Trip Repert- 1200 miles in 3 days across the South of France
Mar 9th, 2003, 01:05 PM
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Trip Repert- 1200 miles in 3 days across the South of France
House hunting again last weekend, we flew into Lyons airport about 5pm, and drove to Les Boudes, a tiny village 20 or so miles south of Clermont Ferrand. We weren't aiming for there, but it was as far as we could make it before we fell over. There's a tiny village hotel/restauarnt recommended in the Rough Guide, called Les Boudes La Vigne which did perfectly pleasnt little en suite rooms and a first class dinner.<BR><BR>Next morning we drove down to Figeac and after seeing 2 houses south to Cahors for lunch. Then across to Vileneuve sur Lot (awful place) for 2 more. Then north to just outside periguex to Les Escules. Very pretentious and not a patch on the previous night.<BR><BR>After a trip as far north as Nontron for 2 more houses we trailed all the way south to the Moulin des Sabaillon, near Simorre, a first class little restaurant with Chambres d'Hotes. Food very adequate if not up to the first night's standards. Lovely reconstructed watermill.<BR><BR>Saw another house and hightailed it across to Bordeaux for the flight home. Phew!
Mar 9th, 2003, 02:56 PM
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<BR>Ah Sheila, you need help with this castle hunt! I think I for one, would be an excellent companion for weeding out the inferior and finding the perfect house with a moat 
I only ask that I can have a tower room!
I only ask that I can have a tower room!
Mar 9th, 2003, 03:26 PM
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I'll take a room in the ground floor, Sheila, I'm afraid of heights. While in the Lot, did you by chance stop at Les Arcs, a hilltop village? We want to stop there for lunch there on the way back from Provence to visit friends in Poitiers.This village with the resto in the old schoolhouse is what the book is about that I recently read. "From here you can almost see Paris"
Mar 9th, 2003, 05:33 PM
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Interesting perspective on Villeneuve-sur-Lot, and one I suspect that comes of flying through it. It isn't the prettiest place in the southwest of France, but it has a great deal of charm, a wonderful Saturday market, and a nice old town. It also has a great French language school and like so many other lazy southern French towns, is nicely situated along a river - the Lot. It's certainly not as nice as Figeac, but it's not "awful" either. I think it's too tempting to label places on either end of the spectrum after just dashing through. I did spend a day with a real estate agent from Villeneuve many years ago, though, and decided pretty quickly it was not an area I wanted to buy a house in. But I've gone back to the area and enjoyed it several times.
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May 5th, 2003, 07:24 AM
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I missed the earlier responses to this. My apologies.
Villeneuve was IMH 3 hour O) dreadful because:-
1. It was set in the middle of a flat plain surrounded by unpleasant industry- I know jobs are important, but so is the built environment.
2.It did not have a decent cafe ANYWHERE in the middle of the town.
3. It had the most God-awful traffic jam, which we spent a very long time in- 3 times.
4. The river was dirty and unpleasant.
We DID find a house; and we have bought it- at least, we have entered contracts and paid the deposit with the balance due at the end of this month. It is, ma chere Scarlett, manoir, rather than a castle, so no more sifting to be done, and, unfortunately, no turret.
We did not stop in les arcs, Mimi. Did I inadvertently give you the impression we stopped anywhere it wasn't necessary.
And, Carol, you should, for sure listen to Mellen rather than me, about the place.
The first rule of property is "location, location, location" and I have to say, that had we seen the perfect house within 2 miles of Villeneuve we would not have bought it, so bad was the impression it gave. But that should not put you off going on a language course there.
If yo do go, drop in on the Aberdeen bar and tell them we were asking for them
Villeneuve was IMH 3 hour O) dreadful because:-
1. It was set in the middle of a flat plain surrounded by unpleasant industry- I know jobs are important, but so is the built environment.
2.It did not have a decent cafe ANYWHERE in the middle of the town.
3. It had the most God-awful traffic jam, which we spent a very long time in- 3 times.
4. The river was dirty and unpleasant.
We DID find a house; and we have bought it- at least, we have entered contracts and paid the deposit with the balance due at the end of this month. It is, ma chere Scarlett, manoir, rather than a castle, so no more sifting to be done, and, unfortunately, no turret.
We did not stop in les arcs, Mimi. Did I inadvertently give you the impression we stopped anywhere it wasn't necessary.
And, Carol, you should, for sure listen to Mellen rather than me, about the place.
The first rule of property is "location, location, location" and I have to say, that had we seen the perfect house within 2 miles of Villeneuve we would not have bought it, so bad was the impression it gave. But that should not put you off going on a language course there.
If yo do go, drop in on the Aberdeen bar and tell them we were asking for them
