‘I was lost in France’ that well-known lyric from Bonnie Tyler’s 70’s hit…

I am sure that many of us Francophiles would love to be lost in France right now!

Not visiting our ‘maison secondaire’ boltholes or a weekend in the land of café au lait, baguettes and croissant is miserable.

My love affair started with La Belle France from an early age. As an ‘only child’ I spent many hours sitting in the back of the car watching the wonderful French countryside whisking past. I am old enough to remember in some of the very rural areas the fields were looked after by women in black dresses using equipment that I thought only existed in history books!

At the tender age of 9 I took my first exchange in the historic town of Honfleur. I was hooked by la vie française possibly due to the fact that my exchange’s maman spent a lot of time in her basement cooking crepes on a special hotplate!

Anyway fast forward forty (and a bit) years after working on campsites, sailing schools and other delights I embarked on finding my very own Chateau….

Well the budget didn’t quite stretch to a Chateau so I ended up with a barn – but nonetheless it is bang, smack wallop in the middle of rural France – in an area that is nearly as old-fashioned as the afore-mentioned childhood memories.

It required some work but not as much as some of the projects seen on Chateau DIY. Watching some of those good people’s adventurous projects has kept me going through lockdown…

With a good knowledge of France, the way it works and the geography I thought I knew what I was doing when I set out to find my dream property but 3 years later, many trips to France and house viewings that bore no resemblance to the advertising I was lucky enough to meet Steve Gillham from Alliance French Property.

Introduced by a mutual friend at a France Show he was surrounded by fellow Francophiles on the same quest as me – to find their dream home!

I explained that living in London with parents in the South of England we had been busy looking in the West of France as it was an easy access option but that however hard I tried I could not find the right property at the right price. I was looking for a secluded location but at the same time I wanted to be part of a French community and near to amenities such as shops, hospitals and le bar et boulangerie!
He was very helpful and with his encyclopaedic knowledge discussed various options with me. One of which was rural Burgundy where he suggested I would get good value for money.

He didn’t try and over-sell me anything but set me thinking … why not try Burgundy – great wine – a good start ….. wonderful cheese it turned out – le delice de Bourgogne to die for … snails …well you can’t have everything! Anyway off I set ….

Starting in the Morvan hills, a range of National Park between Nevers and Dijon I found myself going West towards the cathedral town of Nevers on the Nivernais river. Nevers itself is not a beautiful town but it has all the amenities one requires and the surrounding area is beautiful. I liken it to Devon, 50 years ago and of course for me the main criteria it is full of French people and not too many of them – une vie tranquille et rurale.

In a local village I found a rather dilapidated estate agent with faded pictures of houses in the shop window. In I went and met the lovely Nini who has become a very good friend.

We made an arrangement to look at three houses the next morning.

Off we set in the pouring rain and looked at three …..

The first two – nowhere near the criteria…. Ah but number three – having trudged from the makeshift gate to the house – the mix of coffee and casserole hit us as we entered the kitchen – I was sold, I could imagine myself living the dream …. That’s what it is all about really – can you imagine living there and living the dream …?

Oui, oui….. 10 years later – a few improvements made – I am living the dream – that is when I can travel to France of course ….

My original checklist and responses ….

  • Is it near the town – sort of …
  • Is it near a boulangerie – not really
  • Is it near a bar – no, it was but it closed …..
  • Is it near medical facilities – yes, near enough

Has it got amazing views – yes, definitely
Are the people friendly – yes, most of them!

Get in touch and tell us how you found your maison en France …..