinking of moving to France, Mykle and Doug both emphasize the importance of learning French—not only to show respect to their new home country, but also so they can converse with their neighbors, doctors, and the vendors at their local marché. Both say that learning the language has been significantly harder than they expected.

"You really need to have a better command of the language than being able to order in a restaurant or buy a ticket to a museum," says Doug.

Mykle echoes Doug’s advice. "Life is so much easier when you can communicate. But, at the same time, don’t be afraid to speak poorly. An English speaker would understand when someone says ‘her likes it,’ instead of ‘she likes it,’ so you should know the French will understand you if you make a few mistakes. Don’t worry about being perfect," he adds.

To practice French, Mykle and Doug have used a variety of resources. "My favorite 1:1 instructor has been Valentin from French That Makes Sense," says Mykle. "I also watch several French teachers on YouTube. Learn French with Alexa is one of my favorite channels, especially for beginners since she explains in English, as does Geraldine from Comme une Française." He adds that InnerFrench, French School TV, and Français Avec Pierre are all in French, but you can display English subtitles if needed. "It’s a lovely feeling when you can finally understand the French instructors without the subtitles," says Mykle.

Mykle recommends watching French television programs with French subtitles, too. "I’m my father’s son, and he loved murder mysteries on PBS. Never anything gory, just Midsomer Murders and Masterpiece Mysteries. I’ve found the French equivalent of that…it’s called Meurtres À (Murders At) and each episode is in a different town or region. It’s a great way to learn about France as well as practice listening and reading subtitles in French. There was an episode filmed in our area called "Meurtres à Béarn" in which OSM is prominently featured. That was really neat to see the streets and buildings I know," he says.

The couple also suggests reading books in French aloud, and listening to music in French while reading the lyrics. Mykle says that newcomers to France might even be eligible for free basic lessons and to inquire at their local mairie (town hall).

Above all, Mykle says that you should "speak to people in French, as often as you can, no matter how bad you are."