'Year in Provence' author Peter Mayle dies, aged 78
Many of us who moved from the UK to France were first inspired by the book 'A Year in Provence', whether we settled in Provence or the Dordogne - at one time the two main choices.
A once a romantic dream, for me it painted a picture of an achievable lifestyle beyond the grey and crowded south of England.
In due course I found Bordeaux and the Gironde. Wonderful!
And, some years after reading it, I copied his lead and invited my French builder and his wife to a party in the gite he was supposed to be finishing for me. That gentle application of social pressure - it worked for me!
Nowadays the move is a lot easier than it was for those early pioneers. Many areas are home to significant ex-pat communities: the Charente, Lot-et-Garonne, Vienne, Pyrenees and many more.
Bilingual estate agents - as well as expert local property knowledge - offer French lessons, help with bureaucracy, legal advice, health care insurance and introductions to shame-based builders .....
Ask about the BVI 'New Life in France' package.
