Charente Maritime has pleasant countryside, plenty to do and
visit, and is nearer the sea than the Dordogne.It's very French
and a house, new, renovated or ripe for your creativity to flourish.
may be found in town or country. It's not easy to research or
envisage from home in Britain. The options of rue or rural, seaside
or central, for holidays or perhaps retirement, to let for income,
or a combination of some of these has to be considered. The fundamental
question, "What can I buy for £75,000 (105,000€
) or so?" can be researched on the internet or newspapers
such as The Sunday Times. French Property News is
a great help and can put you in touch with agents in Britain selling
property in most regions of France but a visit is essential in
any event.
Combining a holiday with house-hunting is great fun, but it's
also a good idea to come out of season. Even a crumbling ruin
can be romantic in the summer sunshine, but see it in January
or February and reality can sharpen the most poetic imagination
With the availability of French contractors problematic your DIY
ambition might blanche at the prospect. On the other hand, seeing
a property at its worst can also spark a challenge which on a
memorable occasion set us on the path to our present, rewarding
lifestyle.
If you choose to visit us and get a yen to consider buying, we
have hard won experience to share and can assist in translating
even some of the more arcane and puzzling nooks and crannies of
French bureaucracy. We would advise against acting in haste, but
hell! it's all adventure and in retrospect we have survived even
the most frustrating of days to live and laugh and press on.
Jenny and I spent twenty years visiting France, mostly this region. It has an excellent climate, seaside and countryside, and a wealth of native wildlife and local food, and wine of international fame. The natives are very friendly and often keen to practice our language. Local markets bustle with fresh fish, flesh and fowl. Vegetables and fruit are grown throughout the rural department and also from nearby Spain. We forget that France had many colonies, and links to Martinique and even Vietnam are now busy with mangoes, sweet potatoes, spices and indigenous flavours which may also be experienced in ethnic restaurants. Take away meals .are available from the local traiteur or hypermarket and even from stalls in the outdoor and indoor markets. We recently enjoyed our quails straight from the roasting spit and eaten with fresh mixed salad washed down with a bottle of Charentaise red. Life here is full of simple pleasures, so if you are thinking of tasting it for holiday or part-time, come and sample the many delights around Saint Savinien; The wine fair in the streets of the town is on the first week-end in August. Bon Appetit! - Mike