ps. I am an Artisan, agent commercial, speak passable french, & have a french car.

 

I lived in Brittany for a couple of years and the weather wasn't much different to the UK. Now I'm in the Charente, just North of Dordogneshire and its definitely better. Today is about 18 degrees and sunny, I even ate lunch outside.

However if you really want sunshine and not cold winters you would need to be as close to the Med as you can afford. I lived in Southern California which has a Mediterranean climate and I could count the frost days on one hand - we had over 300 days of sunshine every year, very low rainfall and I can't honestly ever recall being cold. I miss it!

Hope it helps

 

Thanks David.
I did remember a hell of a difference after passing Nantes going Sarf... It started to feel like abroad again.
I have put my 'portfolio' up for sale, & off I'll go.
Cheers

 

I have sun and 18°

 

I have followed your posts for a couple of years now, and you've interested me in your town. What is the real estate situation like? How close is the nearest airport?

 

12° and grey here. Dept 22

 

Think carefully OP.

With climate change, I personally would not move anywhere 20 kms south of the Loire.

In ten years time, Brittany will become the new Med.

Here is a question for any one.

Why did the kings of France and gentry build their Chateaux in the Loire Valley ?

 

because they were drunkards and sought to get all their vino on the cheap.

 

It was at least 24 deg and sunny here in Pau yesterday and today and winters are always mild. Of course you have to be able to cope with the heat and humidity here in the summer and rain is not infrequent - well, not usually but things definitely seem to be changing.

 

In fact, it was 25 deg. here in Pau today. Clearly no need to be on the Mediterranean cost

 

It could be a bit of a stretch, too, to compare what the climate in the Valley of the Loire might have been back in the "bad old days" with what conditions are lately (and how things are developing).

Then again, the climate has everything to do with why the wines of the Loire region are so lovely.

 

Anyway, you don't move anywhere in France for the weather.

You move there because you want to live there. Rule number one.

You don't move to Paris for the weather. You don't move to Lyon for the weather. You don't move to the Dordogne for the weather.

Weather should not be a consideration because generally speaking these days, the weather is the same everywhere. You have to want to live there.

 

I'da thought moving south, would have raaiised ones weather expectation somewhat ?
Until one reaches the equator,:focus::focus: of course..!

 

Yep, you are in the Côtes-d'Armor and you are finding it a bit grey, so are thinking of moving to Brittany or the Dordogne. We have regular forum members in both, but they don't seem to have picked up on this thread as yet Hopefully they will be along soon.

There are of course opportunities elsewhere for getting more sun and Pau is not so far from the Dordogne.

Why not take a trip during these more miserable months to see what you think? I personally like the Dordogne, though I think it would be a good idea to be not too far from a big town such as Périgueux (or perhaps Bordeaux, but then you really have to check that area out carefully because some of it is very dead.

 

Buy a caravan! You can take it where you like, where the weather at any moment suits you. Or a horse drawn cart if you are green/ keen to get back to basics.

:hippie:

 

Peace Baby. eace:

That would be me, if I didn't have Junior to consider.

I'm sure we were meant to be nomads.

 

I'm a Scot who once lived in 16 (Charente), where it was very warm and a lot less busy than the Dordogne, which is fabulous but very touristy. English is more widely spoken in the Dordogne than in Charente. When I go back to France, I want to hear and speak French!

 

Come to Chabanais, plenty of sun, good ex-pat community and there is a closed hotel/restaurant crying out for reopening.

I'll be honest, the number of ex-pats here was a surprise but I am okay with it

 

Come to Chabanais, plenty of sun, good ex-pat community and there is a closed hotel/restaurant crying out for reopening.

Sounds like Southern Spain.

No...not my thing. What is the point of moving to France ?

If the hotel and restaurant is closed...it is closed for a reason. It don't make money.

Move to the banliue of a medium large city OP.

It is the only way.

 

OK, folks, in the midst of everyone here beating their own personal drum of favorite "causes" and "prejudices" - let's not forget that small town France is no different than small town Wales or small town Arkansas or anywhere else on earth that has small towns.

I've been fortunate in that my French husband has lived here in our particular small town for many many years and even though he's not "from around here" he is considered by many neighbors to be of the original stock of our street and our neighborhood. He's well known to some of the local farmers and I've seen some of them ask my husband about newly arrived neighbors ("are they OK?").

Small towns take care of their own and would always prefer to deal with a "local" over a new arrival. And heck, even some big cities have neighborhoods that function like small towns.

 

We have a holiday home in La Roche Bernard which is right on the border of the Loire Atlantique. Its significantly milder than the Northern and inland areas of Brittany due to the proximity of the Golf of Morbihan and its South West orientation . A micro climate scenario. Having said that it is a green region (rain) and in the Winter, though it will rarely freeze, it isn't hot in the Mediterranean sense.

 

I need some sun.

There are many of us living in the south-east who would gladly renounce on a good deal of our sun, heat and dazzle.
Temperatures are already nearing the 20s, and I'm apprehending the fierce onslaught of spring summer and autumn.
Every year it seems to get worse; statistics prove that it is getting worse.

I didn't read through the whole thread but if you've enjoyed living in the 22, stay on the Atlantic coast, just migrate southwards to Charente M'time as suggested by wise posters.

 

We may welcome the early warm sun but clearly the migratory geese aren't!

In the last few days (Monday to Sunday) I have watched over 1000 geese fly northwards inland by about 5O miles east of Bordeaux.
I just hope that wherever they are intending to go is enjoying some spring-like weather too.

 

It's definitely a short sleeve tee-shirt day here today, full sun. Definitely too warm for this time of the year and makes me concerned about what summer will bring.

But at least we have a couple of rainy days forecast (for what that's worth) for Tuesday and Wednesday. Who would have thought rain would be welcome at this time of year.

 

The geese landed here for a couple of days, but then moved out heading North