cw239

Families and couples do it but I have yet to find a lone woman who has taken the leap across the channel - my nerves are getting the better of me and I don't want to give up just for lack of backbone! I would love to hear from any brave person who fits the bill and who would be willing to start a dialogue with a novice. I have no current contacts in France and would be so grateful to be in touch with any loner who has made the move. Seasons greetings to all, from Chrissie in Cambridge

A_n_g_e_l_a

Well you've just found me!

I moved alone in mid October. I even loaded and unloaded the hired van on my own! Grown up and independent kids were away in Cornwall; how do they do that?

Just do it. All problems can be sorted...

cw239

hi angela
im so thrilled to hear from you - thanks so much for replying to my cry for help!
i need to know all kinds of stuff, for eg. how did you choose your location in such a vast country; what were your reasons for making the move; have you given up your UK property completely, and anything and everything else!
ive been considering this change for about 4 years and am retiring in about 18 months when i hope to have reached a decision. at the moment im looking at areas with easy access to an airport served by stansted (my family's local UK airport) which puts me in the Lot area, also a very pleasant climate im led to believe. do you think this is a good initial criterion?
my kids are living abroad right now so i have no particular reason for staying in cambridge and frankly cant wait to get away from the ever-present traffic problems and into some real countryside, in fact my heart craves it!
i look forward to hearing anything you feel like sharing ...
with best regards, chrissie in cambridge

Chris'nJulie

Hi Chrissie. We live in the Correze which is just north of the Lot. Our 'local' airport is Limoges, with regular flights to Stansted all the year round. It's beautiful here (said he, trying to sell the area...), but it all depends what sort of life you are seeking. We have a single female friend who has moved from the UK to a spot not far from Toulouse - she managed the whole shebang alone without knowing any French, and precious little about the country. She is content, and doing well so if she can do it, so can you! And you will, if that's what you want.

Good luck

Chris

cw239

hi chris
thanks so much for your positivity - its just what i need to hear.
limousin was in fact my firm favourite for ages until i recently read michael wrights book - i know that sounds rubbish but the weather he described sounded worse that what i would be leaving behind and thats not part of my master plan. so i stared looking a little south and found rodez (not far from toulouse) which is served by stansted.
i too have very scant french but intend to rectify that. do you think your friend in toulouse would be interested in talking to me as she is in my now-favourite area - having said that, i havent written limousin off completely!
my search is for peace and quiet with no traffic jams (good lord, getting round cambridge with a deadline to meet is bordering on impossible these days), genuine unspoilt countryside, a different pace of life to match my years, and to just leave behind the crush of UK living.
im sure im on the right track, it just seems harder to make such a decision on ones own.
with best wishes, chrissie

Chris'nJulie

I must say I don't know of Michael Wright, or his book - it may be worth reading. But I can tell you that my experience of the weather in the Correze is that it is superb, bearing in mind that most of France had a pretty poor summer this year. It's certainly peaceful with very little traffic here. Rodez is probably just as far south for us as Limoges is north, but we have yet to use that airport. I may be wrong, but it may be one of Ryanair's 'seasonal' destinations... Our friend, my wife informs me, has recently gone to Peking for a holiday with her daughter! When she gets back to France, I'll point her in the direction of this forum...

Chris

A_n_g_e_l_a

Hi Chrissie,

I've PM'd you.

val50

Hi Chrissie and welcome
Although I'm not single, there are quite a few of us who spend time alone whilst living in France. Dreamcatcher and myself both have OH's who work overseas
so spend time alone. I am sure you are going to love it. Sure you will find lots of answers here, to any questions you have

cw239

thanks val50 - my respondents have been so encouraging that im beginning to wonder what im nervous about! i suppose that having always lived in and around one city, the idea of quitting the UK seems colossal.
im also delighted to be part of a forum that actually works, the first one ive found that has current users, and im thrilled that people are actually writing to me! big thanks to all.
best wishes, chrissie

cw239

hi chris,
youre funny - you dont need to read michael wrights book - youre already there!! i only read it to get his impressions of limousin life but, while very readable and often amusing, it didnt really answer any questions. believe me, for you its not worth reading - youve got the real thing.
i like what youre saying about the correze weather and i know from research that limousin is absolutely beautiful which is what drew me to the region in the first place. question is, whats it like in deepest darkest january and february when i find im at my lowest ebb due to the endless winter over here?
i look forward to hearing from your friend on her return.
chrissie

Chris'nJulie

Well, this will be our first winter here, having arrived in March, but we have been in the area visiting in deepest January! So far this winter has been generally crisp, cold and sunny but with the odd mild, wetter spell. It's certainly less miserable than UK winters - I really hated the long, gloomy drizzly days that seemed to go on for ever. It certainly gets cold here, but the air is cleaner and less damp. I'm really looking forward to some decent snow - the countryside will look spectacular! (We were here signing up for the house in January 2006 when there was about 20cm of snow- really pretty, and the authorities appear to know how to deal with it, unlike the UK...). Friends here say that come February, they often have lunch outside in the sun!

Chris

cw239

youre right - puddles, leaves, snow, you name it, we grind to a halt. your description sounds wonderful and youre gradually wooing me back to limousin. from corezze, which i know to be southern, how long does it take to limoges airport? another important feature i want to factor in is access to decent DIY stores - are they prevalent in france or do i need to import dulux and farrow and ball?! and ikea - do you have an attainable one of those?
have you and julie given up all property in the UK and moved over completely? and are you in a village, town, hamlet?
chrissie

Chris'nJulie

Chrissie, we're in a hamlet in the wooded hills above Argentat, the closest town (15 - 20 mins drive). Larger towns like Tulle and Brive are no that far, and well serviced with DIY stores. Paint is always a problem out here - thin consistency, half-full containers, and expensive. I really don't know how the French artisans manage. Bring your own if possible!

We have written off the UK and live here permanently. It's not that we've abandoned the country of our birth, more that IT has abandoned US, in that it no longer provided us with a safe, clean and secure environment! So we voted with our feet.

Oh, and the closest Ikea is Bordeaux (about 250 Km-ish) - and Limoges Bellegarde is 98 miles away (measured it !!) mainly motorway and about 1 hour 45 on an average day (about the same as Rodez)

Chris

cw239

thats absolutely fascinating stuff chris, thanks for all your answers, especially about the paint!!
next thing is, am i wasting my time trawling the internet for properties? i do realise that i have to do some travelling soon, and i dont intend to buy from the internet - i just wonder if the properties i see are good representations of what i'll find when i get there.
chrissie

Chris'nJulie

Internet photos always attempt to convey the best possible perspective - I wouldn't bother, you'll only be disappointed later. Over 2 trips we selected several different areas in France which looked interesting, found English B&Bs in those areas (because if you are short of time & have a lot of ground to cover, it's best to get all the local info you can, up front and folk who have already made the move are probably the best source). We went as far south as Languedoc and up as far as the Loire valley, taking in The Midi Pyrenees (another favourite!), part of the Dordogne and the Limousin.

The Limousin won hands down, and the Correze especially because of the surrounding countryside, reminiscent of parts of Quantock Somerset (but far nicer!)

As I said, it depends upon the sort of lifestyle you anticipate - we like the semi-isolation of our area, you may prefer somewhere more lively. It's all a case of deciding how you want live, setting yourself a budget, going for an area, then suddenly plumping for something completely different....it can be that hit and miss !!

You'll know when you find it, but do have a look around. There are plenty of English-speaking immobiliers who will be happy to show you around.

Chris