Hereabouts.

The South West corner of France, the Périgord area in particular, is a very pleasant place to live. It has a reasonable climate; never much above 30 C in Summer, and never much below -5 C in Winter. As you can see by the above photo, it is also very verdant; which means it usually rains enough to keep things lush-looking.

But its greatest attributes are its beautiful architecture, superb gastronomy, and wonderful unspoilt gently-rolling wooded landscapes; and you don't have to be a multi-millionaire to live here. Beautiful old stone-built properties are possibly half the price (if not less) of those back in the UK.

                            

Beautiful medieval Chateaux are around every corner. This exquisite 'family-sized' example (above), is quite nearby. Such wonderful buildings are commonplace.

Like so many rural idyls, there isn't a great deal going on. Farming (what's left of it) is possibly the main activity along with tourism, but paid employment for school/university-leavers is rare. To live here it is best to have been born on a farm, and to rely on Brussels for handouts. Most educated young people wanting a well-paid job tend to leave for either Bordeaux or Toulouse, leaving an area top-heavy with oldies.

People looking for nightlife, international cuisine, raucous music concerts, sandy beaches, noisy bars, souvenir shops, and 'Tea like mum makes', would be advised to go elsewhere.

However, all this inactivity makes the area a wonderful place to live. More often than not, we sit outside in perfect silence, and, at present, with very few white lines in the sky, the area must be as it was hundreds of years ago, and that suits me fine.

However, I fear that it may not always be thus. Things are changing fast.