French property region guide MIDI-PYRENEES This is a large and diverse area often overlooked by potential English purchasers but it has so many advantages. It is a stunningly beautiful and very rural area – with peaceful, friendly people. Still bargains to be had and easy to get to even for a weekend. Good seasonal climate with traditionally warm summers. Toulouse is the region's capital and is one of France's most dynamic cities, largely thanks to the European Airbus Factory and Space Centre. It is also a great cultural and sporting centre as well as being a place of some beauty architecturally. It is called "La Ville Rose" for its pink hued buildings. Agriculture is the mainstay for most locals in the region and there is a slow pace here, helped along by the stunning countryside of gently rolling hills (we are of course on the edge of the Pyrenees mountains..), sleepy villages and towns, a pleasant climate where each season is celebrated in full. Brimming with a long history and with the added advantage of being in Spain in a couple of hours or on the ski slopes, this area has much to offer. Ariege, Haute Garonne and Hautes-Pyrenees are areas with plenty of potential for second home buyers. They are all close to the ski area of the Pyrenees and the summer offers great climbing, fishing and walking. The Gers is often named "Little Tuscany" for its stunning scenery and here, as in the Tarn et Garonne, there are plenty of pretty "bastides" (fortified villages or towns). Montauban, capital of the Tarn et Garonne, was the first bastide. The Tarn is very popular for British property seekers with the "golden triangle" of Gaillac, Cordes-sur-Ciel and Albi providing some of the most remarkable sights. For anyone wishing to experience “la vraie France” for their second home, this area is worth a good look. The climate is temperate, the people laid back and life has a slower pace. Culture is not lacking with ancient towns such as Auch, Montauban, Cahors offering numerous activities year round. Most villages delight in arranging small fairs/exhibitions/brocantes (a kind of flea market) on a regular basis. Regular flights to Toulouse, Pau and Rodez from various regional airports in the UK have opened up this area to second home owners. Alexis Goldberg is co-author of The France Buying Guide published by the Overseas Guides Company. Alexis owns a second home in the tiny bastide of Montjoi, in the Tarn et Garonne department of the Midi-Pyrenees, South West France. Alexis is passionate about helping others follow in her footsteps to France. The France Buying Guide was created to help people step by step to successfully buy a property in France. To get more information on the France Buying Guide please go to www.francebuyingguide.com/france.htm
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