Patrick

I am doing a site called unebellevie.com for this very reason. I have only just put the first 2 pages online which explain what we want to do. No charge for putting your details on the site. Just for information. Patrick

I've responded to my own posting in the hope that in putting it to the top someone from the area will notice and let me know what it is like there! Patrick

As a complete contrast to our normal summers spent in our cottage in the northwest of France, and with the intention of seeing more of France, we have booked one week's summer holiday in La Norma in Savoie (73). Any comments on/suggestions for the area please - we have four children, the youngest is 8. What are the "must sees" in this area and will it be hot still at the end of August? Also, how easy is it to visit Italy for the day from there and if so how and where? This is a whole new area for us so any information would be very welcome. Patrick

Good choice Burgundy. We are further south than you, on the southern fringe of the Morvan. At the moment just a holiday home but hoping to retire there. We're both in our mid fifties, so not long to go. To us it always seems quite and peaceful, whatever the season. It probably sounds daft but for me one of the delights is the ability to drive anywhere without encountering traffic! Not many Brits around (a plus?) but those we have met are friendly types. The French too, once through the language barrier, are fine. I know Corbigny a little, it's a pretty town - have you found out about the historic aircraft wreck yet? You've got good communications there too with your weekly train to Paris! I'm off in two days for a month's stay, the family following a week later. E-mail me if you want to exchange phone numbers, dates etc. Good luck with the move -I'm sure you won't regret it. Patrick

Go to www.gites-de-france.fr/fr/index.htm. Click on OBTENIR LE LABEL. Do not click on the union flag - this does not take you to the equivalent page in English. Once you have clicked on OBTENIR LE LABEL you will be taken to a page where you will see the legend: Telecharger ici le Guide de Createur. This opens up a very long document in Acrobat Reader (in French) which tells you about becoming a Gite de France gite. Patrick

I have just scared myself rigid reading through this forum. I had no idea that French planning laws were so strict - covering even things like garden sheds. Last year I laid a patio in the garden next to a house wall and erected over that a pergola for plants to climb and provide shade. Is there any chance that these things would need some kind of planning permission or declaration? From reading the postings I have deduced that there seem to be two different kinds of permission: permis de construire and declaration de travaux. Is there anywhere, on this site or elsewhere that details which is needed and for what? Thanks in advance. Worried of Burgundy.

Hello there, I've just come across your posting, so I hope you are still picking up responses. We have a second home at the southern end of the Morvan - not far from Luzy. Would I recommend it - certainly. Buying our house was the best thing we ever did - but then everyone who buys a house in France says that! the great thing about this area is that it is so quiet and peaceful. Even in the height of summer you can drive from Luzy to Chateau Chinon and hardly pass a car. We tend to get invaded by loads of Dutch tourists in summer but they're not much there for the rest of the year. A week in Provence convinced me to stay away completely from the tourist honey pots. Incidentally there seems to be something of a property buying boom on at the moment, mainly caused by the Dutch it seems, and prices are said to be rising accordingly. When we first started looking for somewhere to buy our main problem was finding estate agents. Then we came across Autun where there is a whole streetful of them - a good place to start looking. As for the people. Well, we've met some really nice British people and also made some French friends. I hesitate slightly because the main thing as always is the language. My french isn't really that good but if yours is good enough I'm sure you'll have no problems making friends with French people. Good luck with your house hunting. Patrick