ChrissieM

Hi,

Can anyone give me any inside info on their experience of life style and friendliness of living in either Lot et Garonne v Poitou-Charentes.
We are moving over to SW France this spring and can't decide which area to settle in.
Im 49 and my husband is 52. We are not coming over to work so we can live anywhere. This move is about life style. We are looking for beautiful views and peace and quiet when at home, but we do like to go out and be sociable, meet other people from time to time. We like café culture, good food, nice walks with the dog, that sort of thing.
We have looked in the Dordogne before and nearly bought there but what held us back was it seemed a little too rural and out of season too quiet!
We intend to drive over in about 6 weeks time and stay for a month or so looking at houses in both areas, but it would really help to have some local insight from ex pats.

dmu

Hi, Poitou-Charentes is a fairly big Région and there are many BE members dotted around who will tell you why they have chosen to live there, but I don't think there are many in the Lot-et-Garonne Département. If no one from there responds, then try the AngloInfo South Aquitaine forum.
In any case you'll only know what suits you when you visit the areas yourselves, and be sure to look at them with the eyes of potential residents, not as tourists, imagining what it would be like in the winter....
Good luck with your search!

loy loy

well one is a region and one is a dept.

I have only holiday'd in the P.C. only so am no expert. But live in the Lot et Garonne.

I think it's prettier here and the I find the weather nicer in little experience I have of P.C.

We looked at the Dordogne and ruled it out. Didn't like it at all.

We are quite rural so probably not up your street, but perfect for we wanted with the children. We have local bars and cafe's, and all the villages have summer fetes so it's busier enough for us in that regard. But also quiet enough for the children.

5 mins away is a huge forest that is excellent for the dog.

We are very south in the Lot, 15 mins to Gers, close to the Midi Pyrenees.

If you let me know exactly what you are after I could help further. What size of town are you after, population wise. Our village is only 600 people, and the village we want to go back to is only 1500. Quite small. But there are some mid size towns around here.

ChrissieM

Thanks for the quick reply!
Yes I've heard there are not many BE members in the Lot-et Garonne area. I've been told the countryside is very pretty with sunflowers and grape vine's but very quiet in the winter. I don't speak French yet so I will need a good BE community around me so I don't feel too isolated.
Like you say its so important to look at area as a potential resident not a tourist.

ChrissieM

Thank you so much for your reply.
HaHa! yes sorry I was thinking of the Charente Maritime area, but the outskirts as I think too close to the sea would be actually too busy and too expensive for us.
We nearly bought a farmhouse in the Dordogne years ago. It was lovely but so isolated and there was lots of shooting in the woods around it and some terrible things where being done to catch pigeons too! totally freaked me out
Where we live now in England our nearest neighbour is about half a mile away and so is the village, its small and friendly about 200 inhabitants, no shop. Lots of places to walk the dog. I love the tranquillity.
We've got a shop (co op ) an 8 min drive away and 15/20mins to a little town with coffee bars, restaurants little shops that kind of thing. London is 1hr by train. So I'm pretty spoilt with the best of both worlds here.

I guess I'm looking for a similar life style in France, the difference will be we will have more time to join in and meet other people for the first time and this is all new to us.

ChrissieM

Ok thanks, just posted on the AngloInfo South Aquitaine forum. Hopefully I will get some replies.

loy loy

yes hunting is big here, if there is a forest there will be hunters, the pigeon thing you are thinking of is Palombe, they strap birds to boards to encourage other palombe to come to the tree for shooting. It doesn't taste very nice.

We are kind of like that. The village next door has 3 bars, a couple of butchers a small Sunday Market etc. There is larger town of 9000 ish, similar size to Oakham, which has a good Saturday market, coffee shops etc. Never been there in the evening, about 15 mins away. There are other towns around we go to for that, meals etc.

Agen which is a city (I guess) is about 50 mins away which is where we go for furniture etc. Quite a large place

Bordeaux and Toulouse are about 90 mins away each by car. Big shops, Ikea etc etc. Also both have airports.

We are 2 hours from skiing and similar to the beach. And so we are told about the same time to Spain.

ChrissieM

That gives me a good idea thanks. You mentioned Oakham? We are 20 mins from there, do you know the Leicester/ Rutland area??

loy loy

You mentioned Leicestershire so I figured you would know Oakham. We are from London but years ago I spent time in Oakham.

I can send some agent websites over if you like.

ChrissieM

Yes please if you don't mind, agents websites would be much appreciated

loy loy

I'll sort something out tomorrow and pm you

Blackladder

Hi Chrissie!
We live in South Charente and love every minute of it. It's very quiet here, and the countryside is quite hilly compared with the rest of Charente. One thing I did notice is your aversion to hunting, well, it's everywhere here between September and the end of February. There is some talk of a hunting ban on Sundays (France is the only country in the EU to allow hunting every day of the week during the season), so I'm afraid you'd have to get used to it. We are about 30 min from Angouleme which is a 100,000 city with plenty of good restaurants and bars, and only 90 min from Bordeaux, a Lovely city.
Good luck wherever you choose!
Blackie

mentalist

Am flying from Dubai early next month and taking the TGV to Poitiers before spending a long weekend viewing properties around Bellac, Ruffic and environs. Will let you know how I get on.

loy loy

Sent a PM with some agents and info.

ChrissieM

Good morning
Great thanks,Just checking my emails now