Blackladder

:Hi Jennie and Charlie!
I've been looking at properties in 33 and around there, it seems they are a bit more pricey than Dordogne, have you got any good local agents down there? We have a budget of about 90,000 Euros at the mo'
Spring already! Here in southern Sweden we had a foot of snow last night and last week the temperature was measured at minus 18. Get me out of here!
Blackie

Sue

Hi Welcome to BE

I hope you enjoy using the site. We have some wonderful members here.

We've got quite a few things going on within the site. There's the Photogallery, the free Classifieds, and we've also got a blog and wiki section. You will find lots of interesting info in the wiki.

If you every have any questions about how the site works, or you are stuck on something, swing on by the FAQ's or leave us a message in Site Feedback.


Sue

Le Chant

Hate to be a harbinger of doom, but we had minus 18 here in the Loire just after the Nouvelle An! In open countryside, it's quite normal to see winter temperatures dip well into minus double figures. That's part of the reason why the walls are so think and everyone ('cept the mad friggin' Brits) lives downstairs!

sheilae

Hi Sue, Jenny and Charlie,
Thank you for your welcome. Im planning on renting over there for a year,
My idea of france is a little 1 bedroomed apartment above a cobbled street with outside cafes lining the street (dont want much do i lol)
I work online so i need to have a good strong and reliable broadband service.
Im a single female so hopefully somewhere that there would a fair amount of english speaking folk. I done a year in Bulgaria in a small town with only one other english speaking person, needless to say, i found it a bit hard going so hoping to avoid that this time.

Does anyone know of any place that would fit my little dream?

jenny and charlie

Bonjour Sheilae,
If you are going to rent, france is your oyster, you can have whatever your heart desires or your purse allows ! Your dream of a cosy little apartment in a pretty village looking out onto little narrow streets with possibly the bustle of a weekly market is the norm in rural france. The Dordogne has a high concentration of english people and somewhere like Montignac would give you the pretty village life with plenty of shops and restaurants and rolling hills countryside. Where we live in the Gironde at Auros there are only 3 english households in a village of 600ish people, but everybody is friendly and helpful and we never feel lonely. We have found it easy to integrate with the locals and now have quite a large social circle of friends that we see regularly. During the winter months (short and mild) the villages are very quiet in the evenings but during the summer (long, hot and sunny) everyone is out until late in the evening and there are always festivals and fetes to visit. The crime rate in this area is virtually zero and the youngsters are polite, well behaved and good mannered. There is no vandalism, you never see graffiti and the telephone boxes still have glass in them, but I can only speak for where we live.
If you are looking for good summer temperatures, anywhere south of Dijon across to Nantes seems to be hottest. South east you will get the Mistral and Provence can be expensive, south west in the sunflower fields and vineyards we found our perfect dream.
I hope this is of help, any questions - ask away !
Jenny and Charlie.
We have excellent broadband here and never have any problems getting logged on.

BJO

Hi all,

Its so good to read some positive feelings for this country with so many people leaving to go back to uk.

We have been here since July 2005 and although its hard work we love it. Wild horses would not drag us back.

We too know Gloucester very well. I having lived there many years ago, but we lived in the Forest of Dean. My daughter was born in Cheltenham as was my husband and his two sons.

We are now living in the Charente Maritime on the edge of a town called Montendre. It is just under an hour from Bordeaux.

We are running a Chambre & Table d' Hote and a gardening business.

Le Chant

Hi BJO. Welcome to BE. You may know friends of ours who run a campsite just outside of Montendre? Sandra & Garry at Twinlakes?

We've been here in the Maine et Loire for a similar amount of time as you and agree it's hard graft, but you only get out of life what you put in.

Blackladder

Hi BJI and welcome,
We will be travelling down to the Poiteau-Charentes sometime in April/May to look at some properties we have been checking out on the internet. It would be great to have some spontaneous thoughts from you on living there!
Thanks
Blackie

Blackladder

Pardon me, meant BJO!

BJO

Hi Le Chant,

yes we do know of Garry & Sandra. My husband met Garry for the first time about two weeks ago but although we only live a stones throw from them and know plenty of people who have come accross them I have yet to catch up. Everyone speaks very highly of them and the site.

rutheglen

Hiya,
My daughters and I are planning a possible move to Alsace - near Strasbourg - this summer, to live with my partner Oli who is French.
Any advice regarding schooling / employment / life in general would be gratefully received! And of course, would love to make new friends.
I have very basic french, and the girls are picking it up....Victoria is 10 and learning faster than Elizabeth, who is 14.
Looking forward to our adventure and to hearing from anyone!!!

Blackladder

Hi and welcome!
Remember to visit La Petite France in Strasbourg (really beautiful old town part)

Also remember the language there is nothing like French! Alsatian is distinct from German, but is related of course to German, and you won't understand much of it! Both Lorraine and Alsace are beautiful parts of France, but the people are careful to distance themselves from the 'real' French in the rest of the country. Great white wines, but the reds, not much cop. If I think of anything else I'll post it, but have a lovely time!
Blackie

KpEaCe85

Hi there

My name is Kerry. Hope everyone is well?! I'm looking for friendly people who may be able to give me some advice on moving to France. My husband is a BSA qualified surfing instructor and beach lifeguard, and I am studying to be a complementary therapist. Do you know if there is much interest in these professions on the west/south west coast? We also have 3 small children and wondered if anyone could tell us a little about the education system. Please drop me a line! Thanks

Ka Ora!

Hi and welcome to the Forum. The Education System is pretty good on the whole. We have a little boy (7) who has been going to school for 4 and a half years, He speak English French and Spanish and is enjoying it. I cant comment so much on the complementary therapies.

Le Chant

If he's BSA qualified, he won't have a problem finding work in Biarritz, Lacanau, or many of the other western surf resorts. If he has a copy of the Stormrider Guide, tell him to 'scope that for addys where he may apply for work? He may not need much French at all, as there's plenty of English-speaking nationalities wanting to learn how to surf. Also, I do know that a surf school on Jersey was recruiting just a few short weeks ago.

Sorry, can't help with your other query though.