Rose Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 I couldn't sleep and I thought I would drop by; it's been awhile. I found this thread and I'm rather comforted to see that some things never change... ALBF was new to me though [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Well, hello Rose! What a lovely surprise on a spring morning!Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Hi RoseDo you live in the Dordogne ?I am thinking of moving there. What is it like ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Well, I can tell you that it's un veritable coin du paradis!I do not recognise the Dordogneshire that some have sniffed at, I really don't because I'd definitely tell you if I did!It depends what you want to do: you could definitely, if you looked hard enough, find an English-speaking doctor, plumber, kitchen-fitter, decorator, gardener and no end of English this that and the other.It's not that I have nothing to do with the English, indeed I have a couple of good English friends, but I struggle to find any anglais in my nordic walking groups, my fitness sessions, my neighbourhood, my local cafés associatifs (of which there are two) because, well, I don't know, because I don't come across them!!BUT, I do meet parisiens, niçoises, people from Tours (don't know what they call themselves in France) and any number of different parts of the world including from Holland.Had lunch with my ex-french teacher yesterday and she tells me with great authority that people from the Dordogne are très ouvertes and that they are très dynamiques! Incidentally, son enfance was spent in Périgueux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Tres ouverte....... well, that was how I found people in my village far far from the Perigord. And yet, french incomers used to complain bitterly to me how 'unfriendly' everyone was. Certainly not how I found things. And I used to wonder if they were telling me because they thought that the 'anglaise' would have had the same lack of welcome!LOL mint, I have never found a paradise and dare say I won't. Too many other factors in life that will always make it simply life and all I want and need for it to be agreeable is to have somewhere with reasonable peace and have good neighbours and I'll add to that, a council that does not do stupid things.mint, I know I never lived anywhere near you, but I would never say the Dorodogne, or in fact the Perigueux, unless I was talking about the town. I automatically think of 'there' being the Perigord. What do the locals say? very curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Well, id, I say THE Dordogne because I was writing in English[:D]The French say la Dordogne or le Périgord, depending on their age, with the older people using the latter phrase and the younger ones using the former.Périgord is simply the old word for our area like there was le Dauphiné, nearer you, or la Gascoigne.I have had many emails from French people I communicate with on leboncoin but don't know in person who have said vous habitez dans une belle region, madame!It is wonderful in my eyes and my house is the best situated in our village, also in my eyes![:D][:P]As for "the Périgueux", I agree, no one would say that as Périgueux is a town and the administrative capital of the Dordogne. As an aside, you'd be surprised to hear how many people murder the name of that nice town! Can't say it properly for toffee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 [quote user="Loiseau"]Well, hello Rose! What a lovely surprise on a spring morning!Angela[/quote]Well thank you... that's very nice of you to say so [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 [quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Hi RoseDo you live in the Dordogne ?I am thinking of moving there. What is it like ?[/quote]I do indeed live in the very beautiful Dordogne. We live her by accident, rather than design... indeed it was Bergerac Airport and it's flights to the SW of England that first brought us here... and I'm very glad we came!I'm with Mint, I love this little corner of France and I dont recognise the Dordogne that some folks talk of. One of the drawbacks of living in such a beautiful place is that you do have to put up with a great number of seasonal visitors but I'm more than happy to share. Our son has gone through primary school, College and now Lycee here and each school has been excellent. Sadly I also had my share of hospitals and health care services and they were all brilliant too... and nothing too far away either.There are good transport links, it's not too far from the wonderful city of Bordeaux and there is plenty going on to satisfy most folks. We've been here nearly 9 years and we have some wonderful friends and neighbours... maybe we're just lucky but France has been good for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Well done you. It is nice to hear a success story for once rather than the dome and gloom posts about French life. Nice also to hear about your son going through the French schooling system without any trouble. French schools tend to be a problem for expats. Why I have no idea. I am plucking up the courage to go to the Dordogne to see what all the fuss is about. I must be the only British person living in France never to have been there. Might go in the summer or may pop down next week if I can get out of Paris. We shall see. Where is a good place (not too expaty) to stay for one night ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Hello Rose - good to see you again [:D]I remember you being poorly - have things improved now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 [quote user="alittlebitfrench"]...I am plucking up the courage to go to the Dordogne to see what all the fuss is about. [/quote]For 20 years of holidays in France we did the same as you... and thought it best to avoid the Dorodgne. We only came to look because of the flights to the SW of the UK. After a week of driving around we realised what all the fuss was about... there really are some very very lovely places to visit... even if just for a holiday. Of course there are lovely places everywhere, but the Dordogne has a good share of them.Why not find a hotel in Perigueux, there are lots to choose from and it's a good base from which to explore.Happy travels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 [quote user="Patf"]Hello Rose - good to see you again [:D]I remember you being poorly - have things improved now?[/quote]Hello PatfI am really well thank you. Can you beleive that was 5 years ago! It took me a couple of years to shake it all off but I really am in very good health. (touch wood!)So much so that in 2014 I followed Mint's and Gem's footsteps across the Camino Frances... to kind of celebrate being here. I did a part of it again last year and in September I'm hoping to walk the Via de la Plata... and when I'm not doing that I sing in a band... in short life is good.I hope that the same is true for you and yours. [kiss] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 ALittlebitFrench -You might find this from last month's Complete France useful.http://www.completefrance.com/holidays-in-france/destinations/dordogne_s_most_beautiful_villages_1_4468103 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Re the education, I have always said that if children fit then it is fine, deviate and it is quite different. And the sweeping statement about expats........... well........ hackles firmly up now as when we had problems the only people I ever spoke to were french families with similiar problems.When I first moved to my french village I used to chat with my then, very limited french, to the wife of the secretary at the Mairie. And she said that the Education Nationale was a dinosaur that would not die and that was in about 1986. I had not got a clue as to what she was talking about and as my kids were bright and active and interested in all around them, never gave it much thought until years later when we were literally living a nightmare. So, expats, no far from it. I would love to know if the last lot of the reforms have helped the deviants, because that is how my youngest was considered by his teachers, what with being obviously intelligent and worse than awful marks, they hated him and thought that he was taking the michael...... he wasn't........ What did we end up with........ someone scarred, yup, live with it every day and he has what I see as a morbid fear of learning and teachers even now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Rose, lovely to read your posts. I've been having problems on here, unable to log in, for a time but it seems OK just now.Glad to hear that your son is doing well - a lovely boy, we thought, when we went back to your home after lunch on Cooperlola's Itchy Feet tour. It's good to hear that you're in good health; good luck for the Via de la Plata in September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 After Rose has done the Via de la Plata, we will have to meet up again and let her tell us all about it, won't we?We are such incredibly lucky people to know and enjoy each other's company. I shall never forget meeting Coops, she was my hero!ALBF, I had a very pleasant weekend in a chateau a couple of weeks ago but I would hesitate to recommend it to you as you might find it too "expaty", in your own words! That is to say amongst French and Dutch people, we did meet another British couple and we were 4 Brits ourselves............lol!However, I think Bergérac is lovely, the old part of town and down by the river and there are some good restos and it's more typical of the Dordogne that people imagine the Dordogne to be than my part!Being a keen walker, I do find the area all around where I live perfect for walking. The seasons make such a difference to the look and feel of the countryside. But you don't sound much like the countryside type?[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Garden Girl and Mint - meeting up again sounds like a grand idea! I wont be back until around mid-november; I've given myself 7 weeks to walk. Hopefully I wont be back early! I'll be keeping a blog again so I'll let you have a link when I start.I did indeed love meeting everyone with Coops - maybe we could do something like that again - I'll even make another carrot cake [:D]And yes... Bergerac is very lovely too (one of Greyman's favourite restaurats is in the old town L'Imparfait, Bergerac) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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