Having lived in the Angouleme area for over four years now, I have come to love its quaint cobbled
streets, its charming squares and secret hide-aways, and its laid-back and yet vibrant youthful attitude.
For those of you unaware of its charms, I urge you to visit it ... it is probably one of the best kept secrets in
South West France. Tourist head for Cognac to the West, or pass by on their head-long flight towards the
.. "now oh so very British" ... Dordogne !! But Angouleme is different, and a very special gem.
streets, its charming squares and secret hide-aways, and its laid-back and yet vibrant youthful attitude.
For those of you unaware of its charms, I urge you to visit it ... it is probably one of the best kept secrets in
South West France. Tourist head for Cognac to the West, or pass by on their head-long flight towards the
.. "now oh so very British" ... Dordogne !! But Angouleme is different, and a very special gem.
Angouleme - Charente's Best Kept Secret
Charente Gems, La Grange de la Lissiere, Les Ferrieres, 16170 Gourville France
It’s all a question of terminology. In a bid to enhance its image and attract people both inside and outside its borders, the
Charente has decided to use the word ‘vintage’ to describe itself. A vast array of badges, posters and leaflets will be used
to get over the message of just how ‘vintage’ our department is. We need to be clear here; this borrowed word has to be
pronounced the English way. Even the merest hint of a French pronunciation would immediately destroy the desired effect.
Instead of conveying an idea of timelessness and quality, it would simply suggest a department of country bumpkins. So
what are the Charente’s vintage qualities? It’s a place that is delightfully old-fashioned, not terribly sophisticated, and whose
essential ingredients include good food, the land, its old stone buildings and a fine climate. The essence and excellence of
the ‘vintage charentais’ can be found equally well in a glass of cognac, the rolling green pastures of the Charente Limousine
or the old stone-built villages one finds around Ruffec. It’s a quality that permeates throughout the area, one that the British
appreciate – but which is too often ignored by the French. For if the Charentais are borrowing an English word to sell the
departments image, that is being done first and foremost to convince their fellow citizens that the delights of the Charente
transcend mere passing fashions. Something the British have understood for some time.
Jean-Louis HERVOIS, Editor – Charente Libre.
Charente has decided to use the word ‘vintage’ to describe itself. A vast array of badges, posters and leaflets will be used
to get over the message of just how ‘vintage’ our department is. We need to be clear here; this borrowed word has to be
pronounced the English way. Even the merest hint of a French pronunciation would immediately destroy the desired effect.
Instead of conveying an idea of timelessness and quality, it would simply suggest a department of country bumpkins. So
what are the Charente’s vintage qualities? It’s a place that is delightfully old-fashioned, not terribly sophisticated, and whose
essential ingredients include good food, the land, its old stone buildings and a fine climate. The essence and excellence of
the ‘vintage charentais’ can be found equally well in a glass of cognac, the rolling green pastures of the Charente Limousine
or the old stone-built villages one finds around Ruffec. It’s a quality that permeates throughout the area, one that the British
appreciate – but which is too often ignored by the French. For if the Charentais are borrowing an English word to sell the
departments image, that is being done first and foremost to convince their fellow citizens that the delights of the Charente
transcend mere passing fashions. Something the British have understood for some time.
Jean-Louis HERVOIS, Editor – Charente Libre.
WHY IS THE CHARENTE SUCH A GEM ? ....... Read what the Editor of our Local Newspaper has to say
Charente Gems sarl
siret reg. 483 022 679
siret reg. 483 022 679
carte agent immobilier
siret reg. 483 031 241
siret reg. 483 031 241
Legal & Registration info
Accountants
Notaire
Groupe Experte Conseil
Soyaux
Soyaux
Maitre Philip Glaudet
Angouleme
Angouleme
Contact Us by Email
