So France, Probably
Less than a week in office and the current fascist regime managed to reduce the US to a kleptocracy. Another week saw him drive our economy (barely recovered from the orange shit stain's first tenure) into a rapid downward spiral. Three weeks in and he has betrayed our allies and effectively made us a vassal of Putin's Russia. And yet seventy seven million Americans still think everything he does is great and will somehow benefit them... or maybe they are just so small minded and shallow or ugly that this is exactly what they want.
We will not live with this and have decided to immigrate to France. We have signed up for French lessons and begun to research the details we will need to make the move.
The plan is to make a scouting trip to France in September and focus on the areas we think will work best for us and our horses. Given our desire for mostly clear skies and not too cold or damp winters we are looking primarily at southwestern France. We will focus on visiting cities and towns that look promising on paper to see if they are as desirable in person. We will also visit nearby stables to make sure there are some that meet our needs and desires.
After this trip we will make our "go/no go" decision and continue preparing back in Sacramento for a potential relocation in May or June of 2026.
The intent is to rent for the first year or so after arriving in France and board the horses. During this time we will evaluate life in France and better get to know the regions so that we can purchase property in a place we know we will like. We may purchase a house with land and keep the horses with us or live in a city or town and continue to board.
What follows is a list of places we will investigate along with some stables that are nearby. Note that this is mostly for our use for planning the exploratory trip and may be of little interest to anyone else.
Here is a comparison of the climate in five of the cities and villages that represent the region in which we are looking: climate comparison of selected cities and towns (follow the link and scroll down to see various climate factors).
Montpellier
Example Stables:
Stable 1
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Stable 2
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Stable 3
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Béziers
Beziers is a small city of about 80,000 around 45 miles south from Montpellier, and thus offers the same climate and similar geography. It is smaller and less busy than Montpellier and is connected to the rest of France multiple train lines, a regional airport, and motorways.
Example Stables:
Montauban
Mountauban is a small city of 61,000 people that lies 31 miles north of Toulouse, which is a major city halfway between Montpellier on the Mediterranean and Bordeaux on the Atlantic. It has warm summers and mild winters but gets more rain and overcast skies (especially in the winter) than Montpellier. It sits on the Tarn River in a wide valley with hills to the north and east. It is served by a train line and motorways.
Example Stable:
Cahors
Cahors is a town of 20,000 about 35 miles north of Montauban and thus shares its climate. Cahors sits on the Lot River amid verdant hills and valleys for which the Dordogne and the Lot districts are famous. The town is served by a train line and regional roads. The surrounding countryside has stables and trails.
Example Stable:
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Sarlat is a village of almost 9,000 that acts as the center for the Dordogne River valley tourism. Surrounded by scenic cliffs and valleys this district has similar climate and geography to Cahors. It is served by a train line and a winding district road that can be slow especially during tourist season. There are many stables and trails nearby.
Example Stables:
Périgueux
Périgueux is a large town of 30,000 lying about 40 miles northwest of Sarlat. This old Roman town sits on the Isle River and has the same climate and geography as Sarlat. It is served by several train lines and regional roads. There are many stables and trails nearby.
Example Stables:
Bergerac
Bergerac is a large town of 27,000 upon the Dordogne River 45 miles west of Sarlat and has the same climate and geography as Sarlat. It is served by several train lines and regional roads. There are many stables and trails nearby.
Example Stables:
Stable 1
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Stable 2
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Stable 3
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Pau
Example Stables:
Tarbes
Tarbes is a large town of 44,000 about 25 miles east of Pau. It has the same climate and geography as Pau and is even closer to the Pyrenees and the popular resorts and trail system. It is home to France's national horse stud farm. Pau is served by a train line and a motorway. There are quite a few stables and trails nearby.
Example Stables:
I see you in Pau! That place seems to offer a little of everything you both love, and has an expat population. You'll have folks that you can relate to, which will help with the stress of moving to an entirely new world. I'm excited for you both! Lots of good riding in France!
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting: Pau was the first city I added to our list. I am more inclined to the Mediterranean climate of Montpellier, but Pau and the Dordogne look good too. We'll see how we feel about them all in September.
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