Lost in Some French Backwater With My Laptop and a Bag of Croissants
## Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Honestly? Only if you're into weird medieval architecture and don't mind rain. I'm here working remotely and it's fine but wouldn't make a special trip.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: Cheaper than Paris, obviously. You can eat well under 20 euros if you avoid tourist traps. Beer is like 3-4 euros which is actually criminal in a good way.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: Anyone who needs Wi-Fi to work or likes things "happening." This place goes to sleep at 9pm. Dead serious.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Summer maybe? I came in what I think is spring and it's been grey and damp. The locals seem depressed about it too.
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so I ended up here because my flight was cheap and I needed somewhere with good wifi and no one I knew would ask "oh wow how's portugal" for the hundredth time. the coordinates 45.1929, 0.7217 apparently mean something to someone but to me it just means i'm in a town in southwestern france where the streets are made of stones that have seen some things.
i'm writing this from a café that smells like damp dog and espresso. the weather is doing that thing where it's technically 16.62 degrees but feels like 16.53 which is basically the same amount of not great. humidity at 84% means my hair has given up entirely. someone told me this is normal for the region though so whatever.
*local tip: don't bother with the main square. the real stuff is down the tiny streets where old women glare at you from windows.The Vibe Check
There's this building I walk past every day that looks like it was designed by someone having a fever dream. Wooden balconies, weird angles, clearly built by someone who said "actually I WILL put a tower there." I looked up the number 2987967 thinking it was a population thing but honestly I have no idea what it means. maybe it's a postal code? a reference number? i tried searching and got nothing so now i just think of it as the town's secret identity.
> a local warned me: "don't take photos of the church at sunset, the light makes everyone look dead"
i did it anyway. she was right. 2/10 would not recommend.
the weather today is giving "i'm not mad, i'm just disappointed" energy. 16.03 minimum, 16.62 max, so basically the temperature equivalent of beige. pressure at 1010 which apparently means something to people who know about pressure? i don't. humidity 84% means everything feels damp including my mood.
The Digital Nomad Reality
okay here's the actual useful stuff since i know that's why you're reading:
wifi situation: most cafés are fine but the one on rue principale (the main street) has password "bienvenue123" which is the most french thing ever. signal drops in the afternoon though, something about too many people streaming.
work spots: the library is free, quiet, and has actual outlets. the librarians look at you weird if you eat but no one actually stops you.
cost breakdown:
- coffee: 2.50-3 euros
- lunch special: 12-15 euros
- beer: 3-4 euros
- hostel: 25-35 euros/night
- airbnb: 50-70 euros/night
this area is significantly cheaper than bordeaux which is like 2 hours away by train. i went for a day, it was beautiful, it was also exhausting and full of people taking the same photo of a mirror.
safety: i felt safe walking alone at night. like actually safe, not "texting someone my location just in case" safe. there's basically no crime? maybe that's why the police looked bored af.
Random Observations That Might Help
the town has this thing where everyone seems to know everyone. i went to buy bread and the baker asked if i was "the one with the computer." apparently word travels fast when you're the only person under 40 not working in tourism.
the number 1250864403 is maybe a population? i tried searching and honestly i think it might be some kind of municipal code but honestly it doesn't matter. what matters is there's one bakery that does this thing with chocolate and bread that i can't stop thinking about.
Things I Wish Someone Told Me
- bring good shoes, the cobblestones will destroy your ankles eventually
- learn "bonjour" and "merci" at minimum, people are way nicer
- the supermarkets close early on sunday, plan accordingly
- there's a night market on fridays in summer that actually slaps
The Actual Verdict
would i come back? honestly maybe. it's peaceful in a way that's hard to find and the coffee is cheap and the wifi works mostly. it's not glamorous, it's not exciting, but sometimes that's exactly what you need when you're trying to actually get work done and escape whatever cycle you were in back home.
the nearest big city is bordeaux which is "close" in european terms (2 hours) but feels far when you're on a regional train that stops at every tiny station. périgueux is closer, maybe 40 minutes, and has better shopping if you need anything.
final thoughts: this place is for people who don't need their travel to be an experience. it's for people who need a pause. i didn't know that's what i needed until i got here.
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useful links:
- TripAdvisor - things to do
- Yelp - food reviews
- Reddit - france travel
- Wikipedia - the region
- Train times
- Hostelworld
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