Jump to content

Dazed and Confused


Recommended Posts

Hi everyone! We are planning a move to France but after months of research I am no further forward on finding a suitable area. We intend (once we find somewhere) to visit it a few times, and when the time comes, rent for a while before buying (as this seems to be the way recommended by most people). Climate is quite a deciding factor for us. We don't want it to be too hot but also do not want a lot of rain. I had narrowed it down to Limousin but then discovered that it apparently rains a lot!? I've found that websites opinions vary greatly in this respect - hence my confusion!! I know there is no substitute for actually going out and experiencing it first hand but without first rejecting places that will not suit, it is going to be very time-consuming and very costly! We will both be whizzing around France in our bath-chairs by the time we decide...unless you good folk can help?? Did climate influence anyone else's decision? Many thanks in anticipation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are from the NE of UK the Limousin is going to be drier - but wherever you chose if you want green grass & trees you need rain.

Plus with water shortages it is gold!

Sell everything and rent in the Limousin and give it a year or so...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="united"]

Climate was one (of many) factors in our decision to buy in the Vendee, it does rain but not for long periods like it seems to in the UK. Without being too much of a creep our host publish average monthly rainfall figures.

[/quote]

What is host please?

Benjamin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the last few years, does anyone honestly believe average rainfall figures any more?  Extremes of heat and storms seem much more common in the last decade or so, both in the UK and throughout France.

For what it's worth, we moved here because we wanted to be able to garden as we did in the south east of the UK, fancied it a bit warmer in summer, but not scorching hot or too dry to make watering a regular chore in summer.  Hah!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Dog and United. I actually have LF open in front of me but I would prefer some personal input (now I've got your attention!) I know in order to keep the place lush and green we must have some rain, but I just don't want to move to France and get up in the morning to grey, dreary rainy days! Also on the other side of the coin, can either of you tell me exactly just how hot it gets - scorching or just nice? Anything else you care to include about both areas would be very welcome too. Thanks a lot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is France, not the Bahamas! You could get grey, dreary, rainy days anywhere in France...I'm in the southwest and get quite a few of them. Also get scorched in the summer; not really a green and pleasant land until about October.

I was up at 5:30 this morning and it was 9.4°C but it's been warm and sunny during the day. Just remember that France is only a few hundred miles south of the UK. Here's a good site about French weather

http://www.france-property-and-information.com/French-weather.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not so very wet these last three years from personal experience.  Everyone is complaining about the lack of rain.  But of course we get the odd grey, wet week - that is unavoidable at some point in the year.  Those weeks it can feel very dull.  But so what - no way do you get green without the rain, as someone else said.  The forests were fine but the grass turned very brown here the last 3 summers.  Happily it recovered in August this year, when virtually all of France got drenched and temperatures tumbled for a fortnight.  September's been great so far - any rain has been mainly at night.    In winter it's cold - slightly colder than SE England - because we are so far inland.  But that means we get fewer gales and storms - we were untouched by the recent tail end of Hurricane George (if that was his name).  But it's very much swings and roundabouts - you need to balance what you want from the climate and your surroundings to look like.  Nowhere's perfect weather-wise, but most people can find somewhere that suits them most of the time.

PS We are actually just over the border from Normandy, in Pays de la Loire, not really Normandy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've found that average rainfall doesn't really tell you much. The average rainfall in our part of the Dordogne is quite similar to that in the East Midlands, but there's a great difference in the kind of rain.

In the UK we seem to have quite a lot of days where it rains a little whereas in the Dordogne we seem to go 8 - 10 days with no rain and then get an inch at a time.

I much prefer the latter.

Hoddy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, Dog.  And until you've lived somewhere for a good while (years?) you won't really get a feel for the 'normal' climate for the region, if such a thing exists.  We had 28 degrees end of October the first year we came here - I don't think that was normal!  But 25 degrees today seems perfectly normal for end of September, because we've had those temps every year at around this time (end Sept-start Oct).  But would I say the same in another 10 years?  I have no idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As Hoddy says, in the SW you get rain but usually in a deluge. We also have many fantastic thunder storms, occasionally destructive ie large hailstones. But most early mornings are bright and sunny. Daytime temperatures vary from cold in the early morning to warm enough to go swimming at midday. Pat.  ps Dog - what are Simonesque clouds? Are they like The Simpsons clouds?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simonesque and Simsonesque clouds are both like Homer Simson or Paul Simon - rather bald on top.  Or they could be Nina Simonesque - dark, brooding and troubled.  Or Georges Simenonesque - a cloud with a pipe sticking out of it.

I used to love holidays in September in France because you could chill your wine on the windowsill overnight virtually anywhere, stick it in the coolbox and look forward to a rapid rise in temps by midday (mostly) then drink it still chilled over a picnic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cassis

we adore normandy, the romanesque architecture and the wonderful lushness of the countryside.  it all feels so green and so clean; therefore must have "healthy" weather!

we went there january of this year to check out property and it was sooooooooooo cold! we went out one night for dinner and i could hardly breathe because the weather was so frosty

still love normandy, however, and will go again, whatever the weather

now we have bought in the charente maritime.  it was lovely in march, may, august and, i hope, next month.  haven't gone there to live yet so can't give an informed opinion.

in the end, we went by the fact that there were ginormous sunflowers and, bordeaux being synonymous with red wine and good living, we thought we couldn't go wrong 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know what you mean, Sweety.  Personally, I love those crisp, cold days, but they are not for everyone.  There again, they are not guaranteed, either!  The cold, damp ones are not so much fun!

I'm sure the Charente Maritime will be fine for you.

PS We grow ginormous sunflowers here as well, you know, and the vineyards were only grubbed up because a certain French monarch thought that apples would be healthier than grapes!  [:)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does get very cold in winter further south as well, of course, though usually for a shorter time. In fact it is less extreme climate, up and down, in the Northern half of France that a lot of people like (or hate, depending on point of view). There has been a topic on another forum about some (English speaking) people wanting to move from Provence to Normandy because of the climate, for the sake of their horses as much as for themselves.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone for all of your replies. Definitely food for thought - looks like we are going to be taking white a few hols in France next year! I've got a better grasp of the rain thing now but I'm still concerned about how hot it can get. I am a bluey-white, freckly redhead with a hairy little dog who pants like a maniac even here and I am concerned for both of us! Him indoors is of the opinion 'the warmer the better' unfortunately. I don't want to be in the shade all day which is why I ruled South of France out straight away. However, the SW area looks and sounds wonderful. At the risk of boring you all to death, can anyone tell me just how hot is hot in SW? I know it can get to 30 + but is that blistering, sweaty 'can't muster up the energy to walk' type of heat? Again, many thanks to all for your help.  
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ladywriter wrote,

“At the risk of boring you all to death, can anyone tell me just how hot is hot in SW? I know it can get to 30 + but is that blistering, sweaty 'can't muster up the energy to walk' type of heat?”

The only objective measure I can offer is that I stop work, that is gardening or housework, when it gets to 28.

Just about everyone round here takes a long lunch break and things come gradually back to life between 2 and 4 o’ clock.

Hoddy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We live in the Tarn, and anywhere around here you must expect to have some seriously hot weather. June and July were very hot this year; we get up early and more or less stop any serious activity after 10.30 or 11.00 as it it does become too hot to work. I feel sorry for those who have to earn a living at these times. For me this is a downside to SW France, but to be in shorts and T shirts in February, or to eat out in January is the upside. Depends what you want.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must stick up for Bretagne!

We had temperatures of 38°C plus here in July.  The middle of July it was 38.9°C at 23.00.

A few years ago, it was 42°C.

Too hot for me, I'm afraid.

As for the rain, 62 departments are still on alert so it can't be falling on France.  Even up here it is very, very dry.  My pond all but emptied slowly over the early summer but it did rain in August and filled it back up again. . . but it only rained for ONE night.

Where does the mistral roam down South?  I wouldn't like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We spent the 2005/6 winter in the Quercy region about 150 kms north of Toulouse and 100 kms south of the Dordogne. In Jan & Feb we had sub-zero temperatures nearly every morning. On 18 Jan there fell 9 inches of snow and people in the village told us that it was without precedent. They did say, however, that the previous winter they had had a frost of minus 25 C. On the cold days I would sometimes look at the weather reports for the Mediterranean coast 300kms to the south and I noticed that usually the temperatures were much the same as we were experiencing. I guess that local weather is much more a function of local topography than latitude. So perhaps a relief map of France would be one good guide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...