Sunny Poitou-Charentes, in western France benefits from mild winters, which enable mimosa to blossom even in January! Poitou-Charentes stretches from the Atlantic inland to Poitiers and is filled with souvenirs of the Plantagenets, the Hundred Years' War and early pilgrimages heading for Santiago de Compostela. Bordering the many rivers and streams of Poitou-Charentes, there is a never-ending profusion of magnificent flora and fauna.