IF....

[DeeGee]

If you had decided to remove, lock stock and barrel, to France... where would you go to live? Brittany, Nice, Carcasonne....? If you already live somewhere in France, why? and would you still live in the same place?

Please don't reply with why I should be living in Denmark or some such... this question relates purely to France.

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[Mirelle]

Brittany. Specifically Cotes-du-Nord. Nice place, nice people, gentle climate, excellent sailing

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[Roberto]

South brittany (morbihan, belle ile, lorient, etc), same reasons as Mirelle s.

I live in Paris but except for professional reasons I would not suggest coming here, then why would you ?!

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[BigLes]

It would have to be South Brittany and on down to La Rochelle, decent climate and access to good sailing, along with lovely countryside. South of France is too expensive and too hot for me.

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[DeeGee]

How about the language... do the Bretons not have a peculiar variation all of their own?

Someone suggested that it rains every day in Brittany, except on Sunday, when it rains twice.

And what exactly is Cotes du Nord? Brest - Granville?

(My fancy is already for Brittany)

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[tcm]

The longer one lives in france the more one realises that how utterly different they are from us. There is a huge (100,000+) brit contingent around Nice, lots of english spoken. This is a bit cheaty, cos one should of course immerse oneself and "become" part of the country to some extent. Sailingwise, Nice area is a bit so-so, tho powerboaty wise and classic boaty wise it is a world centre, far better weather, a proper city (from london this is important), cultural hinterland, and fast flights to the uk. Riveria-reporter magazine (try google for this) gives loads of help. Riviera Radio from Monaco also is not bound by the french regulations regarding broadcasting crappo french music half the time.

So, all in all i wd buy a mooring and have a biggish boat on the riviera and thus avoid all the taxes d'habitation. In fact this is suchh a good idea that i have already dunnit...

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[Magic_Sailor]

Not Nice - too hot, too ....well...snobby.
Not Carcasonne - too Disney with plastic swords and shields.
Brittany - now you're talking! Follow website link for details.

Magic

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://hometown.aol.co.uk/geoffwestgarth/myhomepage/travelwriting.html>Click for website!</A>

 

[jhr]

Yes, Breton is a separate language - status rather like Welsh in Wales (i.e. most people also speak French but often with a strong - i.e. indecipherable to a foreigner - accent.

Anyone familiar with Gaelic areas of the British Isles will find similarities in Brittany, which isn't really suprising as they have Gaelic roots as well. F'rinstance, SWMBO and I were sitting in a bar in Loquirec one evening last summer when a yiddly-tiddly band started up next door. They turned out to be Irish, in fact, but could just as easily have been Breton - try listening to the likes of Alain Stivell for a comparison.

I would go for Southern Brittany - better climate, and (slightly) less ferocious tides than the North coast. A couple of years ago we holidayed near a place called Moelin-sur-Mer, close to the Belon estuary and about 30 miles west of the Golfe du Morbihan. Beautiful countryside and what looked like some great sailing. I don't think rain is as much of an issue as you fear, particularly in the Morbihan area, though winter is only marginally less unpleasant than in the UK, I fear. Climate similar to West Country but a bit warmer. Overall, a magic part of the world imho.

I wouldn't advise the Med coast for sailing - as previously mentioned, too hot, too crowded, too expensive and either not enough wind (summer) or too much (winter). Fine for stinkies like me, tho'..................

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[Roberto]

They say brittany weather shows the four seasons in one single day.. pretty much in line with what I usually experience there, maybe not in one day but just slightly longer sunshine clouds rain sunshine cycles

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[EME]

At the end of the day , you have a fing big country from which to chose. As a Welshmen who can converse with Bretons ( after several bottles of vino collapso ) .. I still have chosen to live on Cote d'Azur. However do recognise it is not cheap to buy down here. Knowing what and where is more important than UK.

I avoid the upper - middle class influence by living 5 miles inland - thereby enjoying what I consider the best of all worlds.

However as a committed life-and-death sailor you may prefer further West in Golfe de Lions where there is more consistent wind for sailing. Today is Force 2/3 constant .. blight blue skies and empty on the water.... 17 degrees C on Cote d'Azur. However being frank you have to live here and not work to enjoy the prevailing conditions. Clver (cheap) money also says that Biarritz is about to go through a major Uk-based influx.

I accept TCMs view of life here as well ... life can be superb like that BUT he forgets to mention that he speaks franglais well and has no problem 'imposing' himself on the occasional maladjusted French- person.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[jamesjermain]

Treguier because...

I have friends there and understand the weather and it's almost like home (can't understand most of what my daughters say to me anyway)

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[Mirelle]

Why Cotes-du-Nord / Cotes d\'Armor?

Syndicats d'initiative being what they are (i.e. chambers of commerce!) this Departement is better known under the latter name, having rechristened itself in the hope of attracting more tourists. The horrible tides make the place less yacht-friendly than the south, thereby reducing the influx of Englishmen. Indeed I note with relief that the tourist website for this Departement (http://www.cotesdarmor.com/) claims to have an English language version, but has not actually got round to doing much about it. There is no Breton version but the local government website is bilingual a la North Wales The main point about the language issue is that one is not expected to speak Breton (wonderful if you do!) but if one speaks French with a non-Parisian accent that is just about OK. When I was a boy it had the most wonderful narrow gauge railway system imaginable, but that has, alas, long gone. Pretty good crepes, far, artichokes, etc..

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[Mirelle]

Re: Treguier because...

Any Breton estate agents reading this? What an overwhelming vote!

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[Little_Russel]

I thought that the French were sick of people moving over there?

<hr width=100% size=1>Sail the Se7en seas...

 

[Sybarite]

I am living in the Paris area which is great for business and culture and I have a great circle of friends.

Otherwise I would go for Southern Brittany or the Vendée coast. I bought my boat when it was based in the Med and kept it there for a couple of seasons. It was just too far away for normal weekend use. So I brought it back to La Trinité first and then to Lorient.

I have never regretted it. The Med in summer is too crowded - you need to get into port by the middle of the afternoon to be sure of a place; it's expensive and as far as sailing is concerned there is either no wind or too much (Mistral). It is also (for my taste) too hot to keep helming outside - the family invariably disappeared below decks leaving me to cook at the helm.

Southern rather than Northern Brittany because the berths are cheaper, it's a few degrees warmer and the off-lying islands are magic. The winds are more predictable and having tides makes navigation more interesting.

I would like to be within reasonable access of a city which would mean Lorient (because I know it now quite well and have a (smaller) circle of frends there; Vannes lovely historical city except personally I don't fancy being based in the Golfe de Morbihan (I enjoy swimming and the Golfe is a bit too esturine for my liking - brackish water); Brest - but I don't know it well enough and there you are getting really far from Paris and La Rochelle: again a lovely city and a climate that is normally a little bit warmer than S Brittany. However the cruising area south of La Rochelle is a little bit limited which means when you set off you are normally heading in the same direction each time. All in all I think Lorient is the best compromise ; Belle Ile at about 4 hours sailing SE and Glénan about 5 hours west with Groix and hour away to the South. As well as that you have the various rias within an easy one day's sail. The other advantage is that there are I believe berths available at Locmiquélic (my base) as they have been enlarging the marina over the winter. My 30' still costs less than £1000/year incl free showers, water and electricity and free reciprocal arrangements with a dozen or so other ports.

I am seriusly considering moving down there - except I might miss the friends too much!

John

PS Anybody fancy a house on the banks of the Seine, 20 miles from Paris?



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[Hunter34]

I live in France

Moved here 5 years ago.Bought an apartment in a marina Nr St Tropez and one in the Alps for less than a semi in Morecambe.The boat is berthed in Italy so we have a choice of 3 places to go during school holidays (my son is 8 and at the local school).During all ths winter hols we go skiing (3hrs away) and when school finishes for 10 weeks in summer we take off round the Med in the boat.
There are no tides, the weather is fantastic and the cost of living is alot lower than the UK.It was the best move I ever made.




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[tcm]

Re: I live in France

hm thanks for that. Mind you (he says turning green) that Legend might be a bit swifter if there WERE some tides, praps?



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[claymore]

Courchevel 1650

For my winter abode, L'Aber W'rach for the rest of the year.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[Dave1258]

Re: I live in France

I'd go to live near the Canal du Midi, simply stunning,relaxing and enjoyable way to spend your twilight years!!

<hr width=100% size=1>If you don't make mistakes, you aren't really trying.

 

[Gunfleet]

Cotes d'armor you mean, mate... how long since you've been there?!

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