That’s a good idea. I get the gist but then the speed means that the French I know seems to disappear when trying to reply!
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Hi Stella
We are going to Les Adjots, close to Ruffec.
We sold our house in 12 weeks in UK so you never you could be on you way sooner than you think.
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nothing unusual…happens to the best of us…
My French is definitely better after a glass or two… something to do with relaxing I suppose… 
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Hi Stella, and welcome. I would always recommend renting in an area for at least 3 months, preferably not just over the summer. There are now quite a lot more people “doing” gites - we have for 15 years now, so make sure you do as much research as possible. Its not as easy as some people make out.
Good luck
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After a glass or two… I totally agree with you, it loosens and lubricates the tongue, words come easily to mind even if they are Anglo-Saxon words spoken with an Allô Allô accent. People understand perfectly, and top up my glass…
I do hope so! Don’t know Les Adjots but we’ve been to Ruffec, nice little town. Weather looks to warm up in this area quicker too, and winters don’t look much colder than closer to coast.
Hi - just a quick observation about weather, if it’s really important to you then, realistically, the warmest place year-round in France is the Var (83) region on the Cote d’Azur (only around 900 miles from London). Quite honestly, other than that, it’s a pretty mixed bunch and not hugely different to the UK for most of the year. I guess what I’m saying is don’t place too much importance on the weather when choosing France to move to!
Just a reality check - not trying to put the ‘dampers’ on anything 
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After touring over 30 years… we found that, as a rough guide, the weather improved markedly as we dropped below certain towns…
Orleans … Limoges… Brive… Toulouse … our final “test” for a holiday home, was in Provence (way too hot for us). We finally chose a spot, between Limoges and Brive…and it was the property itself that clinched it…
However, the weather patterns have definitely changed during the last few years… so I would suggest you come and stay for a while… renting need not break the bank while you find the place of your dreams… 
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There are a couple of marked differences here (W’ of Redon), we often go Westwardn towards Vannes, the weather is often better close to the Golfe de Morbihan. Same going South, there is often a change (for the better), South of the River Loire. Though where we are, the weather is rarely ‘dramatic’ 
It’s funny how we build pictures of other people on forums. I had always imagined that you lived farther west than that.
I love the sea and spent my very early years more on the beach than indoors. Later, as my family moved about in the UK, we often ended up far from the coast… but being a positive thinker (even then) I was able to imagine the sea was just over the next hill… and sometimes it was. 
I would have loved to settle by the coast here in France… but it just didn’t work out like that. We love where we are (south west) and, as always, the sea is there… just over the horizon…
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I think we live in one of the wettest regions, surprising given that we are all the way south west, only an hour from Spain
https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/France/average-yearly-precipitation.php
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Very wet here in the Southern Tarn. It’s very green and not suitable for vines so the farmers grow cattle and sheep instead. Yet drive just a half an hour in either direction and there is gariggue and grapes growing in Herault and Aude. Even the Northern Tarn is much drier.
Ha ha… you’ve just had me visualising the farmer planting tiny cows and sheep… in soggy ground… probably brought on by the fact that, this morning, we have been cleaning/washing and repacking the Crèche animals etc… 
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Just my shorthand version of saying grass grows really well for most of the year to feed cows and sheep - more like Yorkshire than the South of France.
What are Crèche animals? Never heard of that species before 
Oh dear… sorry… the Traditional Nativity Scene is what I am talking about.
Over the last 50-100 years (I reckon)… from time to time, various families have given animals to be included… and, in this instance, size does NOT matter … which is why it might appear somewhat bizarre … but does mean a very great deal to those who live here.
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Yes James, everytime we take the camping car down near your area it always seems to rain or is misty so that you cannot see the mountains.
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Hi Mark, we expect we will rent somewhere there for about three months, mainly because we will sell up here then look there. Wouldn’t make offer on house there until we’ve completed, but we are looking eagerly, and hope to have a short list of ideal properties by then
15 years - you are a pro! What’s not so easy? Thanks for any advice.
Hi Simon,
Weather is a factor, but we don’t want stifling heat of med either. We are happy if it’s 5 deg warmer as that will extend season and time outdoors. We would not want more rain or strong winds. So we don’t want to be in middle of forests where it’s often damper . We like the area between Cognac and Riberac for views, not sure if it’s any windier there though?
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We haven’t travelled that area. We did further west Perigueux to Angouleme. Is it very similar? How has weather changed where you are?