Calling all Corréziens!

[Just Chris]

Well, we live in the Correze - have done for four years, and we love it. We're in the verdant, rolling hills somewhere between Tulle and Argentat, and fairly isolated (which is the way I like it). It's truly beautiful here, surrounded by nature - the only noise being birdsong, crickets, deer (and the neighbour's dog) barking, and occasionally the French Air Force playing silly buggers. We are at about 450 metres above sea level, and on the top of a hill. It can get a bit blowy, but it never gets too hot in the summer, or too cold in the winter. Rainfall is about average for the area. I am quite happy here, not being a particularly social person, I love the isolation, with few neighbours, but we're no more than 15 minutes away from "civilisation", and under half an hour from Tulle, and about 50 minutes from Brive. Bit of a slog to Limoges, though (for the airport) - just under 2 hours, but Brive Souillac opens next month.

[mint]

Sounds like Paradise!  I aim to get further away from neighbours, etc.

[bubble]

Of course it is paradise but don't say it too loudly ! Just in case lots of folks think the same and arrive en masse ! I am pretty rural nearest village La Roche Canillac and we can get ADSL no problem but we have friends ( English one of only 2 !! All our others are french. ) However they cannot get ADSL except by satellite so would be worth finding out if it is available where you want to be. It is interesting as they are much nearer to Tulle and no ADSL as they are in a valley.

If you come to the Correze and want to talk then pm and maybe we could meet up. Not sure I can tell you all you might want to know but have been here nearly 7 years so feel pretty much at home !

[mint]

Bubbles, that is really kind and, if I do find myself there, I will definitely take you up on your offer.

[Just Chris]

We couldn't get ADSL (and still can't in the "normal" way). After suffering dial-up for the first year, we "graduated" to a hybrid satellite system (dial-up uplink, satellite downlink) for another year. This was OK, but not terribly reliable, and suffered from the usual "fair use" policy where your bandwidth was restricted if you went over your quota. We ditched that in favour of Wimax (which is now available throughout the Correze). It hasn't been without it's own problems, but generally it's pretty fast, as cheap as "normal" ADSL, and unlimited.

We, too, would be willing to meet up, if it would help you in your decision-making process (said he, blithely, without consulting the wife, who is asleep...)

Chris

[mint]

Thank you, Chris. 

[patj19]

Hello,

I've just found this forum and it seems really great !!!

This part of the forum is really interesting since I am a Corrèzien !!! Indeed, I am french and I am born in corrèze and I live in this beautiful french departement.

If you want any information just ask I'll be really please to answer you.

If you know a little bit the departement I live in Bort-les-Orgues (at the very east part of the departement, near the Parc des Volcans d'Auvergne) it is a very beautiful area with one of the biggest dam in France, and thus a very big lake (about 21 KM long ! ) on which you can practise different activities. There are a lot of beaches and on one of these beaches you can admire the Château de Val surrounded by the waters of the lake just an amazing place at 5km from the city.

Here is a link to see some of the photos I've got of Bort-les-Orgues(I've got some more to show you other beautiful areas in Bort-les-Orgues, and I can tell you there are a lot of other beautiful historical building, landscape as "the Orgues....")

http://img571.imageshack.us/g/hpim2853.jpg/

I do not have the time to post others for the moment but I you want to I could give you other photos.

Just note that Bort-les-Orgues is a small city (about 3500 inhabitants) a lot of shops (100-150 or even more) 1 big supermaket (3000 m3) 2 other smaller supermarkets....1 elementary school, 1 primary school, 1 secondary school and 1 high school....there are a lot of outdoor activities (on the lake, in different ways in wood or on the cliff "les Orgues", there are a lot of associations (culture, sport,....)You can have very high speed ADSL with no problem.....................;

If you want anykind of information just ask [;-)]

Kind regards from France

Patrice

[mint]

Bonjour, Patrice and soyez bienvenu!

You have been the first to answer my question on how to spell Corrèzien:  thank you, now I know it's a grave accent over the first "e".

When I return from walking my dog and when the OH is watching the football later, I will have a look at your links.

The house which I was interested in is near the Chastang dam and I believe that that is the biggest of the dams on the Dordogne.

We haven't been to visit yet and I think I will probably visit at the end of October or beginning of November so that we can see what it's like when it's cold and dark!  Much better than visiting in the summer when everything looks lovely.

What I love about the  Corrèziene houses I have seen on the internet is that they remind me of the houses in the haute savoie, you know, with balconies (maybe more than one balcony) and with amazing views.

I hope that you will stay with us on the Forum and chat to us on all the different threads.  We like this "insider" information that the French members bring to the Forum!

[mint]

Patrice, I have just looked at your photos.  They are magnifiques![:D]  Thank you so much for posting them.

[vwill88]

Yes , Correze is lovely. We have been here for 5 years after 3 in Charente.  The scenery is delightful, the towns are interesting without being overrun by tourists and the people are friendly without being pushy. We, unfortunately, need, to return to the UK due to my husbands health but if that were not so  would recommend the area unreservedably (sp)

[mint]

vwill88, I don't like to sound like some property vulture but, if you are selling your property, would you mind terribly PMing or Emailing me some details?

If you do feel I am being a bit pushy, please excuse me and ignore my post.  I'd have PMed you but I didn't want you to feel pursued! LOL

[patj19]

Thanks for welcoming me on this forum !

Concerning the house in corrèze, it depends on the place where you are since most typical houses do not have several balconies they  are often  made of stones (those you may have seen might be in Argentat = south of corrèze)

Concerning the Chastang dam it is not the biggest it is even one of the smallest ( Bort's dam is 125 metres high and Chastang's dam is 85 metres high, the lakes too are differents Bort's lake contains 477 millions square metres of water while Chastang lake just got 187 millions square metres of water)

Here are the 5 major dams on the Dordogne from the highest to the smallest: Bort (125m), Aigle(92m), Marèges(89m), Chastang(85) and Sablier(31m), concerning the lakes from the biggest to the smallest : Bort (477 millions m3 of water) Aigle (220 millions m3 of water) Chastang (187 millions m3 of water)  Marèges (47 millions m3 of water) and finally le Sablier

I can tell you Bort is the biggest since I was the person who was in charge of the guided visit of the dam last summer and will be again this year, so I know it very well [;-)]

If you need more information/photos just ask I'll be really please to answer you !!! (I am in love with the place where I live so really happy to make it discover, but I think you've already understood I am passionate...[:)]

Once again thanks a lot for welcoming me, and I am happy you liked the photos I posted !!

[mint]

Patrice, I am sure you are un guide extraordinaire!  Yes, your passion for the place comes over very well.  It's people who truly love the place they are showing to visitors that make the very best guides.

I looked up your town in my big scale maps and I saw at least 3 chateaus within a very small area and also one of those panorama viewpoints (the ones with the rays like a sun in the legend of the map!)

I am so looking forward to visiting the Corrèze and I have been sent some information on where to stay.

If you were to advise someone who has never been there, which places would you recommend that they visit?[:D]

Wooly, why don't you go in the CC and do a bit of a recce?  Wouldn't the dog and the duck simply love to run around or swim in this nature's paradise?[:P]

[patj19]

There are so many places you could visit, I do not know where to start !

As you write it there are indeed several castles in a quite small area around Bort-les-Orgues : you've got the Château de Val (the loveliest to my eyes) surrounded by the waters of the lake of Bort's dam (with a very big beach with a lot of activites on the water in summer such as a trip on a "bateau mouche" on the lake, jet ski, swimming......) but the castle is only opened from april till october, and during the school holidays (november, chrsitmas, winter, easter)

The seconf castle you can visit is the castle of Auzers (open from easter till the end of October)

You've also got different castles that are private so impossible to visit but very beautiful such as the Château de Pierrefit

You've also got some ruin of castles such as the château de Thynières, le château de Madic......

You've also got some castles that are just like big houses (the other ones I mentioned above are typical castles with the towers and so on) just like the château de Champagnac....

All this castles are in a quite small area (maximum 20 km around Bort) and the list above is not complete there are a lot of others (chapels, ruins....) and there are other castles in the south of corrèze such as the château de Sédière, les tours de Merles......

In Bort's area you can also visit the dam of Bort (or rather the "espace energie") a free guided visit explain the way a dam work and the history of the dam, and many other things (open the all year but it's much easier to visit it during spring and summer )

You've also got a panorama viewpoint on "les orgues" (a big cliff dominating Bort les Orgues 300 metres higher than the city), made of volcanic rocks looking like an organ/"orgues" the music instrument with different tubes ) and this site is considered to be the best viewpoint over the massif central (you've got a 180 degree view over about 100km) and the "plombs du Cantal" (mountains in the cantal departement)

There are museums (at least three or four around or in Bort) in Corrèze (Sarran) you've got Jacques Chirac museum too (the previous french president who is from the corrèze departement)

You've got a lot of historical monuments with sometimes painting exhibitons (château de val, les bains douches, la halle aux blés = all these in Bort)......

You've got so many things to see and discover that you should tell me what you're intersted in so that I could give you more precise advices.

If you want to walk there are dozens of ways in the countryside with great landscapes and viewpoints (you can use these way with bicycle, horse, or just your feet ! ) you've got a cyclist way too, there are a lot of places for fishing (corrèze and Limousin are considered as the paradise for fishing )

There are also a lot of activities and festivities all around the year but espacially in summer (fireworks, typical meals parties, typical open air markets with different animations, funfairs......)

Hope this help (hope you've reached the end with no headache ![:-))]

If you need more precise information just ask, I'll be pleased to help you

Regards

Patrice

[bubble]

You could not have a better description of this beautiful department. I loved it on my first visit on holiday and have loved the 6+ years I have lived here. And from a local the description is so much better !!!

[mint]

Yes, indeed, Bubble.  Now I hope you are happier than when you said earlier on in the thread that there was a negative attitude towards "your" department.

Patrice, as Bubble has said, you have given a wonderful description of your pays.  I don't know whether I can visit this summer.

I will try and go end of July, if possible.  I don't think I want to go at the height of the holiday season in August.

It's difficult this year as friends on here will know (and I am sorry if I am boring everyone to tears about it) Gemonimo and I are starting our pilgrimage to Compostelle the first week in September. 

We need to train and I need to get my gear together and there are lots of things to think about; not to mention saving holiday money to pay for the trip!

Patrice, many thanks for taking so much trouble to write in such an interesting way about Corrèze.

[just john]

Excusa Sweet,

where was it you said you were orf to, was it compostelli, did you say Augtember . . .?[6]

 

[mint]

JJ, I'm going to sort you out by private email, OK?  Beware, I have been lifting some weights to try and get a bit fitter![:-))]

[Frenchie]

I haven't read te whole thread Sweet 17, but I can tell you I went to Corrèze in March, for the first time, and I FELL IN LOVE with that department.

Beautiful countryside, lots of charming villages, nice market towns, beautiful houses, perfect place for hiking, cycling, horse riding, fishing, lots of lakes, ...

it is cold in the winter I assume, much more than in dept 17, but the scenery is often breathtaking.

[mint]

Frenchie, I've only seen pictures and I remember you saying how much you liked it on the Qui veut thread.

Hey, have a look at the pictures Patrice has posted.............breathtaking.

I like the idea of more cows than people!  LOL (ref plateau de millevaches)

I won't care about the cold because I shall make sure, if I go there to live, that I have a very well insulated house with efficient heating.

Once I'm out in the open, I don't normally worry about the cold.  You just need to wrap up well and keep MOVING!  Of course, if you just stood still, you could expect to turn into an icicle!

Edit:  sorry, Frenchie, should have told you that Patrice's pics are on pg 4, his post is about the 5th post on that page.  Enjoy!

[Frenchie]

 Thanks Sweet, I just had a look at it, beautiful pics indeed!

I completely agree with what you said about the cold, a long as my home is cosy and warm I don'"t mind the cold outside, and nothing's better than a walk with the doggies and a nice cuppa when back, in front of the woodburner!

I fell for the  Corrèze , so much that I thought " for retirement, that could be Britanny  ( half of my roots there) , or the Corrèze. "

But with the new law on retirement age, the Corrèze will have to wait for me for quite a while !! [:-))] [;-)]

 

 

 

[mint]

Stop boasting, Frenchie.............it's bad enough you being goodlooking and French, no need to go on about being young as well.....[:P]

[Frenchie]

I'm just jealous about you maybe going to the Corrèze before me !!

Listen, let's make a deal, you go to the Corrèze, I go to Britanny, and we visit each other on hols !! [:D]

[;-)]

[mint]

Ok, but try and be near Dinan or at least in the Rance area or perhaps in Morbihan in the gulf area.

[Frenchie]

More likely near Dinan, that s where my dad is from.

[;-)]