Where to buy in North West France - help needed!

[Dan Chase]

Hi Guys and Gals,

I am in need of help and advice from those who know this area better than me.

Over many years my family and I have holidayed in the Perigord Noir and have decided we should take the plung.  However, the Perigord is a long way away - with planned monthly trips and a dislike for airlines on ecological reasons - we have decided to search around the Normandy/Brittany area and possibly just a litlle further South.

Heres the question:

1.  Which area should I search in for : rivers, valleys, trees, hotter than England climate.  I appreciate this may be a long shot, but I did read that this area is very diverse.

Thanks, Dan.

[Catalpa]

If you want hotter but still not too far from ferry ports, and if you're not too desperate for easy access to beaches, I'd recommend you look around Mayenne, south and east. We've a friend who lives east of Mayenne - we're at the bottom of the Cotentin peninsular. The weather where she lives always seems better (hotter, more sun) than where we are. We base this belief partly on crop growth. The maize particularly always seems 3 - 4 weeks in advance of crops around us which suggests better weather and warmer. And possibly... less rain!

So get a map, find rivers and go look. [:D]

[Val_2]

If you want hot in Brittany or Normandy then you go inland,certainly not coastal as it gets very cold and very very windy even in mid summer. I live on the gulf stream in the far west and usually it is cooler here than family in the Thames Valley area in hot summers but very mild termperature-wise in winter,hence all the figs and peaches and grapes etc. For Brittany you need the Morbihan region with all the micro climates and protection although it still gets snow in winter whereas we don't because of the monts.

[Dan Chase]

Thanks for the tips,

Does anyone have opions on Southern Eure?  I have done a bit of research and its would appear to have attractive waterways, woodland and considerably less rain - as well as Monets house in Giverney.

Thanks,  Dan.