mint Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 BonsoirCould you please put on your thinking caps and tell me about a small town where life might be pleasant.At the moment, I am open-minded with regards to areas though not anywhere too hot, too cold or too expensive!Say, a town with 10 to 20 thousand inhabitants, with all the essential services: a hospital and railway station getting extra plus points.If the town is within a half hour's drive to a bigger town, that would indeed be great.I'm trying not to sound too demanding by saying live classical music concerts would certainly be the cherry on top.Thank you for helping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I pm'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Hell is a congenial small town!![6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 We like Libourne and when the house starts owning us as opposed to vice versa will probably move there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 Thank you, Wooly, great suggestion, as I might have expected from you. I have PMed you with an answer of sorts.Anton, yes, I do think Libourne is nice: the parts of it I have seen and convenient for Bordeaux, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Sweets, where are you actually now (sorry, that is Franglais) and why is it so unsatisfactory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 Er...........I'm actually sitting at my dining table posting on the Forum and trying to hold an intelligent conversation with you?[geek] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRoss Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 St Maixent L'Ecole in Deux Sevres with railway station and TGV. No hospital but X-Ray and blood testing lab. Lots of nice soldiers and the capital of the department Niort with hospital and Polyclinique within 30 minutes drive. Reasonable restaurants and a very good creperie. Good Saturday general market and a separate food market. Periodic concerts and other musical activities. Parthenay is worth a look too.............................................JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Owhwhwhwhwhwhwhwhwhw, and I am sitting in my armchair smelling the fa rts of my two dogs and blubbering great tears of loneliness and wondering if my tadpoles will ever be frogs. Now then Sweets, lets get to it!! Where u live and whats wrong with it and why did you go there in the first place. What was wrong with Swansea?!!!![6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]Er...........I'm actually ... trying to hold an intelligent conversation with you?[geek][/quote]Good luck with that one!! [:-))][:-))][:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 [quote user="JohnRoss"]St Maixent L'Ecole in Deux Sevres with railway station and TGV. No hospital but X-Ray and blood testing lab. Lots of nice soldiers and the capital of the department Niort with hospital and Polyclinique within 30 minutes drive. Reasonable restaurants and a very good creperie. Good Saturday general market and a separate food market. Periodic concerts and other musical activities. Parthenay is worth a look too.............................................JR[/quote]Military base not closing soon and destroying the town? I remember those large, lesbian, ladies in uniform from years ago.Parthenay is the heart of dying DS, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Many British people seem to like Pézenas.Handy for Montpellier and the coast, but perhaps too hot a climate and not the cheapest town in the region Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Having started to read your post, I thought our little town might suit; having re-read it, it's too small, has no hospital, and is too hot in summer! So that's no use to you, and there I was thinking it's pretty perfect!My second thought was Charente Maritime, as I've often read about it having many hours of sunshine; then I looked at where you live now...........No third thoughts, sorry!GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Saintes, Cognac, la Rochelle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 JohnRoss, I don't know St Maixent though the name has always intrigued me. But, Parthenay, the only thing I know about it is that there is this hugh Hyper U which makes me want to leave town without wanting to find out more.Norman, the only thing I know about Pézenas is that the locals are called by a name (can't remember what) which doesn't make it obvious where they come from. And, yes, it's probably too hot and too pricey.Wooly, I do think Saintes is nice in parts (the Abbaye aux Dames) but I have mixed feelings about Cognac as there are so many industrial and commercial zones surrounding the town.Please keep the suggestions coming, everybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plod Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I don't really know it well but what about Marmande? Station, Bordeaux near, very pretty flowers all year etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 [quote user="Clair"][quote user="sweet 17"]Er...........I'm actually ... trying to hold an intelligent conversation with you?[geek][/quote]Good luck with that one!! [:-))][:-))][:-))][/quote]Merci, Clair. I shall clearly need more than Good Luck. In fact, any minute now I shall have to give it up as a bad job.Plod, I shall add your suggestion to my list of possibles. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Tell us what type or area you want eg coastal, semi-coastal, inland, town type etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRoss Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Well I would have a look at St Max. The Soldiers are NCOs, sous-officiers, on short courses at the army school so not really a military base as such. They have graduation at the end of the course two or three times a year and look really smart in their full dress kit with kepis and gold braid and stuff. Yes there are super markets like Le Clerc, Intermarché, Bricomarché, Lidl and Ed but no really big ones like HyperU. It is quite an attractive town and worth a look I would think. By the way all the soldiers I have seen look pretty fit and no large matron types of any obvious persuasion. The dress uniform for the female sous-officiers is really smart with tricorne hats. Some little shops as well behind the Porte Chalon in the old town. Some nice river side walks by the Sèvre Niortaise. Lots about St Maxient on the net.....................................JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 JR, I shall do as you have suggested.I have in fact Wikipedia-ed St Maixent. Twinned with Horsham, would you believe? And I worked and lived in Horsham for a short while back in the 1970s when Horsham was a very small, rural town but with quite a reputation for being "posh". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share Posted October 24, 2009 [quote user="woolybanana"]Tell us what type or area you want eg coastal, semi-coastal, inland, town type etc.[/quote]Not coastal, Wooly. Prefer inland with interesting countryside.Small, working town but a bit touristic as well (for the choice of restaurants), some nice architecture, the odd Romanesque church or two, not pretentious but not run down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricopa Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 How about Loches? Although population is only about 7000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I am attracted by Autun but the rail link is poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemonimo Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 Good morning, Sweets... I'm with Anton on this one. Libourne is a nice town, near St. Emilion, trains to Bdx and Sarlat plus the TGV line direct to Paris and Lille. It's also not a million miles from where you are and you could still keep in contact with friends already made.Having said that, I wouldn't personally want to live there as I know it too well. How about the Bearn? Pau is lovely and has a station and airport and the climat is pretty good. You could also practice your cross country skiing techniques not far from there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 [quote user="woolybanana"]Saintes, Cognac, la Rochelle.[/quote]add to that Jonzac perhaps. Sweets, I agree with your comments about Cognac however I think all large towns will have their less attractive elements.How about the smaller town of Chaniers which is just outside Saintes, there are some good walks along the river where you could walk the hound. Saintes has excellent music on offer, the conservatoire is at the Abbaye aux dames and their students and teachers often put on concerts throughout the year. Also there is a lot going on at the Gallia theatre. Plenty of dog walking space alongside the river there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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